I'm doing a little writing but I'm wondering how would an actor go about playing the serpent in Genesis 3, when he tempted Eve.
Was he a nice guy about it? Did he look like a lizard? Was Eve scared of this creature? Or did it look just like a snake with legs and a vocal box? Your thoughts please. :-D
Hey Santana, the scripture is a pretty good dictionary. I looked throughout the bible at every occasion of the word serpent that appears in Genesis 3. Let's see how the bible generally defines "serpent".
Genesis 49:17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an [b]adder in the path
Serpents hang out by the way, they bite, and they are comparable to adders. [url=http://www.wartsoc.co.uk/images/adder_1.jpg]picture of an adder
Exodus 4:2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. 3And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. 4And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the [b]tail
They have tails! And they look like snakes to Moses (if it looked too unusual he might not have known to flee it).
Numbers 21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
Like poisonous snakes again.
Job 26:13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked [b]serpent
They are sometimes crooked, and in more than one way. ;-)
Psalm 58:4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf [b]adder
Again, like adders.
Psalm 140:3 They have [b]sharpened their tongues like a serpent
Sharp tongues.
Proverbs 23:32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Sharp teeth.
Proverbs 30: 19The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a [b]serpent upon a rock
They loiter on rocks.
Micah 7:17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent,
Low-lying.
A snake with legs, lying on a rock.
You may want to skim through this artice... [url=http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v13/i4/serpent.asp]About the serpent
Maybe it looked like this?[url=http://www.spaternite.com/frame/images/0200/210/2121.jpg]artists rendition of the snake with legs
It may have been a kind of dinosaur!
The "fiery serpants" that bit the people (when Moses mad an image of a pole so that all who were bitten should "look and live" were apparently [u]winged[u]seraph
Satan is also called a dragon, which was supposed to be a sort of winged reptile (with or without legs).
Maybe dragons aren't as mythological as we supposed?
But the word for serpent in Genesis can be translated "sorceror", so I don't know...
Jeannette
The character of the serpent was such that he stood "UPright" and talked. His appearence and speech neither offended Eve nor startled her. He's discribed as subtle 2 Cor11:3 and his bite (words) are like the serving of strong wine which makes one senseless prov 23:30-32, his words have a negative effect on the hearer. His ability to discern Eve's heart by either observation or some other means is evident in that he chose Eve to be Adam's sin and the forbidden trees friut to be Eve's snare. I think the serpent was a most beautiful creature and intelligent. I don't believe he was out of order either in his being there in the garden or in his communication with Eve. I would probably zero in on character qualities found in reference to the serpent and also study symbolical language as found in hebrew writtings, for instant, the movement of a serpent verses the movement of say a seraphim, one is crooked and one is straight, this also is telling of disposition and nature. I hope that helps point you in the right direction.
A most interesting question ...
Pre cursed i see the original serpent being much as they look today especially about the eyes, having two tiny but keenly sensitive ears that stood atop its triangular head like little horns, being a very shy and elusive creature that would scurry and hide whenever anything would approach (elusive - therefore intriguing), having a long slender body affixed to short scampering legs with small curled claws, adept to (tree) climbing, having on its back two folds of skin that when stretched out enabled it to glide, and like some birds was once capable of talking (mimicry).
I think the serpent was a most beautiful creature and intelligent.
I agree. If it would horrible looking and trying hard to manipulate, Eve wouldn't have fallen for it.
Santana wrote:
I'm doing a little writing but I'm wondering how would an actor go about playing the serpent in Genesis 3, when he tempted Eve.
God told Moses translation in TLB
Gen 3:1-7
3:1 The serpent was the craftiest of all the creatures the Lord God had made. So the serpent came to the woman. "Really?" he asked. "None of the fruit in the garden? God says you mustn't eat any of it?"
2 "Of course we may eat it," the woman told him. "It's only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not to eat. God says we mustn't eat it or even touch it, or we will die."
4 "That's a lie!" the serpent hissed. "You'll not die! 5 God knows very well that the instant you eat it you will become like him, for your eyes will be opened-you will be able to distinguish good from evil!"
6 The woman was convinced. How lovely and fresh looking it was! And it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit and gave some to her husband, and he ate it too. 7 And as they ate it, suddenly they became aware of their nakedness, and were embarrassed. So they strung fig leaves together to cover themselves around the hips.
TLB
He still yet, works like that today. What he offers seems good on the surface. There is a way that seems right. It has an appearance of being good but the end there in leads to destruction. He still attempts to confuse people about what "thus sayeth the Lord". The reason it still works is people are more concerned with what they want to do and what appears to be good rather than what sayeth the Lord. As for as what he looks like, all I know is what the Word says. As a result of this encounter between Eve and the devil and Eve convincing Adam to eat to, we all in the natural flesh like the appearance of evil unless Jesus forgives us of our sins and changes our heart by being indwelled with Holy Spirit that will guide us into all truth. Jesus gave us a way out of the devils schemes and we all know he came only but to steal, kill and destroy, but Christ came to give us life and life more abundantly. John 10:10
All of you on SI know this, I was just thinking outloud.
Thnak you Lord.
This discussion is locked.
![[url=http://www.wartsoc.co.uk/images/adder_1.jpg]picture of an adder[/url]](http://www.wartsoc.co.uk/images/adder_1.jpg){kind=link}
![[url=http://www.spaternite.com/frame/images/0200/210/2121.jpg]artists rendition of the snake with legs[/url]](http://www.spaternite.com/frame/images/0200/210/2121.jpg){kind=link}