Bible Dictionary: Serpents

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ATS Bible Dictionary

Serpents

These reptiles, unclean among the Hebrews, Le 11:10,41, are widely diffused through the world, but are most numerous and venomous in tropical climates. About one-sixth part of all that are known to be poisonous. These are distinguished by having two hollow poisonfangs in the upper jaw, and are usually of slower motion than most snakes. Venomous serpents were abundant in Egypt and Arabia, and seven different kinds are mentioned in the Hebrew scriptures, some of which are identified with existing species. See ADDER, ASP, COCKATRICE, and VIPER.

The serpents mentioned in Numbers 21:1-35 Isaiah 14:29 30:6, and by whom multitudes of the Israelites were destroyed in the desert north of the Gulf of Akabah, were probably called "fiery" and "flying" with reference to the agonizing heat caused by their poison, and the rapidity of their darting motion. Herodotus indeed speaks of winged serpents as appearing every spring on the Arabian border of Egypt; but he did not see them, nor are there any to be met with in modern times. The serpent of brass, made and erected on a pole by Moses, had no healing virtue in itself, but was a test of the penitence and faith of the people. The author of Ecclesiasticus says of the Israelites, "They were troubled for a small season that they might be admonished, having a sign of salvation to put them in remembrance of the commandment of thy law. For he that turned towards it was not saved by the thing that he saw, but by thee, that art the Savior of all." Our Savior himself shows that the brazen serpent was a type of Him, John 3:14,15. The believing view of Christ is salvation to the soul infected by the fatal poison of sin. Respecting the brazen serpent, see NEHUSHTAN. Hezekiah destroyed a true and most sacred relic; Rome, on the contrary, fabricates false relics and adores them. See CHARMERS.

Interpreters have largely speculated concerning the nature of the serpent that tempted Eve. Some have thought that serpents originally had feet and speech; but there is no probability that this creature was ever otherwise than it now is. Its subtle, crafty malignity is often alluded to the Scriptures, Genesis 3:1 Matthew 10:16 22:33. Besides, it cannot be doubted but that by the serpent we are to understand the devil, who employed the serpent as a vehicle to seduce the first woman, Genesis 3:13 2 1 Corinthians 11:3 Revelation 12:9.

Greek

3789. ophis -- a snake
... or Satan. Word Origin a prim. word Definition a snake NASB Word Usage serpent
(6), serpents (6), snake (2). serpent. Probably from ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3789.htm - 6k

2447. ios -- rust, poison
... poison, rust. Perhaps from eimi (to go) or hiemi (to send); rust (as if emitted
by metals); also venom (as emitted by serpents) -- poison, rust. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2447.htm - 6k

1404. drakon -- a dragon (a mythical monster)
... 1404 (from , "to see," the root of the English term, "dragon") -- properly "," used
of mythical dragons ( serpents) seeing their prey from far away ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1404.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew

8314a. saraph -- fiery serpent
... 8314, 8314a. saraph. 8314b . fiery serpent. Transliteration: saraph Short
Definition: serpents. Word Origin from saraph Definition ...
/hebrew/8314a.htm - 5k

8577. tannin -- serpent, dragon, sea monster
... the same as tan Definition serpent, dragon, sea monster NASB Word Usage dragon
(2), monster (3), sea monster (1), sea monsters (3), serpent (3), serpents (2). ...
/hebrew/8577.htm - 6k

5175. nachash -- a serpent
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition a serpent NASB Word Usage serpent
(24), serpent's (2), serpents (2), snake (1). serpent. ...
/hebrew/5175.htm - 6k

8206. Shuppim -- two Israelites
... Shuppim. Plural of an unused noun from the same as shphiyphon and meaning the same;
serpents; Shuppim, an Israelite -- Shuppim. see HEBREW shphiyphon. ...
/hebrew/8206.htm - 6k

7219. rosh -- (bitter and poisonous herb) venom
... roshe}; apparently the same as ro'sh; a poisonous plant, probably the poppy (from
its conspicuous head); generally poison (even of serpents) -- gall, hemlock ...
/hebrew/7219.htm - 6k

Library

Fences and Serpents
... ECCLESIASTES; OR, THE PREACHER FENCES AND SERPENTS. '... Whoso breaketh
an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.'"Ecclesiastes 10:8. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/fences and serpents.htm

I am Sending You as Lambs among Wolves: be Ye Now Wise as Serpents ...
... The Text of the Diatessaron. Section XIII. I am sending you as lambs
among wolves: be ye now wise as serpents� [1] [951] I am ...
/.../hogg/the diatessaron of tatian/section xiii i am sending.htm

Monitions of Christ to the Apostles in Regard to Prudence in their ...
... Section 182. Monitions of Christ to the Apostles in regard to Prudence in their
Ministry."(1.) The Wisdom of Serpents and Harmlessness of Doves. ...
/.../section 182 monitions of christ.htm

The Poison and the Antidote
... for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light
bread.6. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the poison and the antidote.htm

The Death of Saint Patrick.
... Travelling onwards, he at length reached a part of Africa, often much infested
by serpents. He was there told of a rare and wonderful ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter fifteen the death of.htm

Psalm XLII.
... It destroys serpents, [1229] and after the killing of serpents, it is inflamed with
thirst yet more violent; having destroyed serpents, it runs to "the water ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xlii.htm

Whether it is Unlawful to Wear Divine Words at the Neck?
... Lord's name, according to Mk.16:17,18, "In My name they shall cast out devils, they
shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents." Therefore it ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether it is unlawful to 3.htm

The Manichæan Fictions About Things Good and Evil are not ...
... one full of darkness, another of waters, another of winds, another of fire, another
of smoke; to the animals born in each of these elements,"serpents in the ...
/.../chapter 9 name manichaean fictions.htm

In Order to Forearm the Orthodox against the Stratagems of the ...
... Wherefore "be ye wise as serpents," saith the Lord, "and harmless as doves." [2321]
Wisdom is put foremost, in order that harmlessness may be unharmed. 131. ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xvi in order to.htm

In How Many Ways the Creature is to be Taken by Way of Sign. The ...
... the serpent that came from Moses' rod signified the same thing as Jacob's stone,
yet Jacob's stone signified something better than did the serpents of the ...
/.../augustine/on the holy trinity/chapter 10 in how many ways.htm

Thesaurus

Serpents (18 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Serpents (18 Occurrences). ... Therefore be wise as serpents,
and harmless as doves. (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV). ...
/s/serpents.htm - 11k

Enchantment (4 Occurrences)
... subtlety. Although employed in the wider sense of augury or prognostication,
its fundamental meaning is divination by serpents. ...
/e/enchantment.htm - 16k

Poison (17 Occurrences)
... POISON. poi'-z'-n (chemah, ro'-sh; thumos, ios): Residents in Palestine must,
from the first, have been acquainted with venomous serpents. ...
/p/poison.htm - 17k

Injure (16 Occurrences)
... Mark 16:18 they shall take up serpents; and if they should drink any deadly thing
it shall not injure them; they shall lay hands upon the infirm, and they ...
/i/injure.htm - 11k

Scorpions (9 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Mentioned along with serpents (Deuteronomy 8:15).
Used also figuratively to denote wicked persons (Ezek. ...
/s/scorpions.htm - 10k

Scorpion (6 Occurrences)
... the vowels, `krb and skrp): In Deuteronomy 8:15, we have, "who led thee through
the great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents (nachash saraph ...
/s/scorpion.htm - 13k

Serpent (40 Occurrences)
... complaints against Moses. As a punishment, the Lord sent serpents among
them, and much people of Israel died. Moses interceded on ...
/s/serpent.htm - 46k

Venomous (4 Occurrences)
... be venomous. 2. (a.) Having a poison gland or glands for the secretion
of venom, as certain serpents and insects. 3. (a.) Noxious ...
/v/venomous.htm - 8k

Vipers (10 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Matthew 23:33 You serpents, you offspring
of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? ...
/v/vipers.htm - 9k

Gall (17 Occurrences)
... the seat of life (25). (2.) Hebrews rosh. In Deuteronomy 32:33 and Job
20:16 it denotes the poison of serpents. In Hosea 10:4 the ...
/g/gall.htm - 17k

Bible Concordance

Serpents (18 Occurrences)

Matthew 10:16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Matthew 23:33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Mark 16:18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

1 Corinthians 10:9 Neither let us test the Lord, as some of them tested, and perished by the serpents.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

James 3:7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
(KJV WBS)

Revelation 9:19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths, and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads, and with them they harm.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Exodus 7:12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV)

Numbers 21:6 Yahweh sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Numbers 21:7 The people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against Yahweh, and against you. Pray to Yahweh, that he take away the serpents from us." Moses prayed for the people.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV)

Deuteronomy 8:15 who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions, and thirsty ground where there was no water; who brought you forth water out of the rock of flint;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV)

Deuteronomy 32:24 They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.
(KJV WBS)

Deuteronomy 32:33 Their wine is the poison of serpents, The cruel venom of asps.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Job 20:14 yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.
(See NIV)

Job 20:16 He shall suck cobra venom. The viper's tongue shall kill him.
(See NIV)

Isaiah 59:5 They hatch serpents' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.
(DBY)

Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpents' food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.
(WBS)

Jeremiah 8:17 For, behold, I will send serpents, adders, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you, says Yahweh.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Subtopics

Serpents

Serpents were often Enchanted or Fascinated

Serpents: (Poisonous Bite of) Baneful Effects of Wine

Serpents: (Sharp Tongue of) Malice of the Wicked

Serpents: All Kinds of, Can be Tamed

Serpents: Called Crooked

Serpents: Characterised As Subtle

Serpents: Created by God

Serpents: Cursed Above all Creatures

Serpents: Dangerous to Travellers

Serpents: Doomed to Creep on Their Belly