ESV, Genesis 2:
מ֥וֹת (mō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill
die.”
תָּמֽוּת׃ (tā·mūṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill
Solomon pronounced the same expression in 1 Kings 2:
These were examples of Hebrew word doubling. They were for word emphasis. Back then, there was no boldface or italics to highlight the word. For emphasis, they repeat the keyword in its absolute form.
For Adam and Eve, what kind of death was this? In what sense did Adam and Eve certainly die or dying-you-die?
Before they ate the forbidden fruit, their knowledge of good and evil came only from God. They acquired their own way of determining good and evil as soon as they ate. Right away, they thought being naked was not good. God had not thought that. Their consciences were separated from God. In other words, their consciences died to God.
Genesis 5:
Literal Standard Version:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
you will surelybut from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you do not eat from it, for in the day of your eating from it—dying you die [מֹ֥ות תָּמֽוּת׃].”
מ֥וֹת (mō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill
die.”
תָּמֽוּת׃ (tā·mūṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill
Solomon pronounced the same expression in 1 Kings 2:
It was a sure death sentence. Later, Shimei disobeyed and left Jerusalem. He did not die on the day he left. He died after he returned to Jerusalem (v. 46).36 Then the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there to any place whatever. 37 For on the day you go out and cross the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die [מֹ֣ות תָּמ֑וּת]. Your blood shall be on your own head.”
These were examples of Hebrew word doubling. They were for word emphasis. Back then, there was no boldface or italics to highlight the word. For emphasis, they repeat the keyword in its absolute form.
For Adam and Eve, what kind of death was this? In what sense did Adam and Eve certainly die or dying-you-die?
Before they ate the forbidden fruit, their knowledge of good and evil came only from God. They acquired their own way of determining good and evil as soon as they ate. Right away, they thought being naked was not good. God had not thought that. Their consciences were separated from God. In other words, their consciences died to God.
They experienced dying-you-die in that they were not to live forever.22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever”.
Genesis 5:
Like Shimei, Adam eventually died physically after the disobedience. In Genesis 2, God pronounced a punishment of death certainty by the Hebrew expression "dying you die" even though the physical death did not happen on the day of disobedience.5 Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.