STRONGS NUMBER H5175

H5175. nachash

I. נָחָשׁ‎ noun masculine^{Genesis 3:1} serpent (Late Hebrew id.; Arabic serpent, viper (Lane^406anything hunted) is compare by Lag^{M, i, 230}; BN 50, 188 Ba^{Es 48}, but improbable; Arabic see below [נָחַשׁ‎ below; on formation compare Lag^{BN 50}); — absolute ׳נ‎ Amos 5:19 +; construct נְחַשׁ‎ Numbers 21:9 2t.; plural נְחָשִׁים‎ 21:6; Jeremiah 8:17; —

1 serpent:

a. as biting, Amos 5:19; Ecclesiastes 10:8, in spite of charm (לַחַשׁ‎) 10:11 [compare Ecculs 12:13], Jeremiah 8:17 (+ צִפְעֹנִים‎; figurative of enemies); so הַשְׁרָפִים הַנְּחָשִׁים‎ Numbers 21:6 (deadly; J E; compare Jacob^{Arab. Dicht. iv. 10 ff.}), and singular 21:9, also (collective) 21:7 compare ׳נ שָׂרָף‎ Deuteronomy 8:15 (+ עַקְרָב‎); ׳נ‎ figurative of oppressor, מְעוֺפֵף שָׂרָף וּפִרְיוֺ צֶפַע יֵצֵא נָחָשׁ מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ‎ Isaiah 14:29; figurative of Dan Genesis 49:17 (poem in J; "" שְׁפִיפֹן‎); נ ׳הֲמַת‎ Psalm 58:5 (simile of perniciousness of ungodly), compare ׳נ‎ 140:4; simile of effect of wine Proverbs 22:32 ("" צִפִעֹנִי‎).

b. rod becomes ׳נ‎ Exodus 4:3 (J), compare 7:15 (E); נ דֶּרֶךְ צוּר ׳עֲלֵי‎ Proverbs 30:19.

c. ׳נ‎ (apparently) as hissing Jeremiah 46:22 (in simile, compare Gie); as eating dust Isaiah 65:25 compare Micah 7:17 (in simile; see also Genesis 3:14).

d. as crafty tempter Genesis 3:1-2, 4, 13, 14.

2 ׳נ (הַ)נְּחשֶׁת‎, bronze image of serpent Numbers 21:9 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 18:4 (compare נְחֻשְׁתָּן‎).

3 mythological ׳נ בָּרִחַ‎ Job 26:13 fleeing serpent, of eclipse-dragon (compareלִנְיָתָן‎ 3:6); also נ ׳לִוְיָתָן עֲקַלָּתוֺן נ ׳לִוְיָתָן ֗֗֗ בּרִחַ‎ Isaiah 27:1 (symbolic of world-powers); ׳נ‎ of sea-monster Amos 9:3. — ׳נ‎ with verb נָשַׁךְ‎ bite Numbers 21:6 8t. On supernatural character of serpents in Arabic belief see Nö^{Zeitschr. Für Völkerpsychol. i.(1860), 412-416} RS^{Kinship 197, Semitic i. 421 f.}, 2d ed, 442 We^{Skizzen iii.147, Arab. Heid. 2, 152 f.} Jacob^{Arab. Dicht. iv. 5}