And the LORD God said unto the serpent,
Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life:
All Commentaries on Genesis 3:14 Go To Genesis 3
Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
The serpent is a type of the pleasures of the body. The woman stands for our senses and the man for our minds. Pleasure stirs the senses, which in turn have their effect on the mind. Pleasure, therefore, is the primary source of sin. For this reason, do not wonder at the fact that by God’s judgment the serpent was first condemned, then the woman and finally the man. The order of condemnation, too, corresponded to that of the crimes committed, for pleasure usually captivates the senses, and the senses captivate the mind. To convince you that the serpent is the type of pleasure, take note of his condemnation. “On your breast and on your belly shall you crawl,” we read. Only those who live for the pleasures of the stomach can be said to walk on their bellies, “whose god is their belly and their glory is their shame,” who eat of what is earthy and who, weighed down with food, are bent over toward what is of earth. The serpent is well called the symbol of pleasure in that, intent on food, he seems to feed on the earth: “On your breast and on your belly shall you crawl, dust shall you eat all the days of your life.”
