Did the serpent in the garden have legs?

Answer

The relevant verse is: Genesis 3:14 KJV

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Being told he would now crawl along the ground implies he was once upright., and this is verified both by Scripture and by skeletal examination. Being told he would now crawl along the ground implies he was once upright., and this is verified both by Scripture and by skeletal examination.

(i) Verification by Scriptures

The Hebrew Word here for 'serpent' is 'nachash' , meaning "shining one" . We know it is Satan, but at the start of the verse judgement had not been Gen 3:14-

And the Lord God said unto the serpent -... Theserpent [Hebrew 'nachash]'[was] ...the head of all the inferior animals, and in a sort of society and intimacy with man, is to be greatly degraded, entirely banished from human society, and deprived of the gift of speech. ...[T]hou shalt be considered the most contemptible of animals; upon thy belly shalt thou go - thou shalt no longer walk erect, but mark the ground equally with thy hands and feet; ... [From Adam Clarke's Commentary On The Bible on Genesis 3:14]

"In the Hebrew this being or person is called 'Nachash.' The Hebrew Word Nachash is translated to "shine" (like brass) or whisper (as in enchantment). The Nachash was not a literal snake. The Nachash was, to use literal Hebrew, a 'shining enchanter.' He was also 'shrewd' (smooth or slick), as a descriptive term in the Hebrew for 'naked and cunning' in deceiving Eve. Scripture goes on to say that the Nachash was - "above" (higher in intelligence) than any living thing 'of the field' that Yahweh Elohim had made."

In Genesis 3 we have ...literal historical facts set forth, ... The Hebrew Word rendered "serpent" in Genesis 3:1 is Nachash (from the root 'Nachash', to shine), and means a shinning one. Hence, in Chaldee it means brass or copper, because of its shining. .

... Nachash [means ] ... its appearance was shining, and [is] also used of a celestial or spirit-being (a shining one)

.. ..Indeed, a reference to the structure of Genesis 3 ...[shows]that [before the Fall]it was not a snake, but a glorious shining being, apparently an angel, to whom Eve paid such great deference, acknowledging him as one who seemed to possess superior knowledge, and who was evidently a being of a superior (not of an inferior) order ..... Satan was the shining one (Nachash) in Genesis 3, and especially because the following Words could be addressed to him:-

"Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee" (Ezekiel 28 verse 17). ..... Again, the Word rendered "subtle" in Genesis 3:1 ) means wise, in a good sense as well as in a bad sense....So the Word rendered "subtle" is rendered "prudent" in Proverbs 1:4; 8:12; 12:23; 14:8; and in a bad sense in Job 15:5. 1Samuel 23:22. Psalm 83:3.

The Word "beast" also, in Genesis 3:1, 'chay', denotes a living being, ... Satan is thus spoken of as being "more wise than any other living creature which Jehovah Elohim had made". ....that he was "more wise" than any other living being. We cannot conceive Eve as holding convers[ation]with a snake, but we can understand her being fascinated �² by one, apparently "an angel of light" (that is to say, a glorious angel), possessing superior and supernatural knowledge. ... in verse 14, "On thy belly shalt thou go". ... means infinitely more than the literal belly of the flesh and blood; ...It [pictures] ... Satan's ultimate humiliation; for prostration was ever the most eloquent sign of subjection. ...it denotes such a prolonged prostration and such a depth of submission as could never be conveyed or expressed in literal Words. So with the other prophecy, "Dust shalt thou eat".

This ...tells of constant continuous dissapointment, failure, and mortification; ...disappointment so great that it would gladly be exchanged for... [anything]. ...they will not do it on their knees with their literal tongues; but they will be so prostrated and so utterly defeated, that no Words could literally depict their overthrow and subjugation. [T]he serpent was afterward called a 'nachash', it was because it was more shining than any other creature; and ...It is wonderful how a snake could ever be supposed to speak without the organs of speech, or that Satan should be supposed able to accomplish so great a miracle .

(ii) Verification by skeletal examination

Snakes don't have legs, right? Wrong -- look closely! Pythons and boa constrictors have tiny hind leg bones buried in muscles toward their tail ends. Such features, either useless or poorly suited to performing specific tasks, are described as vestigial. ...The ancestor of boas and pythons retained very small vestigial legs, a trait passed on to its descendants, including the reticulated python seen here

Before Satan caused Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden to sin he was a resplendant angel, so yes, he did have legs.