Gen 3:8-13
The Old Testament > Genesis > Chapter 3
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Contents
Questions
Verse 15
- Who is the serpents seed?
Lexical notes
Verse 15
- The word enmity means roughly hatred. Enmity here is translated from the Hebrew word eybah. In both Hebrew and English the word has the same root as enemy. Enmity is essentially the feeling one has for an enemy. Merriam-Webster's definition suggests that enmity is a positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will.
- The word translated as it is the Hebrew hu, a singular masculine pronoun that can also be translated as he, which is done in many modern translations as well as the Joseph Smith Translation (Moses 4:21). The argument for translating hu as it is that in Hebrew it grammatically agrees in number and gender with the word for offspring. Some translators have even translated hu in this context as they, since offspring refers to more than one person. Some early translations used by Catholics also have used the word she here, apparently based on some early Latin manuscripts that may have been erroneous.
Exegesis
Verse 15
Enmity
The Lord puts enmity, or hatred, between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. The seed of the woman refers to people. The serpent represents the devil. His seed could refer to those who followed him in the pre-mortal life. It also may refer to those who follow Satan in this life; as Alma 5:41 indicates, those who follow Satan in this life become his children.
Why would God put enmity between people and those who follow Satan? One reason may be that hatred of evil can serve as a barrier between us and evil (see also Amos 5:15). This reasoning may be similar to the reasoning the Lord gives for cursing the Lamanites (2 Ne 5:21-22). Nephi tells us that the point of that cursing was to make the Lamanites loathsome to the Nephites unless the Lamanites repented—this loathsome-ness served as a barrier. (Loathsome is less harsh then enmity; note though that we are also told that the Nephites hated the Lamanites because of their curse (Jacob 3:5).)
Verse 15 seems to suggest that this enmity will lead to conflict. Just after God says he will put enmity between the serpent and the woman, he follows by saying that the woman will bruise the head of the serpent and the serpent will bruise the heel of the woman's seed. This verse shouldn't be read though as condoning attacks on evil. Mormon tells us, rather, that it is through the wicked that the wicked are punished Morm 4:5. Further to attack evil is inconsistent with what Jesus's teaches. In Matt 5:39 he tells us not to resist evil. Similarly in Rom 12:21 Paul tells us not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good. Though God gave us enmity for evil, Jesus and Paul place restraints on how that enmity should be exercised. (See also Prov 20:22, Rom 12:9.)
bruise head; bruise heel
Christianity has traditionally, at least as far back as Ireneaus, interpreted Genesis 3:15 messianically: Jesus, the offspring of Eve, would crush Satan on the head. Those advocating this view sometimes quote Paul, who uses similar language in Romans 16:20.
Related links
- For more links on the proper response to evil see the Topical Guide retribution and forebearance.
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