Genesis 3:15 Meaning of I Will Put Enmity Between You and the Woman

Genesis 3:15
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Explanation and Commentary of Genesis 3:15

Here is the very first prophecy of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whether the man and woman understood, they had just heard in God’s curse on the snake the plan to restore what had been lost by their betrayal and rebellion against their creator.

Satan had been given dominion over the earth by the disobedience of Adam. The kingdom of darkness rules and is the way of the world, ruled by its wicked king. But God, who is rich in mercy (Eph 2:4) would only allow this as long as was proper according to his mysterious plan. The serpent would indeed strike the heel of the offspring of the woman, but in so doing he would have his head crushed (Col 2:15).

God’s restoration of the world after the failure of the first Adam was manifested in the success of the last Adam. Anyone who believes and puts their faith in Christ to save them will experience a taste of the coming restoration in this life and eternal bliss in the fullness of restoration in the next.

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Genesis 3:15

#1 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman,”
Our enemy, the devil prowls around looking to see who he can destroy (1 Pt 5:8). He hates humankind and, while beaten at the cross, has but a little time left to wage war on God’s children. Since the life and death of Christ, the only power left to him is through lies and deceit.

#2 “and between your offspring…”
In the contemporary sense of the statement, God was simply stating that snakes and humans would always be at odds. It does appear that the ordinary human mind has a natural repulsion to snakes. But ultimately God means that until the end of the age, Satan and his demons will be enemies with men and women of every generation until he is ultimately vanquished (Rev 20:10).

#3 “…and hers. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Here is the prophecy of the Messiah, the offspring of the woman and the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45-49). His heel will be struck in his temporary death on the cross. Satan indeed dealt a blow that he believed would be his victory. But Christ’s death was a powerful blow that crushed satan’s head. Since Satan had no right to the life of Christ, Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice to end all sacrifices and to break the power of the enemy.

Bible Study on Genesis 3:15

Expert Overview of Genesis Ch. 1-11

Biblical Translations of Genesis 3:15

NIV
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

NLT
“And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

ESV
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

KJV
“And 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.”

NKJV
“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.”