Serpents and Vipers in the Bible

I thought this might be an interesting topic.
[I have to split this post up because of too many charaters]
This 1st post will be on the "serpents" shown in the OT and NT
For now I am going to use the KJV because of the lexicon feature in it.
Any responses are welcome. Thanks

Strong's Concordance with Hebrew and Greek Lexicon

5175 nachash naw-khawsh' from 5172; a snake (from its hiss):--serpent.
5172 nachash naw-khash' a primitive root; properly, to hiss, i.e. whisper a (magic) spell; generally, to prognosticate:--X certainly, divine, enchanter, (use) X enchantment, learn by experience, X indeed, diligently observe.

Strong's Number H5175 matches the Hebrew נָחָשׁ (nachash), which occurs 31 times in 28 verses

Serpent in the Hebrew OT

1st time used in the singular:
KJV)
Gen 3:1 Now the serpent H5175 was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.............................
Last time:
Mic 7:17
They shall lick the dust like a serpent, H5175 they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.

Serpents plural:
(KJV)
Exo 7:12
For they cast down H7993 every man H376 his rod, H4294 and they became serpents: H8577 .......................
Last time:
Jer 8:17
For, behold, I will send H7971 serpents, H5175 cockatrices, H6848 among you, which will not be charmed, H3908 and they shall bite H5391 you, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068

.............I had to split the 1st thread because of too many characters......................


Serpents in the Greek NT

1st time singular:
Mat 7:10
Or G2532 if G1437 he ask G154 a fish, G2486 will he give G3361 G1929 him G846 a serpent? G3789
Last time:
Rev 20:2
And G2532 he laid hold on G2902 the dragon, G1404 that old G744 serpent, G3789 which G3739 is G2076 the Devil, G1228 and G2532 Satan, G4567

1st time plural:
(KJV)
Mat 10:16
Behold, G2400 I G1473 send G649 G5209 forth G649 as G5613 sheep G4263 in G1722 the midst G3319 of wolves: G3074 be ye G1096 therefore G3767 wise G5429 as G5613 serpents, .....
Last time:
Rev 9:19
For G1063 their G846 power G1849 is G1526 G2076 in G1722 their G846 mouth, G4750 and G2532 in G1722 their G846 tails: G3769 for G1063 their G846 tails G3769 were like G3664 unto serpents, G3789 and had G2192 heads, G2776 and G2532 with G1722 them G846 they do hurt. G91

Notice the 2 different Hebrew words used in these 2 verses

Exo 7:12
For they cast down H7993 every man H376 his rod, H4294 and they became serpents: H8577 .......................
Last time plural:
Jer 8:17
For, behold, I will send H7971 serpents, H5175 cockatrices, H6848 among you, which will not be charmed, H3908 and they shall bite H5391 you, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068

(KJV)
Matthew 10:16 [Jesus sending the Disciple out]
Behold, G2400 I G1473 send G649 G5209 forth G649 as G5613 sheep G4263 in G1722 the midst G3319 of wolves: G3074
be ye G1096 therefore G3767 wise G5429 as G5613 serpents, G3789
Matthew 23:33 [Jesus confronting the Pharisees and Scribes]
Ye serpents, G3789 ye generation G1081 of vipers, G2191
how G4459 can ye G5343................
[Jesus give the Disciples power]
Behold, G2400 I give G1325 unto you G5213 power G1849 to tread G3961 on G1883 serpents G3789 and G2532 scorpions, G4651 .......
and G2532 nothing G3762 shall G91 G3364 hurt G91 G91 you. G5209

brinny said:

Ugh! There must be a spiritual reason that we have an innate revulsion for snakes....

Click to expand...

Could be. I am more afraid of spiders and scorpions.

If I wouldn't have used this KJV lexicon I would probably never noticed the 2 different Hebrew words used in these 2 verses

The 1st verse uses the Hebrew word used is #H8577 instead of #H7971
Serpents plural:
(KJV)
Exodus 7:12
For they cast down H7993 every man H376 his rod, H4294 and they became serpents: H8577 but Aaron's H175 rod H4294 swallowed up H1104 their rods. H4294
Last time:
Jeremiah 8:17
For, behold, I will send H7971 serpents, H5175 cockatrices, H6848 among you, which will not be charmed, H3908 and they shall bite H5391 you, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068

8577 tanniyn tan-neen' or tanniym (Ezek. 29:3) {tan-neem'};
intensive from the same as 8565; a marine or land monster, i.e. sea-serpent or jackal:--dragon, sea-monster, serpent, whale.

Exo 7:9
When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. H8577

Now this floored me.
Look where #H8577 is used 1st:

KJV)
Gen 1:21
And God created great whales, H8577 and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

..............................

Ok, now on to vipers

Paul gets attacked by a pesky snake in Acts 28:3 with no ill affects [shown at bottom]

660 'eph`eh ef-eh' from 659 (in the sense of hissing); an asp or other venomous serpent:--viper.
Strong's Number H660 matches the Hebrew אֶפְעֶה ('eph`eh), which occurs 3 times in 3 verses

Job 20:16 [Job with his 3 neighbors]
He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's H660 tongue shall slay him.
Isaiah 30:6 [the animals of the Negev]
The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper H660 and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.
Isaiah 59:5 [True Fasts and Sabbaths]
They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. H660

6848 tsepha` tseh'-fah; or tsiph oniy {tsif-o-nee' from an unused root meaning to extrude; a viper (as thrusting out the tongue, i.e. hissing):--adder, cockatrice.
Strong's Number H6848 matches the Hebrew צֶפַע (tsepha`), which occurs 5 times in 5 verses

Pro 23:32
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. H6848
Isa 11:8
And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' H6848 den.
Isa 14:29
Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, H6848 and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.
Isa 59:5
They hatch cockatrice' H6848 eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.
Jer 8:17
For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, H6848 among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.

I had to go to wiki to see what the heck a cockatrice was.......

A cockatrice is a mythical beast, essentially a two-legged dragon or serpent-like creature with a rooster's head. Described by Laurence Breiner as "an ornament in the drama and poetry of the Elizabethans", it was featured prominently in English thought and myth for centuries.

Viper/s #2191 is only used

2191. echidna ekh'-id-nah of uncertain origin; an adder or other poisonous snake (literally or figuratively):--viper.
Strong's Number G2191 matches the Greek ἔχιδνα (echidna), which occurs 5 times in 5 verses

There are only 4 verse with

Mat 3:7 [At John's baptism]
And having seen many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming about his baptism, he said to them, 'Brood of vipers! who did shew you to flee from the coming wrath?
Tools
Mat 12:34 [Jesus confronting the Pharisees]
'Brood of vipers! how are ye able to speak good things -- being evil? for out of the abundance of the heart doth the mouth speak.
Mat 23:33 [Again, confronting the Pharisees]
'Serpents! brood of vipers! how may ye escape from the judgment of the gehenna?
Luk 3:7 [At John's baptism]
Then said he to the multitudes coming forth to be baptised by him,
'Brood of vipers! who did prompt you to flee from the coming wrath?

Act 28:3 [Paul gets attacked by a viper]
And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper G2191 out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

Genesis 3:
1 And the serpent H5175 hath been subtile above every beast of the field which Jehovah God hath made,
and he saith unto the woman, ‘Is it true that God hath said, Ye do not eat of every tree of the garden?’

14 And Jehovah God saith unto the serpent
‘Because thou hast done this, cursed [art] thou above all the cattle, and above every beast of the field:
on thy belly dost thou go, and dust thou dost eat, all days of thy life;
15 and enmity I put between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed;
he doth bruise thee — the head, and thou dost bruise him — the heel.’

Psalm 41:9
Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.

The Devil, Satan and Judas

Matthew 26:23
Jesus answered, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me.
John 6:70
Jesus answered them, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!"
Luk 22:3
Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.
John 13:18
..........but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me[fn] has lifted up his heel against Me.'
27
And when Judas had taken the piece of bread, the Satan entered into him.
Then Jesus said to Judas, "What you are about to do, do quickly."

All 3 are mentioned together in the book of Revelation

Rev 12:9
And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole [fn]world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.