GENESIS 2:17
 

[NKJV]

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.”
 

[GNT]

except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day.”

In the Bible verse above, two distinct items could be said to bring knowledge or enlightenment (opening man's eyes): They include:
 

*1* The Commandment of God:
 

[Psalms 19:8] — "...the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes."
 

In my comments under the preceding verse, I showed the Commandment of God bringing gifts to men, but here I show the Commandment of God opening men's eyes as in enlightenment.
 

*2* The Tree of Knowledge of good and evil:
 

[Genesis 3:5] — "For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
 

So agree that both the Commandment of God and the Forbidden Tree had ways of enlightening or opening man's eyes. But when the forbidden Tree opened men's eyes they knew good and evil, whereas when the Commandment of God opened the eyes of the man in the Bible verse above the man began to know sin and death.
 

By the Forbidden Tree came knowledge of good and evil, but by the Commandment (Law) of God came knowledge of sin and death.
 

As it is written,
 

[Romans 7:7‭-‬11 FBV] — So what do we conclude? That the law is sin? Of course not! I wouldn't have known what sin was unless the law defined it. I wouldn't have realized that wanting to have other people's things for myself was wrong without the law that says, “Don't desire for yourself what belongs to someone else.” But through this commandment sin found a way to stir up in me all kinds of selfish desires—for without law, sin is dead. I used to live without realizing what the law really meant, but when I understood the implications of that commandment, then sin came back to life, and I died. I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life brought death instead, because sin found a way through the commandment to deceive me, and used the commandment to kill me!
 

It therefore means, God introduced the knowledge of sin and death to Adam when God commanded him against the knowledge of good and evil. The only lust or covetousness to avoid then was the lust to eat or take anything from the forbidden Tree.
 

That was the forbidden Tree, because it gives or reveals forbidden knowledge of certain mysteries; and they are the mysteries of evil and good. Mankind was commanded or forbidden from feeding on the revelations from such mysteries though they are also wisdom.
 

*1* Forbidden, but not Evil
 

The tree of knowledge of good and evil was also a tree of wisdom, but the tree of life that was a Tree of greater Wisdom with everlasting life. The fact that tree of knowledge of good and evil is referred to as forbidden Tree or forbidden fruit, does not imply it was an evil tree because it was actually a good but forbidden tree only to mankind. Every tree in the Garden of God was good, though this one was forbidden for the man in the Garden.

Actually, the Tree itself was not a "Forbidden Tree," but the fruits or knowledge from the Tree was the actual "Forbidden" or "Forbidden Knowledge." In the order of God, certain mysteries or sets of knowledge were forbidden to mankind, but not to angels. Angels may know them but must not reveal them to mortal men lest they be corrupted by such knowledge. These sets of knowledge included these knowledge of good and evil, which the Serpent was cursed forever for being the angel who got men to know it. There were other kinds of knowledge such as those the fallen angels revealed to daughters of men whom they married, including knowledge of witchcraft, sorcery, astrology, necromancy, warfare crafts, cosmetics artificials and superficial maskings and surgeries, white and black magics and enchantments, etc. Those angels too were cursed for disclosing such kinds of knowledge to mankind, by which they were corrupted even further, increasing fornication, evil and murders.
 

*2* Forbidden, but not Hidden
 

I say "Forbidden" but not "Hidden:" It was not a hidden tree to the man, but forbidden to the man. In the Bible verse above, God even mentioned the name or what the tree gives (knowledge of good and evil) to man while commanding him to never eat of it or for he must die in the day he eats of it. God was not acting like how some parents or adults would do concerning 'Sex Education' to children, feeling it's better to keep sex matters hidden than come clean to teach little children on time about Sex in order to forbid premarital sex. God was blunt, and it appears Adam knew the particular tree that bore the title, "Knowledge of good and evil" either that God pointed the tree to him or there was some form of label or descriptions to identify each tree in the Garden and what they do when eaten or used. Forbidden but not hidden.
 

Actually, it was after mankind ate of this forbidden Tree that hiding things among men became a thing. Before then, man and woman were naked, and everything was openly to them, for there was no need to hide anything from them. Even little babies without the corruption of the knowledge of good and evil have nothing to hide and no need to hide things from them. But as soon as that knowledge or wisdom of good and evil makes them aware, then hiding or covering becomes necessary.
 

*3* Forbidden, but not out of reach or accessible
 

Somehow, this forbidden Tree was more reachable than the Tree of Life. There wes no sword, flame or cherub, to barricade the way to the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. Infact, in this book of Genesis revealed to us, God seemed to had talked more about the forbidden Tree to the man than He talked about the Tree of Life.
 

Again, by the Commandment of God, the man knew both sin and knew this forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil. Unfortunately, Adam did not ask God to give him more information about the forbidden knowledge of good and evil.