zoology
Genesis 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all CATTLE, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life
10 points to whoever understands why the serpent is classified as "cattle"
Am I along the right track?
That is interesting... if God was comparing the serpent to domesticated livestock... is this a way of putting the serpent down, in a sense? Like lowering him?
I read left and right about this subject, pro-KJB and con-KJB, but what got me was the doctrines which the KJB reveals. God doesn't and never expected his children to go study ancient languages in order to get insight into his words. The method is scripture with scripture, not scripture with lexicon ;)
I think Satan is a reptilian or serpentine angel.
I am not so sure that this verse is classifying serpents as cattle. It is simply making a comparison with other animals, the use of cattle here denoting those used in agriculture.
This is just a way of saying 'Thou art cursed above other animals' I think.
Every Blessing in Christ
Matthew
This is just a wild guess.
Because the serpet WAS a cattle. It didn't always crawl on its belly. That came about as a curse upon the serpent. We don't know what the serpent looked like before the curse.
This is making me anxious, I can hardly wait to learn the answer. I love this sort of stuff.
Now I'm even more anxious and almost at the point of biting my nails!
Gen 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
-and-
Gen 1:25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
(there are a few other verses as such in Genesis)
So there were "creeping things" even before the curse. We know that the serpent NOW is a creeping thing, a reptile, crawling on its belly. So for God to say "thou art cursed above all CATTLE", it must have BEEN a cattle and NOT a creeping thing.
Does this make sense. I MUST KNOW!! Plus you mentioned something about the KJV which really makes me excited!
Rev, you don't have to persuade me that the KJV is the Word of God. Though I am not dogmatic about it, the KJV (or NKJV) is certainly my preference.
I know I don't have to use a lexicon or study ancient Hebrew to get insight into God's word, but since I love linguistics so much, I feel it gives me a better grasp if I can go back to the original language. That's just me.
All, right... let me think...
Whatever the Creature was when Satan tempted Eve did not start as a snake (as we know it), but became a snake... so... but I'm still not sure why the term "cattle."
Ever since Gen. 3, Satan is represented by some sort of serpentine animal (Job 26:13, Isa 51:9, Rev 12:9), but why cattle in Gen 3?
Oi... I shall have to wrack my brain some more tommorrow morning. Am I getting anywhere with my suppositions?
It is not that serpentS are being classified as cattle.
(by the way, one couldn't demonstrate that Satan was an angel)
Redeemed, I had the same thought.
It might connect to Matthew's initial guess somehow.
Carey, fair enough, we'll postpone that point lol.
I love linguistics also, am taking my second module this semester. Chomsky is giving a lecture today and tomorrow, in Lebanon.
Not that I'm going, some guy has insight into language and he figures he's a master politican.
There's also a huge parties' manifestation today and people are nervous. Shaping up to be some day.
Anyway am digressing. Must run off to uni. Will post later.
God bless you all.
"There's also a huge parties' manifestation today and people are nervous. Shaping up to be some day."
Let us know how the day goes.
Rev. will pray for you...by the way, 5 weeks now! yippie yay!
To think that Redeemed will be visitng under conditions like this is a bit worrisome.
Okay...when it says you are cursed ABOVE every cattle....it does not mean the cattle are cursed in any way and the serpent just gets it worse. It means that now the serpent is set apart unlike the other beasts of the earth. It is a method of differentiation. What does cattle mean? A domestic animal? No....in this society that might be true. But then what about all the other words in the Bible, such as ass? That no longer has the same meaning. Then it can be said that the serpent is not classified as cattle as you would suppose. It is classified as a beast of the earth. Why analyze the Bible beyond its simple truth? We must not become like the ancient Jews, that took the old testament and added layer upon layer of interpretation and questioning until they could never see the real truth when Christ came.....
Secondly, someone made a post about the King James Version. I personally use that version. But it is not Biblically based or justified that this Bible is the only Word of God. There is only one Word of God. THat is Christ. He has given us His words. If you want to be techinical, go read Greek and Hebrew. That is the only way for you to understand the Bible truly.(upon those premises.) What about the other countries, where there is a translation directly from Greek. Are they worse off CHristians? Do they have a worse type of Bible? What talk is this? You are like the Corinthians saying I am of Apollos, or I am of Paul.....is it different (the word)? ONe came out of the mouth of Paul and one out of the mouth of Apollos. One is coming out of King James Version and one is coming out of the other.....It is not the thee's and the thou's that decree the Bible's worth....but the fact that it is the LIVING WORD OF GOD.
If you still believe that this is the only true word of God, do some research about King James himself. He was Anglican. He sympathized with the Catholic church, giving them payments, money, and support and even trying to become one! He divorced and committed acts that were completely unChristian. And the Bible that was dedicated to him and decreed to be translated under his watch.....Can you then say that this is the only true Word of God? How can somehting be blessed if it is not under the jurisdiction of one who is under Christ?.....See....by your ways of thinking, we are stuck. But when you realize that it is all of God and what the Word truly is, then....
I am not saying that such versions as the LIving Word and all that are good. These change and add to the bible. That is agianst such teaching. But the difference between the English Standard, or American Standard, or the King James Version should not be a subject of discussion between the faiths, levels of understanding, or wisdom of believers.
joe
We know that all creation was cursed, including animals.
I didn't mean that post to become a King James debate. All the points you raised I've considered, and many besides. I understand your reaction. I've reacted the same way to that subject before.
God bless you
Oh, c'mon I dying to know the answer, please oh please post the answer. :) pretty please :)