King James Bible
"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"
The serpent is introduced as exceptionally crafty among God's creatures, with 'subtil' (subtle/cunning) suggesting deceptive intelligence rather than wisdom. This characterization immediately signals danger while affirming that even this antagonist exists within God's created order, not as an equal opposing force. The serpent strategically approaches Eve rather than Adam, initiating the first recorded conversation between humanity and evil. This direct address marks the beginning of temptation's pattern: isolation and targeted communication designed to undermine divine instruction. The serpent's opening question deliberately distorts God's generous provision (permission to eat from every tree except one) into a restrictive prohibition. This subtle misrepresentation plants seeds of doubt about God's character and goodness, demonstrating how deception often begins with twisted half-truths rather than outright lies.