[First posted in 2012. Again, we offer the Rabbi’s answer to the question before featuring our own. Read on. —Admin1]
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Question: Genesis 3:15 — What does it mean if we remove the Christian interpretation of it as the first messianic prophecy?
Answer #1: Rabbi M. Younger/Aish.com
Shalom –
Thank you for your interesting question.
There is nothing here other than a reference to the descendents of Eve. Since she is the one who had the confrontation with serpent (Adam comes into the picture through her) we discuss her offspring rather than Adam’s.
It is true that these verses deal with esoteric matters and a proper discussion is longer than these emails can easily contain. But, let me offer an insight about the serpent, his relationship to Man and this curse, from the commentary of Rabbi S.R. Hirsch:
From the point of view of the educational care for mankind, the eiva, the strong antipathy implemented in mankind towards snakes may be meant to bring home to his mind that—
*it was “animal wisdom” that lead him astray,
**and to remind him of the gulf that separates Man from animal;
***and at the same time, by concrete example, to keep the fact constantly before his eyes that there must be a different criterion for good and evil than the dictates of blind instinctive inclinations.
The snake bites as a result its natural impulse and still a snake bite is evil for mankind. Thus the moral evil of passion has may give satisfaction to man and still be injurious to higher matters and in other directions. So that the mere dictates of his senses may not tell Man what is good or evil.
If we dare take it that the sight of a snake is henceforth to remind mankind to fight his lusts the [the verse] would say very significantly: Man is given greater strength over his lusts, than these have over him. Man can stamp his lusts on the head, they can at the most catch him on his heel. Further [the root] shuf is to catch unforeseen, when the other is careless. Only when Man is off his guard does the snake, and lust, catch him on his heel. By constant watchfulness and being always on one’s guard both can be avoided. And equally so, only when Man does not allow lusts to awake, to become passions, as long as snakes and lusts are still slumbering can he stamp both of them on the head, but not if he awakes and excites them.
I hope that this has been a bit helpful.
With blessings from Jerusalem,
Rabbi M. Younger
Answer#2: Rabbi Menachem Posner/Chabad.org
B”H
Hi,
Oddly enough, until you asked this question, I was not even aware that there was a Christian messianic interpretation to this verse.
G-d is simply telling that there will now be enmity between humankind and snakes. We will try to crush them, and they will attempt to bite our heels, which is indeed the case.”
You can see a detailed discussion of this here:
http://www.messiahtruth.com/gen315.html
Please let me know if this helps.
Yours truly,
Rabbi Menachem Posner
Answer #3: Sinai 6000
We have dealt with this topic at length in our Genesis 3 series, please check out the following posts:
- Revisit: Prooftext 1a – Genesis 3:15 – Who is the “woman”
- Prooftext 1b – Genesis 3:15 – Who is the “serpent”?
- Prooftext 1b: Genesis 3:15 – Seed of the Woman vs. Seed of the Serpent
- Prooftext 1c – Gen. 3:15 – Who are the “seed,” “offspring”?