Featured Was the Serpent in Genesis 3 a Literal Snake?

I see we are done.

 

Revelations 12:9
And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Here we see that "the serpent" is called the "great dragon" before the Garden.

Revelations 20:2
And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

Here we see "the serpent" is Satan and not a reptile.

Conclusion, snakes were made icons of Satan.

 

and he said unto the woman Was this a regular serpent of the field? Satan is called the serpent (Job 26:13; Isa.27:1; Rev.12:9, 14 and 20:2). Revelation 12:14 refers to Satan after his future fall and incarnation as a man in the person of the antichrist (Rev.12:9/13) as the serpent. Israel is said to flee from the face of the serpent (Rev.12:14) when she is fleeing from the literal face of the antichrist, who will be a man. So serpent can refer to a man. But that doesn’t necessarilly mean that Eve was speaking to humanoid. For one thing, the serpent is introduced as being part of the beasts of the field (v.1). For another, the serpent is cursed anatomically in v.14, implying that Even was speaking to an anatomical serpent. The serpent is cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field, and is to go on his belly from thereon. So at this point, the serpent is classified among cattle. Cattle go on four legs and are distinguished from any creeping thing (1:23). Exodus 9:3 defines cattle to include at least five four-footed beasts: 1. horses 2. asses 3. camels 4. oxen 5. sheep. Exodus 10:26 seems to define as cattle anything that has an hoof – thereby excluding camels although that is not clear in Genesis 31:17-18. Do you know what we call a serpent with legs? A dragon. Indeed the connection to cattle goes further than pre-fall animal anatomy. Cherubims have four faces a piece: lion, eagle, ox/calf, and man; yet of all four Ezekiel says that the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot (Ez.1:7). Since Satan is a Cherub (Ez.28:14) his feet are like the sole of a calf’s foot thereby classifying him – the serpent– with cattle; implying that that serpent here was Satan himself. Satan did possess Peter and Judas, so it seems Satan possessed a pre-fall serpent - with legs and possibly wings withal.

 

It doesnt matter

 

I am sure you have a point in there somewhere...
1) Did a creature do something bad, or did Satan manifesting himself as a creature do something bad? Satan, not the creature.
2) You can say "creating an icon for Satan" does not explain Genesis 3:14, but does a better job than other views.
3) Did anyone say Satan was turned into a snake? Nope.

God is saying to the serpent (a manifestation of Satan) because you (Satan) have done this, you (the snake manifested) shall go on your belly...

If you have a better explanation, fine.

 

Absolutely. Satan entered the snake.
MB

 

It was indeed the original snake God made, or one of the kinds of snakes He originally made. Baraminologists believe there are 3 basic kinds of snakes which all species are derived from. At least some believe this.

Most creationists believe the snake in the garden originally had legs, which God removed after the Fall. It's likely God altered many animals after the Fall, indicated by the phrase "above all livestock."

Gen. 3:14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,

“Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.​

The implication is that it was altered after the Curse along with other animals. This is in line with Jewish tradition. Josephus believe God took the Serpents speech away and put venom under his tongue.

Antiq. 1:50 (1.1.4) He also deprived the serpent of speech, out of indignation at his malicious disposition towards Adam. Besides this, he inserted poison under his tongue, and made him an enemy to man; and suggested to them that they should direct their strokes against his head, that being the place wherein lay his mischievous designs towards men, and it being easiest to take vengeance on him that way: and when he had deprived him of the use of his feet, and made him go rolling all along, and dragging himself upon the ground. ​

Josephus believed other animals had speech before the Fall.

Antiq. 1:41 (1.1.4) But while all the living creatures had one language,5 at that time the serpent, which then lived together with Adam and his wife, showed an envious disposition, at his supposal of their living happily, and in obedience to the commands of God; ​

This all happened before the first animal death, so none of these traits were passed on to descendants.

 

The Serpent was Satan in the sense that Satan incited him to speak deceptive words to Eve. We see this incitement with humans thereafter, from the prince of Tyre to David to Peter.

 

Yeah, I agree. Not authoritative, but an insightful regarding ancient Jewish thought and tradition.

 

No. Animals don't have moral awareness and responsibility like men. The physical curse placed on the snake was symbolic of the curse on Satan. Snakes are very successful animals without legs, one of the most successful kinds in the world. They don't feel shame or remorse over their actions.

 

He was, but not on the sense he holds morally aware humans responsible. The serpent was not made in God's image. Snakes are not going to be eternally punished. And the removal of his legs was real, but had spiritual symbolism in regard to Satan who incited him.

Yes, before the Fall, the snakes were much higher up on the intelligence scale, which made him a good choice to incite. They lost in intelligence after the fall, more so than other animals. Scripture laters tells us the Satan was the Serpent of old.

 

Angels are in the image of God. They're called sons of God, among other names. They are morally aware beings, created directly by God. Adam is also called the son of God, being directly created (Luke 3:38), but he's the only one, since we're the result of procreation. We are sons of Adam until we accept Christ and become children of God by adoption.

Animals, for sure, are not made in the image of God. The contrast is clear in Genesis 1.