254、“蛇的种”表示一切不信。这从“蛇”的含义清楚可知，“蛇”是指一切邪恶。“种”是指产生和被产生之物，或生出和被生出之物。由于此处论述的主题是教会，所以“种”表示不信。在以赛亚书，当论到败坏的犹太教会时，它被称为“行恶之种”、“淫乱之种”和“虚谎之种”：
祸哉，犯罪的民族，担着罪孽的百姓，行恶之种，败坏之子！他们离弃耶和华，惹怒以色列的圣者，疏远退后。（以赛亚书1:4）
又：
你们这些巫婆之子，奸夫之种，都近前来。你们岂不是过犯的儿女，虚谎之种呢？（以赛亚书57:3–5）
又：
你从你的坟墓中被抛出，好像可憎的枝子，因为你败坏你的地，杀戮你的民。行恶之种永不留名。（以赛亚书14:19–20）
这论及“蛇”或“龙”，它在本章被称为“路西弗”。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]254. The meaning of the snake's seed as all unbelief is established by the symbolism of the snake as all evil. Seed is what yields a harvest and is also the harvest yielded; in other words, seed is what breeds and is bred. Since the subject here is the church, what is bred is unbelief. Isaiah uses the terms seed of the evil, seed of an adulterer, and seed of a lie in talking about the Jewish church after it was corrupted:
Doom to a sinful nation, to a people weighed down with wickedness, to the seed of the evil, to ruinous children! They leave Jehovah behind, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel, they have backed away, far away. (Isaiah 1:4)
In another place:
Come up here, you witch's children, seed of an adulterer. Are you not the offspring of transgression, the seed of a lie? (Isaiah 57:3-4)
In addition:
You were thrown out of your grave like a despicable offshoot, because you ruined your land, you killed your people. The name of the seed of the evil will go unmentioned forever. (Isaiah 14:19-20)
These verses are speaking of the snake, or dragon, called Lucifer here.{*1}
Footnotes:
{*1} The passage from which this quotation is taken, Isaiah 14:3-23, literally concerns the king of Babylon. In verse 12, however, the king is addressed as הֵילֵל (hêlēl), defined in Brown, Driver, and Briggs 1996 as "shining one," and sometimes translated as "Lucifer." From there the identification with the Devil follows readily; the two were equated in Christian lore as early as the third century (Russell 1981, 130-131). As for the connection between the Devil and the snake, or dragon, it is stated explicitly in Revelation 12:9: "And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent called the Devil and Satan, which deceives the whole world." [RS, LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 254
254. That by the "seed of the serpent" is meant all infidelity, is evident from the signification of a "serpent" as being all evil; "seed" is that which produces and is produced, or that which begets and is begotten; and as the church is here spoken of, this is infidelity. In Isaiah, in reference to the Jewish Church in its perverted state, it is called a "seed of evil doers" a "seed of adultery" a "seed of falsehood:" Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, sons that are destroyers they have forsaken Jehovah, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel, they have estranged themselves backward (Isa. 1:4). Again:
Draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer. Are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood ? (Isa. 57:3, 4). And again, speaking of the "serpent" or "dragon" who is there called Lucifer:
Thou art cast out of thy sepulchre like an abominable shoot, because thou hast corrupted thy land, thou hast slain thy people the seed of evil doers shall not be called to eternity (Isa 14:19, 20).
Elliott(1983-1999) 254
254. The seed of the serpent' is used to mean all faithlessness. This is clear from the meaning of 'a serpent' as evil of every kind. Seed is something which brings forth and is brought forth, or which begets and is begotten. And because the subject here is the Church, 'seed' means faithlessness. When in Isaiah the subject is the corrupted Jewish Church it is called 'the seed of evil ones', 'the seed of the adulterer', 'the seed of deceit',
Woe to a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil ones, perverted sons! They have forsaken Jehovah, they have challenged the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backwards. Isa 1:4.Also,
Draw nearer, sons of the sorceress, seed of the adulterer. Are you not those born of transgression, the seed of deceit? Isa 57:3, 4.And,
You are cast out from your sepulchre like an abominable branch, for you have corrupted your land, slain your people. The seed of the evil ones will not be named forever. Isa 14:19, 20.This refers to the serpent or dragon, which in this chapter is called Lucifer.a
Latin(1748-1756) 254
254. Quod per 'semen serpentis' intelligatur omnis infidelitas, constat ex 'serpentis' significatione, quod sit omne malum; semen est quod producit et producitur, seu quod gignit et gignitur; et quia hic agitur de Ecclesia, est infidelitas; apud Esaiam vocatur 'semen malorum, semen adulteri, semen mendacii' ubi de Ecclesia Judaica perversa, Vae genti peccatrici, populo gravi iniquitate, semini malorum, filiis perditoribus, dereliquerunt{1} Jehovam, provocarunt Sanctum Israelis, abalienarunt se retrorsum, i 4:tum, Accedite huc filii praestigiatricis, semen adulteri,... nonne vos nati praevaricationis, semen mendacii? lvii 3, 4:
et, Projectus es e sepulcro tuo, sicut surculus abominabilis,... nam terram tuam corrupisti, populum tuum occidisti, non vocabitur in aeternum semen malorum, xiv 19, 20;
ubi agitur de serpente seu dracone, qui ibi vocatur Lucifer. @ 1 As in A.E. 768: derelinquunt 1.$