נָחָשׁ

n.m. Gn 3:1 serpent (NH id.; Arabic حَنَشٌ serpent, viper (Lane406 anything hunted) is cp. by LagM i. 230; BN 50, 188 BAES 48, but improb.; Arabic نَحِسَ v. sub [נָחַשׁ] infr.; on formation cf. LagBN 50);—abs. נ׳ Am 5:19 +; cstr. נְחָשׁ Nu 21:9 + 2 times; pl. נְחָשִׁים Nu 21:6 Je 8:17;— serpent: as biting, Am 5:19 Ec 10:8, in spite of charm (לַחַשׁ) v 11 [cf. Ecclus 12:13], Je 8:17 (+ צִפְעֹנִים; fig. of enemies); so הַנְּחָשִׁים הַשְּׂרָפִים Nu 21:6 (deadly; JE; cf. JacobArab. Dicht. iv. 10 ff.), and sg. v 9, also (coll.) v 7 cf. נ׳ שָׂרָף Dt 8:15 (+ עַקְרָב); נ׳ fig. of oppressor, מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ נָחָשׁ יֵצֵא צֶפַע וּפִרְיוֹ שָׂרָף מְעוֹפֵף Is 14:29; fig. of Dan Gn 49:17 (poem in J; ‖ שְׁפִיפֹן); חֲמַת נ׳ ψ 58:5 (sim. of perniciousness of ungodly), cf. נ׳ 140:4; sim. of effect of wine Pr 23:32 (‖ צִפִעֹנִי). rod becomes נ׳ Ex 4:3 (J), cf. 7:15 (E); דֶּרֶךְ נ׳ עֲלֵי צוּר Pr 30:19. נ׳ (appar.) as hissing Je 46:22 (in sim., cf. Gie); as eating dust Is 65:25 cf. Mi 7:17 (in sim.; v. also Gn 3:14). as crafty tempter Gn 3:1, 2, 4, 13, 14. נ׳ (הַ)נְּחשֶׁת, bronze image of serpent Nu 21:9(×2) 2 K 18:4 (cf. נְחֻשְׁתָּן). mythol. נ׳ בָּרִחַ Jb 26:13 fleeing serpent, of eclipse-dragon (cf. לִוְיָתָן 3:6); also לִוְיָתָן נ׳ בָּרִחַ … לִוְיָתָן נ׳ עֲקַלָּתוֹן Is 27:1 (symbol. of world-powers); נ׳ of sea-monster Am 9:3.—נ׳ c. vb. נָשַׁךְ bite Nu 21:6 + 8 times. On supernat. character of serpents in Arabic belief v. NöZeitschr. für Völkerpsychol. i (1860), 412–416 RSKinship 197; Sem i. 421 f., 2d ed. 442 WeSkizzen iii. 147; Arab. Heid. 2, 152 f. JacobArab. Dicht. iv. 5.