H6620 H6620
A cobra or venomous serpent (peten); a poetic symbol of deadly venom and mortal danger
A venomous snake, most likely the Egyptian cobra (Naja haje), appearing exclusively in poetic and prophetic texts as a potent symbol of lethal danger. Moses' Song compares the wine of the wicked to the venom of petanim (Deut 32:33). Job likens hidden sin to cobra poison sucked and swallowed (Job 20:14, 16). The Psalms pair it with other fearsome creatures — the deaf adder that stops its ear (Ps 58:4) and the lion and dragon that the faithful will tread upon (Ps 91:13). Isaiah's messianic vision pictures an infant playing safely over the cobra's hole (Isa 11:8), transforming the symbol of death into a sign of paradise restored.
Senses
1. cobra / venomous serpent — The peten (פֶּתֶן), a venomous serpent identified as the cobra or deadly asp, used exclusively in poetry and prophecy as a symbol of lethal danger. Deut 32:33 speaks of the venom of petanim; Job 20:14, 16 likens hidden sin to cobra poison; Ps 58:4 describes the deaf peten that resists the charmer; Ps 91:13 promises the righteous will tread on it; and Isa 11:8 envisions a child playing at its hole in the messianic age. Spanish víbora/cobra and German Kobra all identify it as a specific venomous species. The Aramaic cognate pitnā confirms the zoological identification across Semitic traditions. 6×
AR["أَفاعٍ", "أُفعى", "الْأَفَاعِي", "الْأَفْعَى", "وَالْأَفْعَى"]·ben["এবং-বিষধর", "কালসাপ", "সাপদের", "সাপের"]·DE["[פתן]", "[פתנים]", "cobras", "ein-cobra", "und-der-cobra"]·EN["a-cobra", "and-the-cobra", "cobra", "cobras"]·FR["[פתן]", "cobras", "et-vipère", "vipère", "פתנים"]·heb["ו-פתן", "פתן", "פתנים"]·HI["और-नाग", "नाग", "नाग-के", "नागों-का", "साँपों-की"]·ID["dan-ular-berbisa", "ular-berbisa", "ular-cobra", "ular-ular-beludak"]·IT["[פתן]", "aspide", "cobras", "e-aspide"]·jav["goroh", "lan-ula-bedhudhak", "ula", "ula-welang"]·KO["그리고-독사-를", "독사-처럼", "독사들의", "독사의"]·PT["e-a-víbora", "víbora", "víboras"]·RU["аспид", "аспида", "аспидов", "змей", "и-змею"]·ES["cobra", "víboras", "y-víbora", "áspid", "áspides"]·SW["kobra", "la-nyoka", "na-nyoka", "nyoka", "ya-nyoka"]·TR["kobra", "kobra'nın", "kobranin", "ve-kobra", "yılanların"]·urd["اور-ناگ", "سانپوں-کا", "سانپوں-کی", "ناگ", "ناگ-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
† פֶּ֫תֶן n.m. ψ 58:5 a venomous serpent, perhaps cobra (פתן Ecclus 39:30; Aramaic פִּתְנָא, ܦܰܬܳܢܳܐ, whence perhaps Arabic بَثَنٌ );—only poet.: pl. רֹאשׁ פְּתָנִים Dt 32:33 (‖ חֲמַת תַּנִּינִם), Jb 20:16, מְרוֹרַת פ׳ v 14; sg. פֶּ֫תֶן ψ 91:13 (‖ תַּנִּין), פ׳ חֵרֵשׁ 58:5, חֻר פָּ֑תֶן Is 11:8.