In the biblical context, the term "bite" is often associated with harm, danger, or the consequences of sin. The imagery of biting is used both literally and metaphorically throughout Scripture to convey various spiritual and moral lessons.

1. Literal Bites:
· Serpents and Snakes: One of the most prominent literal uses of "bite" in the Bible is in reference to serpents. In Numbers 21:6, the Israelites faced a plague of fiery serpents as a consequence of their rebellion against God: "So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died." This event underscores the seriousness of disobedience and the need for repentance and divine intervention, as later seen when Moses is instructed to make a bronze serpent for the healing of those bitten (Numbers 21:8-9).
· Animal Bites: The Bible also mentions the danger of animal bites in a more general sense. Ecclesiastes 10:8 warns, "He who digs a pit may fall into it, and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake." This proverb highlights the unpredictability of life and the potential consequences of one's actions.

2. Metaphorical Bites:
· Gossip and Slander: The act of biting is metaphorically used to describe the destructive nature of gossip and slander. Galatians 5:15 cautions believers, "But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another." This passage warns against the divisive and harmful effects of negative speech within the Christian community.
· Sin and Temptation: The imagery of a bite is also used to illustrate the enticing yet harmful nature of sin. Proverbs 23:32 describes the effects of wine, stating, "In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper." This serves as a warning against the deceptive allure of sinful pleasures that ultimately lead to spiritual harm.

3. Divine Protection:
· The Bible assures believers of God's protection against the metaphorical bites of evil. In Luke 10:19, Jesus tells His disciples, "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." This promise emphasizes the authority and protection granted to believers through faith in Christ.

4. Symbol of Judgment:
· The bite of a serpent is sometimes used as a symbol of divine judgment. In Amos 5:19, the prophet describes a scenario of inescapable judgment: "It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to encounter a bear, and when he enters his house and rests his hand on the wall, a snake bites him." This imagery conveys the inevitability of God's judgment upon those who persist in sin.

In summary, the concept of "bite" in the Bible serves as a powerful symbol of danger, the consequences of sin, and the need for vigilance and reliance on God's protection. Through both literal and metaphorical uses, Scripture provides profound insights into the spiritual realities faced by believers.1. (v. t.) To seize with the teeth, so that they enter or nip the thing seized; to lacerate, crush, or wound with the teeth; as, to bite an apple; to bite a crust; the dog bit a man.

2. (v. t.) To puncture, abrade, or sting with an organ (of some insects) used in taking food.

3. (v. t.) To cause sharp pain, or smarting, to; to hurt or injure, in a literal or a figurative sense; as, pepper bites the mouth.

4. (v. t.) To cheat; to trick; to take in.

5. (v. t.) To take hold of; to hold fast; to adhere to; as, the anchor bites the ground.

6. (v. i.) To seize something forcibly with the teeth; to wound with the teeth; to have the habit of so doing; as, does the dog bite?

7. (v. i.) To cause a smarting sensation; to have a property which causes such a sensation; to be pungent; as, it bites like pepper or mustard.

8. (v. i.) To cause sharp pain; to produce anguish; to hurt or injure; to have the property of so doing.

9. (v. i.) To take a bait into the mouth, as a fish does; hence, to take a tempting offer.

10. (v. i.) To take or keep a firm hold; as, the anchor bites.

11. (n.) The act of seizing with the teeth or mouth; the act of wounding or separating with the teeth or mouth; a seizure with the teeth or mouth, as of a bait; as, to give anything a hard bite.

12. (n.) The act of puncturing or abrading with an organ for taking food, as is done by some insects.

13. (n.) The wound made by biting; as, the pain of a dog's or snake's bite; the bite of a mosquito.

14. (n.) A morsel; as much as is taken at once by biting.

15. (n.) The hold which the short end of a lever has upon the thing to be lifted, or the hold which one part of a machine has upon another.

16. (n.) A cheat; a trick; a fraud.

17. (n.) A sharper; one who cheats.

18. (n.) A blank on the edge or corner of a page, owing to a portion of the frisket, or something else, intervening between the type and paper.

1143. dakno -- to bite
... to bite. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: dakno Phonetic Spelling: (dak'-no)
Short Definition: I bite, backbite, harm seriously Definition: I bite; hence ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1143.htm - 6k

1031. brucho -- to bite, to gnash
... to bite, to gnash. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: brucho Phonetic Spelling:
(broo'-kho) Short Definition: I grind or gnash Definition: I grind or gnash ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1031.htm - 6k

3145. masaomai -- to chew
... to chew. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: masaomai Phonetic Spelling:
(mas-sah'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I bite, gnaw Definition: I bite, gnaw, chew. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3145.htm - 6k

5391. nashak -- to bite
... 5390, 5391. nashak. 5391a . to bite. Transliteration: nashak Phonetic Spelling:
(naw-shak') Short Definition: bite. bite, lend upon usury ...
/hebrew/5391.htm - 5k

5391a. nashak -- to bite
... to bite. Transliteration: nashak Short Definition: bite. ... root Definition to bite
NASB Word Usage bit (2), bite (4), bites (4), bitten (1), creditors (1). ...
/hebrew/5391a.htm - 5k

7169. qarats -- to nip, pinch
... A primitive root; to pinch, ie (partially) to bite the lips, blink the eyes (as
a gesture of malice), or (fully) to squeeze off (a piece of clay in order to ...
/hebrew/7169.htm - 6k

The Serpent Lifted up in the Wilderness Prefigured Christ ...
... Chapter 61 [XXXII.]"The Serpent Lifted Up in the Wilderness Prefigured Christ Suspended
on the Cross; Even Infants Themselves Poisoned by the Serpent's Bite. ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 61 xxxii the serpent lifted.htm

How Jesus Delivered James from the Bite of a Serpent.
... Latin Form. Chapter XIV."How Jesus Delivered James from the Bite of a Serpent.
And Joseph sent James to gather straw, and Jesus followed him. ...
/.../unknown/the gospel of thomas/chapter xiv how jesus delivered james.htm

Fences and Serpents
... '... Whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.'"Ecclesiastes 10:8. ... Whoso
pulls down the wall of temperance, a serpent will bite him. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/fences and serpents.htm

They who have Committed a "Sin unto Death" are not to be Abandoned ...
... 64. The devil is then deceived so as to wound himself with his own bite,
and to arm against himself him whom he thought to weaken. ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xiii they who have.htm

Argument. From the Prison they are Led Forth with Joy into the ...
... Saturus, however, held nothing in greater abomination than a bear; but he imagined
that he would be put an end to with one bite of a leopard. ...
/.../chapter vi argument from the prison.htm

On the Perfection of Patience.
... it is figuratively said by the prophet: "Behold I will send among you serpents,
basilisks, against which there is no charm: and they shall bite you." [2096 ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xvi on the perfection.htm

Moreover, Flies Falling into Myrrh, and Suffocated Therein, Make ...
... for himself first and alone. And he who wrecks another's safety, shall
fall by the bite of a serpent. But he who removeth stones ...
/.../a metaphrase of the book of ecclesiastes/chapter x moreover flies falling.htm

Why the Children of the Baptized Should be Baptized.
... are by the sacrament of baptism conformed to the death of Christ, it must be admitted
that they are also freed from the serpent's poisonous bite, unless we ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 43 xxvii why the children.htm

Diamond and his Mother Sat Down Upon the Edge of the Rough Grass ...
... but the sun who rears them. and the sheep that bite them. are the quietest sheep.
awake or asleep. ... because of their diet. for what they bite. is buttercups yellow ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 13 diamond and his.htm

The Words of Abbot Serapion on the Decline of Thoughts that are ...
... And this meaning we see is neatly expressed in a figure in Ecclesiastes. "If" says
he "a serpent bite without hissing there is no sufficiency for the charmer ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter xi the words of.htm

Bite (13 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To seize with the teeth, so that they enter or nip the thing seized; to
lacerate, crush, or wound with the teeth; as, to bite an apple; to bite a crust ...
/b/bite.htm - 12k

Gnaw (4 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To bite, as something hard or tough, which is not readily separated or crushed;
to bite off little by little, with effort; to wear or eat away by ...
/g/gnaw.htm - 8k

Loan (9 Occurrences)
... Testament: lawah, "to join," "cause to join," "lend" (Exodus 22:25 Deuteronomy
28:12, 44 Psalm 37:26 Proverbs 19:17); nashah, "to bite," "lend" (Deuteronomy 24 ...
/l/loan.htm - 16k

Lend (21 Occurrences)
... Testament: lawah, "to join," "cause to join," "lend" (Exodus 22:25 Deuteronomy
28:12, 44 Psalm 37:26 Proverbs 19:17); nashah, "to bite," "lend" (Deuteronomy 24 ...
/l/lend.htm - 18k

Bit (46 Occurrences)
... 4. (v.) imp. & pp of Bite. 5. (n.) A part of anything, such as may be bitten off
or taken into the mouth; a morsel; a bite. ... 12. (imp.) of Bite. 13. (pp) of Bite. ...
/b/bit.htm - 24k

Swollen (7 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. SWOLLEN. swol'-'-n (pimprasthai, only in Acts
28:6): The Melitans expected to see Paul poisoned by the viper's bite. ...
/s/swollen.htm - 9k

Biting (12 Occurrences)
... & vb. n.) of Bite. ... Biting (12 Occurrences). Galatians 5:15 and if one another ye
do bite and devour, see -- that ye may not by one another be consumed. ...
/b/biting.htm - 9k

Snake (43 Occurrences)
... Acts 28:3 But when Paul had got some sticks together and put them on the fire, a
snake came out, because of the heat, and gave him a bite on the hand. (BBE). ...
/s/snake.htm - 19k

Interest (35 Occurrences)
... in'-ter-est (neshekh, mashsha'; tokos): The Hebrew word neshekh is from a root which
means "to bite"; thus interest is "something bitten off." The other word ...
/i/interest.htm - 21k

Serpent (40 Occurrences)
... serpent" (Isaiah 27:1); ".. though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the
sea, thence will I command the serpent, and it shall bite them" (Amos 9:3 ...
/s/serpent.htm - 46k

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