clearly a case of disobedience to the divine will, followed by punishment. The idea of sin is there, even if the word is absent, as is also the case in some other Old Testament passages. But interestingly, the verb ḥṭʾ, ‘to sin’ is actually used of the man in Eden in the parallel account in Ezek. 28:16, and a word for ‘iniquity’ (ʿawlātâ) is likewise found in the preceding verse. Overall, it is difficult to see why the Garden of Eden story should not be understood as one of sin and judgment, comparable
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