We all remember the story of the serpent tempting Eve written about in Genesis. The serpent was a snake/serpent who was working on behalf of the devil and the being that inhabited the snake/serpent has a name. There were several sons of God who participated in the fall of the adam, and the continued overthrow of the earth. If we remember our description of the dragon, the devil, from Job we recognize that if this huge dragon came to talk to Eve, she would have been intimidated. However, if a snake came to talk to Eve she may not have been particularly concerned. What was the root of this attack? Why would the devil be so envious of the adam? What was different about the man and the woman that caused such a controversy among the other sons of God?
Genesis 3:1 G3588 But the G1161 G3789 serpent G1510.7.3 was G5429 most skilled G3956 of all G3588 the G2342 wild beasts, G3588 of the ones G1909 upon G3588 the G1093 earth G3739 whom G4160 [3made G2962 1 the lord G3588 G2316 2God]. G2532 And G2036 [3said G3588 1the G3789 2serpent] G3588 to the G1135 woman, G5100 For why G3754 G2036 said G3588 G2316 God, G3766.2 No way G2068 should you eat G575 from G3956 all G3586 of a tree G3588 of the G3857 paradise?
3789 LSJ Gloss:ὄφις a serpent, snake
Dodson:ὄφις a serpent a serpent, snake; used of the devil or Satan.
Thayer:
1) snake, serpent
2) with the ancients, the serpent was an emblem of cunning and wisdom. The serpent who deceived Eve was regarded by the Jews as the devil.
ὄφις
ophis of'-is Probably from G3700 (through the idea of sharpness of vision); a snake, figuratively (as a type of sly cunning) an artful malicious person, especially SatanKJV Usage: serpent.
5429 LSJ Gloss:φρόνιμος in one's right mind, in one's senses
Dodson:φρόνιμος intelligent, prudent intelligent, prudent, sensible, wise.
Thayer:
1) intelligent, wise
2) prudent, i.e. mindful of one's interests
For Synonyms see entry G5872
φρόνιμος
phronimos fron'-ee-mos From G5424; thoughtful, that is, sagacious or discreet (implying a cautious character; while G4680 denotes practical skill or acumen; and G4908 indicates rather intelligence or mental acquirement); in a bad sense conceited (also in the comparative) KJV Usage: wise (-r).
The first thing we should notice is that the snake/serpent could speak. Eve did not seem alarmed by this. Why? It would seem that all animals could speak according to Jewish legend, and this interaction does prove this point. If all beasts could communicate verbally at this time, then we can understand why Eve was not alarmed. Today if a snake came near us we would be alarmed, and if it started speaking we would run. At the time of the fall all the animals lost their ability to speak to humans. It would seem that it was now a liability for humans to have conversations with animals as animals could be utilized by the devil.
This ophis was more intelligent, more prudent, more wise, than the other beasts. We don’t know why the ophis was created with more sense or intelligence, but we can see why the devil would use this beast for his plan to overthrow the adam.
Considering that the devil was not happy about this new creation (the adam, the man) and was not interested in bowing to the adam, the devil/dragon looked for a way to harm the adam. Job tells us that the dragon was created for the angels to sport, contend or compete with, but it does not say that humans were created to compete with the devil. By asking a snake/serpent to talk to Eve, the devil remained in the background. The heavens were opened to the adam, and the adam may have seen the angels sporting with the devil; but in the garden, a snake is asking Eve questions.
The individual angelic being that inhabited the serpent is named by Enoch. This chapter is a listing of the fallen angels and what they did to humans. Gadreel is the one who used sophistry to corrupt Eve to get to the adam.
Enoch 69:6 And the third was named Gadreel; it is he who showed the children of men all the blows of death, and he led astray Eve, and showed the weapons of death to the sons of men; the shield and the coat of mail, and the sword for battle, and all the weapons of death to the children of men.
Lumpkin, Joseph. Enoch, Jubilees, Jasher: Banned from the Bible (p. 57). Fifth Estate. Kindle Edition.
Let’s remember what transpired before the adam was created, when the earth became formless, void, and dark. There was a planet, Rahab, which was destroyed. The incorporeal satan was a ruler there. When the incorporeal satan attempted to put his throne above the Almighty in an attempt to become equal in power with the Living God, he was cast down. When that planet was destroyed, the satan and his beings did not have a habitation. When the earth was created and the adam given rulership, the sons of God were to bow to the adam. The devil did not want to bow to the man. A plan was formed against the adam.
The Secrets of Enoch 31:1 Adam has life on earth, and I created a garden in Eden in the east, that he should observe the testament and keep the command. 2 I made the heavens open to him, that he should see the angels singing the song of victory, and the gloomless light. 3 And he was continuously in paradise, and the devil understood that I wanted to create another world, because Adam was lord on earth, to rule and control it.
Anonime. The Book of the Secrets of Enoch (Kindle Locations 1209-1225). Axioma. Kindle Edition.
The devil understood that Yahweh Elohim wanted to create another world. The adam was the lord on earth and was to rule the earth. He was brought to the garden and was there to work and guard it. Guard it from whom? It seems perfectly normal that animals were in the garden so that the appearance of a snake would not be unusual. If the devil himself showed up, the adam would be ready to guard the garden. If the incorporeal satan showed up, the adam would have been ready to guard the garden. But snakes were already in the garden. Although this snake was inhabited by a fallen angel.
The Secrets of Enoch 31:4 The devil is the evil spirit of the lower places, as a fugitive he made Sotona from the heavens as his name was Satanail (Satan), thus he became different from the angels, (but his nature) did not change (his) intelligence as far as (his) understanding of righteous and sinful (things).
The devil is a fugitive. He made the satan; he did not create the satan but he made the satan corrupt. The incorporeal satan became different than the angels, but still had his intelligence of good and evil. The devil understood his own condemnation.
The Secrets of Enoch 31:5 And he understood his condemnation and the sin which he had sinned before, therefore he conceived thought against Adam, in such form he entered and seduced Eva (Eve), but did not touch Adam. 6 But I cursed ignorance, but what I had blessed previously, those I did not curse, I cursed not man, nor the earth, nor other creatures, but man’s evil fruit, and his works.
Anonime. The Book of the Secrets of Enoch (Kindle Locations 1226-1248). Axioma. Kindle Edition.
The devil decided to form a plan to subvert the rulership of the adam. Because the devil understood his condemnation for his own sin, whatever it was, he decided to behave badly again. What was the condemnation? We don’t know. Did it have something to do with the satan and Rahab? Maybe. But here we are today with the devil as prince of this world.
The serpent had more keen mental discernment than the other beasts. Snakes or serpents were created with more mental capacity to observe with wisdom, but also to feel and understand heart and brainwaves emitted by man. We all have a soul connection to our pets, we understand them, and they understand us, and many times they know when we are sick or in need before we do. The serpent was more skilled at reading humankind. This would be why the devil picked the serpent for this mission, to cause the adam to fall.
We must also remember that the man and his wife did not know good and evil. Imagine what that would be like, not to know good or evil, but simply to know what is. This must also be understood in light of the adam being told not to eat of this tree. Eve’s information may very well have been second hand information, told to her by the man. Remember that the adam, the man, was with her when she ate. There seems to be a problem with this, as the adam did not stop her. Was the serpent/Gadreel also enticing the adam as well? Is it possible that the adam was hearing from the serpent/Gadreel and allowed Eve to eat first to see what would happen? The adam did not realize that he was already a god, an elohim. Had he recognized this he would not have been tempted to disobey Yahweh Elohim when Eve gave him to eat too. The adam must have thought that he was either missing out on something or did not want Eve to die alone. Understanding a day is equal to one thousand years, the adam and Eve died before one thousand years had passed.
There may have been more conversation during this event that we do not have recorded, but the adam was an elohim on the earth and was created to be immortal. The devil/dragon was envious. What was he envious of? Was it immortality or was it something else?
Wisdom of Solomon 2:23-24 (KJVApocrypha)
23 For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity.
24 Nevertheless through envy of the devil came death into the world:
Now the adam and Eve would be destined to live eternally in a fallen state. However, the Omniscient Yahweh Elohim had a plan for redemption.
We must realize, in this creation, Yahweh Elohim thought it was not good for the adam to be alone. This is the only place we see a created being having a boēthos, succorer, literally, someone to call on from Theos, God. The devil does not have a partner, someone to call on from God. The satan/lucifer does not have a partner, someone to call on from God. We don’t see any of the other created beings having partners or helpers. Humankind is a different and unique creation. Is this the root of the dragon’s envy?
Genesis 3:15 G2532 And G2189 [2hatred G5087 1I will put] G303.1 between G1473 you G2532 and G303.1 between G3588 the G1135 woman; G2532 and G303.1 between G3588 G4690 your seed G1473 G2532 and G303.1 between G3588 G4690 her seed. G1473 G1473 He G1473 will give heed to your G5083 G2776 head, G2532 and G1473 you G5083 will give heed to G1473 his G4418 heel.
2189 Dodson:ἔχθρα enmity, hostility enmity, hostility, alienation.
Thayer:
1) enmity
2) cause of enmity
ἔχθρα
echthra ekh'-thrah Feminine of G2190; hostility; by implication a reason for opposition KJV Usage: enmity, hatred.
4690 LSJ Gloss:σπέρμα that which is sown
Dodson:σπέρμα seed, offspring (a) seed, commonly of cereals, (b) offspring, descendents.
Thayer:
1) from which a plant germinates
1a) the seed i.e. the grain or kernel which contains within itself the germ of the future plants
1a1) of the grains or kernels sown
1b) metaph. a seed i.e. a residue, or a few survivors reserved as the germ of the next generation (just as seed is kept from the harvest for the sowing)
2) the semen virile
2a) the product of this semen, seed, children, offspring, progeny
2b) family, tribe, posterity
2c) whatever possesses vital force or life giving power
2c1) of divine energy of the Holy Spirit operating within the soul by which we are regenerated
σπέρμα
sperma sper'-mah From G4687; somethng sown, that is, seed (including the male “sperm”); by implication offspring; specifically a remnant (figuratively as if kept over for planting) KJV Usage: issue, seed.
The devil took over rulership of the earth from the adam. The first thing we see is that there will be hatred between the serpent and the women. The devil/serpent through his own jealousy already hated the adam, and did not want to bow to him. But the devil sent the serpent/Gadreel to attack the woman, the very succorer the man was to call on for help who came from God. The woman was used to get to the man. Now there will be hatred between the woman and the devil/serpent. There will also be opposition between the offspring of the serpent and the offspring of the woman.
5083 LSJ Gloss:τηρέω to watch over, protect, guard
Dodson:τηρέω I keep, guard, observe I keep, guard, observe, watch over.
Thayer:
1) to attend to carefully, take care of
1a) to guard
1b) metaph. to keep, one in the state in which he is
1c) to observe
1d) to reserve: to undergo something
For Synonyms see entry G5874
τηρέω
tēreō tay-reh'-o From τηρός teros (a watch; perhaps akin to G2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon; and thus differing from G5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from G2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), that is, to note (a prophecy; figuratively to fulfil a command); by implication to detain (in custody; figuratively to maintain); by extension to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively to keep unmarried)KJV Usage: hold fast, keep (-er), (ob-, pre-, re) serve, watch.
Here in this verse many people claim that the woman is Israel, however that is quite narrow. The offspring of the woman are those who believe on Yahweh and worship him. Remember that she is a boēthos, one to call on from God, and her offspring are also those to call on from Theos, to support creation. Her offspring were to also succor creation. The adam was put in the garden to work it and guard it. He named the birds and beasts, he was an elohim on the earth. Their offspring would be elohim on the earth as well.
Now what happens after the devil takes over rulership? It seems he attempts to have his seed take over the earth. What seed does the devil have? The offspring of the fallen angels. The devil/dragon/serpent did not have his own boēthos, but he could adopt the Nephil as his own. Once he and the satan persuaded the angels (Grigori) to leave their first estate and procreate with earth women, the dragon had offspring. Therefore the devil is imitating the way the creation was established for the man and the woman.
There were many people who came before Jacob/Israel that worshipped Yahweh and were opposed by the serpent’s seed. If we start in Genesis 5:1ff and follow the lineage of opposed people through to the flood, we can see the hostility between those who are the followers of Yahweh and those who are led by the devil. The fallen angels corrupted mankind except for Noah and his family. After the flood the opposition continues long before Jacob has children. So to narrowly determine the woman’s seed as Israel is incorrect. The women’s seed should have been the succorers of the creation. Now the devil’s seed destroy creation, so much so that the earth travails until the apocalypse of the children of God (Romans 8). Yet through the woman’s seed came a Messiah who was ultimately rejected by Israel, by the woman’s seed, and by the devil’s seed.
Moses was writing this in paleo Hebrew, hieroglyphs. The pictures were telling the story. Abraham’s seed would be multiplied like the stars (angels) of heaven. The woman’s seed brought forth Abraham who was devoted to Yahweh long before there were written laws. Abraham had eight sons in total, many of whom were priests of Yahweh. The story of the woman’s seed in opposition to the serpent’s seed is deeper than Jacob’s heirs. It is inclusive of the opposition of the Nephil towards mankind prior to the flood, through to the Day of the Lord.
If we notice, there isn’t a lot of bruising of the serpent’s head going on today. The serpent doesn’t seem to be taking any blows or beatings. The Messiah will watch and guard the serpent’s head, the serpent will watch and guard the Messiah’s heel. The Lord will keep an eye on the head of the serpent. The woman’s seed will also watch and guard the serpent’s head and the serpent’s seed will bruise the heel of the woman’s seed. Therefore, even though the devil is the ruler of the cosmos, we still have authority as superhuman potentates, exousia and dunamis, to keep an eye on the devil and his seed. The children of the Most High were also the part of this creation that the devil was envious of. The man and the woman could have heirs, they could procreate. The devil could not. The devil/dragon did not have boēthos, someone to call on from Theos/God, so he therefore could not have his own heirs. He cannot procreate little dragons. Eve and her seed are the reason that the devil sent a serpent/Gadreel to cause the adam to disobey Yahweh Elohim.
Another part of this plan of the devil is for the devil to have heirs, seed. As far as we know, the sons of God do not procreate among themselves. Jesus mentions that after the resurrection we will not be married or given in marriage, but that we would be like the angels. So it seems the angels do not have boēthos’. The only way to make heirs for the devil was for the incorporeal satan to lead the Grigori to procreate with earth women. Who has been in on this plan so far? The devil/dragon, the serpent inhabited by Gadreel, the incorporeal satan, the countless Grigori, and several other fallen angels, as well as the Nephilim. It took all of these beings to subvert the adam and to overtake the creation for six thousand years.
We really do not know how serpents used to get around. We do know that they ended up on their belly eating dust. Did they coil and hop upright? Did they have wings like the seraphim? We don’t know. But the class of serpents are now more cursed than all the other beasts of the field. It would seem that the animal and bird kingdom had a free will so as not to allow themselves to be used by the sons of God. Yet the serpent yielded to the devil. This is an interesting thought as to why the animal and bird kingdoms lost their ability to speak. In later years people started worshiping images of birds and beasts. Now something strange took place with the image of serpents.
While Israel was in the wilderness, Moses made a brazen serpent and put it on a pole. Here is what happened. Israel vowed to Yahweh that if he would deliver the Canaanites to them, then they would destroy their cities. The Lord agreed and Israel did destroy the Canaanite cities. Then after that, when the heirs of Jacob were in the wilderness, they complained about Yahweh and Moses, because they had no bread and water, and they weren’t happy about the manna. Because of their sin, poisonous serpents bit people and they died.
Numbers 21:6 And the Lord sent among the people deadly serpents, and they bit the people, and much people of the children of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee: pray therefore to the Lord, and let him take away the serpent from us. 8 And Moses prayed to the Lord for the people; and the Lord said to Moses, Make thee a serpent, and put it on a signal-staff; and it shall come to pass that whenever a serpent shall bite a man, every one so bitten that looks upon it shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a signal-staff: and it came to pass that whenever a serpent bit a man, and he looked on the brazen serpent, he lived. http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/Numbers/index.htm
This seems like such a strange thing to do. Make a serpent, put it on a pole, and if someone is bitten, because of his/her sin, tell them to look at it and they will be healed. This is a foreshadowing of Jesus, in that the way to being healed is to look up to him. It also points to the conquering of Jesus over the serpent. It is a foreshadowing of the death of the serpent when Elohim/Theos kills the dragon with his mighty sword, Isaiah 27:1.
Fast forward a bit in time. Hezekiah had a problem. People started worshipping this brazen serpent.
4 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and broke in pieces the pillars, and utterly destroyed the groves, and the brazen serpent which Moses made: because until those days the children of Israel burnt incense to it: and he called it Neesthan. {Nehushtan}
Hezekiah destroyed the fiery serpent that Moses made because the children of Israel were burning incense to it and worshipping it. That was not the purpose of the brazen serpent on the pole. I’m sure the devil was not offended that people started worshipping the serpent on the pole, he was probably quite pleased they distorted this way to healing.
Jesus explains to Nicodemus that he will be lifted up and this will be the way back to immortality with the Creator. Until Jesus died those believers in Yahweh were in the compartment of hades called Abraham’s Bay awaiting redemption.
John 3:14 G2532 And G2531 as G* Moses G5312 raised up high G3588 the G3789 serpent G1722 in G3588 the G2048 wilderness, G3779 so G5312 [5to be raised up high G1163 1is it necessary G3588 2for the G5207 3son G3588 G444 4of man];
15 G2443 that G3956 every one G3588 G4100 believing G1519 in G1473 him G3361 should not G622 perish, G235 but G2192 have G2222 [2life G166 1eternal].
Once again mankind regained immortality with the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Envy made the devil/dragon to use a serpent/snake named Gadreel to cause the adam to fall, which caused death for humans. Even though the adam was an elohim, he did not realize his position and that the tree he ate from would not provide anything he actually needed. Now think about this. Jesus did not have a boēthos, a wife, or someone to call on from Theos. He lived without a succorer. The very thing that the devil was jealous of, the woman Eve and her seed, Jesus lived without; yet Jesus ended up with children from the seed of the woman. Jesus overcame the devil in all aspects of life and death.
Barnabas was a very insightful man. He explains how Moses was making a type of Jesus for the people to believe on.
Barnabas 11:7 And again Moses makes a type of Jesus, to show that he was to die, and then that he, whom they thought to be dead, was to give life to others; in the type of those that fell in Israel.
8 For God caused all sorts of serpents to bite them, and they died: forasmuch as by a serpent transgression began in Eve; that so he might convince them that for their transgressions they shall be delivered into the pain of death.
9 Moses then himself, who had commanded them, saying, Ye shall not make to yourselves any graven or molten image, to be your God yet now did so himself, that he might represent to them the figure of the Lord Jesus. 10 For he made a brazen serpent, and set it up on high, and called the people together by a proclamation: where being come, they entreated Moses that he would make an atonement for them, and pray that they might be healed.
11 Then Moses spake unto them, saying: when any one among you
shall be bitten, let him come unto the serpent that is set upon the pole; and let him assuredly trust in him, that though he be dead, yet he is able to give life, and presently he shall be saved; and so they did. See therefore how here also you have in this the glory of Jesus; and that in him and to
him are all things.
Wake, William. Forbidden books of the original New Testament (Kindle Locations 4121-4132). Public Domain Books. Kindle Edition.
Even though Moses gave Israel the command not to make any molten images Moses made this brazen serpent as per Yahweh. Barnabas was a great person to explain these parallels to the people of the first century. The people of that time probably had no idea about this brazen serpent as a type of Jesus until Barnabas explained it.
Paul suggests to us that we should not test Christ like the people tested Yahweh in the wilderness.
1 Corinthians 10:9 G3366 Neither G1598 should we put to test G3588 the G5547 Christ, G2531 as G2532 also G5100 some G1473 of them G3985 tested, G2532 and G5259 by G3588 the G3789 serpents G622 perished.
10 G3366 Neither G1111 grumble! G2531 as G2532 also G5100 some G1473 of them G1111 grumbled, G2532 and G622 perished G5259 by G3588 the G3644 annihilator.
3644 LSJ Gloss:ὀλοθρευτής a destroyer
Dodson:ὀλοθρευτής a destroyer.
Thayer:
1) a destroyer
ὀλοθρευτής
olothreutēs ol-oth-ryoo-tace' From G3645; a ruiner, that is, (specifically) a venomous serpent KJV Usage: destroyer.
Trust and confidence in the Lord is the way that we should always respond, not with complaining and negativity. Here is a very big key to what happened to the people in the desert. They perished by the annihilator, the destroyer. The same destroyer who killed the first born in Egypt had the right to murder the grumblers. The devil accuses us before the throne of God day and night. He is looking for an excuse. Paul explains further.
1 Corinthians 10:11 G3778 And these things G1161 G3956 all G5179 [3as models G4819 1came to pass G1565 2to them]; G1125 and they were written G1161 G4314 for G3559 our admonition, G1473 G1519 unto G3739 whom G3588 the G5056 ends G3588 of the G165 eons G2658 are arrived.
12 G5620 So that G3588 the one G1380 thinking G2476 to stand, G991 take heed G3361 lest G4098 he should fall!
13 G3986 A test G1473 [3you G3756 1has not G2983 2taken] G1508 except G442 what belongs to a human; G4103 [3is trustworthy G1161 1but G3588 G2316 2God], G3739 who G3756 will not G1439 allow G1473 you G3985 to be tested G5228 above G3739 what G1410 you are able; G235 but G4160 will make G4862 with G3588 the G3986 test G2532 also G3588 the G1545 way out, G3588 G1410 [2to be able G1473 1for you] G5297 to endure.
3985 LSJ Gloss:πειράζω to make proof
Dodson:πειράζω I try, tempt, test.
Thayer:
1) to try whether a thing can be done
1a) to attempt, endeavour
2) to try, make trial of, test: for the purpose of ascertaining his quantity, or what he thinks, or how he will behave himself
2a) in a good sense
2b) in a bad sense, to test one maliciously, craftily to put to the proof his feelings or judgments
2c) to try or test one's faith, virtue, character, by enticement to sin
2c1) to solicit to sin, to tempt
1c1a) of the temptations of the devil
2d) after the OT usage
2d1) of God: to inflict evils upon one in order to prove his character and the steadfastness of his faith
2d2) men are said to tempt God by exhibitions of distrust, as though they wished to try whether he is not justly distrusted
2d3) by impious or wicked conduct to test God's justice and patience, and to challenge him, as it were to give proof of his perfections.
πειράζω
peirazō pi-rad'-zo From G3984; to test (objectively), that is, endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline KJV Usage: assay, examine, go about, prove, tempt (-er), try.
1410 LSJ Gloss:δύναμαι to be able, capable, strong enough
Dodson:δύναμαι I am powerful, am able (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can.
Thayer:
1) to be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom
2) to be able to do something
3) to be capable, strong and powerful
δύναμαι
dunamai doo'-nam-ahee Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible KJV Usage: be able, can (do, + -not), could, may, might, be possible, be of power.
These parallels are models for us, for our admonition since we are living at the end of the age. This understanding of the serpent on the pole is to help us not to fall. The tests and trials are not unusual. Jesus was tested also. We are living in a timeframe where the prince of the earth is testing and trying all people to find those who will become a child of the Most High God, and who will become a child of wrath. However we are capable and strong enough to endure.
Life on earth wasn’t supposed to be this way. The dragon, the devil, was formed to be sported with by the angels, not humans. But since the devil is the god of this world, and he blinds peoples’ minds, this is the game we are living in.
Job 41:24 There is nothing upon the earth like to him, formed to be sported with by my angels. http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/Job/index.htm
The adam may have known that the angels were sporting or playing with the devil in games of mastery. But the adam and Eve did not expect a snake inhabited by a fallen angel to engage them in a game of wits. Eve was the object of the devil’s jealously and the seed of the women became a point of resentment. No other created beings had someone to call on from God. Yet this helper was targeted to bring the fall of humanity on the future generations. Paul cautions us.
2 Corinthians 11:3 G5399 But I fear, G1161 G3381 perhaps G5613 as G3588 the G3789 serpent G* cheated Eve G1818 G1722 in G3588 G3834 his cleverness, G1473 G3779 so G5351 [2should be corrupted G3588 G3540 1your thoughts] G1473 G575 from G3588 the G572 simplicity, G3588 of the one G1519 in G3588 the G5547 Christ.
1818 LSJ Gloss:ἐξαπατάω to deceive
Dodson:ἐξαπατάω I deceive thoroughly.
Thayer:
1) to deceive
ἐξαπατάω
3834 LSJ Gloss:πανουργία knavery, roguery, villany
Dodson:πανουργία cunning, craftiness
shrewdness, skill; hence: cunning, craftiness.
Thayer:
1) craftiness, cunning
2) a specious or false wisdom
3) in a good sense, prudence, skill, in undertaking and carrying on affairs
πανουργία
panourgia pan-oorg-ee'-ah From G3835; adroitness, that is, (in a bad sense) trickery or sophistry KJV Usage: (cunning) craftiness, subtilty.
The serpent deceived Eve through villainy or fallacious arguments, sophistry. Skillful argumentation that leads one astray. This tells us there is a willful intent to harm the man and the woman. This type of skilled questioning didn’t just happen all of a sudden in the serpent, it was practiced somewhere. At some point the spirit inhabiting the serpent, Gadreel, learned this. The skillful way in which the serpent can question Eve tells us that this must have been an angelic being who had been sporting with the devil. We know his name.
5351 LSJ Gloss:φθείρω to ruin, waste, spoil, destroy
Dodson:φθείρω I corrupt, spoil, destroy I corrupt, spoil, destroy, ruin.
Thayer:
1) to corrupt, to destroy
1a) in the opinion of the Jews, the temple was corrupted or "destroyed" when anyone defiled or in the slightest degree damaged anything in it, or if its guardians neglected their duties
1b) to lead away a Christian church from that state of knowledge and holiness in which it ought to abide
1c) to be destroyed, to perish
1d) in an ethical sense, to corrupt, deprave
φθείρω
phtheirō fthi'-ro Probably strengthened from φθίω phthiō (to pine or waste): properly to shrivel or wither, that is, to spoil (by any process) or (genitive) to ruin (especially figuratively by moral influences, to deprave) KJV Usage: corrupt (self), defile, destroy.
3540 LSJ Gloss:νόημα that which is perceived, a perception, thought
Dodson:νόημα a thought, design, the mind a thought, purpose, design; the mind; the heart, soul, feelings.
Thayer:
1) a mental perception, thought
2) an evil purpose
3) that which thinks, the mind, thoughts or purposes
νόημα
noēma no'-ay-mah From G3539; a perception, that is, purpose, or (by implication) the intellect, disposition, itself KJV Usage: device, mind, thought.
This type of sly argumentation is to corrupt perception. Certainly the adam and Eve could not have known what it would be like to know good and evil. The crafty way in which the question was brought up implies that there was something they were missing, that they were not gods. The line of questioning implies that Yahweh Elohim was keeping secrets from them. As if Yahweh Elohim was not telling them everything there was to know. Looking back we can see it would have been much better to simply not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The man and the women would have been living as rulers over the earth. They would never have known evil, hardship, sadness, death, and destruction. The devil/dragon spoiled their intellect and disposition. The devil/dragon used the serpent to become a wedge between the adam and Yahweh Elohim.
Today we find ourselves in a battle that we have not prepared for. We see good and evil and we judge everyone and everything, yet we don’t even realize how humanity got to this place. Envy and jealously of the boēthos, the woman, is what brought the dragon to subvert the adam. Yahweh Elohim saw that it was not good for the adam to be alone. He ruled over the garden, worked it and guarded it. He ruled over the beasts and birds. The adam could see into the heavens and watch the angels glorify Yahweh. Yet Yahweh created someone for the adam to call on for help. Someone who came from Theos. Yahweh created woman. The adam and the woman could procreate. They could regenerate humans. The dragon could not do that. The dragon formulated a plan with others who were sons of God to indirectly cause the adam to disobey Yahweh. Whether the adam was also being enticed via the sophistry of Gadreel we do not know. Whether the adam did not want the woman, the succorer from Yahweh, to die alone, thereby making the decision to die with her, we do not know. What we do know is that through the adam and the woman, the human race came under the subjection of the prince of this world, the devil. We know that there is hatred between the woman and the devil. We know that there is hatred between the woman’s seed and the devil’s seed. We know that the woman’s seed guards the head of the serpent, the devil, while the heels of the woman’s seed are guarded by the devil. We know that we have what we need, exousia and dunamis, authority as superhuman potentates. We do know that with the Holy Spirit residing within us we can strive, sport, and compete. We have what we need and we have what it takes.
