H8318 H8318
Swarming creatures — collective term for small animals that teem in water or creep on land
The noun שֶׁרֶץ (sherets) is a collective term for small creatures that swarm, teem, or creep — encompassing aquatic swarmers, land-crawling reptiles and rodents, and flying insects. It appears at creation itself (Gen 1:20), in the flood narrative (Gen 7:21), and extensively in Leviticus 11's purity laws, where it helps define the boundary between clean and unclean. The word's semantic breadth is striking: it covers everything from fish-like swarmers to lizards, mice, and four-legged insects. Spanish splits between 'enjambre' (swarm) and 'reptil' (creeping thing), reflecting the term's dual aquatic and terrestrial range.
Senses
1. swarming creatures, creeping things — A collective noun for small animals that move in swarms or creep along surfaces, spanning aquatic creatures (Gen 1:20; Lev 11:10), small land animals like lizards and rodents (Lev 11:29, 41-44), and winged insects (Lev 11:20-23; Deut 14:19). Central to the Priestly purity system, where contact with dead sherets renders one unclean until evening (Lev 5:2; 11:31-32). French 'animal grouillant' and German 'Gewimmel' both emphasize the teeming, swarming quality that is the word's core image. 15×
AR["الدَّبَّابَاتِ","الدَّبِيبِ","دَابَّةِ","دَبِيبٍ","دَبِيبِ","زَحَّافَاتٍ","مِنَ-الدَّبِيبِ"]·ben["-ঘৃণ্য-জিনিস","-ঘৃণ্য-জিনিসের","-ঘৃণ্য-জিনিসের-দ্বারা","-ঘৃণ্য-জিনিসের-মধ্যে","ঘৃণ্য-জিনিস","জলজন্তু","পোকা","সরীসৃপের","সেই-পোকামাকড়","হামাগুড়ি"]·DE["Gewimmel","der-schwaermend-creature","ein-Gewimmel","ein-schwaermend-Sache","schwaermend-Sache","schwaermend-Sache-von","schwaermend-creature","schwaermend-creature-von","unter-der-schwaermend-creature"]·EN["a-swarming-thing","among-the-swarming-creature","swarmers","swarming-creature","swarming-creature-of","swarming-thing","swarming-thing-of","the-swarming-creature","the-swarming-thing"]·FR["animal-grouillant","le-grouillant-chose","le-swarming-créature","parmi-le-swarming-créature","swarmers","swarming-chose-de","swarming-créature","swarming-créature-de","un-swarming-chose"]·heb["ב-ה-שרץ","ה-שרץ","שרץ"]·HI["उड़ने वाला","केएत","झुंड","में-रेंगने वाले","रेंगने वाला","रेंगने वाले","रेंगने-वाले","रेंगनेवाले-जीव"]·ID["binatang-kecil","binatang-melata","dengan-keriapan","di-antara-binatang-kecil","serangga"]·IT["brulicare-cosa","brulicare-cosa-di","brulicare-creatura","brulicare-creatura-di","il-brulicante-cosa","il-brulicare-creatura","swarmers","tra-il-brulicare-creatura","un-brulicare-cosa"]·jav["ing-antawisipun-rayap","ing-kéwan-alit","kewan-ingkang-ngrembet","kéwan-alit","rajakaya-cilik","rayap","sato-rumangkang"]·KO["그-기는-것에","그-기는-것에서","그-기는-것의","그-기는-것이","그-번성하는-것","기는-것의","기어다니는-것","떼은-것이","번성-하는-것","에-기는-것에서"]·PT["entre-o-réptil","enxame","enxame-de","o-enxame","o-réptil"]·RU["в-кишащем","гада","кишащего","кишащее","кишащем","кишащим","кишащих","кишением","пресмыкающемуся"]·ES["cosa-que-se-arrastra","el-enjambre","el-reptil","enjambre-de","entre-el-reptil","reptil"]·SW["kitambaacho","kiumbe-kidogo","kiumbe-kimene-menecho","kundi","miongoni-mwa-viumbe-vidogo","viumbe-vidogo","wadudu"]·TR["-sürüngende","kaynaşma","sürüngen","sürüngene","sürüngeni","sürüngenlerden","sürüngenlerin","sürüngenlerle"]·urd["بہتات-سے","رینگنے-والوں-اُن","رینگنے-والے","میں-کیڑوں","کیڑا","کیڑوں","کیڑے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† שֶׁ֫רֶץ n.m. Gn 7, 21 coll. swarmers, swarming things;—שׁ׳ abs. Lv 11:29 +, שָׁ֑רֶץ v 31; cstr. v 20 +;—swarming things (H D and P), aquatic Gn 1:20 Lv 11:10; small reptiles and quadrupeds Gn 7:21 (+ עוֹף, בְּהֵמָה, חַיָּה), Lv 5:2 (+ חַיָּה, בְּהֵמָה), 11:29 (weasel, mouse, lizard), v 31, 41, 42, 43 (c. cogn. שָׁרַץ) v 44, cf. 22:5; insects, שׁ׳ הָעוֹף Dt 14:19, + הַהֹלֵךְ עַל־אַרְבַּע Lv 11:20, 21, cf. v 23. cf. DrDB i. 518.