Lesson 280: Genesis 3:15
Genesis 3:15
The Blueprint — The Verse
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.
Memorization Practice
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Scripture quotations marked NIV are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Context — The History
After Adam and Eve disobeyed in Eden, God addressed the serpent in the hearing of the first humans. Ancient readers would have recognized this as a judicial pronouncement within a covenant story, not a myth detached from history. The promise of a coming victor became a thread running through Israel's hope.
The Narrative — The Lead-Up
The fall brought shame, blame, and curse upon creation. God first confronts the serpent, then announces consequences for the woman and the man. Embedded in judgment is the first gospel hint: hostility between the serpent's offspring and the woman's offspring, culminating in a decisive blow to evil.
The Echo — Follow-on Verses
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Genesis 3:14
14So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,“Cursed are you above all livestockand all wild animals!You will crawl on your bellyand you will eat dustall the days of your life.
Read the verse immediately before this lesson (Genesis 3:14) to hear the lead-in to the passage.
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Genesis 3:16
16To the woman he said,“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;with painful labor you will give birth to children.Your desire will be for your husband,and he will rule over you.”
Read the verse immediately after this lesson (Genesis 3:16) to continue the passage.
Discussion
- How does this verse point beyond Adam and Eve to future redemption?
- What does enmity with evil look like in a believer's daily life?
- Why would God announce hope immediately after humanity's first rebellion?