10 Must-know Facts About the Serpent in Eden and Its Temptation

Are you familiar with the serpent in Eden and its temptation?

In this article, discover 10 facts about them.

Let’s dive in!

1) The Story of the Temptation by the Serpent in Eden is Written in the Book of Genesis

What is a serpent in the first place?

Serpent is an old term referring to “a noxious creature that creeps, hisses, or stings (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

So, simply saying, it is a form of a snake.

But, we’ll use the old term ‘serpent’ throughout this article to retain its original concept based on the story of its temptation in Eden.

Are you familiar with the book of Genesis?

Genesis is the first book of the Bible.

There, you will read the story of Creation wherein God created the earth in 6 days and rested on the seventh (Genesis 1–2:1-3).

This 6-day creation gave the earth everything it needed for life and sustenance—light, firmanent, vegetation, heavenly bodies, animals, and humans (verses 3-31).

Where in Genesis can we find the story of the temptation by the serpent in Eden?

Earlier, we discussed the 6-day creation.

We won’t discuss it in detail, however. We will only focus on the creations involved in the temptation scene—vegetation, animals, and humans.

Vegetation, consisting of seed-bearing plants and fruit-bearing trees on land, was created on the third day. The animals were made on the fifth and sixth days. Included on the sixth day were humans, Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:11-13, 20-30).

When God finished it, He saw that everything he had made was very good (verse 31).

Let’s explore the Garden of Eden before we finally get to the point.

Having mentioned that everything God has made was very good (Genesis 1:31), true enough, the earth was beautiful, particularly the Garden of Eden, the home of Adam and Eve which God placed in the east (verses 4-25 of chapter 2).

Here, “stately trees were caused to grow out of the ground, of every description, for usefulness and ornament. The beautiful flowers were formed, of rare loveliness, of every tint and hue, perfuming the air” (Ellen White, The Adventist Home 27.1).

Aside from this, the garden was abundant. God “furnished it with everything that [Adam and Eve] could desire…Every want was supplied.” And “there were…no signs of decay” there (25.1; 26.3).

How would you like to live in such a paradise?

Now, here’s the catch.

In the middle of this beautiful garden, there were two special trees—the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9).

The tree of life “bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month.” Its leaves were “for the healing of the nations” (Ellen White, The Acts of the Apostles 592.2).

On the other hand, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the one God prohibited Adam and Eve to eat from (Ellen White, Education 23.2).

Why? 

Because He didn’t want them to know evil. And once they ate it, they would die (Genesis 2:16-17).

Let’s answer the question now.

Now that you know the background story, take note of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9).

Why?

Because that tree had something to do with the temptation of the serpent in Eden, whose story is found in Genesis 3:1-5.

We’ll discuss the details of this story in the next sections.

2) The Serpent Was the Craftiest Animal God Created

Craftiest animal?

Yes.

Genesis 3:1 (NIV) says, “the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.”

In the King James Version of the Bible, crafty is termed “subtil.” 

Derived from the Hebrew word ‘arum, subtil means an “unfavorable tendency of character,” with a connotation of being “clever” or “cunning” (Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 1, page 229).

Does it mean that the serpent was created evil?

No.

The connotation that the serpent was “clever or cunning” is in the favorable sense of “being prudent” (Proverbs 12:16; Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 1, page 229).

In fact, the serpent was among the creatures God pronounced “good,” or “very good” even (Genesis 1:25, 31).

Really? So, how come this animal is dangerous today?

The evil character of serpents today is just “a result of the Fall and subsequent curse,” not their trait when they were created, Francis Nichol added.

3) Behind the Disguise of This Serpent Was the Devil Himself

Seriously, it was the devil?

Before we go into that, let’s have a background first.

In Genesis 3:1 (NIV), the serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” And in verses 2-5, they continued talking.

Wait, how on earth could an animal talk? There must be a supernatural being controlling it, don’t you think?

Well, “the tempter…was the devil, in the shape and likeness of a serpent” (Matthew Henry’s Complete Bible Commentary 4.3).

So, was it only a resemblance of a serpent, not really a living animal possessed by the devil?

Whether it was “only the visible shape and appearance of a serpent” as in Exodus 7:12 or “a real living serpent, actuated and possessed by the devil, is not certain: by God’s permission it might be either” (Matthew Henry’s Complete Bible Commentary 4.5).

In any case, what’s certain is that this devil was no other than Satan himself. He just used the serpent in Eden “as a medium in his attempt to deceive man” (Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 1, page 229).

Who was Satan by the way? What was his past? Was he really evil since the beginning?

First, let’s go back to the beginning of it all.

The Bible opens “in the beginning” when “God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, NIV).

But did you know there was a beginning before that?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (John 1:1-2, NIV).

Genesis 1:1 talks about the beginning of the world. But the Word described in John 1:1 is the Creator of all things—God (Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 5, page 896).

The Word, which was God Himself, antedates the beginning mentioned in Genesis 1:1. Meaning to say, the beginning mentioned in John 1:1 is prior to that one in Genesis 1:1, Francis Nichol emphasized. 

Now, let’s get to the point.

Concluding from the previous section, before the creation of the world (Genesis 1), Christ already existed “as God” and was “associated with God” (Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 5, page 897).

Living with Him in heaven was a divine being named Lucifer, the “shining one,” the “light bearer,” the “morning star,” the “son of the morning,” and the “son of dawn” (Siegfried Horn, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary, 683).

He was “first of the covering cherubs, holy and undefiled.” He was “full of wisdom” and “perfect in beauty” (Ezekiel 28:12-15, NIV; Ellen White, Darkness Before Dawn 1.5).

Such a great honor to be in that position, do you agree?

But, you know, Lucifer wasn’t contented just being next to God. He “desired to be first in power and authority” (Ellen White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students 32.3).

“He wanted to be God, to have the rulership of heaven.” Eventually, “he won many of the angels to his side,” Ellen White continued.

Together with them, he was “cast out from the courts of God.” Along with this, his beautiful name, Lucifer, then became known as Satan, the author added.

But the story didn’t end there.

“The work of rebellion and self-seeking was continued on earth,” White ended.

Why did he choose the serpent in Eden as his medium of deception?

Satan chose the serpent as his device (Genesis 3:1) because it was a “specious creature” with a “spotted dappled skin” and it “went erect” (Matthew Henry’s Complete Bible Commentary 4.5).

Also, this animal was a “flying serpent, which seemed to come from on high as a messenger from the upper world, one of the seraphim,” as in Isaiah 14:29, Matthew Henry added.

So what? Why not any other animal?

Well, “many a dangerous temptation comes to us in gay fine colours that are but skin-deep, and seems to come from above,” Henry explained. 

Besides, knowing that Satan was once an angel in heaven (Ezekiel 28:12-15; Ellen White, Darkness Before Dawn 1.5), by disguising himself as a serpent, he “[could] seem like an angel of light,” the author continued.

In addition, the serpent was “no doubt more subtle than any other.” And “though he has lost the sanctity,” through the serpent, Satan “[could] retain the sagacity of an angel, and [was] wise to do evil,” continuing from the same reference.

Simply saying, Satan “knew of more advantage by making use of the serpent than [Adam and Eve were] aware of,” Henry concluded.

4) He Positioned Himself in One of the Special Trees in the Garden

Now that we know that Satan chose the serpent as his medium of deception (Genesis 3), let’s find out where exactly in the Garden of Eden he stayed.

Remember the two special trees we discussed earlier?

In the first item of this article, we discovered two special trees in the garden—the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9).

Between these two, we learned that it is the latter that Adam and Eve were not allowed by God to eat from. If they did, they would die (verse 17).

Which one did Satan choose?

Except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God allowed Adam and Eve to eat from any of the trees in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:16-17).

Knowing Satan’s wicked character, do you think he would stay in any of those trees to perform his deception if he knew there would be no trouble eating from them?

Of course, not. He would choose the dangerous one that would lead Adam and Eve to sin.

Apparently, it is in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil Satan positioned himself (Ellen White, Story of Hope 16.3; The Story of Redemption 32.1, 35.1).

And while waiting for his prey, he was leisurely eating of its fruit, Ellen White added.

5) He Tempted Eve to Eat the Forbidden Fruit

Knowing they could eat from any of the trees in the garden except the tree of knowledge (Genesis 2:16-17), you can imagine Adam and Eve going from one tree to another to taste their delicious fruits.

How would you like to experience the same?

But they better be careful. 

Why? Let’s see.

Approaching danger

One day, while exploring Eden (Genesis 3:1), Eve went “alone…at a distance from her husband” (Matthew Henry’s Complete Bible Commentary 4.6).

And guess what. She was getting “near the forbidden tree,” Matthew Henry wrote. 

Oh no!

Well, it was definitely what Satan had been waiting for. Can you imagine how excited he was seeing his prey coming near?

The temptation

Satan, in the form of a serpent, mockingly asked Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1, NIV).

If you were Eve, wouldn’t you be amazed to see and hear an animal talking?

Anyway, she replied, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die'” (verse 2, NIV).

Satan insisted, “You will not certainly die” (verse 4, NIV).

Really?

Satan “assured Eve that as soon as she ate of the fruit, she would receive a new and superior knowledge that would make her equal with God” (Genesis 3:5; Ellen White, The Spirit of Prophecy, volume 1, 37.2).

And to call her attention to himself, he “ate freely of the tree and found it not only perfectly harmless, but delicious and exhilarating,” Ellen White added.

Can you believe that? Not only that.

Satan added that “it was because of [the fruit’s] wonderful properties to impart wisdom and power that God had prohibited [her and Adam] from tasting or even touching it; for He knew its wonderful qualities,” White added.

He even claimed that “by eating of the fruit of the tree forbidden them,” he “attained the power of speech,” the same author wrote.

And he concluded, “For God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (verse 4, NIV).

What a revelation! Was it all true?

Eve’s initial reaction to the temptation

Analyzing what the serpent told her (Genesis 3:4-5), Eve was probably wondering if God was keeping a secret enough to doubt Him, don’t you think?

Well, true enough, “Eve’s curiosity was aroused.” And instead of running away, “she listened [to the serpent more]” (Matthew Henry’s Complete Bible Commentary 36.1).

And mind you, it “did not occur to her mind that it might be that fallen foe, using the serpent as a medium.” But in reality, “it was Satan [who] spoke, not the serpent,” Henry added.

With this, Eve “was beguiled, flattered, [and] infatuated.” If only she “met a commanding personage, possessing a form like the angels, and resembling them, she would have been upon her guard,” the same author continued.

The serpent’s voice “should have driven her to her husband’s side to inquire of him why another should thus freely address her.” But unfortunately, she entered into a “controversy” with that cunning animal.

6) He Was Able to Convince Her to Eat the Fruit

Eve on the verge of giving in

Eve “saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom” (Genesis 3:6, NIV).

As you can see here, “after doubt and unbelief in God’s word had been awakened in the woman, the tree seemed vastly different to her” (Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 1, page 230).

Its charm “appealed to her taste, to her eye, and to her longing for increased wisdom,” Francis Nichol added.

Eventually, the serpent plucked the fruit and placed it on Eve’s hands (Ellen White, The Spirit of Prophecy, volume 1, 37.2).

While doing it, Satan reminder Eve “of her own words, that God had forbidden them to touch it lest they die.” But seeing no evil result, she became “bolder” (Ellen White, From Eternity Past 25.1).

And finally, what Satan had been waiting for

Guess what! Eve ate the fruit (Genesis 3:6; Ellen White, From Eternity Past 25.1).

Oh no!

As she ate it, she “seemed to imagine herself entering upon a higher state of existence,” Ellen White continued.

And she even passed on the fruit to Adam, who also ate it (Genesis 3:6).

Oh boy! What happened to them?

7) Eve’s Surrender to the Temptation Marked the Entry of Sin Into the World

The immediate result of eating the forbidden fruit

Soon as Adam ate the fruit Eve gave him, “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked” (Genesis 3, NIV).

Realized they were naked only now? Weren’t they naked from the start?

Yes, Adam and Eve have been naked since their creation and they never felt ashamed of it (verse 25 of chapter 2). But the thought of sin filled them with terror (Ellen White, From Eternity Past 26.1).

What does it mean?

“The love and peace which had been theirs was gone, and in its place they felt a sense of sin, a dread of the future, a nakedness of soul,” Ellen White continued.

Also, “the robe of light which had enshrouded them disappeared.” They “could not, while unclothed, meet the eye of God and holy angels,” White added.

So, to hide their naked bodies, “they endeavored to fashion for themselves a covering” out of fig leaves (Genesis 3:7), the author went on.

Clearly, sin now entered the world because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience.

What is sin in the first place?

According to 1 John 3:4 (KJV), “sin is the transgression of the law.”

Transgression, in Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is defined as “violation of a law, command, or duty.” It also means “sin,” “tresspass,” or “wrongdoing.”

On the other hand, law, as used in the verse above, is “a transcript of the character of God” manifested in His commandments (Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 7, pages 650-651).

So, in the context of what Adam and Eve has done, sin refers to their act of disobeying God’s command to avoid eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17).

Does it make sense?

So, how did sin enter the world through Adam and Eve?

By eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 3:1-7).

With this, “their fall opened the way for sin to enter our world” (Ellen White, Letters and Manuscripts 1885, volume 4, paragraph 3).

And as their descendants, we inherit their sinful nature at birth. “Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin…death came to all people” (Romans 5:12, NIV).

8) The Serpent Was Cursed by God 

The blame game

Ashamed of their sin, Adam and Eve tried to hide from God when they heard Him walking in the garden (Genesis 3:8).

But He called Adam’s attention and asked him, “Where are you?” (verse 9, NIV).

With Adam replying that he hid after realizing he was naked, God asked him, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (verses 10-11, NIV).

Instead of sharing responsibility for the blame, Adam passed it on to Eve for giving him the fruit. When God turned to Eve, she did the same to the serpent for tempting her (verses 12-13).

Funny, no one wanted to take the blame!

Curse on the serpent

Now that the blame was on the serpent, obviously it had no one else to pass on the blame.

First half of the curse

God said to the serpent, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:14, NIV).

As you can read, this curse rested not only on the serpent but “on all the animal creation,” though the serpent “was to bear a greater [weight]” of it than other creatures (Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 1, 232).

Also, the formerly “most clever and beautiful of creatures” was now “deprived of wings and doomed…to crawl in the dust,” Francis Nichol commented.

Second half of it

After addressing the serpent, God now talked to Satan himself, saying, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15, NIV).

What does it mean?

Let’s focus on the concept of enmity first.

Literally, “there is mortal enmity between the serpent and man wherever the two meet” (Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 1, pages 232-233).

True enough, we all avoid serpents, like any other dangerous animal, knowing they can harm us.

But symbolically, this enmity also means the “agelong struggle between Satan’s ‘seed’ or followers…and the woman’s seed.” The woman’s seed here is Jesus Christ “Who came to ‘destroy the works of the devil,'” Francis continued.

Now, what about the phrase that says that the seed will crush the serpent’s head and it will strike his heel?

It refers to the fact that the “great controversy between Christ and Satan, a battle that began in heaven,” was “continued on earth, where Christ again defeated him,” and “will terminate finally with Satan’s destruction at the end of the millennium,” Nichol explained.

Got it?

9) The Consequences of the Curse Didn’t Exempt Adam and Eve

In the case of Eve

First half of the pronouncement

After giving the serpent its curse, God turned to Eve, saying, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children” (Genesis 3:16, ESV).

Remember that God ordained Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and increase in number” (verse 28 of chapter 1, NIV)?

Wiith this, childbearing was “intended to be a blessing, not a curse.” But the entry of sin meant that “pregnancy would [now] be accompanied [with] pain” (Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 1, page 234).

And it wouldn’t be just any pain. It would be “so intense” like it were “the most severe anguish of [the] body and mind,” Francis Nichol emphasized.

How tragic!

Second half of it

Still addressing Eve, God continued, “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (Genesis 3:16, NIV).

Derived from the Hebrew word shuq, desire means “to run after” or “to have a violent craving for [something]” (Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 1, page 234).

Putting it in the context of the curse, Eve, though tortured by the pain of childbirth, “would still feel an intense desire for [Adam],” Nichol added.

But instead of being his helper, she was to submit to her husband, her “lord and master.” That is, he was to “rule over” her, Nichol explained further.

In the case of Adam

First half of the pronouncement

Turning to Adam, God said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree…which I commanded you [not to eat from], cursed is the ground because of you” (Genesis 3:17, NIV).

Specifically, “through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field” (verses 17-18, NIV).

This implies the “difficulties to be encountered in eking out a meager living from the cursed ground.” And so long as Adam lived, “there would be no hope of relief from this condition” (Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 1, page 234).

How disheartening!

Going back to the verse above, notice also that the plants, which were once “either useful for food or beautiful to the eye” would now “produce ‘thorns and thistles,'” Francis Nichol commented.

Because of this, “the increased labor necessary to the cultivation of the soil would increase the misery of [Adam’s] existence. He was to learn by bitter experience that life independent of God can at best be one of sorrow and affliction,” Nichol continued.

That must have been so discouraging for Adam, don’t you think?

Second half of it

Still addressing Adam, God continued, “By the sweat of your brow, you will eat your food

until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19, NIV).

Here, the “toil that was to add to [Adam’s] burdensome life is now vividly expressed.” That is, he “must live by forcing from a reluctant earth food for himself and his family” (Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 1, page 235).

Can you imagine how difficult it would be for Adam?

Nevertheless, “it should be recognized that this punishment was indeed a blessing” for “toil and labor develop character and teach man humility and cooperation with God,” Francis Nichol clarified.

Now, in the latter part of the pronouncement, God informed Adam that “the grave was his certain destination,” the same author added. Obviously, it pertains to death.

In connection to the former part, it implies that Adam was to work for his life until his last breath.

10) This Temptation Story Mirrors the Great Controversy

What is the great controversy?

In the third item of this article, we’ve seen how Lucifer rebelled against God because of envy. Cast out from heaven as Satan, he continued the work of rebellion on earth (Genesis 3; Ellen White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students 32.3).

That rebellion in heaven marked the beginning of the cosmic struggle between God and Satan. This is what the “great controversy” means (Ellen White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students 32.3; Francis Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 1, pages 232-233).

Got it?

Now, how does the temptation story reflect this controversy?

Well, the tree itself Satan used in his temptation says it all: the tree of the knowledge of “good and evil” (Genesis 2:17; 3:1-5). 

Obviously, it hints at the battle between God and Satan.

But diving deeper, the real controversy is seen at how Satan persevered in leading Adam and Eve to sin.

“Adam and Eve had been perfectly happy in obedience to the law of God,” which contradicts “the claim which Satan had urged in heaven, that God’s law was oppressive and opposed to the good of His creatures” (Ellen White, The Great Controversy 531.1).

Here alone, we can see a conflict between God and Satan.

Moreover, “Satan’s envy was excited as he looked upon the beautiful home prepared for the sinless pair,” Ellen White said.

“He determined to cause their fall, that, having separated them from God and brought them under his own power, he might gain possession of the earth and here establish his kingdom in opposition to the Most High,” she elaborated.

Can you imagine how deep Satan’s envy of God have been that he developed hatred in his heart?

What does this imply to us now?

You may be thinking that the great controversy (Revelation 12) is God’s and Satan’s to handle and that it’s a mere cosmic struggle that doesn’t seem to involve us anyway. 

So, we don’t have to worry about it, right?

But believe it or not, this involves us. It’s actually within us.

How?

Before we make a decision in everything we do, we always have two choices—good and evil.

But we are not robots programmed to automatically choose and do what is right. We are given the freedom to choose between the two sides.

“Without freedom of choice, [our] obedience would have been forced. Such a course would have been contrary to God’s plan, unworthy of [us as intelligent beings], and would have sustained Satan’s charge of God’s arbitrary rule” (Ellen White, From Eternity Past 19.4).

As such, knowing that the great controversy is within us, we have to be careful in making choices. We need to choose God, not Satan.

This leaves us with an appeal to “submit [ourselves] therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from [us]” (James 4:7, KJV)

But of course, we won’t end this article with fear because here’s some good news: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16, ESV)

Jesus already paid the penalty for our sins when He died on the cross. So, to obtain salvation and eternal life in heaven, all we have to do is put our faith in Him.

Let’s Recap!

Here are the 10 facts we’ve learned about the serpent in Eden and its temptation:

• Its story is found in the book of Genesis.
• The serpent was the craftiest animal God created.
• Disguising himself in the appearance of this animal was Satan himself.
• He positioned himself in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
• He tempted Eve to eat the fruit of that forbidden tree.
• Eve gave in to the temptation and encouraged Adam to do the same.
• Their fall paved the way for sin to enter the world.
• The serpent was cursed by God.
• Adam and Eve had to suffer the consequences of that curse as well.
• This temptation story is a miniature of the great controversy.

Care to Share Your Thoughts?

What have you learned from this article? Share them all in the comments below.

Aside from what we mentioned, what else do you know about the serpent in Eden and its temptation?

To learn more about this matter, read this story of Adam and Eve. You can also find related Bible questions and answers from our Bible study course.

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See you in the next article!