H5175 H5175
Serpent, snake; the archetypal creature of Eden and a symbol of danger, cunning, and divine judgment.
The primary Hebrew word for serpent or snake, nachash carries enormous symbolic weight. It denotes the crafty creature in the Eden narrative (Gen 3), the deadly 'fiery serpents' in the wilderness (Num 21:6), and the bronze serpent Moses raised for healing (Num 21:9). Prophetic texts employ it as a figure of cunning enemies and eschatological judgment (Isa 27:1). Across translations—German 'Schlange,' Spanish 'serpiente,' French 'serpent'—the word maps consistently to a single zoological and symbolic sense. Whether literal or figurative, nachash always evokes primal danger and the tension between curse and cure.
Senses
1. [split] serpent, snake — A serpent or snake, encompassing both the literal reptile and its rich symbolic range. In Genesis 3:1-14 it is the cunning tempter in Eden; in Numbers 21:6-9 it appears as the lethal 'fiery serpent' and then as the bronze image that heals. Amos 5:19 and Ecclesiastes 10:8 use it for sudden mortal danger. Isaiah 27:1 extends it to a cosmic sea-monster figure. All occurrences share the core image of a creature that is dangerous, feared, and theologically potent. 0×
AR["الأَفْعَى", "الحَيَّةَ", "الحَيَّةُ", "الحَيَّةِ", "الْحَيَّةَ", "الْحَيَّةِ", "حَيَّةً", "حَيَّةٍ", "نَحَشْ", "هَ-نَّحَشْ"]·ben["-সাপ", "-সাপকে", "সাপ", "সাপ,", "সাপের"]·DE["Schlange", "[הנחש]", "[נחש]", "der-Schlange", "die-Schlange", "ein-Schlange", "ein-Schlange-von", "eine-Schlange"]·EN["a-serpent", "a-serpent-of", "and-He-shall-slay", "fleeing", "serpent", "the-serpent"]·FR["le-serpent", "serpent", "un-serpent-de"]·heb["ה-נחש", "נחש"]·HI["उस-सांप", "सर्प", "साँप", "साँप-का", "साँप-की", "साँप।", "सांप", "सांप-की", "सांप-ने"]·ID["ular", "ular-itu"]·IT["il-serpente", "serpente", "un-serpente-di"]·jav["ing-ula", "lan-nyokot-piyambakipun", "saking-gu-wéteng", "sawer", "ula"]·KO["그-뱀", "그-뱀-을", "그-뱀-이", "그-뽀에게", "그를-뽀이", "뱀", "뱀-을", "뱀과", "뱀을", "뻐", "뻐-그", "뽀-의", "뽀을", "뽀의", "뽀이다"]·PT["a-serpente", "serpente", "serpente-de"]·RU["-змей", "-змею", "змеем", "змеи", "змей", "змею", "змея", "змея."]·ES["a-la-serpiente", "de-serpiente", "la-serpiente", "serpiente", "serpiente-de"]·SW["nyoka", "nyoka-wa", "wa-nyoka", "ya-nyoka"]·TR["-yılan", "-yılana", "yiilan", "yilan", "yilanin", "yılan", "yılana", "yılanı", "yılanın"]·urd["-سانپ", "-سانپ-کو", "سانپ", "سانپ-سے", "سانپ-نے", "سانپ-کا", "سانپ-کے"]
1. serpent (literal reptile, natural danger) — Split from sense 117296. Criteria: Literal snake as natural creature: fiery serpents in Numbers 21:6-9, sudden danger in Amos 5:19 and Ecclesiastes 10:8 16×
AR["الأَفْعَى", "الحَيَّاتِ", "الحَيَّةُ", "الحَيَّةِ", "الْحَيَّةَ", "حَيَّاتٍ", "حَيَّةً", "حَيَّةٍ", "كَ-حَيَّةٍ", "كَالحَيَّةِ", "نَحَشْ", "هَ-نَّحَشْ"]·ben["-সাপ", "-সাপকে", "সাপ", "সাপ,", "সাপগুলি", "সাপে", "সাপের", "সাপের-জন্য", "সাপের-মতো"]·DE["Schlange", "[הנחש]", "[כנחש]", "[נחש]", "der-Schlangen", "ein-Schlange", "eine-Schlange", "zu-Schlange", "zu-snake"]·EN["a-serpent", "like-a-serpent", "like-the-serpent", "serpent", "serpents", "the-serpent", "the-serpents", "to-serpent", "to-snake"]·FR["comme-serpent", "le-serpent", "le-serpents", "serpent", "à-serpent"]·heb["ה-נחש", "ה-נחשים", "כ-ה-נחש", "כ-נחש", "ל-נחש", "נחש", "נחשים"]·HI["जैसे-साँप", "सर्प-जैसे", "सा̃प", "साँप", "साँप-का", "साँप-की", "साँप-में", "साँप।", "सांप", "सांप-की", "सांपों"]·ID["menjadi-ular", "seperti-ular", "ular", "ular-ular"]·IT["a-serpente", "a-snake", "come-serpente", "il-serpente", "il-serpenti", "serpente"]·jav["dados-sawer", "kados-ula", "lan-nyokot-piyambakipun", "saking-gu-wéteng", "sawer", "ula", "ula-ula"]·KO["같이-뽀", "그-뱀들-을", "그-뽀에게", "그를-뽀이", "뱀", "뱀과", "뱀들을", "뻐", "뻐-그", "뽀-의", "뽀의", "뽀이", "뽀이다", "뽀처럼-", "뽐으로"]·PT["a-serpente", "as-serpentes", "como-a-serpente", "como-serpente", "em-serpente", "para-serpente", "serpente", "serpentes"]·RU["в-змею", "змеем", "змеи", "змей", "змею", "змея", "змея.", "змеёй", "как-змей", "как-змея"]·ES["a-la-serpiente", "como-la-serpiente", "como-serpiente", "de-serpiente", "en-serpiente", "la-serpiente", "las-serpientes", "por-serpiente", "serpiente", "serpientes"]·SW["kama-nyoka", "kuwa-nyoka", "nyoka", "wa-nyoka", "ya-nyoka"]·TR["-gibi-yılan", "yilan", "yilanin", "yılan", "yılan-gibi", "yılana", "yılanlar", "yılanları", "yılanın"]·urd["-سانپ", "-سانپ-کو", "سانپ", "سانپ-جیسا", "سانپ-میں", "سانپ-کا", "سانپ-کی-طرح", "سانپ-کے", "سانپ-کے-طور-پر"]
Gen 49:17, Exod 4:3, Exod 7:15, Num 21:6, Deut 8:15, Ps 58:4, Ps 140:3, Prov 23:32, Prov 30:19, Eccl 10:8, Eccl 10:11, Isa 14:29 (+4 more)
2. serpent (archetypal tempter/cosmic enemy) — Split from sense 117296. Criteria: The Eden tempter (Gen 3:1-14), the bronze serpent as healing symbol (Num 21:9), and Isaiah 27:1's cosmic sea-monster figure — theologically potent symbol of evil and chaos 15×
AR["الحَيَّةَ", "الحَيَّةُ", "الحَيَّةِ", "الْحَيَّةِ", "حَيَّةً", "حَيَّةَ", "حَيَّةِ", "كَالحَيَّةِ", "وَ-الحَيَّةُ"]·ben["-এবং-সাপ", "আর-সাপ", "সাপ", "সাপের", "সাপের-মতো"]·DE["Schlange", "Schlange-von", "[כנחש]", "[נחש]", "der-Schlange", "die-Schlange", "ein-Schlange-von", "serpent-von", "und-Schlange", "und-die-Schlange"]·EN["And-the-serpent", "a-serpent-of", "and-He-shall-slay", "and-the-serpent", "fleeing", "like-the-serpent", "serpent", "serpent-of", "the-serpent"]·FR["Et-le-serpent", "[כנחש]", "et-serpent", "le-serpent", "serpent", "serpent-de", "un-serpent-de"]·heb["ה-נחש", "ו-ה-נחש", "ו-נחש", "כ-נחש", "נחש"]·HI["उस-सांप", "और-उस-सांप", "और-साँप", "जैसे-साँप", "सर्प", "साँप", "सांप", "सांप-ने"]·ID["Dan-ular", "dan-ular", "seperti-ular", "ular", "ular-itu"]·IT["And-il-serpente", "come-bronzo", "e-serpente", "il-serpente", "serpent-di", "serpente", "serpente-di", "un-serpente-di"]·jav["ing-ula", "kados-ula", "lan-ula", "ula"]·KO["그-뱀", "그-뱀-을", "그-뱀-이", "그리고-그-뱀-은", "그리고-뽀이", "뱀-을", "뱀-의", "뱀을", "뽀", "뽀을", "처럼-뱀"]·PT["E-a-serpente", "a-serpente", "como-serpente", "e-serpente", "serpente", "serpente-de"]·RU["-змей", "-змею", "И-змей", "змей", "змея", "и-змей", "как-змей"]·ES["Y-la-serpiente", "como-la-serpiente", "la-serpiente", "serpiente", "serpiente-de", "y-la-serpiente"]·SW["Na-nyoka", "kama-nyoka", "na-nyoka", "nyoka", "nyoka-wa"]·TR["-yılan", "-yılana", "Ve-yılan", "ve-yilan", "yiilan", "yilan", "yılan", "yılan-gibi", "yılana", "yılanı"]·urd["اور-سانپ", "سانپ", "سانپ-سے", "سانپ-نے", "سانپ-کی-طرح"]
Related Senses
H6629 1. flock, sheep/goats (small livestock) (274×)H1241 1. cattle, herd (bovine livestock) (183×)H0352a 1. ram (male sheep) (156×)H6499 1. young bull, bullock (130×)H3532 1. lamb, young male sheep (105×)H2543 1. donkey (male ass) (96×)H7794 1. ox, bull (79×)H7462b 1. shepherd (agent noun) (76×)H5795 1. she-goat(s), female goat(s) (68×)H7462b 2. to shepherd, tend, pasture (60×)H1581 1. camel (domestic animal) (54×)H0738b 1. lion (46×)G4263 1. sheep (39×)H5739 1. flock or herd of livestock (38×)H5695 1. calf, young bull (35×)H0738a 1. lion (large predatory feline) (34×)H0860 1. female donkey (34×)H3611 1. dog (animal) (32×)H3715a 1. young lion, lion cub (31×)G0721 1. Lamb (29×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. נָחָשׁ n.m. Gn 3:1 serpent (NH id.; Arabic حَنَشٌ serpent, viper (Lane406 anything hunted) is cp. by LagM i. 230; BN 50, 188 BAES 48, but improb.; Arabic نَحِسَ v. sub [נָחַשׁ] infr.; on formation cf. LagBN 50);—abs. נ׳ Am 5:19 +; cstr. נְחָשׁ Nu 21:9 + 2 times; pl. נְחָשִׁים Nu 21:6 Je 8:17;— 1. serpent: a. as biting, Am 5:19 Ec 10:8, in spite of charm (לַחַשׁ) v 11 [cf. Ecclus 12:13], Je…