Courts of Heaven
The snake was never questioned
God questions the man. God questions the woman. The serpent is sentenced without a word of interrogation. What does that tell us about the scene?
February 2, 2026 · 6 min read
The judgment scene in Genesis 3 follows a recognisable legal shape. The accused are called. Questions are put. Answers are given, and each one deflects. Then sentences are handed down.
Except for one participant. The serpent is never asked anything. It is sentenced directly.
In courtroom terms this is striking. Interrogation in the scene serves a purpose: it gives the human parties the opportunity to speak, and their speech condemns them out of their own mouths. The serpent is given no such opportunity.
Readers have drawn different conclusions. One is that the serpent's guilt was not in question, and interrogation exists to establish what is genuinely uncertain. Another is that the scene distinguishes between those who are being formed and those who are being removed — questions are part of formation.
For anyone carrying accusation they cannot put down, this distinction matters enormously. Being questioned is not the same as being condemned. In the Eden courtroom, being questioned was the mark of those God was still speaking to.