The Lord now comes with his punishment for those who played a role in the fall. He first announces the punishment for the serpent and the devil. Notice that the Lord punishes both the serpent and the devil who took advantage of the creature. It is also striking that the Lord does indeed speak to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:9–13) but that he only announces the punishment to the devil and the serpent.
The punishment for the serpent as an animal is that it is cursed among the animals. The cursing of the serpent by God will be seen throughout creation. For from the moment of God’s curse, the serpent will go on its belly and eat dust all the days of its life. This means that snakes did not crawl on their bellies back then. They moved around differently then—not slithering on the ground as they do after the fall. The serpent’s mouth will be surrounded by dust after God’s curse. It will look like it is eating dust. Someone whose head is deep in the dust is deeply humbled (see Psalm 72:9; Isaiah 49:23; Micah 7:17). The serpent exalted himself and now he is forever humbled in the animal kingdom. Snakes were among the animals that were unclean to Israel. The Lord even called them detestable (see Leviticus 11:42).
14 The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.