The Serpent (נָחָשׁ – Nachash) in Old Hebrew Thought
In the Old Hebrew timeline before 1 BC, without Greek influence.

The Serpent in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3)
Here’s what the Hebrew words say, based on their usage in the Torah:

  1. Nachash (נָחָשׁ) - This is the Serpent. In Genesis 3:1, it’s "the nachash," a noun meaning "snake" or "serpent." In the Hebrew Bible, it’s a straightforward term for a reptile—see Exodus 4:3, where Moses’ staff turns into a nachash, or Numbers 21:6, where God sends nachashim (snakes) to bite the Israelites. No hint of a spirit or title here; it’s a creature.
  2. Arum (עָרוּם) - Genesis 3:1 says the nachash was "more arum than any beast of the field." This adjective means "cunning," "crafty," or "shrewd." It’s not inherently evil—Proverbs 1:4 uses it positively for "prudence"—but in Genesis 3, it frames the Serpent as clever, outsmarting the humans. The Torah doesn’t say good or bad, just that it’s smart.
  3. Arar (אָרַר) - In Genesis 3:14, God says, "Cursed are you," using the verb arar. It means "to curse" or "bind with a curse." In the Torah, it’s heavy—God curses the ground in 3:17 and Cain in 4:11. For the Serpent, it’s a direct punishment: lower status, belly-crawling, dust-eating.
  4. Gachon (גָּחוֹן) - Genesis 3:14 says, "On your gachon you shall go." This noun means "belly" or "underside." It’s rare in the Torah (only here), but it’s literal: the Serpent’s movement is humbled, tied to the ground.
  5. Aphar (עָפָר) - Also in 3:14, "Dust you shall eat." Aphar is "dust" or "dry earth," like in Genesis 2:7 where man is formed from aphar. For the Serpent, it’s a diet of dirt, a downgrade for life.
  6. Ey bah (אֵיבָה) - Genesis 3:15 says, "I will put eybah between you and the woman." This noun means "enmity" or "hostility." In the Torah, it’s conflict—see Numbers 35:21-22 for personal enmity. Here, it’s a lasting feud between the Serpent and humanity.
  7. Zera (זֶרַע) - In 3:15, "between your zera and her zera." This means "seed" or "offspring," used for descendants (like Genesis 9:9) or literal seed (Genesis 1:11). It’s physical, not spiritual—snake babies versus human babies.
  8. Shuph (שׁוּף) - Genesis 3:15 says, "He shall shuph your head, and you shall shuph his heel." This verb is tricky; it’s rare and means "bruise," "crush," or "strike." In the Torah, it’s only here, so the exact shade (bruise vs. crush) isn’t clear, but it’s mutual harm—head for the Serpent, heel for the human.
  9. That’s the Hebrew straight from Genesis 3. The nachash is a snake, cunning (arum), cursed (arar) to crawl on its belly (gachon) and eat dust (aphar). There’s enmity (eybah) between its offspring (zera) and the woman’s, with striking (shuph) on both sides. No "Satan," no "evil spirit"—just a crafty animal, punished, and set against humans. The Torah keeps it concrete.