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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] |
Bible Question:
Genesis 1:29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground - everything that has the breath of life in it - I give every green plant for food. Genesis 2:15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." (I can't help but notice God only commanded man not eat from this tree. The animals don't seem to be a part of this restriction. They were allowed to eat from every seed bearing plant and tree.) Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die." (It appears the serpent has already tasted the fruit and knows and its eyes have been opened) Genesis 3:14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals!" Is the serpent really satan? This is why God punished not only man, but animals too. But where is satan in this picture? |
Bible Answer: Greetings chynna! God created all of the animals, plants and living things, and He saw that it was all very good! (Genesis 1:31) So, if everything is 'very good', including the serpent, then how was the serpent able to have the knowledge of good and of evil? Yes, the serpent may have been the "craftiest beast", but it was just called 'good' in verse 1:31! The answer is that there was something else there, another presence, who could both speak and reason on the level of man, which is a reasoning and understanding that is greater than the animals (Psalm 32:9). And the only 'presence' that would dare to usurp God's 'good' creation or have an agenda to thwart such a blessed creation is Satan. Satan had the knowledge of good and evil since he is responsible for rebelling against God in the first place, and no mere animal or beast of the field would have the capacity or knowledge of good and evil. Blessings to you, Makarios |