Wisdom And The Serpent

ΕΡΩΤ ΛΑ' Εἰ φρόνιμος ὁ ὄφις, καὶ ἐπαινούμενος· μόριον γὰρ ἡ φρόνησις ἀρετῆς. Πολλὰ τῶν ὀνομάτων ὁμωνύμως προφέρεται· καὶ γὰρ τὰ εἴδωλα τῶν ἐθνῶν θεοὺς ὠνομάσασι. Τοῦτο δὲ γε ἀκριβέστερον περὶ τοῦ ἐν ἐκείνῳ ἐνεργήσαντος εἴρηται δαίμονος. Ἀμαθῶς δε οἱ ἀνόητοι καὶ τοὺς περὶ τοὺς μύθους ἐσχολακότας, σοφοὺς προσηγόρευσαν. Οὕτω καὶ ἡ θεία Γραφὴ λέγει, Ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεὸς τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου, ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφοὺς. Καὶ πάλιν· Ποῦ σοφός; καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτοὺ· Σοφοί εἰσι τοῦ κακοποιῆσαι. Τοιγάρτοι κὰταῦθα φρόνιμον τὸν ὄφιν ὠνόμασεν, ὡς πανοῦργον. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας ἡρμήνευσεν· Καὶ ὁ ὄφις ἧν πανοῦργος ἀπὸ παντὸς ζώου τῆς χώρας, οὗ ἐποίησεν Κύριος ὁ Θεός. Θεοδώρητος Ἐπίσκοπος Κύρρος, Εἰς Τὴν Γένεσιν Source: Migne PG 80.128c-d

Question 31 If the serpent was wise, it was worthy of praise, since wisdom is a part of virtue 1 Many names are spoken equivocally, for even the idols of the pagans were named gods. This however is more correctly said of the demon which used the creature. And the ignorant folk who devote themselves to myths mindlessly, they are named wise men. So even Holy Scripture says: 'God chose the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.' 2 And again, 'Where is the wise man?' 3 And through the prophet: 'They are wise in evil deeds.' 4 Now here where the serpent was indeed named 'wise' it is for 'cunning.' For so Aquila's translation reads: 'And the serpent was cunning before all the other animals of the field which the Lord God had made.' Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Questions On Genesis 1 Genes 3.1 2 1 Cor 1.27 3 1 Cor 1.20 4 Jerem 4.22