Difference between revisions of "Scorpion"

<div> '''1: σκορπίος ''' (Strong'S #4651 — Noun Masculine — skorpios — skor-pee'-os ) </div> <p> akin to skorpizo, "to scatter" (which see), is a small animal (the largest of the several species is 6 in. long) like a lobster, but with a long tail, at the end of which is its venomous sting; the pain, the position of the sting, and the effect are mentioned in &nbsp;Revelation 9:3,5,10 . The Lord's rhetorical question as to the provision of a "scorpion" instead of an egg, &nbsp;Luke 11:12 , is firstly, an allusion to the egg-like shape of the creature when at rest; secondly, an indication of the abhorrence with which it is regarded. In &nbsp;Luke 10:19 , the Lord's assurance to the disciples of the authority given them by Him to tread upon serpents and scorpions conveys the thought of victory over spiritually antagonistic forces, the powers of darkness, as is shown by His reference to the "power of the enemy" and by the context in vv. 17,20. </p>

<p> 'akrab . Of the class Αrachnida and order Ρulmonaria . Common in the Sinai wilderness, typifying Satan and his malicious agents against the Lord's people (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 8:15; &nbsp;Ezekiel 2:6; &nbsp;Luke 10:19). [[Rolling]] itself together it might be mistaken for an egg (&nbsp;Luke 11:12). Found in dry dark places amidst ruins, in hot climates. Carnivorous, breathing like spiders by lung-sacs, moving with uplifted tail. </p> <p> The sting at the tail's end has at its base a gland which discharges poison into the wound from two openings. In &nbsp;Revelation 9:3; &nbsp;Revelation 9:10, "the scorpions of the earth" stand in Contrast to the "locusts" from hell, not earth. The "five months" are thought to refer to the 150 prophetical days, i.e. years, from A.D. 612, when Mahomet opened his mission, to 762, when the caliphate was moved to Bagdad. In &nbsp;1 Kings 12:11 scorpions mean "scourges armed with iron points". The sting of the common scorpion is not very severe, except that of Βuthus occitanus . </p>

<p> ( עַקְרָב ''Akrab,'' &nbsp;Deuteronomy 8:15; &nbsp;Ezekiel 2:6; σκορπίος, &nbsp;Luke 10:19; &nbsp;Luke 11:12; &nbsp;Revelation 9:3; &nbsp;Revelation 9:5; &nbsp;Revelation 9:10), a well known injurious insect of hot climates, belonging to the class ''Arachnida'' and order ''Pulmonaria,'' which is shaped very much like a lobster. It lives in damp places under stones, in clefts of walls, cellars, etc.; and in summer nights even creeps about in streets and on steps (Russell, Aleppo, 2, 119). The head and breast are closely joined, and there are two large feelers in front. The eyes are arranged much as in the spiders — one pair in the center of the thorax, the rest symmetrically on each side of the front. In the genus Scorpio proper there are six of these organs, in Buthus eight, and in Androctonus twelve. All these, however, may be quite correctly considered as scorpions. There are eight feet, covered with hair. There is a very active tail, of six joints, which ends in a crooked point (Pliny, 11, 62) like a fowl's claw (Schulz, Leitung, 4, 351). They are carnivorous in their habits, and move along in a threatening attitude with the tail elevated. The sting, which is situated at the extremity of the tail, has at its base a gland that secretes a poisonous fluid, which is discharged into the wound by two minute orifices at its extremity. The scorpion makes a painful wound in men and beasts (Pliny, 11, 62; Host, Marokko, p. 302; camp. Minutoli, Tray. p. 205) which produces fatal results (Pliny, 11, 30; Sonnini, Tray. 2, 312; Prosp. Alpin. Rer. Aegyp. p. 206; camp. Latorde, Voyage, p. 50), Unless speedy remedies be provided (such are scarifying the wound, sucking out the poison, etc. [Russegger, Reis. 2, 2, 223]). This is true, however, only of the Oriental scorpion (though Thomson, Land and Book, 1, 379, says its bite is never fatal in Syria), that mentioned in the Bible (see description and plates in Rosel, Insecten-Belustig, 3, 370 sq., Tab. 65; camp. [[Sirach]] 26, 10; &nbsp;Ezekiel 2:6); for the wound of the European, or ''Italian,'' scorpion is less dangerous. The former is distinguished by its shining black breastplate, which has given it the name ''Scorpio Afer.'' (Many plates are given in Ehrenberg's ''Icon. Et Descript. Animal.'' Icon. 1, ''Der [[Animal]] Evertebr.'' ; but without descriptions. Three kinds of scorpions are named in the ''Descript. De Egypte,'' 22, 409 sq.) </p> <p> The wilderness of Sinai is especially alluded to as being inhabited by scorpions at the time of the Exodus (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 8:15), and to this day these animals are common in the same district as well as in some parts of Palestine. [[Ehrenberg]] (Symb. Phys.) enumerates five species as occurring near Mt. Sinai, some of which are found also in the Lebanon. Ezekiel (&nbsp;Ezekiel 2:6) is told to be in no fear of the rebellious [[Israelites]] — here compared to scorpions. There are many scorpions in Palestine — in the plains of Jordan, on the mountains of Judah, etc. (Troilo, Trav. p. 433; Schulz, Leitung, 4. 352, Thomson, Land and.Book, 1, 378 sq.), and they are proverbially common in [[Banias]] (Caesarea Philippi). A part of the mountains bordering on Palestine in the south was named from them [[Acrabbim.]] See Bochart, Hieroz. 3, 538 sq.; Shaw, Tray. p. 168. On the scorpion of Asia Minor, see [[Van]] Lennep, Bible Lands, p. 309 sq.; and on those of Egypt, Olivier, Voyage, 5, 171. Those found in Europe seldom exceed two or three inches in length, but in the tropical climates they are occasionally found six inches long. Those of Palestine are from one to three inches in length. There are few animals more formidable, and none more irascible, than the scorpion; but, happily for mankind, they are equally destructive to their own species as to other animals. Maupertius put about a hundred of them together in the same glass and they scarcely came into contact when they began to exert all their rage in mutual destruction, so that in a few days there remained but fourteen, which had killed and devoured all the rest. But their malignity is still more apparent in their cruelty to their offspring. He enclosed a female scorpion, big with young, in a glass vessel, and she was seen to devour them as fast as they were extruded. There was only one of the number that escaped the general destruction by taking refuge on the back of its parent; and this soon after avenged the cause of its brethren by killing the old one in its turn. Such is the terrible nature of this insect; and it is even asserted that when placed in circumstances of danger, from which it perceives no way of escape, it will sting itself to death. Ordinarily, however, it is said to be extremely fond of its young, which it carries about on its back. </p> <p> A scorpion for an egg (&nbsp;Luke 11:12) was probably a proverbial expression. According to Erasmus, the Greeks had a similar proverb (ἀντὶ περκῆς σκορπίον )''.'' But the creature has, of course, no likeness to an egg, as some have supposed that this passage implies (comp. Thomson, ''Land And.Book,'' 1, 379 sq.). The apostles were endued with power to resist the stings of serpents and scorpions (&nbsp;Luke 10:19). In the vision of St. John (&nbsp;Revelation 9:3; &nbsp;Revelation 9:10) the locusts that came out of the smoke of the bottomless pit are said to have had "tails like unto scorpions," while the pain resulting from this Creature's sting is alluded to in &nbsp;Revelation 9:5. The prophecy here has received many fanciful interpretations. (See [[Book Of Revelation]]). The "scorpions" of &nbsp;1 Kings 12:11; &nbsp;1 Kings 12:14; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 10:11; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 10:14, have clearly no allusion whatever to the animal, but to some instrument of scourging, unless, indeed, the expression is a mere figure. [[Celsius]] (Hierob. 2, 45) thinks the "scorpion" scourge was the spiny stem of what the Arabs call Hedek, the Solanum melongena, var. esculentum, eggplant, because, according to Abul-Fadli, this plant, from the resemblance of its spines to the sting of a scorpion, was sometimes called the "scorpion thorn;" but, in all probability, this instrument of punishment was in the form of a whip armed with iron points, "Virga — si nodosa vel aculeata, scorpio rectissimo nomine vocatur, qui arcuato vulnere in corpus infigitur" (Isidore, Orig. Lot. 5, 27; and see Jahn, Bibl. Ant. p. 287). In the Greek of &nbsp;1 [[Maccabees]] 6:51, some kind of war missile is mentioned under the name σκορπίδιον but we want information both as to its form and the reason of its name. See Smith, ''Dict. Of Class.'' Antiquities, art. "Tormentum." Another tropical use of the word is given in the [[Mishna]] (Chelim, 12:3). </p>

<p> ''''' skôr´pi ''''' - ''''' un ''''' ( עקרב , <i> ''''' ‛aḳrābh ''''' </i> ; compare Arabic <i> ''''' ‛aḳrab ''''' </i> , "scorpion"; עקרבּים מעלה , <i> ''''' ma‛ălēh ''''' </i> <i> ''''' ‛aḳrabbı̄m ''''' </i> , "the ascent of Akrabbim"; σκορπίος , <i> ''''' skorpı́os ''''' </i> . Note that the Greek and [[Hebrew]] may be akin; compare, omitting the vowels, <i> ''''' ‛krb ''''' </i> and <i> ''''' skrp ''''' </i> ): In &nbsp; Deuteronomy 8:15 , we have, "who led thee through the great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents ( <i> '''''nāḥāsh''''' </i> <i> '''''sārāph''''' </i> ) and scorpions ( <i> '''''‛aḳrābh''''' </i> )." Rehoboam (&nbsp;1 Kings 12:11 , &nbsp;1 Kings 12:14; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 10:11 , &nbsp;2 Chronicles 10:14 ) says, "My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions." Ezekiel is told to prophesy to the children of Israel (&nbsp;Ezekiel 2:6 ), and "Be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions." "The ascent of Akrabbim," the north end of <i> '''''Wâdi''''' </i> - <i> '''''ul''''' </i> - <i> '''''‛Arabah''''' </i> , South of the Dead Sea, is mentioned as a boundary 3 times (&nbsp;Numbers 34:4; &nbsp;Joshua 15:3; &nbsp;Judges 1:36 ). Jesus says to the Seventy (&nbsp;Luke 10:19 ), "Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions," and again in &nbsp;Luke 11:12 He says, "Or if he shall ask an egg, will he give him a scorpion?" </p> <p> Note that we have here three doublets, the loaf and the stone, the fish and the serpent, and the egg and the scorpion, whereas in the passage in Matthew (&nbsp;Matthew 7:9 f) we have only the loaf and stone and the fish and serpent. <i> Encyclopedia Biblica </i> (s.v. "Scorpion") ingeniously seeks to bring Lk into nearer agreement with Matthew by omitting from Luke the second doublet, i.e. the fish and the serpent, instancing several texts as authority for the omission, and reading ὄψον , <i> '''''ópson''''' </i> , "fish," for ᾠόν , <i> '''''ōṓn''''' </i> , "egg." </p> <p> In &nbsp;Revelation 9:2-10 there come out of the smoke of the abyss winged creatures ("locusts," ἀρίδες , <i> '''''akrı́des''''' </i> ) like war-horses with crowns of gold, with the faces of men, hair of women, teeth of lions, breastplates of iron, and with stinging tails like scorpions. In [[Ecclesiasticus]] 26:7 it is said of an evil wife, "He that taketh hold of her is as one that graspeth a scorpion." In 1 Macc 6:51 we find mention of "pieces σκορπίδια , <i> '''''skorpı́dia''''' </i> , diminutive of <i> '''''skorpios''''' </i> to cast darts." In [[Plutarch]] <i> '''''skorpios''''' </i> is used in the same sense (Liddell and Scott, under the word σκορπίος , <i> '''''skorpı́os''''' </i> . </p> <p> In the passage cited from Deuteronomy, and probably also in the name "ascent of Akrabbim," we find references to the abundance of scorpions, especially in the warmer parts of the country. Though there is a Greek proverb, "Look for a scorpion under every stone," few would agree with the categorical statement of Tristram ( <i> Nhb </i> ) that "every third stone is sure to conceal one." Nevertheless, campers and people sleeping on the ground need to exercise care in order to avoid their stings, which, though often exceedingly painful for several hours, are seldom fatal. </p> <p> Scorpions are not properly insects, but belong with spiders, mites and ticks to the <i> Arachnidae </i> . The scorpions of Palestine are usually 2 or 3 inches long. The short cephalothorax bears a powerful pair of jaws, two long limbs terminating with pincers, which make the creature look like a small crayfish or lobster, and four pairs of legs. The rest of the body consists of the abdomen, a broad part continuous with the cephalothorax, and a slender part forming the long tail which terminates with the sting. The tail is usually carried curved over the back and is used for stinging; the prey into insensibility. Scorpions feed mostly on insects for which they lie in wait. The scorpion family is remarkable for having existed with very little change from the Silurian age to the present time. </p> <p> It does not seem necessary to consider that the words of Rehoboam (&nbsp;1 Kings 12:11 , etc.) refer to a whip that was called a scorpion, but rather that as the sting of a scorpion is worse than the lash of a whip, so his treatment would be harsher than his father's. </p>