Keraia
Genesis 3

Genesis 3:1

The Serpent’s Deception · Genesis 3:1–7
Read Genesis 3

Translations

Modern
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”
Traditional
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Literal
And the serpent was cunning above every beast of the field that YHWH God had made. And he said to the woman, “Is it true that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’”
Latin
Sed et serpens erat callidior cunctis animantibus terræ quæ fecerat Dominus Deus. Qui dixit ad mulierem: Cur præcepit vobis Deus ut non comederetis de omni ligno paradisi?

Original

Hebrew
English
Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”

Notes

Genesis 3:1

  • Genesis describes the deceiver as a serpent, one of the animals God created (see also 3:14 and study note). Scripture later identifies him as Satan, the great enemy of God’s people (Revelation 12:9; 20:2). He used manipulative language and disguised himself as a serpent. The serpent was the most clever of all creatures. This showed Satan as a master deceiver.

    Satan uses different methods to oppose God’s people (see 1 Chronicles 21:1; Zechariah 3:1–2). Deception remains one of his main strategies (compare 2 Corinthians 11:3, 14).

    The Hebrew word for crafty is ‘arum. It can have a positive meaning (“prudent,” Proverbs 14:8) or a negative meaning (as here; see Job 5:12). Here it forms a wordplay with “naked” (Hebrew ‘arummim) in Genesis 2:25. Adam and Eve were naked and vulnerable. The serpent was crafty and cunning.

  • The serpent probably asked the woman because God gave Adam the rule before he created Eve (see 2:16–17). Adam was probably aware of the serpent’s craftiness, since he had named all the animals before God created Eve (2:19–20, 23).

  • Did God really say: The deceiver started by twisting God’s words to make the people doubt God’s goodness. God’s original rule applied to only one tree (2:16–17), not to all of them.

Genesis 3:1–24

When the man and woman rebelled against God, it disrupted their harmony with the earth, animals, each other, and God.

Events

Parallels

Romans 5:12–21

Glossary

Adam (Person) Apocalyptic Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (New Testament) Bible, Quotations of the Old Testament in the New Testament Book of Revelation Chronology of the Bible (Old Testament) Creation Myths Demon Discipline Evil Fall of Man Fear Genesis, Book of Hebrew Language Judgment Land Man Man, Old and New Mesopotamia Monotheism Paradise Patriarchs, Period of the Serpent Snake Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil Woman

Topics

Adam: The First Man: Temptation and Sin of Craftiness: Satan, in the Temptation of Eve Deceit: The Devil Eve: Beguiled by Satan Fall of Man: General Scriptures Concerning Good and Evil: Choice Between, by Adam and Eve Helmet of Salvation Infidelity: General Scriptures Concerning Influence: Evil: Satan Over Adam and Eve Jealousy Man: Disobeyed God by Eating Part of the Forbidden Fruit Presumption: Satan, when he Said to Eve, |You Will Surely not Die| Satan: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To Serpent: Satan Appears to Eve in the Form of Serpent: Subtlety of Serpents: Characterised As Subtle Serpents: of the Devil Snakes Temptation: Eve Temptation: General Scriptures Concerning Temptation: Yielding to Adam and Eve The Devil: Character of Subtle The Devil: The Author of the Fall The Fall of Man: Through Temptation of the Devil The Serpent Trickery Woman: Deceived by Satan Women: Fall of, and Curse Upon