Though the biblical text does not explicitly mention Adam and Eve having children while in the Garden of Eden, there are a few clues that can be inferred from the subsequent events and narratives presented in Genesis:

1. God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply”: In Genesis 1:28, immediately after creating Adam and Eve, God blesses them and commands them to “be fruitful and multiply.” This directive strongly suggests the potential for procreation and the continuation of the human species. While the actual act of childbirth is not explicitly mentioned in relation to Adam and Eve, it implies that they were expected to have offspring.

2. Cain’s departure and concern for his safety: In Genesis 4:14, after Cain kills his brother Abel and is subsequently cursed by God, he expresses concern for his own safety, saying, “Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden.” This utterance implies the existence of other people and communities outside the immediate family of Adam and Eve. The question arises, who would potentially harm Cain if there were no other people?

3. The mention of other people in the land of Nod: Following the account of Cain’s exile in Genesis 4:16-17, it is stated that Cain went to the land of Nod, where he built a city and had children. The presence of other people and a city in Nod indicates the existence of a broader population outwith the immediate family of Adam and Eve.

4. The genealogical record in Genesis 5: The genealogical record found in Genesis 5 provides a list of the descendants of Adam through his son Seth. This record traces the lineages from Adam to Noah, portraying a history of human existence that necessitates the presence of offspring, demonstrating that Adam and Eve did indeed have children who went on to populate the Earth.

5. God’s multiplication of Eve’s pain in childbirth: In Genesis 3:16, as part of the consequences of the Fall, God specifically addresses Eve and says, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain, you shall bring forth children.” This statement implies that Eve had prior experience with childbirth since God references multiplying her pain. The assumption of pre-existing knowledge of childbirth indicates that she and Adam had already undergone the process, reinforcing the idea that they had children before being expelled from the Garden.

It is worth noting that this assumption does not indicate whether all of their children were born within the confines of the Garden or after their expulsion. The mention of increasing pain in childbirth merely implies that it was a familiar experience to Eve, suggesting previous instances of childbirth.

The details surrounding the birth of Adam and Eve’s children are not provided in the biblical text, leaving room for interpretation and speculation. However, the implications of God’s words to Eve regarding multiplying her pain in childbirth strongly suggest that she had already experienced the process firsthand, reinforcing the idea that Adam and Eve had offspring while in the Garden of Eden.

It is important to note that the details regarding the descendants of Adam and Eve while in the Garden of Eden are intentionally omitted or left vague in the biblical narrative. The focus of the biblical text shifts primarily towards the immediate consequences of the Fall, the introduction of sin, and the subsequent narratives of Cain and Abel. The absence of explicit information about childbirth in Eden allows for various interpretations and theological perspectives surrounding this aspect of Adam and Eve’s story.