God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.
Every plant on Earth is safe for humans to eat.
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The cited passage
What current science says
Many plants are extremely poisonous. Hemlock, deadly nightshade, oleander, and castor beans can kill you. Plants evolved toxins over millions of years specifically to prevent animals from eating them. Never eat a wild plant unless you're absolutely certain it's safe.
What the text says
Genesis 1:29 has God give humanity 'every herb bearing seed' and 'every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed' for food - implying every plant is safe for people to eat.
Three honest ways to read this passage
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As history
The text records how its authors understood the world with the knowledge they had. Read this way, a difference from modern science is a window into the ancient mind, not a failure.
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As accommodation
The text speaks to its first audience in their own terms, to make a point that isn't mainly about physics or biology. Read this way, the scientific detail is the vehicle, not the cargo.
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As contradiction
The text makes a claim about the physical world that modern findings dispute. Read this way, the difference is a genuine factual disagreement worth naming.
GEBible doesn't pick one of these for you. Each entry shows the passage, what it says, and what current science says — nothing more.