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NASB | Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the LORD God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, "Can it really be that God has said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" [Rev 12:9-11] |
Subject: The Serpent's Class |
Bible Note: You asked: "Have we not a snake, but a glorious shining being, apparently an angel, to whom Eve paid such great deference, acknowledging him as one who seemed to possess superior knowledge(Eze 28:12), and who was evidently a being of a superior (not of an inferior) order?" - No, because it is deliberately described as a beast of the field You said: "possessing superior and supernatural knowledge" - what knowledge are you referring to? The serpent simply repeated and distorted what God had said. I don't disagree with your conclusions, but one word can not bear the weight of an entire theological construct. The fact remains that the serpent is described as a beast of the field. Allow the text in question, Gen 2-3 to speak for itself before using other scripture to add to its interpretation. We know from the N.T. that the serpent is satan, the deceiver. But in the context of Gen 2-3, the serpent is in the garden, even if its a shining one; only by using outside texts can you even associate the shining one with satan. Satan is not mentioned specifically in Genesis 2-3. |