The term "serpent" originates from two distinct Hebrew words and two separate Greek words. This study will concentrate on the first Hebrew word translated as "serpent."
Original Word: נָחָשׁ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: nachash
Pronunciation: naw-khawsh'
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-khawsh')
Definition: Serpent, snake
Meaning: a snake
Word Origin: From the root verb נָחַשׁ (nachash), meaning "to practice divination" or "to observe signs."
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G3789: ὄφις (ophis) - This Greek word is used in the New Testament to refer to serpents, including the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Revelation 12:9).
Usage: The Hebrew word "nachash" primarily refers to a serpent or snake. It is often associated with cunning, deception, and danger, as seen in its first biblical appearance in Genesis. The term can also carry connotations of enchantment or divination due to its root verb.
Original Word: נָחַשׁ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nachash
Pronunciation: nah-KHASH
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-khash')
Definition: To practice divination, to observe signs, to enchant
Meaning: to hiss, whisper a, spell, to prognosticate
Word Origin: A primitive root
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G5331 (φαρμακεία, pharmakeia) - often translated as "sorcery" or "witchcraft," referring to the use of magic or enchantment.
- G3097 (μαγεία, mageia) - meaning "magic" or "sorcery," similar in context to divination.
Usage: The Hebrew verb "nachash" primarily refers to the act of divination or seeking omens. It is used in the context of attempting to gain insight or foretell future events through supernatural means. This practice is often associated with pagan rituals and is explicitly condemned in the Hebrew Scriptures as contrary to the worship and reliance on the one true God.
This version of the word "serpent " according to Strong's Hebrew: 5175. נָחָשׁ (nachash) has many Occurrences.
- Genesis 3:1-2 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
- Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
- And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Genesis 3:1
HEB: וְהַנָּחָשׁ֙ הָיָ֣ה עָר֔וּם
KJV: Now the serpent was more subtil
Genesis 3:2
HEB: הָֽאִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־ הַנָּחָ֑שׁ מִפְּרִ֥י עֵֽץ־
KJV: said unto the serpent, We may eat
Genesis 3:4
HEB: וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַנָּחָ֖שׁ אֶל־ הָֽאִשָּׁ֑ה
KJV: And the serpent said unto the woman,
Genesis 3:13
HEB: וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה הַנָּחָ֥שׁ הִשִּׁיאַ֖נִי וָאֹכֵֽל׃
KJV: said, The serpent beguiled me,
INT: said to the woman the serpent me ate
Genesis 3:14
HEB: אֱלֹהִ֥ים ׀ אֶֽל־ הַנָּחָשׁ֮ כִּ֣י עָשִׂ֣יתָ
NAS: said to the serpent, Because
KJV: said unto the serpent, Because thou
INT: God to the serpent Because have done
- It can be interpreted that the snake represented more than a mere serpent; it was influenced by Satan.
Genesis 49:17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.
HEB: יְהִי־ דָן֙ נָחָ֣שׁ עֲלֵי־ דֶ֔רֶךְ
KJV: Dan shall be a serpent by the way,
- The tribe of Dan was the first to significantly engage in idolatry and witchcraft, influencing the other tribes to follow suit. It is conceivable that the term 'snake' was employed to foretell their future actions of leading others into idolatry and witchcraft.
Exodus 4:2-3 And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
HEB: אַ֖רְצָה וַיְהִ֣י לְנָחָ֑שׁ וַיָּ֥נָס מֹשֶׁ֖ה
KJV: it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses
Exodus 7:15 Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.
HEB: אֲשֶׁר־ נֶהְפַּ֥ךְ לְנָחָ֖שׁ תִּקַּ֥ח בְּיָדֶֽךָ׃
KJV: which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take
- Moses' staff was not an ordinary serpent; it became one through the power of God.
Numbers 21:6-9 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Numbers 21:6
HEB: בָּעָ֗ם אֵ֚ת הַנְּחָשִׁ֣ים הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים וַֽיְנַשְּׁכ֖וּ
KJV: fiery serpents among the people,
Numbers 21:7
HEB: מֵעָלֵ֖ינוּ אֶת־ הַנָּחָ֑שׁ וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל מֹשֶׁ֖ה
KJV: that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses
Numbers 21:9
HEB: וַיַּ֤עַשׂ מֹשֶׁה֙ נְחַ֣שׁ נְחֹ֔שֶׁת וַיְשִׂמֵ֖הוּ
KJV: made a serpent of brass,
Numbers 21:9
HEB: אִם־ נָשַׁ֤ךְ הַנָּחָשׁ֙ אֶת־ אִ֔ישׁ
KJV: it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten
Numbers 21:9
HEB: וְהִבִּ֛יט אֶל־ נְחַ֥שׁ הַנְּחֹ֖שֶׁת וָחָֽי׃
KJV: when he beheld the serpent of brass,
2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
HEB: הָֽאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה וְכִתַּת֩ נְחַ֨שׁ הַנְּחֹ֜שֶׁת אֲשֶׁר־
KJV: the brasen serpent that Moses
- These were definitely now the normal serpents. They were sent by God for a purpose. The brass serpent was a device used for healing. Later this brass serpent was destroyed because the people had started worshipping it.
Deuteronomy 8:15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;
HEB: הַגָּדֹ֣ל וְהַנּוֹרָ֗א נָחָ֤שׁ ׀ שָׂרָף֙ וְעַקְרָ֔ב
KJV: [wherein were] fiery serpents, and scorpions,
- God is recalling to the Israelites their experiences in the wilderness. The "serpents" mentioned refer to those described in Numbers 21:6-9, which were sent as a punishment for the people's transgressions.
Job 26:13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
HEB: חֹֽלֲלָ֥ה יָ֝ד֗וֹ נָחָ֥שׁ בָּרִֽיחַ׃
KJV: hath formed the crooked serpent.
Isaiah 27:1 In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
Isaiah 27:1
HEB: עַ֤ל לִוְיָתָן֙ נָחָ֣שׁ בָּרִ֔חַ וְעַל֙
KJV: the piercing serpent, even leviathan
Isaiah 27:1
HEB: וְעַל֙ לִוְיָתָ֔ן נָחָ֖שׁ עֲקַלָּת֑וֹן וְהָרַ֥ג
KJV: that crooked serpent; and he shall slay
- God created the crooked serpent, identified as Leviathan, which is a sea dragon. It could be inferred that the crooked serpent symbolizes the devil, known as Lucifer. It is noteworthy that God also created the angels, including Lucifer, who eventually rebelled against God.
Psalm 58:3-4 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
HEB: כִּדְמ֥וּת חֲמַת־ נָחָ֑שׁ כְּמוֹ־ פֶ֥תֶן
KJV: the poison of a serpent: [they are] like the deaf
Psalm 140:3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.
HEB: לְשׁוֹנָם֮ כְּֽמוֹ־ נָ֫חָ֥שׁ חֲמַ֥ת עַכְשׁ֑וּב
KJV: their tongues like a serpent; adders'
- The wicked are often likened to the venom of serpents, behaving in a manner similar to snakes.
Proverbs 23:30-33 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
Proverbs 23:32
HEB: אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י
KJV: it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth
- Alcohol can be likened to an enchanted serpent; it offers no good outcome.
Proverbs 30:18-19 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.
Proverbs 30:19
HEB: בַּשָּׁמַיִם֮ דֶּ֥רֶךְ נָחָ֗שׁ עֲלֵ֫י צ֥וּר
KJV: the way of a serpent upon a rock;
- The nature of the serpent mentioned is unclear, but it is indeed intriguing. The author explicitly states his lack of understanding of four things, one of which is a serpent.
Ecclesiastes 10:8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
HEB: גָּדֵ֖ר יִשְּׁכֶ֥נּוּ נָחָֽשׁ׃
KJV: an hedge, a serpent shall bite
- Everyday activities may result in disasters - like being bite by a serpent. This could be allegorically or physically.
Ecclesiastes 10:11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
HEB: אִם־ יִשֹּׁ֥ךְ הַנָּחָ֖שׁ בְּלוֹא־ לָ֑חַשׁ
KJV: Surely the serpent will bite
- When left unchecked, the serpent will strike. A babbler is someone who speaks incessantly in a foolish, excited, or unintelligible manner. The comparison of a babbler to a serpent suggests that without some external restraint, they are unable to stop talking or know when to remain silent.
Isaiah 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, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.
HEB: כִּֽי־ מִשֹּׁ֤רֶשׁ נָחָשׁ֙ יֵ֣צֵא צֶ֔פַע
KJV: thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root
- Remember the Fiery serpents from earlier? Now those serpents are able to fly.
Jeremiah 46:20-23 Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north. Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation. The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood. They shall cut down her forest, saith the Lord, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.
Jeremiah 46:22
HEB: קוֹלָ֖הּ כַּנָּחָ֣שׁ יֵלֵ֑ךְ כִּֽי־
KJV: thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march
- The sound of the army is likened to the hiss of a serpent. Given that armies of that era were often associated with the noise of horses, it raises the question of whether this army might possess modern machinery such as helicopters. This suggests a prophecy about a future era. Jeremiah, having never witnessed or known about helicopters, attempted to describe an unfamiliar concept without the precise vocabulary.
