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The Definition and Meaning of the Serpent as
a Catholic Christian Symbol
Catholic Christian symbolism in art provides a clear graphic illustration which
represents people or items of religious significance. What is the definition and the meaning of the
Serpent? A serpent is a reptile of the order Ophidia; a
snake, especially a large snake. Serpents are mostly long
and slender, and move partly by bending the body into
undulations or folds and pressing them against objects, and
partly by using the free edges of their ventral scales to
cling to rough surfaces. Many species glide swiftly over the
ground, some burrow in the earth, others live in trees. A
few are entirely aquatic, and swim rapidly. The Serpent Christian Symbol represents
Satan, a deadly, subtle, malicious enemy.
Reference to the Serpent Christian Symbol in
the Bible
The Easton Bible Dictionary
provides the following definition, meaning and emblem for
the Serpent Christian Symbol in the Bible. More than forty
species are found in Syria and Arabia.
The poisonous character of the serpent
is alluded to in Jacob's blessing on Dan (Gen. 49:17; see
Prov. 30:18, 19; James 3:7; Jer. 8:17).
This word is used symbolically of a deadly, subtle,
malicious enemy (Luke 10:19).
The serpent is first mentioned in connection with the
history of the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3).
Gen. 3:1 Now the serpent was more
crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat
from any tree in the garden'?"
It has been well remarked regarding
this temptation: "A real serpent was the agent of the
temptation, as is plain from what is said of the natural
characteristic of the serpent in the first verse of the
chapter (3:1), and from the curse pronounced upon the animal
itself. But that Satan was the actual tempter, and that he
used the serpent merely as his instrument, is evident (1)
from the nature of the transaction; for although the serpent
may be the most subtle of all the beasts of the field, yet
he has not the high intellectual faculties which the tempter
here displayed.
In the New Testament it is both
directly asserted and in various forms assumed that Satan
seduced our first parents into sin (John 8:44; Rom. 16:20; 2
Cor. 11:3, 14; Rev. 12:9; 20:2)."
Christian Symbolism
The definition and the meaning of Symbols or Icon in early religious art forms. A Catholic sign or icon, such as the
Serpent Christian Symbol, is an object, character, figure, or color used to
represent abstract ideas or concepts - a picture that
represents an idea. A religious icon, such as the Serpent Christian Symbol, is
an image or symbolic representation with sacred
significance. The meanings, origins and ancient traditions
surrounding Christian symbols date back to early times when the
majority of ordinary people were not able to read or write
and printing was unknown. Many were 'borrowed' or drawn from early pre-Christian traditions.
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