THE SEED OF THE WOMAN AND THE SEED OF THE SERPENT

compiled by Michael Jeshurun

And the Lord said unto the Serpent . . . “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” [Gen 3:15]

This portion of Scripture has been understood and interpreted in many ways since it was first spoken. There are those who have interpreted this portion to mean nothing more than just hostile strife between the human race and serpents. In fact even John Calvin held and taught this view. “I interpret this simply to mean that there should always be the hostile strife between the human race and serpents, which is now apparent; for, by a secret feeling of nature, man abhors them. Etc” [John Calvin on Genesis 3:15]

The Roman Catholics on the other hand ascribe and credit the crushing of the Serpent’s head to Mother Mary and hence we see pictures of Mary standing on the globe with the serpent being crushed under her feet.

And there are others who have used this portion of scripture to articulate a truly mind-blowing doctrine commonly known as the ‘Serpent Seed doctrine’! This heresy (for heresy it is) will stagger the mind! Simply stated, the ‘Serpent Seed doctrine’ teaches that the sin of Eve was not simple disobedience of eating an apple as is commonly supposed, but the actual sexual contact with the serpent, and that Cain was the son of Eve and of the Devil. Cain’s descendants are, according to this idea, the literal ‘seed of the serpent’ i.e. the sons of Satan and among some who hold this view this ‘Serpent’s seed’ are referred to as the Kenites.

The ‘Serpent Seed doctrine’ is a belief based on poor biblical interpretation and superstition. It is a primary doctrinal resource for those who want to use Scriptures to justify racial prejudice. The serpent seed doctrine is also closely related to other erroneous beliefs such as the Christian Identity Movement and the Kenite doctrine. Like many false beliefs, it has a built-in defense mechanism; that is, anyone who disagrees with it is accused of being a son of the serpent. One of the most unfortunate problems with the serpent seed doctrine is that it so heavily relies on prejudice and warped biblical interpretation that it can be very difficult to discuss rationally.

To be fair, while this could be just God stating a simple truth of a hostility and strife between Eve’s offspring and the snake which slithers many good men of God since the early Church have understood this to be a prophecy of the coming Messiah; what is theologically termed as ‘Protoevangelium’ or the first announcement of the Gospel. We must bear in mind that in Scripture the physical is often used to convey a spiritual message. Thus the apostle quoting Moses, “Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn.” Goes on to ask – “Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope etc” [1Cor 9:9,10]

But before we try to show what or who is meant by the two seeds, we must debunk the two major errors that have risen out of this verse. First, the delusion that Mother Mary is the one who crushes the Serpent’s head. Without laboring much let us plainly state that all that Mary was is just a chosen vessel, notwithstanding a sinner like you and me but favored by God to bring forth the One who would truly crush the Serpent’s head.

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He (Christ) also Himself likewise took part of the same; that THROUGH DEATH HE MIGHT DESTROY HIM THAT HAD THE POWER OF DEATH, THAT IS, THE DEVIL!” [Heb 2:14] And again, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that HE MIGHT DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.” [1John 3:8]

Now let us examine the ‘Serpent seed’ doctrine in the light of Scripture. Notable proponents of the Serpent-Seed doctrine have included Daniel Parker (1781–1844), William M. Branham (1909–1965), and Arnold Murray (1929–2014). This belief is also held by some adherents of the white supremacist theology known as Christian Identity, who claim that the Jews (and Blacks) are descended from the serpent.

What is taught by those who adhere to the Serpent-Seed doctrine is that the seed of the serpent is a LITERAL PHYSICAL SEED. Supposedly, there is a genetic lineage of Cain and all of his lineage are “children of the devil.” If that is indeed so then we have two choices before us. Either the seed spoken of in Genesis is a spiritual metaphor or it is biological and physical. Either being a child of the devil is a matter of the heart, or it is genetic and the serpent is a literal father of a non-human race starting with Cain.

Those are our two choices. We need to test each with the Word of God and determine which is valid. The support for this doctrine, at least on the surface, can appear rather convincing, so let’s review some of the major tenets of this doctrine. Genesis 3:13 is often cited, with the claim that the word translated “beguiled” in the King James Version really meant “seduced.”

At that point, it is concluded that the serpent sexually seduced Eve. Genesis 3:13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, “What is this that thou hast done? “And the woman said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” Strong’s defines the Hebrew word used here as to be “deceived. There is a Hebrew word that can be and is used in the scriptures to mean seduced in a sexual sense. However, it should be noted that this particular word is not present in Genesis 3:13. There really is not much scholarly support for interpreting Genesis 3:13 to mean that the Serpent sexually seduced Eve. The Hebrew text can be stretched to perhaps loosely imply this, but we will see later how this interpretation does not really make much sense and hold up to the test.

Moving on… Another supposed proof text is used from Proverbs 30:20. This verse metaphorically compares the act of eating with sexual immorality. Proverbs 30:20 – “Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.” The linkage is necessary because the sin of Adam and Eve is mentioned to include eating, thus there is a need to attempt to prove that when Adam and Eve ate, it meant something sexual instead of something literal.

“For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” [Gen 3:5-7]

The proponents of the ‘Serpent Seed’ doctrine quickly point out that Adam and Eve realized that they were naked, and thus their physical nakedness implies something sexual in nature occurring in context. However, the physical nakedness is here metaphorically used to teach us their current absence of a covering for THEIR SIN. As we said earlier, the physical is often used in scripture to teach us the spiritual. Being in sin makes us naked and exposed to God’s judgment. We need to be covered for that sin to no longer be naked and ashamed.

Nakedness does not always mean something sexual in nature, but a lack of a spiritual covering in intentional sin and lack of faith. “For in this we groan, earnestly DESIRING TO BE CLOTHED upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed WE SHALL NOT BE FOUND NAKED. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.” [2Cor 5:2-4]

And again, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, AND NAKED!” [Rev 3:17] Again, “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he WALK NAKED, and they see his shame!” [Rev 16:15] So we can see that just because they have realized that they are naked, that it does not mandate that what just transpired is something sexual in nature! It simply means that Adam and Eve were found to be in sin, so that they were SPIRITUALLY NAKED.

They were certainly physically naked as well, but the physical situation teaches the spiritual condition; that is the intended purpose here. Because they were physically naked, and ashamed, they needed a physical covering. On a spiritual level, they were also spiritually naked and ashamed because of their sin…therefore God sacrificed an animal, and covered them in its skin as a spiritual covering…pointing us to what later would be accomplished by our Lord when He was crucified between two thieves.

But to return to Genesis 3: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” [Gen 3:6]

If we attempt to use Proverbs 30:20 to try to prove that the fruit in Genesis 3 is referring to a sexual act between Eve and the Serpent, then we have a few serious things we now need to deal with. We need to consider that it was stated that ADAM WAS WITH EVE (and gave also to her husband with her) when Eve ate the fruit from the serpent. Which means that we would have to believe that Adam sat around and watched the serpent have sex with his wife.

But don’t stop there! Then, after that, Eve decided to give Adam some sexual relations with the serpent: “she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he did eat”. Strange doctrine indeed!

So here is what we have with the “Serpent Seed” doctrine. First, Adam watched his wife have sexual relations with a serpent, then Eve thought that sexual relations with the serpent was great, so she offered the same sexual relations with the serpent to Adam, and then Adam agreed and then proceeded to have homosexual relations with a serpent in front of Eve. Does that even sound right? Is that what we are to believe really happened?

Yes we know we are being rather sarcastic here but as A.W. Pink once said, “Sarcasm is a dangerous weapon to employ, but its use is fully warranted in exposing the ridiculous pretensions of error, and is often quite effective in convincing men of the folly and unreasonableness of their ways”

It now becometh us to ask WHO is this ‘seed of the woman’ who shall crush the head of the Serpent? It is indeed important that we learn as to what or WHO this seed is. The Master in the parable of the sower plainly said, “The seed is the Word of God!” [Luke 8:11] This is the same of which the apostle wrote “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” [John 1:14] And again in Revelation: “His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God!” [Rev 19:12,13]

Here is a quote from A.W Pink – “On the day when sin entered the world, Jehovah announced that He would put enmity between the serpent and the woman, and between his seed and her seed (Genesis 3:15). That enmity was manifested when Christ became incarnate, for we are told, “And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born” (Revelation 12:4), and he it was who moved Herod to slay all the young children in Bethlehem. But God interposed and the dragon was foiled. But now God hindered no longer. The hour had arrived when the serpent was to bruise the Savior’s heel, and fully did he now avail himself of his opportunity. Jews and Gentiles alike were “of their father, the devil.” and his lusts (desires) they now carried out with a will.”

God told Abraham that in his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 22:17-18). First, this seed was designated as the seed of the woman. Second, He was designated as the seed of Abraham. Not the literal physical descendants of Abraham (as the Jews had wrongly concluded) but as the Apostle says, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ!” [Gal 3:16]

The ‘seed of the woman’ who shall be at enmity with the ‘seed of the Serpent’ is Christ and all who are in Him, i.e. all whom the Father gave Him having predestinated them unto adoption as sons – i.e. Christ’s ‘seed’ – “He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.” [Isa 53:10] “They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE ARE COUNTED FOR THE SEED.” [Rom 9:8]

And just as it is written concerning Christ that He “shall tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt Thou trample under feet.” [Psalm 91:13] . . . the apostle assures those who are in Christ i.e. His Elect that “the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly!” [Rom 16:20]

And WHO are the ‘seed of the Serpent’? The seed of the Serpent are not any special class of Jews, Blacks or ‘Kenites’ as those who hold the doctrine of the ‘Serpent seed’ teach; but it is anyone and everyone whom the Father has not given to Christ (John 6:37), whose names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8), simply put – all those who are not “of the Truth”. Our Lord told Pilate “Everyone who is OF THE TRUTH heareth My voice!” (John 18:37) i.e. everyone who BELONGS TO THE TRUTH!

Yes, there are those who ‘belong to the Truth’ whom the Bible designates as God’s Elect, His sheep and His chosen ones to name a few. The Apostle said, “we know that WE ARE OF GOD, and the whole world lieth in wickedness!” That’s right! The ‘whole world’ meaning every single one who is outside of Christ whom the Bible designates as goats as opposed to sheep are ‘of the wicked one’ notwithstanding their religious pretentions, profession or outward morality. (see – Matt 25:32-46)

To be sure there ARE two seeds spiritually speaking! The children of God and the children of the Devil! Even the apostle John wrote concerning them – “In this the CHILDREN OF GOD are manifest, and the CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” [1John 3:10]

A clear mark of the seed of the Serpent is that they do not love Christ! Our Lord said, “IF GOD were your Father, ye would love Me!” [John 8:42] “But now ye seek to kill Me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God!” and why is this? . . . (because) Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do! Etc” [John 8:44] Oh yes men may love ‘Another Jesus’ like the Roman Catholic Jesus, the Mormon Jesus or the Arminian Jesus who is knocking on every man’s heart to try and save him! But the Sovereign discriminating Christ who hath mercy on whom He will and hardens whom He will, every one of the reprobate non-elect will hate either secretly or openly thus manifesting that they are not of God!

We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error! [1John 4:6]

[Please note: this is not a debate or discussion. Any comments in defense of the errors debunked here will be promptly deleted. Thank you]