Genesis 3:14 | Pastor Burns' Study Notes
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: — Genesis 3:14
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Now God pronounces judgment.
The serpent is cursed above all cattle and beasts of the field. Where it once stood in some form, now it would go upon its belly.
The serpent would become a despised and repulsive creature. The phrase about eating dust also speaks of humiliation.
Snakes do, in a literal sense, interact with dust through their tongues. A snake has an organ in the roof of its mouth called Jacobson’s organ, which helps it smell. Its forked tongue samples particles from the ground and brings them back to those sensory organs.
But beyond the physical picture, “dust shalt thou eat” speaks of humiliation and defeat. Psalm 72:9 says, “They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.”
It is important to notice that God cursed the serpent, but He did not curse Adam and Eve directly. Adam and Eve received consequences for their sin, but they did not become repulsive to God. Even in judgment, God was moving toward redemption.