historical · Gen 3:1–15 · ✓ Approved

Early readings of the serpent, from Jubilees to Keil (3:1–15)

Says Genesis 3 names a serpent, הַנָּחָשׁ (hannachash, 3:14), one of the creatures “that the Lord God had made” (3:1, BSB). It speaks (3:1–5) and is sentenced as an animal (3:14).

Jubilees says all the animals spoke “with one lip and with one tongue” until the day Adam left the garden, when their mouths were closed (Jub 3:28). Josephus has the serpent act from “an envious disposition”; God deprives it of speech, puts poison under its tongue and takes away its feet (Ant. 1.1.4). The Targum of Pseudo-Jonathan likewise has its feet cut off (3:14). Philo reads it allegorically as “the symbol of pleasure” (Opif. 157). Augustine says the fallen angel “chose the serpent as his mouthpiece” (Civ. 14.11). Calvin grants that from this place alone nothing more can be gathered than that men were deceived by the serpent, but holds from other Scripture that it was “only the mouth of the devil”. Keil calls it “not a merely symbolical term applied to Satan” but “a real serpent, perverted by Satan”. For Wisdom on the devil’s envy see note.historical.Rom.5.1-Rom.5.21.adam-second-temple; for the New Testament’s “ancient serpent”, xref.Gen.3.1.Rev.12.9.exeg. These are their views.

Uncertain Whether Genesis presents a real serpent used by Satan (as Augustine, Calvin and Keil read it), a symbol (as in Philo’s allegory), or a creature only (as Jubilees and Josephus tell it), with the identification made later, is open. No lean is taken, and this history of reading does not fix the meaning of 3:1–15.

Claims

SaysGenesis 3 names a serpent (הַנָּחָשׁ), one of the creatures the Lord God had made (3:1); it speaks (3:1–5) and is sentenced as an animal (3:14).
UncertainWhether Genesis presents a real serpent used by Satan (Augustine, Calvin, Keil), a symbol (Philo’s allegory), or a creature only (Jubilees, Josephus), with the identification with the devil made later, is open; no lean, and early readings from Jubilees to Keil do not fix Gen 3:1–15.

Citations

BSB public domain Gen 3:1–5, 14
OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 3:14 (WLC/OSHB), cantillation removed
APOT public domain vol. 2 (1913): Jub 3:28, p. 17 (n36); read on the page image; “with one lip and with one tongue” quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Josephus (Whiston) public domain Ant. 1.1.4 = 1.40–51 (Whiston, 1817, vol. 1), pp. 9–11 (n18–n20); read on the page images; “an envious disposition” quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Etheridge public domain Etheridge, vol. 1 (1862), Targum of Palestine (Pseudo-Jonathan) on Gen 3:14, p. 166 (n178); read on the page image; paraphrased
Philo (Yonge) public domain Opif. 157 (Yonge ch. LVI, p. 47 (n60)); read on the page image; “the symbol of pleasure” quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Augustine, City of God (NPNF1 vol. 2) public domain Civ. 14.11, p. 272 (n295) (trans. Dods, NPNF¹ 2; CCEL npnf102.iv.XIV.11); read on the page image; quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Calvin, Genesis (King) 1 public domain Calvin, Genesis (King, CTS 1847), on Gen 3:1, p. 140 (n149); read on the page image; “only the mouth of the devil” quoted, otherwise paraphrased
Keil–Delitzsch, Pentateuch 1 public domain Keil, Pentateuch vol. 1 (Clark, Martin trans., 1868), on Gen 3:1, p. 93 (n96); read on the page image; quoted, otherwise paraphrased

Sources BSB public domain OSHB CC BY 4.0 APOT public domain Josephus (Whiston) public domain Etheridge public domain Philo (Yonge) public domain Augustine, City of God (NPNF1 vol. 2) public domain Calvin, Genesis (King) 1 public domain Keil–Delitzsch, Pentateuch 1 public domain Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0

2026-11-10

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