What punishments did God give to man woman and the snake and how are the punishments merciful to them?

Answer 1

Adam and Eve's are consequences of their choice not punishments. You shall surely die is not a threat but like unto when your parent out of love said "thou shalt not run out into the busy street for in the day you do you shall surely get hit by a car". No one in their right mind would think the parent was saying "If you do I will get a car and run you over!"....think on this. The judicial interpretation of Genesis 1-3 is an error.

Answer 2

In the story of Adam and Eve, God said that man would toil all his life,facing hardship in tilling the ground, and "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." The woman is told that in sorrow she shall bring forth children and that her husband shall rule over her. They were then expelled from the Garden of Eden, but this was not so much a punishment but a precaution so that they would not eat from the Tree of Life and thereby become immortal.

The snake was punished by being told that he would be cursed above all other animals and that he would henceforth crawl on his belly. On the traditional Christians understanding that the serpent was really Satan in disguise, this punishment seems least merciful in that God punishes snakes, not Satan. Perhaps Satan succeeded in deceiving God about his true identity.