In the biblical narrative, serpents are often emblematic of evil, deceit, and opposition to God. The imagery of serpents is used throughout Scripture to convey the cunning and destructive nature of the wicked, serving as a powerful symbol of sin and rebellion.

Genesis 3:1-5 introduces the serpent as a creature of cunning, more subtle than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. The serpent's role in the temptation of Eve marks the beginning of its association with deceit and the fall of humanity. The serpent's question, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1), exemplifies its role in sowing doubt and leading humanity into sin.

In Revelation 12:9 and 20:2, the serpent is explicitly identified with Satan, the great adversary of God and His people. The text refers to "the great dragon... that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray" (Revelation 12:9). This identification underscores the serpent's role as the ultimate embodiment of evil and deception.

The metaphor of serpents is also used to describe the wicked and their actions. In Psalm 58:4, the wicked are compared to venomous snakes: "Their venom is like the poison of a serpent, like a cobra that shuts its ears" . This imagery highlights the destructive and harmful nature of their words and deeds.

Jesus Himself uses the imagery of serpents to describe the religious leaders of His day. In Matthew 23:33, He calls them "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?" . This harsh rebuke emphasizes their hypocrisy and spiritual blindness, aligning them with the deceitful nature of serpents.

The Apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Romans, echoes this sentiment by describing the sinful nature of humanity: "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips" (Romans 3:13). Here, the serpent imagery is used to illustrate the pervasive sinfulness and deceitfulness of the human heart apart from God's grace.

In the prophetic literature, serpents are often used as symbols of judgment and destruction. Isaiah 14:29 warns the Philistines of impending judgment, saying, "Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of the snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent" . This prophecy uses the imagery of serpents to convey the certainty and severity of divine judgment.

Throughout Scripture, the serpent serves as a potent symbol of the wicked, embodying traits of deceit, cunning, and opposition to God's will. The consistent use of this imagery underscores the biblical portrayal of the wicked as those who, like serpents, seek to lead others astray and oppose the purposes of God.Matthew 23:33
You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm XLII.
... with the sons of Korah in other titles of Psalms ... Why, that the wicked, when reprieved
here, are reserved for ... also ask the meanings of the names, Jordan means ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xlii.htm

The Lord's Supper
... What names and titles in Scripture are given to the sacrament? ... We read that the wicked
are to be set at Christ's feet, not at his table. Psalm 110:1. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/the ten commandments/4 5 the lords supper.htm

A Plea Regarding Christians by Athenagoras, the Athenian
... of a name (for no Christian is wicked unless he ... think God is one, though they multiply
names for the ... regard to the air; while his other titles similarly refer ...
/.../richardson/early christian fathers/a plea regarding christians by.htm

The Fourth Book
... 181] Once the Jews bore both these titles, now they ... else is the prefecture of certain
men, whose names I suppress ... I say that nothing can be more wicked than the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the fourth book.htm

the Legendary History of Egypt
... lazuli, upon which Osiris squats, is wrongly set up, and the names and titles of
King ... in secret among the reeds, far from the machinations of the wicked one ...
/.../chapter iii -the legendary history of.htm

part viii.
... unjust one, and that those about him are wicked. ... this public protest by those whose
names are under ... heretical teachers, who usurped the sacred titles of Bishops ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/part viii.htm

Concerning the Unity of God . On the Article, I Believe in one God ...
... stars, and calleth them all by their names [828 ... Apostles, but of one of the three
wicked disciples of ... all expressions of this kind are titles and announcements ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture vi concerning the unity.htm

The Second vision "On Earth"
... In Jeremiah 8:17, Jehovah says "Behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among
you ... as we have said, are no mere human beings: they are wicked spirits; and Are ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the second vision on earth.htm

Introduction to Proverbs viii. 22 Continued. Contrast Between the ...
... not,' and How can it be?' thenceforth the wicked heresy of ... the words of Scripture,
and use the Names, yet they ... The true view of our Lord's titles, on the other ...
/.../chapter xviii introduction to proverbs viii.htm

Egypt
... The manners and customs, the writing and titles of the ... M. Grebaut puts it: they were
"the names received by a ... will be far from evil, and the wicked will humble ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter v egypt.htm

What are the names of Satan? | GotQuestions.org

What is a spiritual father? | GotQuestions.org

Is God male or female? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus