Frank E. Gaebelein (1990). The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Volume 2) Michigan; Zondervan Publishing House
The tempter
3:1
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
The author has chosen to reveal a detail about the snake: he was more “crafty” than any of the creatures. Crafty is not primarily a negative term in the Bible but suggests wisdom and adroitness.
The decription of the Serpent as “crafty” is in keeping with the fact that the aurthor wanted to draw a relationship between the Fall and man’s quest for wisdom.
He wanted more, he wanted to be like God.
The serpent is said to be one of the “wild animals” that the Lord God had made. The purpose of this statement is to exclude the notion that the serpent was a supernatural being. “The serpent is none other than a serpent”
The temptation
3:2-7
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
The snake speaks only twice, but that is enough to offset the balance of trust and obedience between that man and the woman and their Creator.
The knowledge of the “good and evil”; this implies that God is keeping this...