BDB5136 [H5175]

I. נָחָשׁ noun masculine^{Gen 3:1} serpent (Late Hebrew id.; Arabic serpent, viper (Lane^{406 anything} 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 Num 21:9 + 2 t.; plural נְחָשִׁים Num 21:6; Jer 8:17 —

1. serpent:
\ \ a. as biting, Amos 5:19; Eccl 10:8, in spite of charm (לַחַשׁ) vEccl 10:11 [compare Ecculs Eccl 12:13], Jer 8:17 (+ צִפְעֹנִים; figurative of enemies); so הַנְּחָשִׁים הַשְׁרָפִים Num 21:6 (deadly; J E; compare Jacob^{Arab. Dicht. iv. 10 ff.}), and singular vNum 21:9, also (collective) vNum 21:7 compare שָׂרָף ׳נ Deut 8:15 (+ עַקְרָב); ׳נ figurative of oppressor, מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ נָחָשׁ יֵצֵא צֶפַע וּפִרְיוֺ שָׂרָף מְעוֺפֵף Isa 14:29 figurative of Dan Gen 49:17 (poem in J; || שְׁפִיפֹן); ׳הֲמַת נ Ps 58:5 (simile of perniciousness of ungodly), compare ׳נ Ps 140:4 simile of effect of wine Prov 22:32 (|| צִפִעֹנִי).
\ \ b. rod becomes ׳נ Exod 4:3 (J), compare Exod 7:15 (E); ׳עֲלֵי צוּר דֶּרֶךְ נ Prov 30:19.
\ \ c. ׳נ (apparently) as hissing Jer 46:22 (in simile, compare Gie); as eating dust Isa 65:25 compare Mic 7:17 (in simile; see also Gen 3:14).
\ \ d. as crafty tempter Gen 3:1; Gen 3:2; Gen 3:4; Gen 3:13; Gen 3:14.

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

3. mythological בָּרִחַ ׳נ Job 26:13 fleeing serpent, of eclipse-dragon (compareלִנְיָתָן Job 3:6); also בּרִחַ ֗֗֗ ׳לִוְיָתָן נ עֲקַלָּתוֺן ׳לִוְיָתָן נ Isa 27:1 (symbolic of world-powers); ׳נ of sea-monster Amos 9:3. — ׳נ with verb נָשַׁךְ bite Num 21:6 + 8 t. 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}

The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
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