While the most famous serpent is the one who convinced Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit, and while serpents are generally regarded as evil, the reality is that serpents, symbolically, are connected to both Satan and God.
In Egypt, we have Aaron's rod turning into a serpent, and swallowing the snakes produced by the Pharaoh's magicians.
Likewise, we have, during the Exodus, flying serpents attacking the children of Israel. The cure is the famous Bronze Serpent, which Moses lifted up for the children of Israel to look upon.
The Seraphim are also connected to the idea of serpents, and are well known to be servants of God. The word is sometimes used as a synonym for serpent.
Inasmuch as Seraph can mean serpent, the idea of lightning, shininess, and burning, is related to the idea of a serpent.
The more typical word for snake is נָחָשׁ (nachash). The root of this word is connected to divination, sorcery, hissing, whispering, bronze, brass, copper, and shining.