Is the Serpent Actually Satan?

The question of whether the serpent in Genesis 3 is actually Satan has been a subject of much debate among bible scholars and theologians for centuries.

[Daniel-czkd]

Also, as I’ve learned, the word ‘serpent’ in Hebrew doesn’t just mean the reptile animal, it also means glowing or shining one, as in an angel who spoke to Eve while in or next to the tree.

[heuclmeucl-heucl]

Another misconception if i’m not mistaken is that the fruit is an apple where its actually never said what kind of fruit it is.

[Rdi]

Stop spoiling the book, I haven’t finished reading it yet

[MrTheBoycie]

Doesn't even say lucifer is Satan

[mikeschmidt]

Satan is a descriptor not a name. It means adversary and all of the fallen became satans' when they broke the prime directive.

[storminggale]

I think it’s because of the prophecy given about how “he shall crush your head and you shall bruise his heel’

[robertlee]

I like Mike Heiser's breakdown of the triple entendre in the language. The snake is most likely a seraphim. He's a shining one. He's a liar, etc.

[michaelheliotis]

In early Jewish literature, the "serpent" of Eden is traditionally considered to be Sama'el, an angel of God who is charged by him with tempting and accusing mankind. He is also the Angel of Death that sweeps over Egypt and is regarded as chief of the satans, angels who perform adversarial roles against humanity in accordance with God's Will. Early Christians then recast Sama'el as acting out of envy and hate, having engineered the Fall out of spite for Adam and Eve rather than testing humanity's obedience to God, and Jewish Kabbalah went in the same direction during the Middle Ages.

[thelivingbombYT]

BUT THAT'S JUST A THEORY... A CHRISTIAN THEOR-

[bodyofhope]

Don't forget the serpent in the wilderness who tempted Christ.
Jesus called the sepent "Satan."

[andyq]

Neil Gaiman and Sir Terry Pratchett decided that instead it was just Some Guy named Crawly so that's what I'm going with

[maartmaster]

In the original texts there is no such thing as "The Devil" it should roughly be translated as Adversary. The idea of "The Devil" as a being only comes later from translations

[Juan-hdlh]

One factor to consider is the broader cultural and theological context of the biblical texts. In the ancient Near East, serpents were often associated with wisdom, healing, and protection, as well as danger and evil. The serpent in the Garden of Eden could be seen as a symbol of humanity's quest for knowledge and wisdom, which ultimately leads to downfall and separation from God. The ancient serpent in Revelation, meanwhile, may represent the ongoing battle between good and evil, or the cosmic forces of chaos and destruction that seek to undermine God's plan.

[ericreingardt]

Thank you for this content. This kind of critical Biblical study simultaneously reintroduces non-Christians to Christianity while also giving fundamentalists more context and information that a lot of institutions intentionally obscure

[rubytuesday]

i love this guy because i’m jewish and anytime he does these i feel really good about my biblical knowledge

[Red-in-Green]

The difference being between “That Ancient Serpent!” and THAT ancient serpent. It’s a matter of emphasis really.

[moneymaker]

I'm loving the calmer tone in this and the last post 😊

[PrimeDirective]

The Bible does say that the serpent would strike the Son of Man’s heal, but he would crush his head underfoot.
The devil is repeatedly shown as a serpent and referred to as such. Therefor, we can assume that the serpent in the garden (being the only talking animal other than Balaams donkey that I recall) is either satan or one of his demons possessing a snake.

[twistedelixir]

In the book and mini series Good Omens they take advantage of this fact to have one of the main characters, Crowley, be the snake. Still has snake traits too. Both are a fun time, though the book has way more continued gags and hilarious moments (such as Crowley's acts of "evil" sabotaging himself).

[valentinchepushtanov]

I think, at least in college they taught us, that this was popularised by Milton's 'Paradise Lost'.