our passage does not imply that Eve is naturally more prone to deception but rather makes clear that deception is the work of Satan. Genesis 3 highlights the serpent’s role since it describes the serpent as “more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made” (Gen. 3:1 NIV). Bar-Efrat notes that direct characterization is rare in biblical narrative, and when it does occur, “the trait noted by the narrator is always extremely important in the development of the plot.”60 Thus the story emphasizes the serpent’s craftiness as the explanation for Eve’s deception. There is no
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