Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

That old serpent has perpetuated a lie, a tradition, about the "snake" and the "apple" long enough. Do not let him have the victory any more! Again, it is his diabolical plan to deceive a Biblically ignorant people, "because it ministers to the acceptance of his lie, the hiding of God's truth, the jeers of the infidel, the opposition of the critics, and the stumbling of the weak in faith." (Companion Bible, appendix 19, last paragraph.)

By the way, the apostle Paul also refers to this "serpent" in the garden in 2 Cor. 11:3:

2 Cor. 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

serpent = –öéò  ophis  of'-is   Strong's #3789
Probably from G3700 (through the idea of sharpness of vision); a snake, figuratively (as a type of sly cunning) an artful malicious person, especially Satan:—serpent.

Let's repeat Gen. 3:1.

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Genesis 2:16
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

[17] But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Ezekiel 31:3
Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.

[4] The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.

[5] Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters, when he shot forth.

[6] All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.

[7] Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters.

[8] The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.

[9] I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.

Satan also tempted Jesus Christ in the wilderness with God's Word by misquoting and twisting the scriptures to read and mean the "letter" of what is written, instead of the "truth" of what is written. Most Christians do not even know that Satan misquoted the Word of God when he tempted Jesus Christ. Do you?

Let us go back to the garden.

Genesis 3:2
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

[3] But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

touch = òâ‡ðˆnaòga€naw-gah'  Strong's #5060
A primitive root; properly to touch, that is, laythehandupon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to liewith a woman); by implication to reach (figuratively to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.):—beat, (X be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch.

2 Cor. 11:2
For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

[3] But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

beguiled = dîáðáôÜùexapatao ex-ap-at-ah'-o Strong's #1818
From G1537 and G538; to seducewholly:—beguile, deceive.

Genesis 3:4
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

[5] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Go by what "feels good", baby! Live for today! (Baby Boomers know the song, "Sha la, la, la, la, la, live for today!")

Note: If a person gets really filled with the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good an evil he or she can become an arrogant condescending liberal politician who believes he or she can also determine in his or her own "godly wisdom" what is best for other people (of lesser intelligence). Of course what is good for others would obviously have to exclude God's Word, any reference of which must be stricken from the halls of justice and any and all government and public institutions, especially those schools where the children go to learn.

[6] And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,

Now Think: When is the last time you saw an apple tree and said to yourself, "You know self, if I eat the fruit from this tree it will instantly make me wiser. I'll bet these are some kind of smart apples". Get apples and grapes out of your mind. It is the "leaven", the doctrine of Satan, his bad fruit, that Eve listened to. In other words, she "ate up" Satan's philosophical reasonings and "interpretations" of God's Word as he began to appeal to her ego and "desire". It all started to make sense to her and she told Adam all the things she was learning and he began to eat it up also. And before long, they were had!

... she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

[7] And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

"And they sewed FIG LEAVES together, and made themselves aprons." Do you suppose these were itty bitty little aprons that they sewed together to cover their mouths because they just ate a bad apple? How stupid the traditions of men! Learn to think for yourself and stick to God's Word, not the traditions of men.

[8] And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:14
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: