H6137 H6137
Scorpion — the venomous arachnid, used literally of desert fauna and figuratively of harsh punitive instruments.
Refers to the scorpion, a creature well known in the Judean and Sinai deserts for its painful, venomous sting. Moses recalls how God led Israel through a wilderness of serpents and scorpions (Deut 8:15), while Ezekiel is told not to fear rebellious Israel even though he dwells among scorpions (Ezek 2:6). The most vivid usage is figurative: Rehoboam threatens to discipline the people with 'scorpions' rather than whips (1 Kgs 12:11, 14 = 2 Chr 10:11, 14), almost certainly denoting barbed scourges whose lashes sting like a scorpion's tail. Spanish 'escorpiones,' French 'scorpions,' and German 'Skorpione' all preserve the same image across languages.
Senses
1. scorpion — The scorpion as a venomous desert creature (Deut 8:15) and, by extension, a figure for hostile, stinging adversaries (Ezek 2:6). The literal and metaphorical senses shade into each other: in Rehoboam's threat to chastise with 'scorpions' (1 Kgs 12:11, 14 = 2 Chr 10:11, 14), the word likely denotes multi-tailed whips fitted with barbed metal tips — instruments whose bite recalled the animal's sting. All major translations render with cognate scorpion-words (Spanish 'escorpiones,' French 'scorpions'), reflecting the creature's pan-Mediterranean familiarity. 6×
AR["بِالعَقارِبِ", "بِالـ-عَقَارِبِ", "عَقارِبَ", "وَعَقْرَبٍ"]·ben["এবং-বিছা", "বিছা-দিয়ে", "বিছাদের", "বিছায়"]·DE["[בעקרבים]", "[עקרבים]", "mit-der-scorpions", "und-scorpion"]·EN["and-scorpion", "scorpions", "with-the-scorpions"]·FR["[בעקרבים]", "avec-le-scorpions", "et-scorpion", "idole"]·heb["ב-ה-עקרבים", "בָּ-עַקְרַבִּים", "ו-עקרב", "עקרבים"]·HI["और-बिच्छू", "बिच्छुओं-से", "बिच्छूओं", "बिच्छूों-से"]·ID["dan-kalajengking", "dengan-kalajengking", "kalajengking"]·IT["[בעקרבים]", "[עקרבים]", "con-il-scorpions", "e-scorpion"]·jav["kala-jengking", "kaliyan-kalajengking", "lan-kalajengking", "srana-kalajengking"]·KO["그-전갈들-로", "그리고-전갈과", "에-전갈로", "전갈들"]·PT["com-os-escorpiões", "e-escorpião", "escorpiões"]·RU["и-скорпиона", "скорпионами", "скорпионов"]·ES["con-escorpiones", "con-los-escorpiones", "escorpiones", "y-de-escorpión"]·SW["kwa-nge", "na-nge", "nge"]·TR["akrepleriyle", "akreplerle", "akreplerlekreplerle", "ve-akrebin", "ve-el"]·urd["اور-بچھو", "بچھوؤں-سے", "بچھوؤں-کے"]
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
† עַקְרָב n.m.* f.] as in NH Syriac Mand. Arabic (Levy gives Talm. [Aramaic] as m., but are readings correct?), Nö (privately). scorpion (appar. quadrilit.: NH id.; Assyrian aḳrabu; Ethiopic ዐቅረብ:; Arabic عَقْرَبٌ; עַקְרַבָּא);—abs. עַקְרָב Dt 8:15 (coll.; of wilderness), pl. עַקְרַבִּים Ez 2:6 (fig. of enemies); יִסַּר בָּע׳ 1 K 12:11, 14 = 2 Ch 10:11, 14, i.e. scourges with points, stings.—Vid. also מַעֲלֵה עַקְרַבִּים.