Some have described the Bible as a love letter from our Heavenly Father to humanity — His children. The verse that came to mind several times for my next blog was Genesis 3:15, which aligns nicely with this idea.
Even when I read this verse as a preteen, I saw this passage as the earliest preview of Biblical redemption. Later, as an adult, I studied the various covenants that preceded Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross which reinforced the assumption from my younger years.
Contained in this verse is a powerful message, though it’s one that is sometimes lost in translation.
Biblical translations
I’m working on a book called Understanding Faith. As of this writing, it’s a little over 10% completed. In one of the sections, I talk a lot about the importance of accurate Biblical translation.
Taking a cue from that, I want to highlight how a translation can, in an attempt to be modern, miss the point entirely. The Common English Bible renders the “He” and “His” to “they” and “their.”
Beyond a change in pronouns, this also completely changes the meaning behind the verse. Here it is in my preferred version, the New Living Translation:
And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.
Beyond the pronoun change, the other detail that jumped out at me when comparing different translations was the action. The NLT used the word “strike” whereas the NIV used “crush” and then “strike”, respectively. The KJV and ESV used “bruise” for both actions while The Message used “wound.”
All of these indicate some kind of struggle, along with a resulting injury.
The fall from grace
At the heart of this verse is redemption. That’s why the CEB version of this verse sticks out to me as theologically lacking. This translation downplays the spiritual implications of redemption and Satan’s defeat, instead reading more like a physical battle.
I hate snakes. You could say I get that from Indiana Jones, though I can assure you he and I are not related. Nevertheless, the image of a snake sends chills down my spine, and I rarely enjoy the reptile section at the zoo.
Physically, mankind is superior to a snake; Genesis 1:26 confirms this (among other creatures as well). That’s the approach the CEB version takes with this verse: our carnal superiority over animals.
Instead, this verse paints a picture of a future spiritual battle. When reading the KJV or NIV, have you ever wondered what “enmity” meant? It’s rendered literally in the NLT: hostility. More curiously, the same word (‘êḇâ, Strongs H340) also means hatred (see Ezekiel 25:15 & 32:5). It’s a strong choice of verbiage that shows the divide between good and evil.
Simply put, Satan will do whatever he can to disrupt God’s plan. The Fall from Eden story is the primary example of it.
However…
Despite his best efforts, he’s not going to win. I always found it interesting that Revelation 13:3 references a fatal head wound, a bookend compared to this verse where Jesus is prophesied to one day crush Satan’s head.
Satan’s defeat
Have you ever had a blister on your heel? Or, perhaps you scraped it on something. In college, I bought a new pair of dress shoes and then proceeded to walk across campus in this set of stiff, “look good but are insanely uncomfortable” footwear. I came home with a blister on my heel and am pretty sure I never wore those shoes again.
I don’t have any lasting ramifications from that day. The memory is there; I even mentioned it to my wife a few weeks ago. Though physically, I’d be hard-pressed to identify the scar on my heel.
Jesus still has the scars from His crucifixion. So there, my analogy breaks down to a small extent. However, my primary point remains.
Satan’s attempts to hurt Jesus are but a fraction of the pain he’s going to endure. Whether there is a connection with Revelation 13:3 is something I’ll leave to theologians smarter than me.
The important point for today is that no matter what Satan tries to do, it’s but a temporary setback. The victory is still coming.
How it applies to us
There’s a two-fold principle to walk away with from all of this. The first is simple: Jesus won the war for us. His sacrifice redeemed us, no matter how much Satan tried to win.
The second is less obvious: Jesus won the battle for us too. Satan will try many ways to “bruise our heels” and, at times, it might hurt as badly as that blister I mentioned.
Just remember the pain is temporary and, when we put our faith in Jesus, He’ll see us through to the other side.