“It is doubtful whether this implies that snakes once had legs to walk with like other animals.” But he doesn’t explain why he thinks it is doubtful.
“had deprived him of the use of his feet.” though we cannot form any accurate idea of its original appearance.” “the form and movements of the serpent were altered. He says nothing about how the curse affected the serpent physically, though Ross indicates that the curse did change him physically in some way. “From this some obvious conclusions follow: that before sin the serpent was a most beautiful little animal and most pleasing to man, as little mules, sheep and puppies today moreover, that it walked upright.” “The serpent here is first cut shorter by the feet, and made to wriggle upon his belly” And so the sense of the curse being applied to this particular serpent, and to its kind, may be this: Whereas thou hadst a privilege above other kinds of serpents, whereby thou didst go with erected breast, and didst feed upon the fruits of trees and other plants now thou shalt be brought down to the same mean and vile estate with them” But it seems more probable that this serpent before the fall either had feet, or rather did go with its breast erect, as the basilisk at this day doth God peradventure so ordering it as a testimony that some other serpents did once go so. “If the serpent did so before the fall, what then was natural, is now become painful and shameful to it, as nakedness and some other things were to man. It seems likely that the rainbow existed before the Flood but since that time it is a pledge of God’s covenant.” Man worked before the Fall and still works since.
It has been rightly pointed out that several parallels are available. Some speak quite boldly at this point about a former erect posture, as though, for example, the serpent had strutted about proudly as a cock. “The first element is, ‘upon thy belly thou shalt go.’ This does not necessarily mean that a complete transformation of the serpent took place, so that “form and movements of the serpent were altered” (Keil). Yes/No-open to both-not necessarily a complete transformation but leans toward few, if any changes “upon thy belly shalt thou go-thou shalt no longer walk erect, but mark the ground equally with thy hands and feet” Therefore, I now throw thee back again to the place whence thou hast attempted to emerge, that thou mayest learn to be contented with thy lot, and no more exalt thyself, to man’s reproach and injury.’” For thus he, who had exalted himself against the image of God, was to be thrust back into his proper rank as if it had been said, ‘Thou, a wretched and filthy animal, hast dared to rise up against man, whom I appointed to the dominion of the whole world as if, truly, thou, who art fixed to the earth, hadst any right to penetrate into heaven. There will, however, be no absurdity in supposing, that the serpent was again consigned to that former condition, to which he was already naturally subject. “This objection has induced certain men of learning and ability to say, that the serpent had been accustomed to walk with an erect body before it had been abused by Satan. “He is to be for ever looked upon as a vile and despicable creature, and a proper object of scorn and contempt: ‘Upon thy belly thou shalt go, no longer upon feet, or half erect, but thou shalt crawl along, thy belly cleaving to the earth,’ an expression of a very abject miserable condition.” “Jarchi thinks it had feet before, but were cut off on this account, and so became a reptile, as some serpents now have feet like geese, as Pliny relates or it might go in a more erect posture on its hinder feet, as the basilisk, which is one kind of serpent, now does and if it was a flying one, bright and shining in the air, now it should lose all its glory, and grovel in the dust, and with pain, or at least with difficulty, creep along on its breast and belly and this, as it respects the punishment of the devil, may signify, that he being cast down from the realms of bliss and glory, shall never be able to rise more, and regain his former place and dignity.”
“It is further possible that all these animals (other than the birds) were quadrupeds, except the serpent, who had the remarkable ability, with a strong vertebral skeleton supported by limbs, to rear and hold himself erect when talking with Adam and Eve.”
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