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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 3:14-15

I. The sentence passed upon the tempter may be considered as lighting upon the serpent, the brute-creature which Satan made use of which was, as the rest, made for the service of man, but was now abused to his hurt. Therefore, to testify a displeasure against sin, and a jealousy for the injured honour of Adam and Eve, God fastens a curse and reproach upon the serpent, and makes it to groan, being burdened. See Rom. 8:20. The devil's instruments must share in the devil's punishments. Thus the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 3:14

And the Lord God said unto the serpent ,.... And to the devil in it; for what follows may be applied to both; literally to the serpent, and mystically to Satan; both are punished, and that very justly, the serpent in being the instrument Satan made use of, and is cursed for his sake, as the earth for man's; and the punishing the instrument as well as the principal, the more discovers God's detestation of the act for which they are punished, as appears in other instances, Exodus 21:28 . Nor... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 3:15

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman ,.... Between whom there had been so much familiarity, not only while they had the preceding discourse together, but before; for it is conjectured by some F25 See the Universal History, vol. 1. p. 126. , that she took a particular liking to that creature, and was delighted with it, and laid it perhaps in her bosom, adorned her neck with its windings, or made it a bracelet for her arms; and being a peculiar favourite, the devil made... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 3:14

And the Lord God said unto the serpent - The tempter is not asked why he deceived the woman; he cannot roll the blame on any other; self-tempted he fell, and it is natural for him, such is his enmity, to deceive and destroy all he can. His fault admits of no excuse, and therefore God begins to pronounce sentence on him first. And here we must consider a twofold sentence, one on Satan and the other on the agent he employed. The nachash , whom I suppose to have been at the head of all the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 3:15

I will put enmity between thee and the woman - This has been generally supposed to apply to a certain enmity subsisting between men and serpents; but this is rather a fancy than a reality. It is yet to be discovered that the serpentine race have any peculiar enmity against mankind, nor is there any proof that men hate serpents more than they do other noxious animals. Men have much more enmity to the common rat and magpie than they have to all the serpents in the land, because the former... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 3:14

Verse 14 14.And the Lord God said unto the serpent. He does not interrogate the serpent as he had done the man and the woman; because, in the animal itself there was no sense of sin, and because, to the devil he would hold out no hope of pardon. He might truly, by his own authority, have pronounced sentence against Adam and Eve, though unheard. Why then does he call them to undergo examination, except that he has a care for their salvation? This doctrine is to be applied to our benefit. There... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 3:15

Verse 15 15.I will put enmity. 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. It is regarded, as among prodigies, that some men take pleasure in them; and as often as the sight of a serpent inspires us with horrors the memory of our fall is renewed. With this I combine in one continued discourse what immediately follows: ‘It shall wound thy head, and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 3:8-19

The first judgment scene. I. THE FLIGHT Or THE CRIMINALS . 1. It is the instinct of sinful men to flee from God . "Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God" ( Genesis 3:8 ). So "Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord" ( Jonah 1:3 ). 2. It is God ' s habit to pursue transgressors . As he pursued Adam and Eve in the garden by his voice (verse 9), and Jonah on the deep by a wind ( Jonah 1:4 ), and David by his... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 3:9-24

The word of God in the moral chaos. These verses bring before us very distinctly the elements of man's sinful state, and of the redemptive dispensation of God which came out of it by the action of his brooding Spirit of life upon the chaos. I. THE WORD OF GOD ADDRESSED TO THE PERSONAL CONSCIOUSNESS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW WORLD . "The Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? " Before that direct intercourse between the Spirit of God and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 3:14

Confession having thus been made by both delinquents, and the arch-contriver of the whole mischief discovered, the Divine Judge proceeds to deliver sentence. And the Lord God said unto the serpent . Which he does not interrogate as he did the man and woman, "because 1. The serpent only (Kalisch). 2. The devil only (Macdonald). 3. Partly on the serpent and partly on Satan (Calvin). 4. Wholly upon both (Murphy, Bush, Candlish). The difficulties attending these different... read more

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