The Serpent

Genesis 3:1-7 CSB.

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’” “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman. “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made

Why was the serpent regarded as the most cunning animal in the Bible Book of Genesis?

Cunning is just a translation, “cautious” is he better rendering. The serpent was cautious in that serpents tended to keep their distance from other creatures. This may mean that it was possible that Eve had never encountered a serpent before. She may not have known that a serpent could not speak to her.
Remember that Eve was created after Adam and Satan may have tried to lead her into rebellion against God while she as relatively inexperienced.

The Hebrew word here has several meanings. It can mean sly, cunning, cautious or careful.

Many bibles render this as “cautious” meaning shy and withdrawing, avoiding any contact with man which would have been somewhat unusual in the Garden as all animals were in subjection to Adam and Eve.

This is most likely why Satan chose a serpent as it would have made Eve extremely curious why this “snake” was so friendly and outgoing.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from every tree of the garden’?” Genesis 3:1.

Let’s make something very clear: those who think this is merely a talking snake, and use it as an excuse to ridicule the Bible, have not read the Bible! Revelation 12:9 identifies this “talking serpent” as “the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world.” So, this was actually the devil using the snake as his instrument to deceive Eve. Today, the same devil uses other instruments—namely, people—to “deceive the whole world.” Paul described some of these instruments of Satan in Corinth as “false apostles, deceitful workers” (2 Corinthians 11:13–15).

The devil works especially through people who open up their minds to him by their pride, arrogance, and generally resistant attitude towards God. So, in their minds, the devil not only plants false ideologies, but even makes them think they came up with such ideas on their own…and because they are so intellectual!

Actually, the devil’s deceiving Eve has played out over and over with many “Eve’s” over the past 2,000 years—every time someone turns up their nose at the gospel: “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:3,4.

Satan is referenced as being a serpent in the Book of Revelation. Satan had either appeared as a serpent or he possessed the serpent, because serpents don't talk. It was because of Satan's influence that the serpent was the most cunning.

The serpent Is Satan the Devil. Snakes can’t talk. Satan was disguising himself. In 1 John 5:19 says ““and we know we are of God, and the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” In Revelation 12:9 says ““And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent , called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Because of Satan, the whole world is in total chaos.

Maybe the proper translation should be being and not animal. See Revelations 20: 2, and he laid hold of the dragon , the serpent of old, who is the devil and satan, and bound him a thousand years;

The serpent is just another one of many names used for satan in the bible.