In the previous Baby Lady episodes we explored several topics that are often misunderstood:
The Nephilim in Genesis 6
The meaning of “Sons of God”
The passage about Lucifer in Isaiah 14
The King of Tyre in Ezekiel 28
Each of these discussions had something in common: many widely repeated interpretations do not come directly from the Torah itself, but from later interpretive traditions.
Today’s topic is another example of that.
The serpent in the Garden of Eden.
Who—or what—was it?
📜 What the Torah Actually Says
The story begins in Genesis 3:1.
“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.”
— Genesis 3:1
Notice something important.
The text simply calls the figure:
הַנָּחָשׁ — Ha-Nachash
“The serpent.”
The Torah does not identify this serpent as Satan.
It does not say the serpent is a fallen angel.
It does not say the serpent is a supernatural demon.
It simply describes a creature that is:
“more subtle than any beast of the field.”
🐍 The Punishment of the Serpent
Later in the same chapter we see the judgment pronounced.
“Upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.”
— Genesis 3:14
This passage suggests that the serpent once had a different form of movement, because the punishment specifically removes the ability to move as before.
This is why many ancient interpreters understood the serpent as a literal creature that once stood upright or moved differently than modern snakes.
📚 Later Interpretations
Many traditions developed after the Torah.
Two important texts often discussed in this context are:
The Book of Jubilees
Jubilees preserves a tradition that animals once had the ability to speak before the fall of humanity.
This would explain why the serpent speaking to Eve does not surprise the narrative.
The Book of Enoch
The Book of Enoch describes fallen angels called Watchers who descended to earth and interacted with humanity.
However, Enoch does not clearly state that Satan was the serpent in Eden.
Instead, Enoch discusses fallen angels influencing humanity in other ways.
🧠 Why the “Serpent = Satan” Idea Became Popular
The identification of the serpent with Satan appears more clearly in later theological traditions, particularly in interpretations influenced by later biblical texts such as Revelation, which symbolically describes Satan as:
“that ancient serpent.”
— Revelation 12:9
However, that statement is written many centuries after Genesis, and it represents a theological interpretation rather than the original wording of the Torah itself.
🔎 What We Are Really Examining
The goal of these videos is not to attack any tradition.
It is simply to ask a basic question:
What does the text itself actually say?
There is a difference between:
• The Torah itself
• Later interpretations of the Torah
Understanding that difference allows us to explore these texts more carefully.
In the Baby Lady episode below, we examine this question in a short format:
Was the serpent in Eden literally Satan, or does the Torah describe something different? TikTok video below.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8CsQMqA/
📖 Sources Mentioned
Torah
Genesis 3:1–14
Apocryphal literature
Book of Jubilees
Book of Enoch
Later biblical interpretation
Revelation 12:9
🕯️ Final Thought
One of the most fascinating things about studying ancient texts is discovering how interpretations evolve over time.
The Torah often says less than people assume, and that opens the door to deeper study.
Debate and discussion have always been part of the learning tradition.
So the real question is:
What do you think the serpent represents?
