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BIBL 451 HEBREW 1

Exegesis on Genesis 3:15 on the seed of woman

WATSON MSIMANGA: #SU200028W

LECTURE: A M NDLOVU

1ST SEMESTER 2021 HARMONIZED

Exegesis

Amongst the disasters that have taken place on this planet none can be compared with Adam's

fall into sin. In fact, it is because of this initial or original catastrophe that we have confronted

and experienced all other disasters. One may not fully understand what happened when Adam

sinned and one may never be able fully to understand it. Only one can testify to the fact that

there is something indescribably and awfully wrong with humanity and with the world in which

humans live and that the Scriptures trace it back to the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. It is only

through the sacrificial death of Christ as our substitute that there is hope for the human race.

Background

As one turns attention to the book of Genesis, one will discover that the book through inspiration

was inscribed by Moses some 1500 years before Christ's advent as the incarnate Son of God. It is

the book of beginnings. Not only does it contain the historical accounts of the beginning of the

universe, the beginning of the world, the beginning of life, the beginning of mankind, and the

beginning of sin and its consequences in the world. It also presents the beginnings of God's

wonderful plan to redeem the world. One will see there the very first prophecies of the Savior's

arrival, the very first steps God took to fulfill those prophecies. One can also observe the

attitudes and reactions of the first people to hear those prophecies. One will see the promise

handed down from God to Adam and Eve, to Abraham and his son Isaac, to Jacob and his sons,

particularly Judah, to the first generations of the nation of Israel, and from there, out to the fallen

world. The scope of this presentation is the presentation of the promise at Genesis 3:15 “And 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”

These beautiful words stand up as roses among the thorns of the fall. The context has been the

account of the beautiful creation of man, the crown of God's then perfect creation, and the

dreadful fall at the command of Satan, who was concealed in the form of a subtle snake. Eve,

and Adam, followed Satan and his wicked suggestions about God, a willing act which amounted

to rebellion against God and his gracious will for them. Then came the aftermath of shame,

hiding from God, denial, and blame shifting, with God being the ultimate scapegoat for their

problems.

Word study

Enmity (‫ )ואֵיבָה‬- a hostile disposition or attitude toward someone or something.

Woman -noun, feminine singular, with article, object of the preposition, with

conjunctive ‫ּובֵין‬, woman

Seed -noun, masculine singular, with second person singular suffix, from ‫( ז ְִר ַע‬verb stem

‫זרע‬, to sow), seed, offspring, descendant, issue,

The Problem of Genesis 3:15

The concept of the seed is viewed differently in Judaism and Christianity, in Christianity still

there are different views within. In Christianity the phrase is given to a messianic interpretation

although interpretations vary.

Some views recognize the singularity of the seed, this being supported by the pronoun “it” which

is known as the demonstrative noun this pronoun refers to the seed “it shall bruise the serpent’s

head” meaning the seed will bruise the head or will crush the head of the serpent. In order for
one to understand that the seed is singular, one may also refer to the book of Galatians 3:16

according to Galatians the seed is Christ.

Some scholars within Christianity view the concept of the seed of the seed only a natural and

literal interpretation while others take it from a natural and a spiritual adjacent.

Literal and Naturalistic interpretation

A number of scholars fall in this category, for they take the text literally as involving nothing

more than the snakes and human beings being in perpetual hatred for one another thus they take

the concept of the seed as collective and thus refer to the seed in Job 14:1

John Skinner succinctly defines those involved in Gen 3:15: “The whole brood of serpents, and

the whole race of men,” involving “each member of the species.” He further states that, the

general meaning is clear; in the war between men and serpents the former will crush the head of

the foe, while the latter can only wound the heel” However, he seems to give some allowance

within the naturalistic interpretation of Gen 3:14 for the view that the serpent may also be seen as

a demonic character. He suggests that the curse on the serpent is intended to protest against “the

unnatural fascination of snake worship” (John Skinner, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary

on Genesis, ICC (Edinburgh: T. & T.Clark, 1951), 79-81, esp. p. 80)

In Judaism the contrasting groups of "seed of the woman" and "seed of the serpent" are generally

taken as plural, with the promise "he will bruise your head" applied to Adam and mankind

bruising the serpent's head.

However having alluded to the fact that the issue of the seed seems to be problematic as there

seems to be various interpretations, the word seed which is preceded by the demonstrative

pronoun ‘it’ refers to Christ. So according to Genesis 3:15 the seed of the woman is Christ
Why does it seem the one who will bring solution to the race that has fallen into sin is the seed of

the woman? Is it because the woman is the one who gives birth to children?

Reading through Genesis 5:3 the bible according to King James Version clearly points out that

men begat children. This as a result brings about a mystery of incarnation and of salvation

because in salvation it is a woman that gave birth and not the man. When one follows the fall it

comes out clearly that Eve was deceived and Adam sinned willfully so God dealt with the root

cause of sin

This being the case the words the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpents’ head, with a good

reason are called "Protevangelium," the first gospel proclamation. That is exactly what they are,

though to us who see so much of God's salvation plan through observation, they are unusual at

best.

At first glance, the words in their appearance and delivery seem almost mysterious. They were

spoken for the benefit of Adam and Eve, in the terrible new predicament they found themselves.

God presented the message to them after he had brought them to a knowledge of their sin

through the simple but searching questions he had asked them in their shame. Could there be any

comparison between the sinking feelings that sometimes get deep inside of a person after

recognizing something he/she has done wrong and the feeling he/she must have had? These

words, in contrast to God's searching questions, were intended to be a wonderful comfort for

them. Although these words were spoken for them and their benefit, they were spoken also to the

serpent, as verse 14 indicates: "the Lord God said to the serpent. These were words of hope and

Promise to Adam and Eve; but they were also words of destiny and despair for the devil. This

creature, having fallen through his own pride and rebellion, with good reason was called by Jesus

"a murderer from the beginning" and "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). He deceived
Adam and Eve by implying that they would be spiritually better off if they followed him rather

than God. In doing so, he also brought physical, spiritual and eternal death to the first human

beings, and thus to all human beings. He was and is a liar. He was and is a murderer. And he

must have been "riding high" after this apparent victory. But this verse addressed to him by God

must have knocked him off of his high horse when he realized that his victory was only apparent.

God's words to Satan which have been alluded to as Protevangelium, "the first Gospel," because

this is the first announcement of the coming Redeemer found in the Bible. To God's Old

Covenant people, this was a beacon of hope (Galatians 4:1-4), and to Satan, it was God's

declaration of war, climaxing in his condemnation and to Eve, it was the assurance that she was

forgiven and that God would use a woman to bring the Redeemer into the world (1 Timothy

2:13-15).

The offspring ("seed") of the serpent and of the woman represent Satan's family and God's

family. In the Parable of the Tares (Matt 13:24-30, 36-43), Jesus conditions clearly that Satan has

"children," people who profess to be true believers but who are actually counterfeits. The parable

reveals that wherever God "plants" a true child of the kingdom, Satan comes along and plants a

counterfeit. The two grow together and won't be separated until the harvest at the end of the age.

These are people who reject Jesus Christ and confidently depend on their own religious self-

righteousness to get them into heaven. The Pharisees were "children of the devil" according to

John the Baptist (Matt 3:7-10) and Jesus (12:34; 23:15, 28, 33; John 8:44). There's no record that

Jesus ever called the publicans and sinners "children of the devil"; He reserved that title for the

self-righteous Pharisees who crucified Him.

So, throughout history, there has been a conflict between Satan and God, Satan's children and

God's children. Both Jesus and Paul pictured false teachers as pretenders, "wolves in sheep's

clothing" (Matthew 7:13-15; Acts 20:28-31). Satan the counterfeiter has always had his children

ready to oppose the people of God. At the end of the age, it will culminate in Christ versus

Antichrist, Satan's counterfeit masterpiece (2 Thessalonians and Revelation 13). At the cross,

Satan "bruised" Christ's heel; but because of His death and resurrection, Christ crushed Satan's

head and won a complete victory over him therefore we are more than conquers through him

who loved us and gave himself for the race

REFERENCES

Brown, Francis; S.R. Driver; and Charles A. Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old
Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1975.
Davidson, Benjamin. The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon. Grand Rapids: Zondervan
Publishing House, (1870) 1970.
Franzmann, Werner H. Bible History Commentary--Old Testament. Milwaukee: Board for Parish
Education,
John Skinner, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Genesis, ICC (Edinburgh: T. & T.Clark,
1951), 79-81, esp. p. 80
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, 1980.
Holladay, William L. (ed.). A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament.
Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971.
Harris, R. Laird (ed.). Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press,

1980.

Leupold, H. C. Exposition of Genesis. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1942