In the Bible, snakes, or serpents, are significant creatures that appear in various contexts, symbolizing both physical and spiritual realities. They are often associated with deception, sin, and judgment, but also with healing and wisdom.

Genesis and the Fall:
The most notable mention of a snake is in the account of the Fall in Genesis 3. The serpent is described as "more cunning than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made" (Genesis 3:1). It tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, leading to the disobedience of Adam and Eve and the subsequent fall of humanity. The serpent's role in this narrative has traditionally been interpreted as a representation of Satan, the adversary of God and humanity. God's curse upon the serpent includes the prophecy of enmity between the serpent and the woman, and between their offspring: "He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Genesis 3:15), which is often seen as the first messianic prophecy, foretelling the ultimate victory of Christ over Satan.

Symbol of Judgment and Healing:
In the wilderness, the Israelites encountered venomous snakes as a form of divine judgment for their rebellion and complaints against God and Moses. Numbers 21:6-9 recounts how God sent fiery serpents among the people, and many Israelites died. In response to Moses' intercession, God instructed him to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Those who looked at the bronze serpent were healed, symbolizing God's provision for salvation and prefiguring the crucifixion of Christ, as Jesus Himself referenced in John 3:14-15: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life" .

Wisdom and Cunning:
In the New Testament, Jesus uses the imagery of snakes to convey wisdom and shrewdness. In Matthew 10:16, He instructs His disciples, "Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" . Here, the snake's cunning is seen as a positive trait when combined with innocence, suggesting a balance of wisdom and purity in the life of a believer.

Apostle Paul's Encounter:
In Acts 28:3-6, the Apostle Paul is bitten by a viper on the island of Malta. The locals expect him to die, but he suffers no harm, leading them to believe he is a god. This incident demonstrates God's protection over His servants and serves as a testament to the power of faith and divine intervention.

Symbol of Evil and Satan:
Throughout Scripture, snakes are often associated with evil and Satan. Revelation 12:9 refers to Satan as "the great dragon...that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray" . This imagery reinforces the connection between the serpent in Genesis and the ongoing spiritual battle between good and evil.

In summary, snakes in the Bible are multifaceted symbols representing deception, judgment, healing, wisdom, and the cosmic struggle between God and Satan. Their appearances in Scripture serve as reminders of both the consequences of sin and the hope of redemption through Christ.

The Journey of the Three Holy Kings to Bethlehem
... little stone pillars on each of which were small figures of other animals, such
as birds, dragons, and a figure with three dogs' heads and a coiled snake's tail ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xiii the journey of the.htm

On a Piece of Chalk. A Lecture to Working Men.
... more than one species of much higher animals have had a similar longevity; but the
only example which I can at present give confidently is the snake's-head lamp ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/ix on a piece of.htm

Down the Islands
... Lucia specimens of that abominable reptile, the Fer-de-lance, or rat-tailed snake,
{38} which is the pest of this island, as well as of the neighbouring island ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter ii down the islands.htm

The Northern Mountains
... streams; and the boa-constrictors are rare, save on the east coast: but it is as
well, ere you jump into a pool, to look whether there be not a snake in it, of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xi the northern mountains.htm

Chaldaean Civilization
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 3. <. ...
/.../chapter iiichaldaean civilization.htm

Snake's (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Snake's (3 Occurrences). Isaiah 14:29 Be not glad,
O Philistia, all of you, because the rod which was on ...
/s/snake's.htm - 7k

Poison-snake (4 Occurrences)
Poison-snake. Poisons, Poison-snake. Poison-snakes . Multi-Version
Concordance Poison-snake (4 Occurrences). Proverbs ...
/p/poison-snake.htm - 7k

Snakes (25 Occurrences)
... Numbers 21:8 And the Lord said to Moses, Make an image of a snake and put it on
a rod, and anyone who has been wounded by the snakes, looking on it will be ...
/s/snakes.htm - 13k

Venomous (4 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 14:29 Be not glad, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod which was on
you is broken: for out of the snake's root will come a poison-snake, and its ...
/v/venomous.htm - 8k

Graze (11 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb will take their food together, and the lion will
make a meal of grass like the ox: but dust will be the snake's food. ...
/g/graze.htm - 10k

Threads (13 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 59:5 They give birth to snake's eggs, and make spider's threads: whoever
takes their eggs for food comes to his death, and the egg which is crushed ...
/t/threads.htm - 10k

Darting (4 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 14:29 Be not glad, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod which was on
you is broken: for out of the snake's root will come a poison-snake, and its ...
/d/darting.htm - 7k

Bite (13 Occurrences)
... 13. (n.) The wound made by biting; as, the pain of a dog's or snake's bite; the
bite of a mosquito. 14. (n.) A morsel; as much as is taken at once by biting. ...
/b/bite.htm - 12k

Snapped (4 Occurrences)

/s/snapped.htm - 7k

Winged (69 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 14:29 Be not glad, O Philistia, all of you, because the rod which was on
you is broken: for out of the snake's root will come a poison-snake, and its ...
/w/winged.htm - 26k

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