Difference between revisions of "Adder"

<p> Five times in the Old [[Testament]] KJV, and thrice in margin for "cockatrice" (&nbsp;Isaiah 11:8; &nbsp;Isaiah 14:29; &nbsp;Isaiah 59:5 ). Four [[Hebrew]] terms stand for it. ''(1)'' Αkshub, ''(2)'' Ρethen, ''(3)'' Τziphoni , and ''(4)'' Shephiphon . </p> <p> '''(1)''' Αkshub, ("one that lies in ambush"), swells its skin, and rears its head back for a strike. &nbsp;Psalms 140:3 quoted in &nbsp;Romans 3:13, "the poison of asps." </p> <p> '''(2)''' Ρethen, &nbsp;Psalms 58:4; &nbsp;Psalms 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 (&nbsp;Jeremiah 8:17; &nbsp;Ecclesiastes 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. </p> <p> '''(3)''' Τziphoni, translated adder only in &nbsp;Proverbs 23:32; "at the last wine biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder," In &nbsp;Jeremiah 8:17 "cockatrices," from a root "to dart forward and hiss." The Greek basilisk , fierce, deadly; distinct from the "serpent" (Hebrew, nachash ), &nbsp;Isaiah 14:29; oviparous (&nbsp;Isaiah 59:5); subterranean in habits (&nbsp;Isaiah 11:8). </p> <p> '''(4)''' Shephiphon, from a root "to creep"; Jacob's image of Dan (&nbsp;Genesis 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 (&nbsp;Numbers 21:6). </p>

<p> '''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 in the margin as synonymous with ''Cockatrice,'' namely, &nbsp;Isaiah 11:8; &nbsp;Isaiah 14:29; &nbsp;Isaiah 59:5 It represents four Hebrew words: </p> <p> 1. '''Acshub''' is found only in &nbsp;Psalms 140:3 and may be represented by the Toxicoa of Egypt and North Africa. </p> <p> 2. '''Pethen''' . ''See '' [[Asp]] ''.'' </p> <p> 3. '''Tsepha''' , or '''Tsiphoni''' , occurs five times in the Hebrew Bible. In &nbsp;Proverbs 23:32 it is it is translated adder, and in &nbsp;Isaiah 11:8; &nbsp;Isaiah 14:29; &nbsp;Isaiah 59:5; &nbsp;Jeremiah 8:17 it is rendered cockatrice. From Jeremiah, we learn that it was of a hostile nature, and from the parallelism of &nbsp;Isaiah 11:8, it appears that the ''''Tsiphoni'''' was considered even more dreadful than the ''''Pethen'''' . </p> <p> 4. '''Shephipon''' occurs only in &nbsp;Genesis 49:17 where it is used to characterize the tribe of Dan. The habit of lurking in the 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. </p>

<p> '''Adder.''' Four different Hebrew words are so rendered in the A. V. That occurring &nbsp;Genesis 49:17 (arrowsnake, marg.), implies a gliding motion. It is a small and very venomous snake, with two antennae like horns, well known in Egypt, accustomed to lie in wait in the sand and near paths. "Adder" occurs also, &nbsp;Psalms 58:4; &nbsp;Psalms 91:13, as the translation of another word, perhaps embodying the idea of twisting or twining. It is described as deaf to the charmer, and, as the same word is generally rendered "asp," ''E.G.,'' &nbsp;Deuteronomy 32:33, it must have been venomous. It is probably the Egyptian cobra. We find another Hebrew word. &nbsp;Psalms 140:3, which is compound, including the two ideas of coiling and lying in wait. It also was poisonous. There is one more word which implies hissing. It occurs several times, &nbsp;Proverbs 23:32; &nbsp;Isaiah 11:8; &nbsp;Isaiah 14:29; &nbsp;Isaiah 59:5; &nbsp;Jeremiah 8:17, but is rendered "adder" in the text only in the first-named place, elsewhere "cockatrice." It seems to have lived in holes, to have been oviparous, and venomous. </p>

<p> 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 &nbsp;Genesis 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 &nbsp;Psalm 58:4 &nbsp; 91:13 , it is probably the asp. In &nbsp;Psalm 140:3 perhaps the tarantula, or some serpent that strikes backwards. See SERPANT, VIPER. </p>

<p> '''''ad´er''''' ( עכשׁוּב , <i> '''''‛akhshūbh''''' </i> (&nbsp;Psalm 140:3 ); פּתן , <i> '''''pethen''''' </i> (&nbsp;Psalm 58:4 ); צפעוני , <i> '''''ciph‛ōnı̄''''' </i> (&nbsp;Proverbs 23:32 ); שׁפיפן , <i> '''''shephı̄phōn''''' </i> (&nbsp;Genesis 49:17 ); צפע , <i> '''''cepha‛''''' </i> (King James Version margin; &nbsp;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 <i> Vipera berus </i> , 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 ( <i> Ancistrodon </i> ) and the harmless hog-nosed snakes ( <i> Heterodon </i> ) are called adders. See Serpent . </p>