Reference: Adder
American
A species of serpent, more commonly called viper. The word adder is used five times in the Bible, as a translation of four different serpents of the venomous sort. In Ge 49:17, it seems to mean the cerastes, or horned viper, of the color of sand, and very deadly bite; accustomed to lie hidden in the tracks in the sand, and dart up on the unwary traveller. In Ps 58:4; 91:13, it is probably the asp. In Ps 140:3 perhaps the tarantula, or some serpent that strikes backwards. See SERPANT, VIPER.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
It cometh to pass that, Dan, is a serpent upon the way, A horned viper, upon the path, - That biteth the heels of the horse, And his rider falleth backwards: -
Their poison, is like unto the poison of a serpent, Like the deaf adder, that stoppeth his ear;
On the lion and adder, shalt thou tread, Shalt trample on young lion and crocodile.
They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent, - The poison of the asp, is under their lips. Selah.
Easton
(Ps 140:3; Ro 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) (Ps 58:4; 91:13); elsewhere "asp." (3.) Tziphoni ("hissing") (Pr 23:32); elsewhere rendered "cockatrice," Isa 11:8; 14:29; 59:5; Jer 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 in Ge 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.
Illustration: Cobra
See Verses Found in Dictionary
It cometh to pass that, Dan, is a serpent upon the way, A horned viper, upon the path, - That biteth the heels of the horse, And his rider falleth backwards: -
Their poison, is like unto the poison of a serpent, Like the deaf adder, that stoppeth his ear;
On the lion and adder, shalt thou tread, Shalt trample on young lion and crocodile.
They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent, - The poison of the asp, is under their lips. Selah.
Its after effect, is that, like a serpent, it biteth, and, like a viper, it doth sting.
And the sucking child shall caress over the hole of the asp, Yea over the vipers den, hath the weaned child stretched out his hand:
Do not rejoice, Philistia, any of thee, In that the rod of him that smote thee, is broken, - For, out of the root of the serpent, shall come forth, a viper, And his fruit be a fiery dragon that flieth.
Vipers eggs, do they hatch, Spiders threads, do they weave, - he that eateth of their eggs, dieth, And, that which is crushed, bringeth forth an adder;
For behold me! sending among you serpents - vipers which there is no charming, - And they shall fatally bite you declareth Yahweh.
A sepulchre opened, is their throat, with their tongues, have they used deceit, the poison of asps, is under their lips,
Fausets
Five times in the Old Testament KJV, and thrice in margin for "cockatrice" (Isa 11:8; 14:29; 59:5 ). Four Hebrew terms stand for it. (1) Akshub, (2) Pethen, (3) Tziphoni, and (4) Shephiphon.
(1) Akshub, ("one that lies in ambush"), swells its skin, and rears its head back for a strike. Ps 140:3 quoted in Ro 3:13, "the poison of asps."
(2) Pethen, Ps 58:4; 91:13, "adder" (compare margin), but elsewhere translated "asp"; from a Hebrew root "to expand the neck." The deadly haje naja, or cobra of Egypt, fond of concealing itself in walls and holes. Serpents are without tympanic cavity and external openings to the ear. The deaf adder is not some particular species; but whereas a serpent's comparative deafness made it more amenable to those sounds it could hear, in some instances it was deaf because it would not hear (Jer 8:17; Ec 10:11). So David's unrighteous adversaries, though having some little moral sense yet left to which he appeals, yet stifled it, and were unwilling to hearken to the voice of God.
(3) Tziphoni, translated adder only in Pr 23:32; "at the last wine biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder," In Jer 8:17 "cockatrices," from a root "to dart forward and hiss." The Greek basilisk, fierce, deadly; distinct from the "serpent" (Hebrew, nachash), Isa 14:29; oviparous (Isa 59:5); subterranean in habits (Isa 11:8).
(4) Shephiphon, from a root "to creep"; Jacob's image of Dan (Ge 49:17), lurking on the road, and biting at the horses' heels; the Coluber cerastes, a small and very venomous snake of Egypt. The charmers, by a particular pressure on the neck, can inflate the animal so that the serpent becomes rigid, and can be held out horizontally as a rod. The Egyptian magicians perhaps thus used the haje species as their rod, and restored life to it by throwing it down; at least, so the serpent charmers do at the present day. Shrill sounds, as the flute, are what serpents can best discern, for their hearing is imperfect. Music charms the naja (cobra di capello, hooded snake) and the cerastes (horned viper). Moses' really transformed rod swallowed their pretended rod, or serpent, so conquering the symbol of Egypt's protecting deity. That the naja haie was the "fiery serpent," or serpent inflicting a burning bite, appears from the name Ras-om-Haye (Cape of the haje serpents) in the locality where the Israelites were bitten (Nu 21:6).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
It cometh to pass that, Dan, is a serpent upon the way, A horned viper, upon the path, - That biteth the heels of the horse, And his rider falleth backwards: -
It cometh to pass that, Dan, is a serpent upon the way, A horned viper, upon the path, - That biteth the heels of the horse, And his rider falleth backwards: -
And Yahweh sent among the people the poisonous serpents, and they bit the people, - and much people out of Israel died.
And Yahweh sent among the people the poisonous serpents, and they bit the people, - and much people out of Israel died.
Their poison, is like unto the poison of a serpent, Like the deaf adder, that stoppeth his ear;
Their poison, is like unto the poison of a serpent, Like the deaf adder, that stoppeth his ear;
On the lion and adder, shalt thou tread, Shalt trample on young lion and crocodile.
On the lion and adder, shalt thou tread, Shalt trample on young lion and crocodile.
They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent, - The poison of the asp, is under their lips. Selah.
They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent, - The poison of the asp, is under their lips. Selah.
Its after effect, is that, like a serpent, it biteth, and, like a viper, it doth sting.
Its after effect, is that, like a serpent, it biteth, and, like a viper, it doth sting.
If a serpent will bite, unless he is charmed, then there is nothing better for him that owneth a tongue.
If a serpent will bite, unless he is charmed, then there is nothing better for him that owneth a tongue.
And the sucking child shall caress over the hole of the asp, Yea over the vipers den, hath the weaned child stretched out his hand:
And the sucking child shall caress over the hole of the asp, Yea over the vipers den, hath the weaned child stretched out his hand:
And the sucking child shall caress over the hole of the asp, Yea over the vipers den, hath the weaned child stretched out his hand:
And the sucking child shall caress over the hole of the asp, Yea over the vipers den, hath the weaned child stretched out his hand:
Do not rejoice, Philistia, any of thee, In that the rod of him that smote thee, is broken, - For, out of the root of the serpent, shall come forth, a viper, And his fruit be a fiery dragon that flieth.
Do not rejoice, Philistia, any of thee, In that the rod of him that smote thee, is broken, - For, out of the root of the serpent, shall come forth, a viper, And his fruit be a fiery dragon that flieth.
Do not rejoice, Philistia, any of thee, In that the rod of him that smote thee, is broken, - For, out of the root of the serpent, shall come forth, a viper, And his fruit be a fiery dragon that flieth.
Do not rejoice, Philistia, any of thee, In that the rod of him that smote thee, is broken, - For, out of the root of the serpent, shall come forth, a viper, And his fruit be a fiery dragon that flieth.
Vipers eggs, do they hatch, Spiders threads, do they weave, - he that eateth of their eggs, dieth, And, that which is crushed, bringeth forth an adder;
Vipers eggs, do they hatch, Spiders threads, do they weave, - he that eateth of their eggs, dieth, And, that which is crushed, bringeth forth an adder;
Vipers eggs, do they hatch, Spiders threads, do they weave, - he that eateth of their eggs, dieth, And, that which is crushed, bringeth forth an adder;
Vipers eggs, do they hatch, Spiders threads, do they weave, - he that eateth of their eggs, dieth, And, that which is crushed, bringeth forth an adder;
For behold me! sending among you serpents - vipers which there is no charming, - And they shall fatally bite you declareth Yahweh.
For behold me! sending among you serpents - vipers which there is no charming, - And they shall fatally bite you declareth Yahweh.
For behold me! sending among you serpents - vipers which there is no charming, - And they shall fatally bite you declareth Yahweh.
For behold me! sending among you serpents - vipers which there is no charming, - And they shall fatally bite you declareth Yahweh.
A sepulchre opened, is their throat, with their tongues, have they used deceit, the poison of asps, is under their lips,
A sepulchre opened, is their throat, with their tongues, have they used deceit, the poison of asps, is under their lips,
Hastings
Morish
There are four words thus translated.
1. akshub. Ps 140:3. This word occurs but once, and simply compares the wicked to adders who have 'poison under their lips.' It cannot be identified.
2. pethen. Ps 58:4; 91:13, reading in the margin of both 'asp.' The wicked are compared to the deaf adder that stoppeth her ears. There is an old tradition that the adder sometimes laid one ear in the dust and covered the other with its tail; but they have no external ears: that all known adders can hear is well attested by those called serpent charmers, though some species are more easily attracted than others. The above name is held to point to the deadly Cobra. The same Hebrew word is translated 'asp' in De 32:33; Job 20:14,16; Isa 11:8, simply pointing to it as poisonous or dangerous.
3. tsiphoni. This is only once translated 'adder' in the text, Pr 23:32, but is four times translated 'cockatrice,' in Isa 11:8; 14:29; 59:5, referring to its poison, and Jer 8:17 to the fact that it will not be charmed, but will bite. This is supposed to be the 'yellow viper' of Palestine, which lurks in dens, and whose poison is deadly. It is said to resist the arts of the serpent charmers. The cockatrice was a fabulous creature, and was perhaps adopted by the translators to designate some unknown deadly snake.
4. shephiphon. Ge 49:17. This is identified with the Cerastes, or horned viper, so called because of having two short horns on its head. It is a small destructive snake, rarely more than two feet long. It is called in the margin 'an arrow-snake.' It lies in holes or ruts and darts upon an animal passing: and this well agrees with the above text, where Dan is compared to "an adder in the path that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward:" typical of apostasy and the power of Satan.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
It cometh to pass that, Dan, is a serpent upon the way, A horned viper, upon the path, - That biteth the heels of the horse, And his rider falleth backwards: -
The poison of large serpents, is their wine, - Yea the fierce venom of asps.
His food, in his stomach, is changed, the gall of adders, within him!
The poison of adders, shall he suck, The tongue of the viper shall slay him;
Their poison, is like unto the poison of a serpent, Like the deaf adder, that stoppeth his ear;
On the lion and adder, shalt thou tread, Shalt trample on young lion and crocodile.
They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent, - The poison of the asp, is under their lips. Selah.
Its after effect, is that, like a serpent, it biteth, and, like a viper, it doth sting.
And the sucking child shall caress over the hole of the asp, Yea over the vipers den, hath the weaned child stretched out his hand:
And the sucking child shall caress over the hole of the asp, Yea over the vipers den, hath the weaned child stretched out his hand:
Do not rejoice, Philistia, any of thee, In that the rod of him that smote thee, is broken, - For, out of the root of the serpent, shall come forth, a viper, And his fruit be a fiery dragon that flieth.
Vipers eggs, do they hatch, Spiders threads, do they weave, - he that eateth of their eggs, dieth, And, that which is crushed, bringeth forth an adder;
For behold me! sending among you serpents - vipers which there is no charming, - And they shall fatally bite you declareth Yahweh.
Smith
Ad'der.
This word is used for any poisonous snake, and is applied in this general sense by the translators of the Authorized Version. The word adder occurs five times in the text of the Authorized Version (see below), and three times int he margin as synonymous with cockatrice, viz.,
It represents four Hebrew words:
1. Acshub is found only in
and may be represented by the Toxicoa of Egypt and North Africa.
2. Pethen. [ASP]
See Asp
3. Tsepha, or Tsiphoni, occurs five times in the Hebrew Bible. In
it is it is translated adder, and in
Isa 11:8; 14:29; 59:5; Jer 8:17
it is rendered cockatrice. From Jeremiah we learn that it was of a hostile nature, and from the parallelism of
it appears that the Tsiphoni was considered even more dreadful than the Pethen.
4. Shephipon occurs only in
where it is used to characterize the tribe of Dan. The habit of lurking int he sand and biting at the horse's heels here alluded to suits the character of a well-known species of venomous snake, and helps to identify it with the celebrated horned viper, the asp of Cleopatra (Cerastes), which is found abundantly in the dry sandy deserts of Egypt, Syria and Arabia. The cerastes is extremely venomous. Bruce compelled a specimen to scratch eighteen pigeons upon the thigh as quickly as possible, and they all died in nearly the same interval of time.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
It cometh to pass that, Dan, is a serpent upon the way, A horned viper, upon the path, - That biteth the heels of the horse, And his rider falleth backwards: -
They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent, - The poison of the asp, is under their lips. Selah.
And the sucking child shall caress over the hole of the asp, Yea over the vipers den, hath the weaned child stretched out his hand:
And the sucking child shall caress over the hole of the asp, Yea over the vipers den, hath the weaned child stretched out his hand:
And the sucking child shall caress over the hole of the asp, Yea over the vipers den, hath the weaned child stretched out his hand:
Do not rejoice, Philistia, any of thee, In that the rod of him that smote thee, is broken, - For, out of the root of the serpent, shall come forth, a viper, And his fruit be a fiery dragon that flieth.
Do not rejoice, Philistia, any of thee, In that the rod of him that smote thee, is broken, - For, out of the root of the serpent, shall come forth, a viper, And his fruit be a fiery dragon that flieth.
Vipers eggs, do they hatch, Spiders threads, do they weave, - he that eateth of their eggs, dieth, And, that which is crushed, bringeth forth an adder;
Vipers eggs, do they hatch, Spiders threads, do they weave, - he that eateth of their eggs, dieth, And, that which is crushed, bringeth forth an adder;
For behold me! sending among you serpents - vipers which there is no charming, - And they shall fatally bite you declareth Yahweh.
Watsons
ADDER, a venomous serpent, more usually called the viper. In our translation of the Bible we find the word adder five times; but without sufficient authority from the original.
??????, in Ge 49:17, is probably the cerastes; a serpent of the viper kind, of a light brown colour, which lurks in the sand and the tracks of wheels in the road, and unexpectedly bites not only the unwary traveller, but the legs of horses and other beasts. By comparing the Danites to this artful reptile, the patriarch intimated that by stratagem, more than by open bravery, they should avenge themselves of their enemies and extend their conquests.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
It cometh to pass that, Dan, is a serpent upon the way, A horned viper, upon the path, - That biteth the heels of the horse, And his rider falleth backwards: -
And Joshua imposed an oath at that time, saying, - Cursed be the man before Yahweh who shall raise up and build this city - Jericho, At the price of his firstborn, shall he lay its foundation, and, at the price of his youngest, shall he set up its doors.
Their poison, is like unto the poison of a serpent, Like the deaf adder, that stoppeth his ear; That will not hearken to the voice of whisperers, Though the wise one try to bind him with spells.
On the lion and adder, shalt thou tread, Shalt trample on young lion and crocodile.
They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent, - The poison of the asp, is under their lips. Selah.
Its after effect, is that, like a serpent, it biteth, and, like a viper, it doth sting.
And the sucking child shall caress over the hole of the asp, Yea over the vipers den, hath the weaned child stretched out his hand:
Do not rejoice, Philistia, any of thee, In that the rod of him that smote thee, is broken, - For, out of the root of the serpent, shall come forth, a viper, And his fruit be a fiery dragon that flieth.
Vipers eggs, do they hatch, Spiders threads, do they weave, - he that eateth of their eggs, dieth, And, that which is crushed, bringeth forth an adder;
For behold me! sending among you serpents - vipers which there is no charming, - And they shall fatally bite you declareth Yahweh.
But, Jesus, was silent. And, the High-priest, said unto him: I put thee on oath, by the Living God, that, to us, thou say - Whether, thou, art the Christ, the Son of God.
and, observing certain of his disciples, that, with defiled hands, that is unwashed, they are eating bread, - -
But certain also of the wandering Jews, exorcists, took in hand to be naming, over them that had the wicked spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying - I adjure you, by Jesus whom Paul proclaimeth!
A sepulchre opened, is their throat, with their tongues, have they used deceit, the poison of asps, is under their lips,