Bible and Archaeology What Most People Get Wrong About the Serpent
Jun 14, 2024
Discover the intriguing identity of the serpent from the Garden of Eden. Scholars challenge the idea that it represents Satan, exploring its crafty nature and role in temptation. Delve into divine testing in biblical stories and the moral complexities behind God's actions. Examine the enigma of a talking serpent and its implications for communication in Eden. Finally, discuss how the serpent's deception led to major consequences and the evolution of its identity across traditions.
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Genesis 3 Doesn't Name Satan
- Genesis 3 never identifies the serpent as Satan; the Hebrew calls it simply nahash, a wild animal.
- The later identification of the serpent with Satan is a retrojection from later Jewish and Christian tradition.
The Serpent Is Framed As An Animal
- The text repeatedly uses the ordinary Hebrew word nahash and describes the serpent as a beast of the field.
- The narrative treats the creature as an animal, not a divine or angelic being within the original text.
Crafty Like A Serpent, Not Like Satan
- The Hebrew word arum (crafty) is used for the serpent and the Septuagint renders it pronemos.
- Jesus later uses the same Greek term in Matthew 10:16 to tell disciples to be 'wise as serpents,' not 'be like Satan.'
