Did The Serpent Originally Have Legs?

Did The Serpent Originally Have Legs?

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, January 7, 2026 (Donate)

Perhaps one of the most-asked and most debated topics is the serpent’s original appearance.  The model of the serpent at the Creation Museum exhibit just outside of Cincinnati, OH is pictured below to get people to consider and think about the serpent more deeply.

 

Serpent in the Garden of Eden exhibit at the Creation Museum; Photo by Bodie Hodge

Determining features of the serpent from the precious little information given in the Bible is a difficult task and there is considerable speculation in this area.  For example, what color and patterns were on the serpent’s exterior, what shape of eyes did the serpent have and so on…?

What Does The Bible Say?

Even the question of legs on the serpent is one with varying speculation. Consider the biblical text to see what it says of the serpent to share some of the rigors researchers go through (Genesis 3:1-5, NKJV formatted):

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman,

 “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

And the woman said to the serpent,

“We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; “but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

Then the serpent said to the woman,

“You will not surely die. “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

If we jump down we read more (Genesis 3:13-15, NKJV formatted):

And the LORD God said to the woman,

“What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

So the LORD God said to the serpent:   

“Because you have done this,

You are cursed more than all cattle,

And more than every beast of the field;   

On your belly you shall go,   

And you shall eat dust   

All the days of your life.

And I will put enmity   

Between you and the woman,  

And between your seed and her Seed;   

He shall bruise your head,   

And you shall bruise His heel.”         

When looking at Genesis 3:13-15, there is no direct indication that the serpent had legs, only that its curse would be “on your belly you shall go”. But in Genesis 3:1, we get a clue that the serpent was likely classified as a beast of the field, which is probably why beasts of the field were also mentioned in 3:14?[1] 

What makes this an issue is that it was a land animal and/or flying reptile in general, hence it moved one way or another—slithering or with appendages. If it slithered already, what was the point of the curse and why compare it to creatures which had legs in Genesis 3:14. 

Regardless if it was a beast of the field, the serpent was indeed a land animal of sorts and capable of locomotion in the Garden of Eden and in the field. Let’s evaluate forms of locomotion to see the possibilities.

Locomotion

Land animals are currently known to have three classes of locomotion[2]. They are:

1.  Legged (or some form of appendage)

2.  Slithering

3.  Rolling

Beasts of the field, and virtually all land animals, use some form of leg(s), from cattle as a quadruped to inch worms, which use two grabbing spots on their body to inch along.  Of course, snakes and legless lizards slither. 

The other means of locomotion is rolling. Few creatures today roll and of these creatures, all roll temporarily. The primary means is using gravity and balling up to roll down a hill like a web-toed salamander or a Namid wheeling spider. 

Precious few land animals have a self-powered rolling mechanism.  There are two that come to mind, Mother-Of-Pearl moth caterpillar stage and the Pangolins both use a leg(s) and/or tail with which to push.  Even these rolling creatures use some form of appendage or leg, so really there are only two types of locomotion found among animals today: slithering or legged.

Was there some other form of locomotion among creatures that are now extinct? This is a good question and without further research, there is no certain answer and even so there may not be much to go on. But lack of evidence is not evidence against. 

As for the possibility of wings, this can’t be entirely ruled out either. But if so, then the serpent was still with some form of locomotion other than slithering. The issue of whether or not the serpent had wings would come down to whether or not it was a beast of the field or a flying creature that was created on Day 5. Regardless, if it had wings, it had some form of appendage and physically changed forms. 

Hebrew and Greek

The Hebrew word for serpent is nachash and the Greek equivalent is ophis. It means snake, serpent, sly, cunning and image of a serpent. The late Dr. Henry Morris says of the Hebrew word:

There has been much speculation as to whether the serpent originally was able to stand upright (the Hebrew word nachash, some maintain, originally meant “shining, upright creature”).^[3]

Although, this may have been deduced from Genesis 3:14 regarding the serpent and it being forced to crawl on its belly. This doesn’t really help us ascertain if the serpent had legs or not.          

Commentaries

Several commentaries were checked to see what other scholars said about the serpent.  They are accumulated below. Of course, commentaries are not inspired like the Bible is but they can give us some insight. 

Commentaries: did the serpent have legs?

	Commentator(s)	Legs/ appendages?	Comment(s):
1	Henry Morris[4]	Yes	The body of the serpent, in addition, was altered even further by eliminating his ability to stand erect, eye-to-eye with man as it were. 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.
2	John Gill[5]	Yes (whether feet or flying)	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 {x} 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:
3	Matthew Henry[6]	Yes (perhaps feet and wings)	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
4	John Calvin[7]	No	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. 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. 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. 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.’
5	Adam Clarke[8]	Yes	upon thy belly shalt thou go—thou shalt no longer walk erect, but mark the ground equally with thy hands and feet;
6	Leupold[9]	Yes/No – open to both-not necessarily a complete transformation but leans toward few, if any changes	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). 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. It has been rightly, pointed out that several parallels are available. Man worked before the Fall and still works since. Now work is in a measure a punishment. It seems likely that the rainbow existed before the Flood; but since that time it is a pledge of God’s covenant.
7	Matthew Poole[10]	Yes	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. 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. 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,
8	John Trapp[11]	Yes	The serpent here is first cut shorter by the feet, and made to wriggle upon his belly;
9	Martin Luther[12]	Yes	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.
10	Allen P. Ross[13]	Yes	He says nothing about how the curse affected the serpent physically, though Ross indicates that the curse did change him physically in some way.
11	C.F. Keil and F. Delitzsch[14]	Yes	“the form and movements of the serpent were altered … though we cannot form any accurate idea of its original appearance.”
12	Flavius Josephus[15]	Yes	“had deprived him of the use of his feet.”
13	Gordon Wenham[16]	No	“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.
14	John Sailhamer[17]	No	This curse does not necessarily suggest that the snake had previously walked with feet and legs as the other land animals.”  But he doesn’t explain why he calls the serpent a “snake” or why he concludes this about the curse.

Most commentaries seem certain that it was referring to some form of erect creature and changes took place with the curse. John Calvin was the only one certain that the serpent remained with the same form. He said that the curse was more of a statement to “put the serpent back in its place”.

Leupold leaves open either position but leans against a full transformation leaving the serpent more in its original form. Wenham and Sailhamer more recently (1987 and 1990 respectively) both lean against the serpent changing forms but give no reasons why they believe this.  

The problem with leaving the serpent “as is” is that it reduces the curse to almost a meaningless status. If such a philosophy is to be held, then the parallel comments by the Lord to the woman and the man should also be statements to “put them back in their place”. This raises theological issues.

It would mean that the other effects of sin listed in Genesis 3, such as thorns and thistles, increased pain and sorrow for the woman, and mankind returning to dust, were merely statements to put mankind back in their place, not real changes. This seems highly illogical as it would have death before sin in humans, with man already returning to dust (recall Romans 5:12). 

Conclusion

The more logical answer coincides with the serpent originally having some form of legs or appendages and these were either lost or reduced (consider how many serpents crawl on their bellies and yet have legs e.g. crocodile). This seems to correlate with the plainest reading of the passage and the comparison of a curse (“on your belly you shall go”) as compared with cattle and other beasts of the field, which do have legs. 

 

Serpent model with appendages, but still crawls on its belly if you notice carefully; Photo by Bodie Hodge

Thorns and thistles were brought forth due to the curse (physical changes to vegetation); there were physical changes to the man and woman (increased sorrow in childbearing that has been passed along to subsequent generations, increased pain in work that has been passed along too).  

There is no reason to assume the serpent didn’t undergo physical changes as well – he was a prime culprit. These physical changes due to the curse helps explain certain Defense and Attack Structures (DAS) in animals and plants that currently dominate the world. 

□ 

Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.   

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.  

Originally at Answers in Genesis; Edited; Republished by permission. 

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[1] I personally lean toward the serpent being a beast of the field (not dogmatically) as I understand that it could simply be compared to them in the same way we can compare a bird to the beasts of the field. 

[2] This excludes motion by flying such as flying squirrels. Such locomotion is only temporary for land animals and they have other means of movement while on the land.

[3] The Genesis Record, Henry Morris, Baker Book House, 1976, Thirty-sixth Printing, Page 108

[4] The Genesis Record, Henry Morris, Baker Book House, 1976, Thirty-sixth Printing, Page 107-109

[5]  John Gill’s Exposition, John Gill, Adapted from Online Bible, Larry Pierce, Notes on Genesis 3:14

[6] Revised Matthew Henry Commentary, Adapted from Online Bible, Larry Pierce, Notes on Genesis 3:1 and 3:14

[7] Calvin’s Commentaries, John Calvin, Adapted from Online Bible, Larry Pierce, Notes on Genesis 3:14

[8] Adam Clarke’s Commentary, Adam Clarke, Adapted from Online Bible, Larry Pierce, Notes on Genesis 3:14

[9] Leupold’s notes, Leupold, Adapted from Online Bible, Larry Pierce, Notes on Genesis 3:14

[10] Matthew Poole’s Commentary, Matthew Poole, Adapted from Online Bible, Larry Pierce, Notes on Genesis 3:14

[11] John Trapp Commentary, John Trapp, Adapted from Online Bible, Larry Pierce, Notes on Genesis 3:14

[12] Luther’s Works Volume 1, Martin Luther, lectures on Genesis 3:14, Edited by Jaroslav Pelikan, Concordia Publishing House, 1958 in English, St Louis, MO, Page 186

[13] Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), p. 145.  

[14] C.F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. 1: The Pentateuch (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1989, original in 1875), translated by James Martin, p. 99.  

[15] Josephus, Antiquities, I:1,50 in The Works of Josephus, translated by William Whiston (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1987), p. 30.  

[16] Gordon Wenham, Genesis 1-15 (Dallas, TX: Word, 1987), pp. 78-79

[17] John Sailhamer, Genesis, in Frank E. Gaebelein, ed., The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 2 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990), p. 55

The Doctrine of the Curse

The Doctrine of the Curse

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, December 17, 2025 (Donate)

With over 50 movies with “curse” in the title, like the popular The Curse of the Black Pearl (Pirates of Caribbean movie series) our culture is inundated and fascinated by the concept of a curse. And sadly, our culture is also addicted to “curse” words too! They fill media, books, and film, many workplaces, and public events.

Where did the idea of “a curse” come from? Do people really know the extent of God’s curse? Let’s take a few moments to explore the doctrine of the curse and its ramifications.

The Doctrine Of The Curse In Scripture

The doctrine of the curse refers to God’s righteous and judicial response to man's sin, first introduced in Genesis 3 after Adam’s disobedience. When God completed creation, He declared it “very good” (Genesis 1:31). The world was originally free from “The Seven D’s”:

·       Death

·       Despair

·       Discomfort

·       Distress

·       Decay

·       Disease

·       Disorder

Adam and Eve lived in direct fellowship with God, creation functioned perfectly and harmoniously, and there was no moral or physical corruption. God upheld all things in a perfect state.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

This changed when Adam, acting as mankind’s federal head of the human race, rebelled against God’s clear command (Genesis 2:16–17; 3:6). As a result, God pronounced specific curses (collectively call the "curse". The serpent—which was party to Satan’s influence—was cursed above other animals (Genesis 3:14). The ground itself was cursed (Genesis 3:17–19)—which extended to all of creation according Romans 8.

As parallel to the curse, the woman (Eve) was given increased pain (from the new pain they were now already experiencing with their sin and shame) in childbirth and sorrows (e.g., relational conflict; Genesis 3:16). The man was condemned to painful toil, frustration, sweat, and both were to have eventual physical death by returning dust. Thus, death entered the world through sin (Romans 5:12).

The curse did not mean creation became evil in substance, but it became broken, frustrated, and subjected to decay. God now longer upheld everything in a perfect state, but the way He now upholds it gives us a taste of what life is like with His full blessing and perfection.

Scripture later explains that creation was “subjected to futility” and now groans under bondage to corruption (Romans 8:20–22). Thorns, thistles, disease, natural disasters, and predation are all consequences of this curse, not features of God’s original design.

The Curse And The Flood Of Noah’s Day

The Flood recorded in Genesis 6–9 is directly connected to the curse and humanity’s worsening sin. After the Fall, sin rapidly increased, culminating in a world described as filled with violence and corruption (Genesis 6:5, 11–12). The Flood was not a random global catastrophe but a world-covering judgment on those who had become unrepentant and ripe for judgment like twigs waiting to be thrown into a fire.

Image requested Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

The curse set the stage for the Flood by introducing death, corruption, and separation from God. Man’s hearts, already inclined toward sin since the Fall, became continually evil (Genesis 6:5). The Flood showed the curse’s effects in action against a sinful world. God used the Flood to judge wickedness. He also preserved life through Noah, a descendant of the tenth generation of Adam, by grace (Genesis 6:8).

After the Flood, God reaffirmed the curse was in effect. Though the world was cleansed of rampant violence, human sin remained. God said,  

And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. (Genesis 8:21, NKJV)

The curse was not removed by the Flood; rather, the Flood was a severe judgment within a cursed system. The Seven D’s continued afterward, confirming that the curse remained in effect.

Living In A Sin-Cursed And Broken World Today

Scripture reveals that we are still living under the effects of the curse. Though, Christ has done the work through His death, burial and resurrection to solve the issue from an eternal perspective, we endure until the end at Judgment Day.

Physical death remains (e.g., Hebrews 9:27). The earth continues to produce natural disasters, disease, famine, and environmental decay. Human relationships are marked by conflict, injustice, and violence. Even believers experience The Seven D’s (e.g., 2 Corinthians 4:16–18).

The curse affects all of creation, not just humanity. Animals suffer and die, ecosystems collapse, natural disasters wreak havoc and the natural world resists man’s dominion. Romans 8 teaches that creation itself longs for redemption, awaiting the new heavens and new earth that will accompany Christ’s return. This explains why the world does not function as God originally declared it in Genesis, even though He remains sovereign and good.

The Curse In Our Daily Lives

Because man is a fallen creature, the curse of sin in this world affects us body and spirit. We suffer and we die (thus, the need for a Savior in Jesus Christ). But it also affects our minds in our fallen nature. When we hear curse words, cuss words, bad words and the Lord’s name in vain, it reflects the sin nature of man’s heart.

Scripture teaches that man should keep his tongue tame because words flow from the heart and reveal one’s broken spiritual condition. Jesus said,

“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34, NKJV)

Speech is not morally neutral—there is no neutrality as one is either for Christ or against Him (e.g., Luke 11;23)! Speech often reflects whether the heart is governed by wisdom from God and His forgiveness or still in our sinful nature. Because man is made in the image of God, our words carry moral weight and are meant to honor God, edify others, and speak truth. Foul language goes against each of these like the stench of rotting flesh.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

Idle speech is bad because it is wasteful before God. Jesus warned,

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.” (Matthew 12:36, NKJV)

Idle words include careless, frivolous, deceptive, or harmful speech that serves no righteous purpose. Scripture consistently calls believers to speak with good intention, wisdom, and restraint (e.g., Proverbs 10:19).

Unrighteous cursing, including corrupt or profane language, is forbidden in the Bible because it contradicts God’s righteous holiness. Man, being fallen beings, don’t do it righteously and thus, it defiles us when we use foul cursing language. God says,

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29, NKJV)

Believers in Christ Jesus should have their speech be “with grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6), reflecting God’s character rather than the world’s sinful corruption due to sin and the curse. Profanity cheapens speech and reverence for God. It often is associate with the sinful heart of anger and unrighteousness. Onlookers also lose respect for those who speak in such ways—whether the speaker realizes it or not.

Cursing others is especially evil because it misuses the tongue (and thus our sinful souls) against those made in God’s image. James rebukes this inconsistency, saying,

But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. (James 3:8–10, NKJV)

Scripture commands blessing instead of cursing, even toward enemies (Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:14). Ultimately, taming the tongue is an act of submission to God and is the fruit of sanctification (growing in holiness). A controlled tongue shows spiritual maturity, humility, growing in holiness (i.e., sanctification), and obedience (James 3:2). God is glorified when speech reflects godly material.

The Removal Of The Curse

While the curse is real and ongoing, it is not permanent. Scripture points forward to its ultimate removal. The infinitely-powerful Christ bore the curse on the cross, becoming “a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13), addressing the spiritual root of the problem: sin and more specifically, the infinite punishment our sin deserved from the infinite Father.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge (ChatGPT)

The final chapters of the Bible, Revelation 21–22, God promises the reversal of the curse. In the new heaven and new earth, “there shall be no more curse” (Revelation 22:3). Death, pain, sorrow, and decay will be eliminated (Revelation 21:4).

There will be a “new heavens and a new earth”, exceeding the former glory or the original creation. We will have direct fellowship with Christ eternally.

Conclusion

Cursing, if done properly in pure righteousness, would be acceptable. But with man in our fallen and sinful state, we fail to live up to proper righteous cursing—thus, that remains the prerogative of God and His provision only.

The doctrine of God’s curse in Genesis 3 explains why a world created “very good” now experiences The Seven D’s: Death, Despair, Discomfort, Distress, Decay, Disease, and Disorder.

Due to Adam’s sin, the curse affected all of creation. The taste of the curse was swallowed at the divine judgment such as the Flood. It also continues to shape life today until the final judgment.

Yet God, in His perfect wisdom, also promises that the curse is temporary by the grace of God through Jesus Christ His Son. Through Christ work, God will fully undo the curse (Revelation 22:3) and restore a new creation to its intended eternal glory.

□

Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children. 

 

Why Is There Death And Suffering?

Why Is There Death And Suffering?

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, June 7, 2025 (Donate)

We live in a broken world—marred with suffering, death, broken relationships, disasters, wars, famines, and diseases. People often ask, “will it ever end?”, “how did the world get like this?”, “why did God make the world like this?”

Image from Presentation Library

These are great questions—did you know that the Bible answers these questions? Let’s start with the last question first and work backwards.

Why Did God Make The World Like This?

The answer to this is quite simple—He didn’t. It’s a common misconception that God made the world full of all this evil and terrible things like suffering and death. God did not make it that way.

Instead, a perfect God of life made a perfect world at creation. A world with no death in it. That is what we expect from a perfect God.

God miraculously created all things in 6 days and rested on the seventh. This is not too hard for an all-powerful God. Consider upon the completion of Creation Week that God declared all things “very Good”.

·       Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:31, NKJV

Because God is perfect, we expect His works to be perfect—including the work of creation. Consider:

·       He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He. Deuteronomy 32:4, NKJV

·       Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow. James 1:17, NKJV

God didn’t make the world full of brokenness, pain, and sorrow. That now brings us to the next question.

How Did The World Get Like This?

Our perfect creation was short lived. In only the 3^rd chapter in the Bible, we read of the historical account that devasted everything. Our mutual ancestors rebelled against God and committed high treason against the God who create them.

Adam and Eve sinned against God defying His command not to eat from a particular tree. They elevated their own thoughts and actions to supersede what an all-powerful, just, and truthful God had commanded them. Instead of being holy and happy, they were now thrust into a world of sin (i.e., rebellion against God in thought, word, or deed) and misery.

God, being perfectly just, had to punishment mankind for their sin—the punishment for sin was death (consider Genesis 2:17 and 3:19).  Furthermore, the entire dominion of man had now fallen with a curse—animals and the ground itself!

Because of man’s sin, death and suffering now exists. It is the due punishment for our sin against God.

Now you might be thinking—why am I being punished for something Adam and Eve did? Get ready to have your mind blown—you and I were a part of that rebellion (Romans 5:12 and Hebrews 7:9-10) and we continue to sin in our own right (Romans 3:23). Adam lived 930 years and has one sin on record. You and I have more sins in one day that we can count!

We all deserve death for our sin (culminating in an eternal death where the wrath of God is on us. God is a God of life and death is like a parasite on good and life itself. God originally created the world "very good" (Genesis 1:31), meaning there was no death, disease, or suffering. For instance, man and animals were originally vegetarian (Genesis 1:29–30), and there was no predation, pain, suffering, violence, diseases, wars, or tornadoes and hurricanes.

The world changed due to sin and we are given a taste of what life is like without God and His blessings.

The Origin Of Death And Suffering

Death, and the associated anguish and pain and suffering, entered the world through the sin of Adam and Eve. When they disobeyed God by eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17; 3:6), they brought a curse upon all creation. This event, known as the Fall or the Curse or the Corruption, introduced death, suffering, disease, and decay into the world (Romans 5:12; Romans 8:20–22). From that point forward, all of creation was subjected to corruption because God is no longer sustaining it in a perfect state.

Take note that this view directly contradicts the false religious idea that millions of years of animal death and suffering existed before man. Accepting long ages (as in atheistic evolution or old-earth-syncretized-with-Christianity models) undermines the Gospel, because it puts death before sin. Death before sin is a huge theological problem for any old earth worldview that tries to mix the secular religious story of origins with the Bible.

If death came before sin, then death cannot be the penalty for sin but part of God’s “very good” and “perfect” creation, which undermines the whole reason Christ came to die! Christ died to take the infinite and eternal punishment for our sin—because Christ, who is the infinite and eternal God, was the one in a position to take the these eternal and infinite consequence for our sinful treason!

Human And Animal Death (e.g., Genesis 1:29-30)

Human death is both physical and spiritual. Adam’s sin brought physical death (the body returning to dust) and spiritual death (separation from God—unless we are saved will be an eternal separation with the wrath of God abiding on sinners in hell forever).

All people inherit a sin nature from Adam (called original sin) and are under the same sentence of death for our individual sins (Romans 5:12–19). Animal death and suffering are also a consequence of the Fall, though animals are not moral beings like man (e.g., they were cursed for their involvement in sin through the serpent and Satan’s use of it in Genesis 3). God’s original creation was free of carnivory, predation, and diseases; these came only after the Fall—with the majority of the fossil record being a testimony to the Flood. This now brings us to the first question!

Will It Ever End? Yes—The Solution Is To Receive Jesus Christ

Jesus the Christ or Messiah is the only solution to death and suffering (John 3:16-18, 14:6; Acts 4:12, Roman 10:6). Jesus, the infinite Son of God, came into the world to take the punishment we deserve brought by Adam’s sin.

By living a sinless life and dying on the cross, Jesus took the penalty for sin upon Himself (Isaiah 53:5–6; 1 Peter 2:24). His resurrection demonstrated victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:21–22, 26).

Through repentance (truly being sorry for your sin) and faith in Jesus Christ—who He is, His death, burial and resurrection—one can receive eternal life, spiritual restoration, and the promise of a future where suffering, tears, death, famines, wars, and pain will be no more. Revelation 21:4 describes the new creation as a place where God will “wipe away every tear,” and “there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.”

Again, God will make things new (a new heaven and a new earth) and perfect for an eternity of good and amazing things to which we can’t even comprehend on this side of heaven. God will one day restore creation to its original perfection (called Consummation).

This includes the removal of the curse and the reestablishment of a death-free, suffering-free world for those who are in Christ. The current suffering is temporary and will be replaced by eternal joy in God’s presence (Romans 8:18; Revelation 22:3).

Take hope in that. Those in Christ have passed from death to life (John 5:24; 1 John 3:14) and look forward to an eternity with loving and infinite God.