EOB: Official Site of the Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible (Old and New Testament)

Genesis 3:1

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?”‘ – Genesis 3:1

EOB Footnote:

The MT includes the phrase “from any tree of the garden” in the serpent’s question, which the LXX also preserves, though with slight variation in word order. The MT reads “Did God really say” with an emphatic particle, while the LXX renders this more simply as a direct question. The serpent is described in the MT as “more crafty” (arum), while the LXX uses a term meaning “most prudent” or “most shrewd” (phronimotatos), which carries a somewhat more neutral connotation than the Hebrew. A meaning-based rendering was chosen for the Greek term describing the serpent: the superlative form literally means “most prudent” or “most thoughtful,” but “most cunning” better captures the narrative context where the serpent’s cleverness leads to deception.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

WEB (World English Bible):

Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’”

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

Now the serpent was the most crafty of all the brutes on the earth, which the Lord God made, and the serpent said to the woman, Wherefore has God said, Eat not of every tree of the garden?

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

Now the serpent was more subtle than any of the beasts of the earth which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman: Why hath God commanded you, that you should not eat of every tree of paradise?

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

The serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

Now, the serpent was more cunning than any other beast of the field which the Lord God had made, and he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

Now the snake was wiser than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God truly said that you may not take of the fruit of any tree in the garden?

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Genesis 3:1 – Commentary

The Serpent and the Introduction of Deception

This verse marks a pivotal moment in salvation history, introducing the adversary who would set in motion humanity’s fall from grace. The serpent is described as more cunning (arum in Hebrew) than any beast of the field, a term that carries connotations of shrewdness and craftiness. The Fathers of the Church universally understood this serpent not merely as an animal but as the instrument through which Satan worked his deception.

Patristic Interpretation: St. John Chrysostom emphasizes that the devil chose the serpent precisely because of its cunning nature, using it as a fitting mask for his own deceitful purposes. St. Basil the Great notes that the serpent’s approach to Eve rather than Adam was itself a calculated strategy, targeting what the enemy perceived as the more vulnerable point of entry. St. Irenaeus of Lyon explicitly identifies the serpent with Satan, the fallen angel who envied humanity’s blessed state in Paradise.

Christological Significance: The appearance of the serpent in Genesis 3 finds its ultimate resolution in Christ. The Lord Himself refers to Satan as a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44), connecting directly to the serpent’s deceptive questioning of God’s word. The Apostle Paul warns the Corinthians that Satan deceived Eve by his cunning (2 Corinthians 11:3), and the Book of Revelation explicitly identifies the ancient serpent as the devil and Satan (Revelation 12:9, 20:2). Christ’s victory over temptation in the wilderness stands as the reversal of this primordial encounter, where the New Adam resists what the first Adam and Eve could not.

Liturgical and Spiritual Themes: In the Orthodox liturgical tradition, particularly during Great Lent and Holy Week, the theme of spiritual warfare against the deceiver features prominently. The Lenten Triodion contains numerous references to the enemy’s cunning and our need for watchfulness. The serpent’s question “Did God really say?” represents the template for all temptation, which begins by casting doubt upon divine truth and goodness.

Orthodox Spirituality: The Fathers teach that the serpent’s method reveals the pattern of all demonic assault upon the soul. The logismoi, or tempting thoughts, often begin not with outright evil suggestions but with subtle questioning of what we know to be true. St. Hesychios and other neptic fathers counsel believers to guard the nous (mind) against such initial suggestions, recognizing that entertaining the serpent’s question is already the beginning of the fall. This verse thus serves as a perpetual warning to the faithful regarding spiritual vigilance and the discernment of spirits.

Introduction to the book of Leviticus

The Book of Leviticus receives its English title from the Latin Vulgate, which is derived from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) title Leuitikon (Λευιτικόν), meaning “Levitical” or “pertaining to the Levites.”

Read More »

Introduction to the book of Exodus

The Book of Exodus receives its English title from the Greek Septuagint (LXX), where it is called Exodos (Ἔξοδος), meaning “departure” or “exit.” This name was chosen because the central

Read More »