Introduction
Satan’s sudden appearance in Eden remains one of Scripture’s great mysteries. How did he enter the garden and speak to God’s perfect children? In this encounter, Eve faces a deceptive darkness that shifts her heart. Adam, too, stands before a series of moral choices—and in a moment that echoes through history, he does nothing. His actions are silence and inaction. After the fall, God steps in, bringing judgment yet also offering the first provision for sin through the shedding of blood.
Chapter 3
v.1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
v.2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden.
v.3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'”
v.4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.”
v.5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
The Villain of Eden
Eden – God’s House Temple
Eden was the “mailing address and zip code” for God’s presence on earth—His direct and ongoing dwelling. It was more than a garden; it was God’s house-temple. Dr. Michael Heiser notes in Demons that Eden functioned both as God’s abode and as the site of the original rebellion. G.K. Beale makes the same case in The Temple and the Church’s Mission, devoting an entire book to Eden as the archetype of the temple where God’s presence dwelled.
Heiser explains:
“The archetypal nature of Eden as the house-temple of God is why Eden is described as a well-watered garden (Gen. 2:6, 8–9, 10–16; Ezek. 28:2, 13) and a holy mountain. For the Israelites reading these passages, Eden would immediately evoke images of God’s supernatural presence—and they would recognize the serpent as a supernatural being as well” (Demons, p. 63).
Modern readers often reduce Eden to a perfect, picturesque garden. But for people in the biblical period, Eden represented something far more transcendent. They understood Eden as a temple, because temples were where deities resided. Eden was God’s earthly abode, a reflection of the heavenly reality. Just as Adam communed with God in Eden, priests later communed with Him in Solomon’s Temple (Demons, p. 62).
This perspective explains why I’ve sometimes critiqued urban-minded theologians. Surrounded by cement and skyscrapers, they easily miss the agrarian beauty and temple imagery woven throughout Scripture.
The Voice Of The Devil
Jesus faced every attack from the devil by holding tightly to the Word of God. He identified the devil as “a murderer from the beginning” and “the father of lies” (John 8:44). Paul reminds the Ephesians, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood” (Eph. 6:12). To the Corinthians he adds, “We are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). I prefer the King James translation—“devices”—because it captures the devil’s cunning schemes more forcefully.
Scripture teaches us about a powerful being who violently opposes God and seeks to destroy all that is beautiful in His creation. The devil’s words carry such deceptive power that even a perfect man and woman could be led astray.
According to G. Campbell Morgan, the devil made three accusations to Eve (The Voice of the Devil, 1920, p. 12):
He questioned God’s goodness.
He denied God’s severity—His absolute power and willingness to use it.
He slandered God’s motive.
Satan’s schemes are found throughout Scripture, but his personal voice appears only three times:
To Eve in Genesis 3.
To God in Job 1.
To Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4.
In Genesis 3, Satan’s purpose was simple: slander God. He planted thoughts in Eve’s mind that she had never imagined—dark lies about God’s character. She tried to process them, and failed. Adam failed too. Satan’s claim was clear: God is holding out on you. His lie remains consistent—God is not good.
Morgan notes:
“If Satan has deceived men about God, and he did; he cannot deceive God about man” (The Voice of the Devil, p. 28).
Warren Wiersbe, in his classic The Strategy of Satan (Tyndale House), outlined the same strategy with four targets:
The deceiver targets your mind.
The destroyer targets your body.
The ruler targets your will.
The accuser targets your heart.
Liar Liar
Satan Lied to Eve
Satan deceived Eve about God’s goodness. He wanted her to believe that if God were truly good, He still wasn’t good enough—certainly not worthy of her worship, adoration, or obedience. He whispered that her lack of knowledge was because God refused to share His “secrets.” The insinuation was clear: God lacked kindness, and only Satan could reveal the truth.
Satan Lied to God
Satan also lied directly to God about Job. He argued that the only reason Job served Him was because of blessings. If God removed those blessings, Satan claimed, Job would fall just like Adam and Eve. But the scheme failed. Job’s faith rang out as a testimony for the ages: “Though he slay me, I will still hope in him” (Job 13:15), and “When he has tried me, I shall come out as gold” (Job 23:10).
Satan Lied to Jesus
Finally, Satan tried to deceive Jesus. He offered the kingdoms of the world, pretending to hold power that was never his to give. Jesus shut him down: “Begone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve’” (Matt. 4:10).
Satan’s History
Dr. Michael Heiser, whom I cite often in this section, calls Satan “the original rebel.” His history surfaces first in Genesis and Job—the two oldest books of Scripture. Job predates Moses and is likely as old as Genesis. Both introduce Satan early in the story as a central figure in humanity’s problem.
From there, the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel pull back the curtain on his backstory. Ezekiel 28:14 describes Satan as a guardian cherub at God’s throne. A cherub’s role in Scripture included:
Guarding the Tree of Life (Gen. 3:24)
Drawing the Chariot of God (Ezek. 1:5–20; 2 Sam. 22:11)
Serving at God’s throne (1 Kings 6:23–28; 8:6–8)
Ezekiel goes further—calling him “an anointed cherub” (Ezek. 28:14), a position of greater honor.
Isaiah reveals that Satan was cast out of the mountain of assembly—the gathering place of God’s created beings (Isa. 14:13). Adam and Eve may not have been created yet, or at least were not present. In that heavenly council, Satan’s heart burned with pride. He craved independence from God and believed he could become like the Most High. For that arrogance, he was dethroned and cast down.
When we put these passages together, a composite picture emerges: Satan was a created angelic being entrusted with authority in the mountain of assembly, likely located in Eden itself. Yet after experiencing God’s glory, he decided God was no longer necessary. When God revealed His plan to create humans in His image and place them in Eden—the very domain of Satan’s former rule—Satan turned on them, seeking to destroy God’s work.
Revelation closes his story. His final destination is the lake of fire, where he will be tormented forever.
The Serpent
For clarity, Satan did not possess a snake and then stand up to converse with Eve. The serpent was not part of the animal kingdom.
“This conclusion seems obvious, since the New Testament identified the serpent as Satan or the devil (Rev. 12:9). The devil is certainly not a zoological specimen (2 Cor. 11:14; cf. Matt. 4:1–11; John 8:44). If we agree with the New Testament that a supernatural being (Satan) tempted Eve in Eden, then by definition the serpent must be more than an animal. Many attempts have been made by theologians through the centuries attempting to figure out what kind of animal from the animal kingdom did Satan possess. It’s best to consider the text as showing the serpent as a supernatural being in possession of a supernatural body.”
—Michael Heiser, Demons, p. 62
The serpent is described as being “made in the field,” but that phrase does not mean it belonged to the same animal kingdom Adam named. None of those creatures had the supernatural power attributed to the serpent.
Satan and Jesus
By calling him the devil, Jesus recognized Satan as an accuser and slanderer.
Jesus gave him not only a name but also many titles, each exposing his schemes and corrupt character. In Hebrew, the term ha-Satan includes the definite article, meaning “the Satan.” Among the titles Jesus used are:
the Satan
the Evil One
the Tempter
the Destroyer
the Deceiver—“who deceives the whole world”
the great Dragon—“who leads the world astray”
Three times Jesus also called him “the Prince of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). The Greek word archon was a political term in Jesus’s day, used for the highest-ranking Roman official in a city or region. Jesus was declaring that Satan holds enormous power and influence over the present world. When the devil claimed the kingdoms of the world as his to give, Jesus did not contradict him (John Mark Comer, Live No Lies, p. 9).
God’s desire in Eden was clear: He wanted humans who would know His love, hear His voice, trust His perfect goodness, and obey His Word from the heart. What stands out in Eve’s first conversation with the serpent is her lack of fear. Neither she nor Adam recoiled from Satan—they almost seemed familiar with him.
Scripture doesn’t tell us whether Adam and Eve had prior knowledge of Satan. But it does show that Satan and Jesus knew each other well. During His ministry, Jesus repeatedly confronted Satan and demons. They instantly recognized Him as “the Son of God” and “the Son of the Most High.” Around Jesus they acted with fear and confusion, powerless against Him, often breaking into panic and rage at their inability to stop Him.
Still, Satan did not know what Jesus was doing. God never told him. The full scope of salvation belongs to God alone, revealed only when and to whom He chooses. Even after the resurrection, Jesus had to open His disciples’ minds on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:45). Pentecost itself was essential before the church fully understood His plan.
Peter On Salvation Being Revealed:
“Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.”
—1 Peter 1:10–12
Paul On Salvation Being Revealed:
“Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
—1 Corinthians 2:6–8
Additional References
Jesus encounters Satan and demons: Matt. 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13; Mark 1:21–24; 5:9–15; Luke 4:31–37; 8:30–37.
Demons call Him the Son of God and Son of the Most High: Matt. 4:6; 8:29; Mark 3:11; 5:7; Luke 4:3, 9; 8:28.
An Evil Conversation
Eve’s exchange with Satan revolves around a struggle between truth and lies. At its core, the test is this: will we live dependently on God, or seek independence from Him? Theologians often call this our “autonomous desires” (John Frame, Doctrine of God). In plain terms—it’s the part of us that doesn’t want God in every area of life.
When Scripture speaks of lies, Jesus preferred the word deception. He warned: “Take heed that no one deceives you” (Matt. 24:4, NKJV). The ESV puts it this way: “See that no one leads you astray.”
What are we deceived about? Reality itself—and God’s perfect goodness.
John Mark Comer explains it simply: “What is truth? The best definition I know of truth is reality, or that which corresponds to reality. It’s easy to get lost in the metaphysical weeds, but for our non-technical purposes, truth is what we can rely on as real. The chair I’m sitting on is real. The air I’m breathing is reality. Jesus is reality. And the best definition of reality is what you run into when you’re wrong” (Live No Lies, p. 23).
God’s enemy works with evil intent, stripping away God’s authority and corrupting human destiny by luring people to live apart from Him. Notice: Satan didn’t possess Eve, nor could he read her thoughts. But his lies unsettled her and made her vulnerable.
The command of God was clear. First given to Adam, then given to Eve, it came in three parts (Gen. 2:16–17):
“From any tree of the garden you may eat freely” — God’s generosity. (ESV: “You may surely eat”)
“From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat” — God’s boundary.
“For in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die” — God’s warning.
What Eve Got Wrong
Eve’s fall began when she twisted Scripture. Instead of holding to God’s exact words, she altered His command, opening the door for Satan’s trap. The way out would have been simple: cry out to God for help. Instead, she stayed near the evil one and fell.
Here’s how she changed God’s words (Gen. 2:16–17):
“We may eat.” Eve minimized God’s generosity. God had said they could eat freely. She could lavish herself in God’s abundance, yet she made His grace sound small.
“Lest you die.” Eve softened God’s warning. Instead of “you shall surely die,” she reduced it to “maybe you die.” Satan immediately attacked this weak spot.
“You shall not touch it.” God never said this. By adding to His command, Eve became the first legalist—turning grace into something harsh and untrue. Touching was never forbidden; eating was.
(G.K. Beale, The Temple and the Church’s Mission, p. 396)
Eve also removed herself from God’s personal covenant keeping name. Throughout Genesis, Moses calls Him the LORD GOD—Yahweh Elohim. But in this moment, Eve speaks only of God. Satan does the same. By dropping His covenant name, Eve weakened her confession of relationship, and fails to identify with her creator.
Here’s a simple paraphrase of the truth-versus-lies conversation:
Satan: What did God say? I’m telling you, He’s holding out on you.
Satan: Think about it—what are you not allowed to eat?
Eve: We may eat, just not from this tree.
Eve: God told us not to touch it or eat it. If we do, we die.
Satan: You will not die.
Satan: When you eat it, you’ll know what He knows. You’ll be like Him, knowing good and evil.
For our purposes, here’s what Scripture reveals: there is a devil whose ultimate goal is death, and his primary weapon is lies. Eve’s first mistake was listening; her second was misquoting God’s words. By altering His command and adding to it, she gave Satan room to strike.
Deception
It may not come quickly to mind, but outside the Gospels and Acts, the rest of the New Testament is written with one great concern: to combat deception. The apostles saw it as a constant threat to the church, and they addressed it repeatedly.
Here’s a partial outline of New Testament teaching on deception:
“Do not be deceived” (1 Cor. 6:9).
“Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words” (Col. 2:4, KJV).
“But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13).
“For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived” (Titus 3:3).
“As the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3).
“Little children, let no one deceive you” (1 John 3:7).
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness … who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom. 1:18, 25).
“For certain men have crept in unnoticed … ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).
“For by your sorcery all the nations were deceived” (Rev. 18:23).
“The beast was captured … by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image” (Rev. 19:20).
“He cast him into the bottomless pit … so that he should deceive the nations no more” (Rev. 20:3).
“The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire … and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10).
The theme is unmistakable: deception is the devil’s oldest weapon, and it remains highly effective to this day.
Satan’s Trap
Eve chose disobedience freely. But how she got there—and how Satan trapped her—has been a subject of reflection since the rabbis and apostles. The spiritual power at work in Genesis 3 demands a closer look at deception and the evil allure of lies.
John Mark Comer observes: “Through deception, Satan convinced her of a lie; without that lie, he would have been powerless. He couldn’t make her disobey, but through manipulation and falsehoods, he persuaded her to rebel against God. Satan’s lies aren’t just random claims without emotional impact; they target our beliefs about what will bring us happiness” (Live No Lies, pp. 59, 61).
Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, defined sin this way: “Unwillingness to trust that what God wants for me is only my deepest happiness.”
This is the devil’s primary goal: to shake our trust in God and His Word. Once Satan convinces us to doubt God’s goodness and lean on our own intuition as the guide to the “good life,” he gains the upper hand. The tragedy is that sin destroys our ability to experience real happiness by twisting our God-given desire for it through lies and deception (Comer, p. 61).
The Significance of the Tree
The tree symbolized the blessed benefits of God’s boundaries. At first, this might not seem obvious. After all, Eden was paradise—Adam and Eve bore God’s image, lived in perfection, and had every need met by Him. Yet even in that perfection, God placed limits for their good. Before sin ever entered the world, God’s “no” was already necessary.
This truth carries profound implications. Mental health experts often point out that people must first learn external limits before they can develop internal ones. Without boundaries, no person—or anything in creation—can thrive.
The tree appears first in Eden and returns in Revelation.
“To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7).
“Through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit” (Rev. 22:2).
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates” (Rev. 22:14).
“…and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life” (Rev. 22:19).
Obedience, covenant faithfulness, and Christ’s redemption grant access to the Tree of Life. It begins in Eden and continues into eternity.
Trouble In God’s House
v.6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
v.7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
v. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
v.9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
v.10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
v.11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
v.12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
v.13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Eve’s Desire
Eve’s desire itself wasn’t wrong at first. The phrase “something to be desired to make one wise” (Gen. 3:6) connects back to the word “pleasant” in Genesis 2. That kind of knowledge is inherently good. But in this case, God placed limits around it to protect Adam and Eve.
The plain reading of the text shows Adam standing beside Eve while she spoke with the serpent and took the fruit. Yet Adam did nothing. His silence was both a sin and a profound failure—one that would ultimately require Christ’s coming to redeem humanity.
Paul Explains What Happened
Adam’s sin—his failure to protect Eve and his decision to cross God’s boundary—brought the entire human race into original sin. In essence, all humans are Adam and Eve. Place any of us in their situation, and we too would bite the fruit. No one is better than Adam and Eve—except for one. We’ll come to Him shortly.
Paul explains the consequences of Adam’s fall and what it means for everyone who has ever lived (Rom. 5:12–21). For clarity, I’ve left out two verses that specifically reference the law:
“Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
“Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.”
“But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.”
“And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.”
“For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”
“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.”
“For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”
“So that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The Apostle Paul built an entire theology out of Adam disobedience – his actions brought sin and death to everyone, but the cross brings justification, righteousness, and life.
The Imputation
“When we say that God imputes Christ’s righteousness to us it means that God thinks of Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, or regards it as belonging to us. He reckons it to our account. The doctrines of Scripture develop the idea of placing upon another the guilt or righteousness of someone else.”
Wayne Grudem explains it this way (Systematic Theology, p. 726):
When Adam sinned, his guilt was imputed to us. God the Father regarded it as ours, and therefore it was.
When Christ suffered and died for our sins, our guilt was imputed to Him. God thought of it as His, and He paid the penalty for it.
Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us. God thinks of it as ours, even though it is not. It is freely given to us through Christ.
This doctrine of imputation stands at the heart of the gospel: Adam’s guilt counted against us, Christ bore our guilt on the cross, and now His righteousness counts for us.
Open Eyes
Scripture recounts Eve’s conversation with the serpent, vividly portraying her deception. But it never says Adam was deceived. Paul makes this clear: “Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor” (1 Tim. 2:14).
Afterward, Adam and Eve realized their nakedness and were shocked. Once, their nakedness carried no shame. Now, everything had changed. Their response revealed their spiritual condition—their separation from God had already begun.
A mature Mediterranean fig leaf measures about ten inches long and eight inches wide. Without needles, Adam and Eve likely tied the stems together for coverings. Their perfect bodies, once celebrated as God’s creation, were now hidden by a crude and almost laughable attempt to cover sin. Such is the disorienting nature of rebellion.
In The Cool Of The Day
Theologians widely agree that the Garden of Eden functioned as a temple or tabernacle. It was the place where God presented Himself to enjoy fellowship with His children. The presence of cherubim guarding Eden with a flaming sword supports this idea. Adam and Eve’s role was to expand Eden’s beauty across the earth, creating a world where God’s presence could roam freely.
That beauty, however, was shattered. Their relationship with God collapsed, and they hid from the One they knew to be perfectly good.
Paul captures the weight of this moment: “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). These words echo God’s warning in Genesis 2:17: “You shall surely die.” He expands this truth in Ephesians, connecting Genesis 2–3 directly to the gospel:
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:1–5).
God Knows
Until now, Adam and Eve had known only love, truth, and the glorious presence of God. The image of God walking in the cool of the day is an anthropomorphism—a metaphorical picture. It portrays divine romance: the deep affection of a Father delighting in His children.
What stands out is their attempt to hide among the trees, away from God’s presence. But God already knew. Still, He called them out, drawing them near so they could begin to grasp His plan of redemption.
God Wants Answers
Adam’s role was to act as high priest and protector of God’s realm. Eden was that realm—the place where God could freely bring His presence and enjoy His children. The word realm carries the idea of the broader Kingdom of God. Genesis 2 reads like a tutorial: God teaching Adam how to carry out His plan. Naming the animals was preparation, a way for Adam to practice his God-given authority. He had the power to drive the serpent away but failed to act.
Now, God begins asking questions.
Question #1 — Where Are You?
Adam speaks up. Eve is silent. For the moment, Adam does the right thing.
Adam’s Confession: “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
Adam spoke the truth.
Question #2 — Who told you? Did you do what I commanded you not to do?
God asks directly: “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
Adam’s Confession: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
Here Adam shifts the blame. He points to Eve—and even to God—for his sin. Yet in the end, he admits: “I ate.”
Question #3 — What is this that you have done?
This question turns to Eve.
Eve’s Confession: “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Eve spoke the truth.
The Great Plan of Redemption Unfolds
v. 14 The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
v.15 will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
To The Serpent
It is crucial to note what the Lord says—and what He does not say—to each character in Eden. Yahweh Elohim curses the serpent, but not Adam or Eve. While God announces a plan of redemption for humanity, no such promise is extended to Satan.
Observations on Genesis 3:14
The Serpent’s Identity
The serpent is more than an ordinary animal. It appears as a divine or semi-divine being capable of manifesting physically. Our modern association between serpent and snake can obscure the supernatural element in Moses’ description. For example, snakes do not literally eat dust, so something deeper is being communicated.
Alternate View
Some argue that Satan possessed a physical reptile, leading God to curse both the animal and Satan (Hughes, p. 84). This would suggest modern snakes are a result of that curse. Yet the text itself does not strongly support this conclusion.
Humiliation of the Serpent
The serpent’s judgment includes permanent degradation: “On your belly you shall go.” This phrase signifies deep humiliation and loss of status.
A Rare Curse from God
God directly curses the serpent. In fact, Scripture records God issuing a direct curse only twice: here (Gen. 3:14) and later on Cain for murdering Abel (Gen. 4:11).
Observations on Genesis 3:15
The First Gospel (Protoevangelium)
The curse on the serpent carries a prophecy: one of Eve’s offspring will destroy him. This promise is known as the Protoevangelium—the “first gospel.” Early church fathers like Justin Martyr and Irenaeus taught that “the seed of the woman” refers to Christ, who will crush Satan’s head.
Enmity and Warfare
The word enmity conveys fierce hostility, often used of wars between nations (Matthews, p. 245). Here it portrays two combatants locked in a life-and-death struggle.
Seed as an Individual
When the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Greek (Septuagint), the word seed (zera in Hebrew, sperma in Greek) was taken to mean a single individual. Paul draws on this grammatical insight in Galatians 3:16: “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.”
Christ’s Victory Over Satan
Paul completes the picture. Satan struck Christ’s heel at the crucifixion, but Jesus crushed Satan’s head through His death and resurrection. Believers share in this victory: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom. 16:20).
Apostle Paul Comments on Genesis 3:15
Paul might differ with my earlier comment, what theologians call protoevangelium. He doesn’t see in this passage the messiah destroying the evil one. Paul writes in Romans 16:20, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan underneath your feet.” Identifying the Serpent as Satan is unmistakable in this passage, so Paul has Genesis 3:15 in mind. Yet according to Paul, God crushes Satan underneath the feet of believers, a promise extending to all God’s children. Heiser, Unseen Realm, 243
Biting Serpents
As noted earlier, the serpent’s sin was taking God’s place and declaring that God is not good. That spirit defines Satan’s nature.
Jesus drew on this truth in John 3:14: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
The backstory comes from Numbers 21:4–9. After vowing faith to God, Israel quickly turned against Him. The text says they grew impatient and spoke against both God and Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.”
If there was a line not to cross, they crossed it.
In judgment, God sent serpents to bite the people. In mercy, He commanded Moses to make a fiery serpent, set it on a pole, and lift it up. Whoever looked at it lived.
Jesus applied this moment to Himself. Just as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, Christ would be lifted up on the cross, defeating sin and Satan and offering eternal life to all who look to Him.
v. 16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”
To The Woman
Eve did not receive the same final condemnation as the serpent. But she did receive severe consequences—and this is only the beginning. Two areas of her calling would now become far more difficult, even though they are a blessing.
First: Childbirth
Pain would now mark the experience of bringing life into the world. God said He would “multiply” her pain—other translations use “greatly.” The increase is not just in the moment of delivery but throughout the process of carrying and bearing children. Childbearing was central to Eve’s divine mission, and now that calling would be painful. Yet the promise of success remains. Her seed must live so the Promised One can redeem humanity and restore Eden.
Second: Marriage
Marriage would now carry tension over headship and equality. In Eden, Adam and Eve were equal before God, yet Adam held a distinct headship role alongside his wife. This headship was never meant for abuse or domination, but for protection and freedom within the joy of Eden. After the fall, that balance fractured. Women would desire strong men, yet also desire to control men who resist being controlled.
The word desire has generated much debate. Some connect it to sexuality, since the same word appears in Song of Solomon in a romantic context. But that is only one reference. The stronger connection comes in Genesis 4:7, where desire and rule appear together. This link suggests the word here points to relational struggle, not just romance.
Outside the bliss of Eden, marriage is no longer effortless. Scripture makes clear that intimacy now requires work. Sex in marriage will not always come easily, and family life will bring both joy and hardship. Yet the daughters of Eve will still long for both—intimacy with their husbands and children to fill their quiver.
v.17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
v.18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.
v.19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
To The Man
Scripture does not record every detail of Adam and Eve’s conversation about the fruit. Surprisingly, no marital tension is evident. In fact, we never see them speaking to each other before the bite. Eve is never directly quoted as addressing Adam, yet God says Adam “listened to the voice of his wife.” Most likely, some banter passed between the royal couple.
The Lord makes the reason for Adam’s judgment unmistakable: “I commanded you, you shall not eat of it not to do it.”
The ground was cursed. Eden was ruined. What once worked together in perfect harmony was now lost. Life would be hard. Nothing would come easy. Work of every kind would be marked by struggle. Upon Adam—and through him upon all humanity—fell the curse of sin and disobedience (Rom. 5:18; 1 Cor. 15:21).
In God’s economy, everything grows. But now thorns and thistles would be the fruit of the curse—constant reminders that something is broken, that creation is not as it was meant to be.
Adam didn’t know what a thorn or thistle was because he’d never seen one.
Despite the gravity of the situation, God didn’t revoke Adam and Eve’s calling to ruling and subdue, it would just be harder. God’s faithfulness now drives the fulfillment of his redemptive plan.
Leaving Eden
Do not overlook these short verses. They set the stage for the scarlet thread of redemption that runs through the rest of Scripture—all the way to the cross.
God’s plan was to create and nurture humanity in Eden. His purpose was for Adam and Eve to mature under His divine tutoring and then expand Eden’s rule across the whole earth. But their immortality was revoked. They now had to journey forward into a hostile world.
v. 20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
He Blessed His Wife
Earlier in the creation account, Adam’s wife is called woman—the strong helper—for that is what her name means. Now, after tragic sin, Adam does not abandon or condemn her. Instead, he blesses his wife and affirms that her destiny remains intact.
v. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
Covered in God’s Grace
Sin means death, plain and simple. Man-centered solutions to sin are fig leaf coverings—always inadequate. God-centered solutions come with divine forgiveness.
Adam and Eve deserved death, yet God gave them life and redemption. The Lord slaughtered an animal and covered their sin and their bodies. This act foreshadowed the cross and began the scarlet thread of atonement and redemption that runs through Scripture, fulfilled in Christ’s death and resurrection.
v. 22 The the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—“
As a liar, Satan spoke a half-truth: Adam and Eve did gain divine knowledge of good and evil. Killing them would have been convenient, but God refused to abandon His promise.
Now, knowing good and evil apart from Him, they could not be allowed to eat from the tree of life.
v.23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.
Adam and Eve were not unemployed, but their work changed forever. Adam’s assignment to care for Eden was terminated. Now he would labor in a new land, spending 930 years outside the garden building the human race.
v. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
Drove is similar to divorce. Man no longer allowed to roam freely in God’s presence, nor to bath in his untold riches. The cherubim are guardian angels found over the Ark of the Covenant.
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