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Satan

AnswerContrary to the above, the serpent is never named. It is simply called the 'most cunning of the beasts', and is never ever equated with Satan.

In fact, the early Jews did not even have an idea of a personification of evil (ie the devil, Satan, lucifer) as we do. The idea that somehow the serpent represented Satan was a much later interpretation.

Answer:

The "hissing" sound of the "whispering enchanter" or "nachash" is where the translators derived the word "snake" in Genesis 3.

The Hebrew for "subtil" or "clever," according to Strong's Definitions, means: "cunning (usually in a bad sense.)"

As stated above, the snake is never named in the Genesis account... but within the entire account of God's Word, The Bible, which God caused to be written "line upon line... here a little, and there a little" (Isa.28:13)... we discover the identity of the serpent.

The identity, however, is revealed in the New Testament... the testament that "illuminates" the "closed and sealed" words of the Old (Dan.12:9). The Jews, of course, couldn't ID the serpent, because of their rejection of Christ... and the New Testament.

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: "...I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through subtilty..." (II Cor.11:3).

The "snake" to which Paul refers is: "ophis" "a snake, figuratively (as a type of sly cunning) an artful malicious person...".

Then... within the "Acts of the Apostles" Paul confronts one "Elymas the sorcerer" (Barjesus).

"Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him [Elymas the sorcerer], and said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the Devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?" (Acts 13:9-10)

So, the New Testament revelation is that subtilty, cunning (in the bad sense) and maliciousness is the practiced art of the Devil and his children.

Finally, the serpent is named for us in the last book of the Bible: "...the great Dragon was cast out, that oldserpent [ophis], called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world..." (Rev.12:9).

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13y ago

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