Topical Encyclopedia
The term "adder" in the Bible is often used to refer to a venomous snake, though the specific species is not always clear. In the ancient Near East, snakes were common and often symbolized danger, deceit, and evil. The adder is mentioned in several passages, highlighting its characteristics and the spiritual lessons derived from its nature.
Biblical References:1.
Psalm 58:4 : "Their venom is like the poison of a serpent, like a deaf cobra that stops up its ears." This verse uses the imagery of a venomous snake to describe the wickedness and deceitfulness of the unrighteous. The adder, or cobra, is depicted as dangerous and unresponsive to charm, symbolizing the stubbornness and malice of those who oppose God.
2.
Proverbs 23:32 : "In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper." Here, the adder is used metaphorically to describe the consequences of indulging in excessive wine and strong drink. The initial allure of such indulgence is contrasted with the eventual harm it brings, much like the bite of a venomous snake.
3.
Isaiah 11:8 : "The infant will play by the cobra’s den, and the toddler will reach into the viper’s nest." This prophetic vision of the Messianic age portrays a time of peace and harmony, where even the most dangerous creatures pose no threat. The adder, representing danger, is rendered harmless in the presence of God's kingdom.
4.
Isaiah 59:5 : "They hatch viper’s eggs and weave a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die; crack one open, and a viper is hatched." This passage uses the imagery of vipers and their eggs to illustrate the destructive and deceitful nature of sin. The adder's eggs symbolize the potential for harm and death inherent in sinful actions.
Symbolism and Interpretation:In biblical literature, the adder often symbolizes sin, danger, and the consequences of turning away from God. Its venomous nature serves as a metaphor for the destructive power of sin and the deceitfulness of evil. The adder's presence in Scripture is a reminder of the need for vigilance and reliance on God's protection and wisdom.
The adder also appears in contexts that highlight God's ultimate authority over creation. In the prophetic vision of Isaiah, the adder's harmlessness in the Messianic age underscores the transformative power of God's kingdom, where even the most dangerous elements of creation are subdued and reconciled.
Cultural and Historical Context:In the ancient Near East, snakes were both feared and revered. They were often associated with fertility and healing, as well as danger and death. The adder, as a venomous snake, would have been a familiar and potent symbol to the original audience of the biblical texts. Its use in Scripture reflects the broader cultural understanding of snakes as creatures to be respected and feared.
Theological Implications:The adder's depiction in the Bible serves as a powerful reminder of the reality of sin and the need for redemption. It calls believers to be aware of the dangers of sin and to seek refuge in God's grace and protection. The imagery of the adder also points to the hope of a future where God's peace reigns, and all creation is restored to harmony.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(
Psalm 140:3;
Romans 3:13, "asp") is the rendering of,
(1.) Akshub ("coiling" or "lying in wait"), properly an asp or viper, found only in this passage.
(2.) Pethen ("twisting"), a viper or venomous serpent identified with the cobra (Naja haje) (Psalm 58:4;91:13); elsewhere "asp."
(3.) Tziphoni ("hissing") (Proverbs 23:32); elsewhere rendered "cockatrice," Isaiah 11:8; 14:29; 59:5;Jeremiah 8:17, as it is here in the margin of the Authorized Version. The Revised Version has "basilisk." This may have been the yellow viper, the Daboia xanthina, the largest and most dangerous of the vipers of Palestine.
(4.) Shephiphon ("creeping"), occurring only inGenesis 49:17, the small speckled venomous snake, the "horned snake," or cerastes. Dan is compared to this serpent, which springs from its hiding-place on the passer-by.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) One who, or that which, adds; esp., a machine for adding numbers.
2. (n.) A serpent.
3. (n.) A small venomous serpent of the genus Vipera. The common European adder is the Vipera (Pelias) berus. The puff adders of Africa are species of Clotho.
4. (n.) In America, the term is commonly applied to several harmless snakes, as the milk adder, puffing adder, etc.
5. (n.) Same as Sea Adder.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
ADDERad'-er (`akhshubh (Psalm 140:3); pethen (Psalm 58:4); tsiph`oni (Proverbs 23:32); shephiphon (Genesis 49:17); tsepha` (King James Version margin;Isaiah 14:29)): This word is used for several Hebrew originals. In each case a poisonous serpent is clearly indicated by the context. It is impossible to tell in any case just what species is meant, but it must be remembered that the English word adder is used very ambiguously. It is from the Anglo-Saxon noedre, a snake or serpent, and is the common English name for Vipera berus, L, the common viper, which is found throughout Europe and northern Asia, though not in Bible lands; but the word "adder" is also used for various snakes, both poisonous and non-poisonous, found in different parts of the world. In America, for instance, both the poisonous moccasin (Ancistrodon) and the harmless hog-nosed snakes (Heterodon) are called adders.
SeeSERPENT.
Alfred Ely Day
Greek
2191. echidna -- a viper... Word Origin from echis (a viper,
adder) Definition a viper NASB Word Usage
viper (1), vipers (4). viper. Of uncertain origin; an
...Strong's Hebrew
6848. tsepha' -- a serpent... 6847, 6848. tsepha'. 6848a . a serpent. Transliteration: tsepha' Phonetic Spelling:
(tseh'-fah; or tsiph Short Definition:
adder.
adder, cockatrice
...8207. shephiphon -- horned viper
...adder. From an unused root meaning the same as shuwph; a kind of serpent (as snapping),
probably the cerastes or hornedadder --adder. see HEBREW shuwph....
6620. pethen -- (a venomous serpent) perhaps cobra
...adder. From an unused root meaning to twist; an asp (from its contortions) --
adder. 6619, 6620. pethen. 6621 . Strong's Numbers.
5919. akshub -- asp, viper
...adder. Probably from an unused root meaning to coil; an asp (from lurking coiled
up) --adder. 5918, 5919. akshub. 5920 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
The Portrait of a Drunkyard
... At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like anadder.33. Thine eyes
shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.34....
On Grace.
... He lay asleep, and anadder came toward him: but this fly Saura flew before, and
lighted on his forehead, and pricked him a little, and therewith he wakened...
The Snare of the Fowler
... been so and is so still; and if he does not now attack us as the roaring lion, roaring
against us in persecution, he attacks us as theadder, creeping silently...
An Address to the Regenerate, Founded on the Preceding Discourses.
... Lord Jesus Christ himself, who spake with such unequaled eloquence, with such divine
energy, yet met with multitudes, who were like the deafadder, that would...
Continuation: Audacity of Satan.
... to be ignorant of the rest, furtively concealing what [the Scripture] predicted
concerning thee and thy servants: "Thou shalt tread upon theadder and the...
Enduring to the End
... herald of the cross; and when the blandishments of early popularity have passed
away, as soon they must, the harsh croak of slander, and theadder's tongue of...
The Evangel Booklets
... Story. Anna Potter Wright.12. The Penitent Thief, and Naaman the Syrian. DL
Moody.13.Adder's Eggs and Spider's Webs. HA Ironside.14. Samuel Morris....
A Discourse of Mercifulness
... the sinner is compared to a wolf for his savageness, to a lion for his fierceness
(Isaiah 11:6), to a bee for his sting (Psalm 118:12), to anadder for his...
Deaf Ears and Stammering Tongues.
... And some of us hear it not. They have stopped their ears like the deafadder,
and so they go on wilfully sinning"deaf to the Voice of God....
The Doubting Soul More Particularly Assisted in Its Inquiries as...
... You have felt it "bite like a serpent, and sting like anadder." (Prov.23:32) You
have beheld it with an abhorrence far greater than the delight which it ever...
Thesaurus
Adder (9 Occurrences)... 3. (n.) A small venomous serpent of the genus Vipera. The common European
adder is the Vipera (Pelias) berus.
... 5. (n.) Same as Sea
Adder. Int.
...Adder's (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version ConcordanceAdder's (2 Occurrences). Psalms 140:3 They have sharpened
their tongues like a serpent;adder's poison is under their lips. Selah....
Basilisk (3 Occurrences)
... to hiss": Isaiah 11:8; Isaiah 14:29; Isaiah 59:5 Jeremiah 8:17 Proverbs 23:32 m.
In Proverbs 23:32, the King James Version has "adder," margin "cockatrice"; in...
Asp (3 Occurrences)
... (seeADDER.). Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) Same as Aspen.... Pethen is also
translatedADDER (which see) in Psalm 58:4; Psalm 91:13....
Deaf (22 Occurrences)
... even such to hear (Isaiah 42:18; Isaiah 43:8) and thereby to receive the Divine
mercy (Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 35:5). The expression "deafadder that stoppeth her...
Serpent (40 Occurrences)
... The poisonous character of the serpent is alluded to in Jacob's blessing on Dan
(Genesis 49:17; see Proverbs 30:18, 19; James 3:7; Jeremiah 8:17). (seeADDER.)....
Biteth (5 Occurrences)
... Genesis 49:17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, anadder in the path, that
biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward....
Viper (8 Occurrences)
... (seeADDER.).... Genesis 49:17 Dan will be a serpent in the way, anadder in the path,
That bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward....
Zoology
... Pelican, Cormorant RATTAE: Ostrich Reptiles: CROCODILIA: Crocodile (Leviathan) CHELONIA:
Tortoise OPHIDIA: Serpent, Fiery Serpent,Adder, Asp, Vipet (sv SERPENT...
Dan (71 Occurrences)
... characteristics of the tribe: unsteady, unscrupulous, violent, possessed of a certain
grim humor; stealthy in tactics-"a serpent in the way, anadder in the...
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