WHO or WHAT IS THE SERPENT?

By Frank Speer 5/2012

(Gen 3:1) Now the serpent (Heb – “nachash”) was more crafty (cunning/deceptive) than any beast of the
field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not
eat from any tree of the garden’?”

Strong’s Lexicon – 5172: Nachash, naw-khash’; a prim. root; prop. to hiss, i.e. whisper a (magic) spell;
gen. to prognosticate:– X certainly, divine, enchanter, (use) X enchantment, learn by experience, X
indeed, diligently observe.

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon: V5172 ‫[נָחַ ׁש‬nachash /naw·khash/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 1348; GK 5727;
11 occurrences; AV translates as “enchantment” four times, “divine” twice, “enchanter” once, “indeed”
once, “certainly” once, “learn by experience” once, and “diligently observe” once. 1 to practice
divination, divine, observe signs, learn by experience, diligently observe, practice fortunetelling, take as
an omen. 1a (Piel). 1a1 to practice divination. 1a2 to observe the signs or omens.

NAS Hebrew-Aramaic Dictionary: 5172. ‫נָחַ ׁש‬nachash (638c); a prim. root; to practice divination,
observe signs:— divination(1), divined(1), enchantments(1), indeed practice divination(1), indeed
uses(1), interprets omens(1), practice divination(1), took as an omen(1), used divination(2).

(Lev 19:26) ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood still in it, nor practice divination (“nachash”) or
sorcery.

Whoever or whatever the serpent was/is – we can begin to see how this “enchanter” may have worked
wickedness on Eve…

(Gen 3:13) Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said,
“The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Now – notice how else this Hebrew word “nachash” is used throughout the Old Testament Scriptures…
(Num 23:22-23) God brought Israel out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. There is no sorcery
(magic curse) against Jacob, no divination (“nachash” – evil spell – that can be cast) against Israel. It will
now be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’

(CJB): “One can’t put a spell on Yaakov, no magic will work against Israel”

(Num 24:1) “Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery
(“nachash”) as at other times, but turned his face toward the desert.”

(Deu 18:10) “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass
through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens
(“nachash”), or a sorcerer…”

(Gen 44:14-15) “When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to
the ground before him. And Joseph said to them, “What is this thing that you have done to me? Don’t
you know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination (“nachash”)?”

Joseph tells his brothers that had the ability to receive divine revelation about who stole the cup. Now
we know that Joseph ‘planted’ the cup on them but nevertheless – he uses the word “nachash” to speak
of that divine ability!

(Eccl 10:11) “If the (divining) serpent (“nachash”) bites the sorcerer before it has been charmed, there
will be no income for the charmer!”

WOW!!

Is it within the realm of possibility that “the serpent” in the Garden of Eden may have been a pagan
“sorcerer” who through wicked counsel deceived Eve into disobeying God’s law?
This Hebrew “snake” word is used as a proper name for an Ammonite king – an enemy of Gods people
Israel!…

(1 Sam 11:1-2) Now Nahash (Literally – “nachash”) the Ammonite came up and besieged Jabesh-gilead;
and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash (“serpent”), “Make a covenant with us and we will serve you.”
But Nahash (“the hisser”) the Ammonite said to them, “I will make it with you on this condition, that I
can gouge out the right eye of every one of you Jews, so I can make a reprimand on all Israel.”

Notice what God says to National Israel about this later on…

(1 Sam 12:12) “When you saw that Nahash (“Serpent”) the king of the sons of Ammon attacked you, you
then said to me, “We desire a (human) king to reign over us too,’ even though the LORD your God was
your king already.”

WOW!!

Is it within the realm of possibility that “the serpent” in the garden might have been a pagan “ruler” of
some kind who deceived Eve into disobeying God?

Now watch this one!

(Gen 49:16-17) “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent
(“nachash”) along the roadside, a horned snake in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider
falls backward.”

Jacob/Israel, in divinely forecasting the destiny of his children (the 12 tribes of Israel) says that Dan (and
his descendants) would be like serpents – attacking the enemy along the roadside! Obviously we cannot
take this to mean that Dan and his offspring would become literal reptiles – however, they are called
“serpents” because – they would be crafty in their dealings with other humans.
How about this classic passage??…

(Num 21:4-9) Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of
Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. And the Hebrew people spoke against
God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food
and no water, and we loathe this miserable food. And the LORD sent fiery serpents (“nachash”) among
the Hebrew people and they bit the Hebrew people, so that many people of Israel died. So the people
came to Moses and said, “We have SINNED, because we have SPOKEN AGAINST THE LORD AND YOU;
intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the nachash from us.” And Moses interceded for the
people. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make an image of a bronze nachash, and attach it to a pole; and
it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall live.” And Moses made a
bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he
looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

Notice what Jesus said to a first century Rabbi about this Old Testament “type” (a foreshadowing of
Jesus’ coming rescue of Israel)…

(John 3:14-15) “And just like Moses lifted up the serpent on the pole in the desert, in the same way must
the Son of Man be lifted up (on the cross); so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”

WOW!!

The rebellious children of Israel under Moses sinned by not trusting God. God sent SERPENTS to bite and
kill them! These serpents came as a result of their SIN. God has Moses (who is a type of Jesus) make a
bronze model of a serpent (poison -sin) to be lifted up on a pole in order to heal all who would look at it
and believe – look at their own sin and its result – and trust God for rescue from His wrath.

In the same way – it was the sins of rebellious first century Israel (just like Ancient Israel under Moses)
who put Christ on the cross (“the serpent [evil/sin] on the pole”). But Messiah-Jesus on the cross was
also their salvation if they believed.

Notice what the Apostle Paul says about this…

(2 Cor 5:21) “God made Jesus who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf (on the cross), so that we
might become the righteousness of God in Him (See Mt 27:26).”

You see it? Jesus actually BECAME man’s offenses to God and was then lifted up (like sin on a stick) so
that if we believe in Him we would not die eternally from the poison of the sin-serpent – our own
rebellion against God. This is what is pictured in Numbers 21 and The Holy Spirit Himself tells us so…

(1 Cor 10:6-12) Now these things happened as examples for us (first century Jews), so that we should
not crave evil things (rebellion against God), as they (our ancestors) also craved. And so that we should
not be idolaters (rebellion against God) as some of them were; as it is written, “THE HEBREW PEOPLE
SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.” Nor let us act immorally (rebellion against
God), as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell dead in one day. Nor let us test the Lord, as
some of them did (rebellion against God), and were destroyed by THE SERPENTS. Nor grumble, as some
of them did (rebellion against God), and were destroyed by the destroyer (the angel of death). Now
these things happened to them as an example to us, and they were written for our instruction, we,
UPON WHOM THE ENDS OF THE AGES HAVE COME. Therefore let him who thinks he is in right standing
before God be very careful lest he fall!”

So far – we have seen pretty clearly that “nachash” has to do with the poison of HUMAN REBELLION
against God. Whatever else this “nachash” in the garden was – the crime of this living being was
deceiving Eve into rebelling against God – into doubting God’s goodness. This is just like the grumbling
rebel Israelites in the desert under Moses – and just like Christ-hating Israel in the first century.

The Bible very often uses this “SNAKE-SPEAK” when referring to rebellious peoples and arrogant,
ungodly, pagan nations…

(Job 26:12-13) “God quieted the sea (gentile nations) with His power, and by His understanding He
shattered Rahab (an arrogant ungodly pagan nation – Ps 87:4). By His breath the heavens are cleared;
His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent (“nachash”).
(Psa 58:3-5) “The wicked are estranged from (God) from birth; those who speak lies go astray from birth.
They have venom like the venom of a serpent (“nachash”); Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear so that
it cannot hear the voice of snake charmers, or a skillful caster of spells.” (Pagan, idolatrous practices)

(Psa 140:1-4) “Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men, men who devise evil
things in their hearts; they continually stir up wars. They sharpen their tongues like a serpent
(“nachash”); the poison of a viper is under their lips (wickedness). Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of
the wicked; Preserve me from violent men, Who have purposed to trip up my feet.” (Sounds like how
“DAN” was described in Gen 49)!

This next passage speaks of two Assyrian Kings as SNAKES…

(Isa 14:29) “Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, over the fact that the stick that struck you is now broken;
from the offspring of that snake (“nachash”); will spring up another viper, its offspring will be a darting,
venomous serpent.”

That sounds just like Jesus speaking to another group of rebels (the Scribes and Pharisees)…

(Mat 12:34-37) “You OFFSPRING OF VIPERS (wicked men), how can you, being evil, speak things that are
good? The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man out of his good treasure brings
forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil. And I say to you,
that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the Day of Judgment.
For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.”

Now watch this…

(Isa 27:1 NASB) “In that day the LORD will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent (“nachash”); With His
fierce and great and mighty sword, even Leviathan the twisted serpent (“nachash”); And He will kill the
dragon who lives in the sea.

Here is what Keil & Delitzch (the late leading Hebrew scholars) had to say about this verse…
“No doubt all three animals are three emblems of imperial powers…Asshur, Babylon and Egypt.”
(Commentary of The Old Testament, Vol 7, p. 295-296)

In light of the above (i.e. ceremonially unclean animals being used as symbols for pagan gentile
kingdoms) – how might we interpret the prophetic/figurative words used in this next verse that is
describing life in the (then future) Messianic Kingdom (the church of Christ or New Covenant)?…

(Isa 65:25) “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will
be the serpent’s (“nachash”) food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the
LORD.”

In light of what we have read so far – and equipped with an understanding of the Hebrew laws regarding
“clean and unclean animals” (Leviticus etc.) – would it be unreasonable to translate this passage
symbolically – as follows?…

(Isa 65:25) “The wolf (unclean, godless gentiles) and the lamb (clean, godly Jews) will feed together (in
the New Testament church – Jesus told Peter to “Feed His sheep”), and the lion (unclean animal –
Idolatrous Gentiles) will eat straw like the ox (Clean animal – Jews), but dust will be the serpent’s
(“nachash”) food.”

If the animals in this verse are depictions of “people” then so is the serpent – i.e. “wicked people,
ungodly people” – people who will not “feed together on Christ” like the Jews and gentiles who enter
into the New Covenant in Christ to become “one new man” – but these “brood of vipers” – these Christ-
rejecters will “eat dirt” (untruth – falsehood and lies) instead of straw (the healthy, transformational
word of God – See John 6:53).

If you think that sounds a bit bizarre than please carefully study Acts 10 – where GOD HIMSELF uses the
symbolic imagery of ceremonial unclean animals to depict the Gentile Peoples!

Now hold on tight…

(Jer 8:16-17) “(Approaching) from the tribe of Dan (Canaan – northern boundary of Palestine) is heard
the snorting of his (Nebuchadnezzar’s) army horses; at the sound of the neighing of his stallions the
whole land quakes (from the approaching Babylonian army); because they come to devour the (holy)
land and its fullness, and the city of Jerusalem and its inhabitants! For behold, I am sending serpents
(“nachash”) against you Israel, Adders, for which there is no charm to sooth them, and they will bite
you!” declares the LORD.

It is clear here that pagan Babylon, under wicked King Nebuchadnezzar, are identified as poisonous
serpents that were coming to bite ancient Israel (In the Prophet Daniel’s day).

Isn’t it simply astounding that first century apostate Israel is called both “Babylon” and “Serpents” in the
New Testament? Why? Because she had become as godless as her old archenemies – Sodom, Egypt and
Babylon!! (See Rev 11:8; Rev 14, 16, 17 & 18)

Did you know that Peter, writing from the Jerusalem church said…

(1 Pet 5:13 NASB) She (the mother church) who is in Babylon (Jerusalem), chosen together with you,
sends you her greetings…”

How about this one?…

(Jer 46:22) Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent (“nachash”) as the enemy (Babylon) advances towards
her in force; they will come against Egypt with axes, like men who cut down trees!”

That sounds VERY familiar doesn’t it?…

(Mat 3:7-10) “But when John (The Baptist) saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his
baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come (upon
Israel)? Therefore, bring forth fruit (good deeds) in line with genuine repentance; and do not make the
mistake of saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; because I am telling you, God is able
from these stones right here to raise up children to Abraham. And THE AXE IS ALREADY LAID AT THE
ROOT OF THE TREES; EVERY TREE THEREFORE THAT DOES NOT BEAR GOOD FRUIT IS CUT DOWN AND
THROWN INTO THE FIRE.

This is the language of a coming war/conquest! A coming destruction upon one nation from another! A
DESOLATION (Mt 23:38; 24:15).

John the Baptist, the Hebrew Prophet is using the SAME language as the Hebrew Prophets before him!

More…

(Amos 9:1-4) “I saw (in a vision) the Lord standing by the altar, and he said: “Strike the tops of the pillars
(of the Temple) so that the thresholds shake. Bring them down on the heads of all the peoples (of
Israel), and those who are left I will kill with the sword (of the Assyrian armies). Not one will get away,
no one will escape (my wrath). Even if they dig down to the depths of Sheol, from there my hand will
still grab them! Even if they climb up to the heavens, from there I will bring them down. Though they
hide themselves on the very top of Mt. Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them! Even if they
hide from me at the bottom of the sea, there I will command THE SERPENT (Assyrian army) to bite
them! Even if they are driven into exile by their (surrounding human) enemies, there I will command the
sword to slay them. I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good.”

SOME QUESTIONS:

Do you think “the serpent” is “Satan” (is Satan a fallen angel)?

If yes to the above – what passages of Scripture would you use to substantiate this?

Have you carefully studied the origin and historical/Biblical usage of the word Satan/Satanas?

Are you certain to the best of your ability that those passages say what you think they say?
 Has this study got you rethinking some things?

Do you think the church of Christ is in need of further light on this issue of “the serpent”?

There is SO MUCH more to be said on this topic.

v. A primitive root;

TWOT 1348;

GK 5727; 11 occurrences;

AV translates as “enchantment” four times, “divine” twice, “enchanter” once, “indeed” once, “certainly”
once, “learn by experience” once, and “diligently observe” once.

prim. root;