Featured Was the Serpent in Genesis 3 a Literal Snake?

Snake seems to be the literal meaning. In Genesis 3:14, God says to that "serpent", ". . . upon thy belly shalt thou go, . . . ." if it had not already crawled on its belly as a snake. In the Revelation 12:9, God refers to him as, "that old serpent." So in some way was a snake.

 

Demons went into pigs, also.

 

It was literally a manifestation of Satan. That is the literal message.
But what about Genesis 3:14? The snake or serpent of today does exhibit God's curse, but we do not know if that reflects his characteristics in the Garden. We know he could talk and deceive, which are not characteristics of animals.

 

There are many levels of understanding in this story that we can only guess.
If it was a “ literal serpent” it was unlike anything we know of today or at anytime in the past.
So my answer is, “NO”, it can not be compared to what we know as a serpent.

This serpent could walk, talk, think and reason with a person.
This serpent was going to have offspring that would be at enmity with Eve’s offspring.
And if you want to be “literal”, this serpent would “eat dust” all the rest of it’s life.

The NT book of Revelation borrows heavily from Genesis (and many other OT texts).
There may be an illusion to the story (of Genesis 3) in Rev. 12.17,

So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.​

John appears to be allegorizing the story.

Rob

 

Perhaps I don’t understand what you mean by it being a “literal” snake.
It was a snake... that’s what the text says...

But the snake in Genesis 3 was certainly much more than just a “literal” snake.
If you only believe that you’re missing much of the story.

My position is that this was not just a simple, “literal” snake but was the embodiment of something so much bigger.
This “physical animal” was the representation of an evil that ultimately could only be defeated by something so much bigger than a simple, ordinary, “literal” man...

...Christ, the God-man.

Rob

 

Again, the snakes of today are the "literal snakes" you have in view, and scripture clearly indicates the "snake" in the Garden could talk, and did not at that time go on its belly. OTOH, the creature of the Garden was turned into our present day literal snake.

 

Fine, the snake was not a literal snake of today. We agree!!

And when scripture refers to that Serpent of old, Satan and not an animal is in view.

 

Balaam was surprised, but was Eve?

 

Why would a manifestation of a distinct physical creation not fit the bill?

 

Henry Morris in his study Bible says that snakes seem to have stood upright originally so they some of them would have been as tall as a man. Satan entered the animal and the animal paid a price for this.

 

I take it you are agreeing, a manifestation of a creature fits the bill.

Here is the question that should be asked, why did God curse the snake, when it was Satan who did wrong? I think to create an icon for Satan, so that down through time, people would be reminded of the wickedness of Satan.

Consider, "snake in the grass" or "brood of vipers" or even poison on their lips.