Genesis 3–4; Moses 4–5
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. Genesis 3:1
Genesis 3 contains a short story with outlandish aspects, like a talking snake, that some find unbelievable. For them, it reads like Mother Goose, Grimm’s Fairy Tales or Aesop’s Fables. There is disagreement even among those who accept the story as scriptural as to whether it’s literal or symbolic. For some, the story’s literal truth is a matter of faith, whereas others see it as allegorical.
However, the Latter-day Saint perspective, shaped by the temple, proposes that the serpent story has literal and symbolic layers with key lessons for us. This story’s significance for the ancient Hebrews made it foundational to the ongoing conflict between good and evil.
LDS Scholar Le Grande Davies states: “We now turn to an analysis of the nachash (נחש), serpent, of the Garden of Eden. Nachash appears five times in chapter three. The serpent does not appear to be repulsive or frightening to Eve. As a matter of fact, he converses with her in a cogent, even a highly intelligent manner when he first engages her in conversation. The serpent evidently has legs which, later in the account, are removed by God’s curse. These points indicate the need for a symbolical interpretation of the ‘serpent’ rather than an interpretation which has Eve conversing with a ‘physical zoological serpent.’ The explanation concerning the serpent in Genesis three as reflected by the Pseudepigraphical writings, the New Testament, and much rabbinic literature identifies the serpent as none other than Satan, who is the personification of evil” (Serpent Imagery in Ancient Israel, 38).
For clarity about the serpent and its multidimensional significance, it would help to understand: 1) the Seraphim; 2) Christ and the symbolism of the serpent; and 3) the serpent as a symbol of Satan.
The Seraphim
The seraphim (שרפים) is a plural word. They are a category of heavenly beings whose name is derived from the Hebrew root sarap (שרף) signifying “burning ones” or “fiery ones”. Though often human-like in modern art, according to the Bible they were winged, serpent-like creatures (see Isaiah 6). Their “fiery” title alludes to their glowing shine and heavenly splendor. Their wings represent the power to move and act (Doctrine and Covenants 77:4). Their purity enables them to “dwell in everlasting burnings” with God.
Seraphim serve as attendants to God’s throne and members of the Divine Council (Sôd Elohim). They act as sentinels or “keepers of the way,” guarding the portals of the heavenly temple against unauthorized entry. The Doctrine and Covenants shows the Savior had a relationship with the seraphim, “Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great I Am, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven before the world was made” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:1).
They function as agents of divine purification. This is most famously seen when a seraph used a “purging coal” from the altar to cleanse Isaiah’s lips, an act that symbolizes the purifying power of the Atonement (Isaiah 6:6-7).
These “fiery serpents” or seraphim were also sent to punish the Israelites in the wilderness. Paradoxically, the bronze serpent Moses raised to heal the people was also identified as a seraph in Hebrew.
Christ and the Symbolism of the Serpent
In biblical tradition and in the ancient Near East, the serpent represents opposing forces: life/healing (Christ) and deception/death (Satan). Because in the Old Testament there’s a problem with death and sin and the solution is a divine serpent, Christ. The Savior compares Himself to a serpent. Israel’s sacred stories knew a serpent purified you from sin (Isaiah 6) and saved you from death (Numbers 21).
Christ is represented as the “true serpent” through several scriptural and linguistic connections:
- The Consummate Healer: Just as the Israelites were healed by looking at the brazen serpent on a pole, we are healed from the “venom” of sin by looking to Christ with faith.
- Life and Resurrection: Because snakes perpetually shed their skin, they were ancient symbols of regeneration and immortality. Christ fulfills this as “the resurrection and the life”.
- Numerical Identity: In Hebrew, the word for serpent (nachash) and the word for Messiah (Mashiach) both share the numerical value of 358.
- The Seraphim Connection: The “fiery serpents” are identified as seraphim (“burning ones”), high-ranking heavenly beings who serve as agents of purification and atonement. Christ is the head of the seraphic hosts.
- Sign of the Serpent: “The sign of the serpent had been instituted in premortality as a symbol of deity, particularly Jehovah (see Exodus 4:1–5; 7:10–13; and Numbers 21:5–9), and later on as a symbol of Jehovah-come-to-earth, or in other words Jesus Christ (see John 3:14–15), the true God of life and salvation” (Skinner, “Serpent Symbols and Salvation in the Ancient Near East and the Book of Mormon,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10.254-55). Satan chose the serpent specifically because he could not imitate the sign of the dove; therefore, he hijacked the serpentine symbol of the Messiah to validate his lies.
- Christ is Lifted Up as the Brazen Serpent: Israel’s sacred stories knew a serpent could save you. In Numbers 21, the Israelites are plagued by fiery, flying serpents. To heal the Israelites of their bites, Moses erected a brazen serpent upon a pole. Any who looked upon the brazen serpent would live (Numbers 21:5–9). By King Hezekiah’s time, the brazen serpent was even venerated in King Solomon’s temple. In the Book of Mormon there are five references to the Christ as the brazen serpent (1 Ne 17:41; 2 Nephi 25:20; Alma 33:19-22; Alma 37:46-47; Helaman 8:14-15). In the New Testament, Christ compares Himself to the healing serpent (John 3).
The Serpent as a Symbol of Satan
Why was Satan so skilled in getting Eve to eat the fruit? Maybe the way Satan looked in the garden had something to do with it. The account could suggest Eve believed she was meant to eat the fruit, influenced by the serpent’s symbolism. If Jesus Christ is symbolized by a serpent, and if biblical seraphs appeared as fiery, flying serpents guarding trees, perhaps Satan’s serpent appearance at the tree was meant to deceive Eve into thinking he was a divine messenger. Could Eve believe that this divine, seraph-like tree guardian authorized her to partake of this fruit, under God’s wishes? The serpent was a symbol of good, a symbol of Christ, Satan used it to confuse Adam and Eve. The Book of Mormon states that Satan appeared as “an angel of light” (2 Nephi 9:9).
- A Member of the Council: Evidence suggests that Lucifer was originally a seraph of authority in the Divine Council. When he appeared as a serpent in the Garden of Eden, he likely appeared as a radiant “angel of light” or divine seraph to deceive Eve. The Hebrew root for serpent – nachash (נחש) means to hiss, but it also means “to shine”. This suggests the serpent in Eden may have been a radiant, impressive celestial being rather than a lowly reptile.
- An Upright Being: Rather than slithering, he was a radiant, upright, and likely winged being. This form identifies it as a seraph, a “burning one” of the heavenly host that attended God’s throne and possessed the ability to speak and exercise high intelligence. In this state, the serpent/seraph was endowed with hands, feet, and wings, which represented divine authority and the power to act and move. Because of this impressive appearance, Eve likely recognized it as a familiar and beautiful celestial creature—a divine guardian—explaining why she showed no alarm when he spoke to her.
Satanic Serpent Post-Fall
- Body Change: The serpent’s body changed after the Eden deception, reflecting its spiritual downfall. God stripped this radiant being of wings, hands, and feet, which is interpreted as the curse to “go upon thy belly.”
- Status and Title: The transition is summarized by the change of its name from Lucifer (“Shining One”) to Perdition (“Loss”). He fell from being an “angel of authority” in the Divine Council to being cursed above all cattle and every beast of the field.
- The “Old Serpent”: Throughout scripture, Satan is called “that old serpent” who seeks to lead mankind into captivity and spiritual death.
- Ultimate Fate: While the serpent was once a “guardian” of sacred things, his cursed state is defined by enmity and the prophecy that his head would eventually be crushed under the heel of the woman’s seed, Christ.
Conclusion
Because the serpent was an established symbol for Jesus Christ and the high-ranking seraphim who guarded sacred trees, Satan likely used this form to masquerade as an “angel of light”. His appearance and deception allowed Adam and Eve to use their moral agency. It was necessary for the devil to tempt the children of men, or they could not be “agents unto themselves”. Without experiencing the “bitter,” Adam and Eve could not truly know or appreciate the “sweet”.
In summary, the serpent was in the garden because divine law requires opposition for progression to occur. He functioned as a “spiritual mirror,” using a counterfeit form of light to test whether God’s offspring would follow the word of the Father or the flattering whispers of an individual seeking his own dominion. Thus, the serpent acted as the catalyst that allowed humanity to move from a state of innocence into a state of experience and growth.
