The Seed of the Woman
by Shmuel Playfair
[edited for easier reading]
In Genesis we find God telling the serpent, "...I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed (offspring) and her seed (offspring). He will crush (pound) your head and you will strike (bite) his heel". [3:15] Many Christians claim that the promise regarding "the seed of the woman" crushing the head of the serpent is the first mention of the "virgin" birth. But actually, Eve is referred to here not as a "virgin" but rather as "the woman" (ha-eeshah) who was Adam's wife. His wife (woman) was not considered to be a virgin when any of her offspring were born.
These Christians go on to argue that their virgin born "Jesus" is the only one to ever crush Satan's head. Apparently, they missed what Paul writes to the saints, the beloved of God, in Rome: "For the report of your obedience has reached all people; therefore I rejoice over you; I want you to be wise to the good, but innocent of the evil. And the God of peace will soon crush Satan['s head] under your feet." [Romans 16:19-20] Obviously, *not* only the Messiah was expected to crush "the serpent's head". The promise was given that all of the offspring (zera = seed) of "the woman", Havah (who was not a virgin), would crush the adversary's head.
So also, in another Jewish source, the Aramaic translation of Genesis, we read: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between the offspring of your sons and the offspring of her sons; and it shall be that when the children of the woman observe the commandments of the Torah, they will direct themselves to smite you on the head and slay you; but when the sons of the woman forsake the commandments of the Torah and do not obey its injunctions, you will direct yourself to bite them on the heel and afflict them. However, there will be a remedy for the sons of the woman, but for you, serpent, there will be no remedy. They shall make peace with one another in the end, in the very end of days, in the days of King Messiah". IOW, the Targum explains that "the seed (i.e. offspring) of the woman" refers to all of the woman's righteous descendants who do the will of their Father in heaven by observing the commandments of the Torah. So God's promise regarding the righteous offspring (seed) of the woman (who is not a virgin) applies to all her righteous descendants and not to the Messiah alone.
by Shmuel Playfair
[edited for easier reading]
In Genesis we find God telling the serpent, "...I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed (offspring) and her seed (offspring). He will crush (pound) your head and you will strike (bite) his heel". [3:15] Many Christians claim that the promise regarding "the seed of the woman" crushing the head of the serpent is the first mention of the "virgin" birth. But actually, Eve is referred to here not as a "virgin" but rather as "the woman" (ha-eeshah) who was Adam's wife. His wife (woman) was not considered to be a virgin when any of her offspring were born.
These Christians go on to argue that their virgin born "Jesus" is the only one to ever crush Satan's head. Apparently, they missed what Paul writes to the saints, the beloved of God, in Rome: "For the report of your obedience has reached all people; therefore I rejoice over you; I want you to be wise to the good, but innocent of the evil. And the God of peace will soon crush Satan['s head] under your feet." [Romans 16:19-20] Obviously, *not* only the Messiah was expected to crush "the serpent's head". The promise was given that all of the offspring (zera = seed) of "the woman", Havah (who was not a virgin), would crush the adversary's head.
So also, in another Jewish source, the Aramaic translation of Genesis, we read: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between the offspring of your sons and the offspring of her sons; and it shall be that when the children of the woman observe the commandments of the Torah, they will direct themselves to smite you on the head and slay you; but when the sons of the woman forsake the commandments of the Torah and do not obey its injunctions, you will direct yourself to bite them on the heel and afflict them. However, there will be a remedy for the sons of the woman, but for you, serpent, there will be no remedy. They shall make peace with one another in the end, in the very end of days, in the days of King Messiah". IOW, the Targum explains that "the seed (i.e. offspring) of the woman" refers to all of the woman's righteous descendants who do the will of their Father in heaven by observing the commandments of the Torah. So God's promise regarding the righteous offspring (seed) of the woman (who is not a virgin) applies to all her righteous descendants and not to the Messiah alone.