Introduction
Right after the first sin in Eden, God announced not only judgment, but hope. In Genesis 3:15, He said to the serpent:
“I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
This one verse is the foundation of the spiritual battle that has run through all of history — from the garden to the cross to the final victory. It is also the first announcement of the Gospel.
The Meaning of “Seed” in the Bible
The Hebrew word zera means:
- Physical descendants – children and generations.
- Spiritual descendants – those who carry the same nature, spirit, and allegiance.
Thy Seed — The Serpent’s Offspring
“Thy seed” is not literal children of Satan. Scripture is clear: Satan is an angel (Ezekiel 28:14; Revelation 12:9), and angels do not marry or reproduce (Matthew 22:30). The seed of the serpent refers to those — both human and demonic — who take on his character: lying, rebelling, and resisting God’s will.
Jesus said in John 8:44:
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth…”
From Cain killing Abel (Genesis 4:8) to the religious leaders rejecting Christ, the serpent’s seed has always fought against the righteous. It’s like a poisonous vine that keeps spreading in the field, wrapping itself around every healthy plant it can find, trying to choke the life out of it.
Her Seed — Eve’s Offspring
The “her” in Genesis 3:15 is Eve, not Mary. The promise was that from the line of Eve, one day the Redeemer would come — not through man’s seed, but by God’s miraculous power.
Some claim “her seed” means Jesus inherited sinful flesh from Mary. This is wrong for several reasons:
The prophecy is about the lineage starting from Eve — Mary is simply the vessel chosen for the virgin birth.
Luke 1:35 says the child conceived in Mary was by the Holy Ghost, and was called “holy” from the womb.
Hebrews 7:26 describes Jesus as “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.”
“Seed” here refers to promised offspring, not the transmission of sin.
Pharaoh’s war against Israel in Exodus is a picture of the serpent’s hatred for the woman’s seed — a constant effort to keep God’s people in bondage. Yet just as God delivered Israel with a mighty hand, Christ delivers His people from Satan’s power.
The Heel and the Head
The serpent would bruise the heel — a wound that hurts but doesn’t kill. This points to Christ’s suffering on the cross.
The woman’s seed would crush the serpent’s head — a mortal, final blow — fulfilled in Christ’s death, resurrection, and ultimate victory (Colossians 2:15).
David’s defeat of Goliath mirrors this — one strike to the head ended the enemy’s reign of terror. The serpent’s reign ends when the promised seed strikes.
The Ongoing War
The war between the two seeds continues: temptation, persecution, and deception are the serpent’s weapons. But Christ’s followers — as part of the woman’s seed — overcome by faith, obedience, and the Word of God.
In the wilderness temptation (Matthew 4:1–11), Satan tried to bruise the heel of the promised seed with lies, but Jesus crushed his attacks with the truth of Scripture. That same victory is now available to us.
Conclusion
Genesis 3:15 is the first announcement of the Gospel — a promise that from Eve’s line would come One who would destroy the serpent’s power. “Thy seed” is not literal children of Satan, because angels cannot reproduce. It refers to those who bear his rebellious nature. “Her seed” is not Mary in a fleshly sense, but the promised Redeemer through Eve’s lineage, born by the Spirit’s power. This war still rages, but the final victory belongs to Jesus Christ and all who are in Him.