The Literal Meaning of Genesis (continued)
another spirit—that of the Devil—dwelling in it. For, however great was the fall of the sinful angels from their heavenly home when they were cast out because of their rebellion and pride, they are nevertheless by nature superior to all the beasts because of the excellence of reason in them. If the Devil, therefore, entered the serpent and possessed it, communicating his spirit to it in the manner in which the prophets of demons are usually possessed, it would be no wonder if he made it wiser than all beasts, which have a living but irrational soul.
But it is really a misuse of words to speak of wisdom (saptentia) in an evil creature, and of cunning (astutia) in a good one. In the proper sense and in ordinary usage, at least in Latin, men are called wise (sapientes) in a good sense, whereas cunning men (astuti) are understood to have evil in their hearts. Hence, some translators, as we can see in a large number of manuscripts, have translated the idea rather than the word into Latin, and thus have chosen to call this serpent more cunning (astutiorem) than all the beasts rather than wiser (sapientiorem) than all. I leave it to experts in Hebrew to say what the proper meaning of the word is in that language and whether in that language men may be called wise and be understood to be wise in a bad sense not by a misuse, but by the proper use, of the word.'® We can clearly read in another passage of Sacred Scripture about men who are wise in evil and not in good.!! And our Lord says that the children of the world are wiser than the children of light'? in providing for their own future—by means, however, that are fraudulent, not just.
CHAPTER 3
For some reason, hidden from us, God allowed the Devil to use the serpent.
5. We certainly must not imagine that the Devil independently chose the serpent to use it in tempting our first parents and persuading them to sin. In him, it is true, there was a desire to deceive rooted in his evil and envious will; but he could not have