the Third Week of Advent
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Bible Dictionaries
Serpent
Morrish Bible Dictionary
or The Hebrew word most commonly translated serpent is nachash, agreeing with ὄφις in the N.T., so called because of its 'hissing.' These words are used for the serpent that beguiled Eve, Genesis 3:1-14; 2 Corinthians 11:3 , and in other passages where Satan is alluded to. Isaiah 27:1; Revelation 12:9-15; Revelation 20:2 .
Satan has succeeded in causing the serpent to be worshipped all over the world. Nachash is also the word for the serpents that bit the Israelites in Numbers 21:6-9 . In Numbers 21:8 , for the serpent that Moses was told to make, the word is saraph, 'FIERY SERPENT,'signifying that the poison burnt like fire, as we say 'a burning pain,' though the serpents may also have been of a red colour. From the bite of these serpents much people died.
The serpents mentioned in Isaiah 14:29; Isaiah 30:6 , are described as 'FIERY FLYINGSERPENTS.'There is no known species of serpent that fly: the allusion may be to those which dart short distances from tree to tree; but in both the passages the language is figurative.
Three other words are translated 'serpent:' zachal, Deuteronomy 32:24; tannin Exodus 7:9-12 (to what particular species these refer is not known); and ἑρπετόν, James 3:7 , this word refers to any creeping thing or reptile.
The taming and charming of serpents is alluded to, which shows that it was an ancient practice. Psalm 58:4,5; Ecclesiastes 10:11; Jeremiah 8:17 .
The Lord bade His disciples be as wise as serpents, probably an allusion to Genesis 3:1 . The word 'subtil' there is translated by the same word in the LXX as used in this passage. It is 'prudence.'