Lexical Summary
nachash: Serpent, snake
Original Word:נָחָשׁ
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:nachash
Pronunciation:naw-khawsh'
Phonetic Spelling:(naw-khawsh')
KJV: serpent
NASB:serpent, serpents, serpent's, snake
Word Origin:[fromH5172 (נָחַשׁ - used divination)]
1. a snake (from its hiss)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
serpent
Fromnachash; a snake (from its hiss) -- serpent.
see HEBREWnachash
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitiona serpent
NASB Translationserpent (24), serpent's (2), serpents (2), snake (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I.
Genesis 3:1 (Late Hebrew id.; Arabic
serpent, viper (Lane
406anythinghunted) is compare by Lag
M, i, 230; BN 50, 188 Ba
Es 48, but improbable; Arabic
see below [ below; on formation compare Lag
BN 50); — absolute
Amos 5:19 +; construct
Numbers 21:9 2t.; plural
Numbers 21:6;
Jeremiah 8:17; —
serpent:
,Amos 5:19;Ecclesiastes 10:8, in spite of charm ()Ecclesiastes 10:11 [compare EcculsEcclesiastes 12:13],Jeremiah 8:17 (+ ; figurative of enemies); soNumbers 21:6 (deadly; J E; compare JacobArab. Dicht. iv. 10 ff.), and singularNumbers 21:9, also (collective)Numbers 21:7 compareDeuteronomy 8:15 (+ ); figurative of oppressor,Isaiah 14:29; figurative of DanGenesis 49:17 (poem in J; "" );Psalm 58:5 (simile of perniciousness of ungodly), comparePsalm 140:4; simile of effect of wineProverbs 22:32 ("" ).
Exodus 4:3 (J), compareExodus 7:15 (E);Proverbs 30:19.
(apparently) as hissingJeremiah 46:22 (in simile, compare Gie); as eating dustIsaiah 65:25 compareMicah 7:17 (in simile; see alsoGenesis 3:14).
Genesis 3:1,2,4,13,14.
, bronze image of serpentNumbers 21:9 (twice in verse);2 Kings 18:4 (compare ).
mythologicalJob 26:13fleeing serpent, of eclipse-dragon (compareJob 3:6); alsoIsaiah 27:1 (symbolic of world-powers); of sea-monsterAmos 9:3. — with verbbiteNumbers 21:6 8t. On supernatural character of serpents in Arabic belief see NöZeitschr. Für Völkerpsychol. i.(1860), 412-416 RSKinship 197, Semitic i. 421 f., 2d ed, 442 WeSkizzen iii.147, Arab. Heid. 2, 152 f. JacobArab. Dicht. iv. 5
Topical Lexicon
Creation and Original Setting“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made” (Genesis 3:1). The first biblical appearance of נָחָשׁ is in Eden, where the creature’s cunning becomes the catalyst for humanity’s fall. Though the animal is evidently part of God’s “very good” creation (Genesis 1:31), its submission to satanic deception (Revelation 12:9) introduces a motif that recurs throughout Scripture: the serpent as a vessel of rebellion against God and a reminder of the curse (Genesis 3:14-15).
Symbol of Deception and Evil
Genesis establishes נָחָשׁ as a representative of subtlety and false wisdom. This symbolism is echoed whenever the term recurs in connection with idolatry or divination (for example,Deuteronomy 18:10). The prophets later draw on the image to describe hostile powers: “Do not rejoice, all of you Philistia… for from the serpent’s root will spring a viper” (Isaiah 14:29). The association of the serpent with Satan, sin, and death grounds the New Testament affirmation that Christ came to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).
Instrument of Divine Judgment
The LORD at times employs actual serpents as agents of chastening:
•Exodus 4:3; 7:9-12 – Moses’ staff-serpent confronts Pharaoh’s magicians, demonstrating Yahweh’s supremacy over Egypt’s occult powers.
•Numbers 21:6 – “The LORD sent venomous serpents among the people, and many Israelites were bitten and died.” Complaining hearts reap immediate recompense, revealing God’s intolerance of unbelief.
•Amos 9:3 andJeremiah 8:17 anticipate covenant curses in which serpents will strike unrepentant Israel. The image is concrete: rebellion invites lethal consequences.
The Bronze Serpent: Type of Redemption
When the Israelites confess their sin, the LORD commands Moses: “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. Anyone bitten who looks at it will live” (Numbers 21:8). Here נָחָשׁ becomes paradoxically a means of deliverance. Jesus invokes this episode: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). The cursed creature raised on a pole prefigures the sin-bearing Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21;Galatians 3:13). The incident also exposes the human tendency to idolatry; centuries later Hezekiah must destroy the object, called Nehushtan, because Israel had been burning incense to it (2 Kings 18:4).
Wisdom Literature and Practical Warnings
Proverbs and Ecclesiastes use נָחָשׁ in proverbial sayings:
• “At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like a viper” (Proverbs 23:32) – sin’s hidden cost.
• “He who digs a pit may fall into it, and he who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake” (Ecclesiastes 10:8) – the unexpected repercussions of folly.
• “Surely the serpent will bite when not charmed” (Ecclesiastes 10:11) – skill must be applied in time.
These texts affirm that wisdom is inseparable from submission to God’s order.
Promise of Ultimate Triumph
Genesis 3:15 introduces the proto-evangelium: the woman’s Seed will crush the serpent’s head while suffering a bruised heel. Isaiah foresees a restored creation where “the serpent will eat dust” (Isaiah 65:25) and “they will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain.” Paul declares the fulfillment in progress: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20). John’s Apocalypse pictures the final expulsion of “that ancient serpent” into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:2, 10).
Practical and Ministry Implications
1. Gospel proclamation – The bronze serpent event supplies a vivid evangelistic illustration: life comes through looking in faith to the One lifted up.
2. Spiritual warfare – Believers are alert that the devil still “disguises himself” (2 Corinthians 11:3, 14). Vigilance is necessary, yet hope is certain.
3. Pastoral counsel – The imagery warns against flirtation with occult practices or idolatrous objects; anything that displaces Christ invites judgment.
4. Discipleship and mission – Jesus’ exhortation, “Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16), balances prudence with purity, redeeming the serpent’s craftiness for righteous ends.
Summary
Across roughly thirty-one occurrences, נָחָשׁ functions as literal reptile, metaphor of sin’s seduction, tool of divine discipline, and prophetic signpost to Messiah. The canonical trajectory moves from Edenic fall to eschatological victory, anchoring Christian confidence that the Seed has come, the serpent’s defeat is assured, and the redeemed will one day inhabit a creation where serpents no longer harm.
Forms and Transliterations
הַנְּחָשִׁ֣ים הַנָּחָ֑שׁ הַנָּחָ֖שׁ הַנָּחָ֥שׁ הַנָּחָֽשׁ׃ הַנָּחָשׁ֙ הַנָּחָשׁ֮ הנחש הנחש׃ הנחשים וְהַנָּחָשׁ֙ וְנָחָ֖שׁ והנחש ונחש כְּנָחָ֣שׁ כַּנָּחָ֔שׁ כַּנָּחָ֣שׁ כנחש לְנָחָ֑שׁ לְנָחָ֖שׁ לנחש נְחַ֣שׁ נְחַ֥שׁ נְחַ֨שׁ נְחָשִׁים֙ נָ֫חָ֥שׁ נָחָ֑שׁ נָחָ֖שׁ נָחָ֗שׁ נָחָ֣שׁ נָחָ֤שׁ ׀ נָחָ֥שׁ נָחָֽשׁ׃ נָחָשׁ֙ נחש נחש׃ נחשים han·nā·ḥāš han·nə·ḥā·šîm hannaChash hannāḥāš hannechaShim hannəḥāšîm kan·nā·ḥāš kannaChash kannāḥāš kə·nā·ḥāš kenaChash kənāḥāš lə·nā·ḥāš lenaChash lənāḥāš nā·ḥāš naChash nāḥāš nə·ḥā·šîm nə·ḥaš neChash nechaShim nəḥaš nəḥāšîm vehannaChash venaChash wə·han·nā·ḥāš wə·nā·ḥāš wəhannāḥāš wənāḥāš
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