Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
(fear), the first-born of Zebulun. (Genesis 46:14; Numbers 26:26) about 1700.)
Sergius Paulus
was the proconsul of Cyprus when the apostle Paul visited that island with Barnabas on his first
missionary tour. (Acts 13:7) seq. (A.D. 44.) He is described as an intelligent man, truth-seeking,
eager for information from all sources within his reach. Though at first admitting to his society
Elymas the magician, he afterward, on becoming acquainted with the claims of the gospel, yielded
his mind to the evidence of its truth.
Serpent
The Hebrew word nachash is the generic name of any serpent. The following are the principal
biblical allusions to this animal its subtlety is mentioned in (Genesis 3:1) its wisdom is alluded to
by our Lord in (Matthew 10:18) the poisonous properties of some species are often mentioned, see
(Psalms 58:4; Proverbs 25:32) the sharp tongue of the serpent is mentioned in (Psalms 140:3; Job
20:16) the habit serpents have of lying concealed in hedges and in holes of walls is alluded to in
(Ecclesiastes 10:8) their dwelling in dry sandy places, in (8:10) their wonderful mode of progression
did not escape the observation of the author of (Proverbs 30:1) ... who expressly mentions it as
“one of the three things which were too wonderful for him.” ver. 19. The art of taming and charming
serpents is of great antiquity, and is alluded to in (Psalms 58:5; Ecclesiastes 10:11; Jeremiah 8:17)
and doubtless intimated by St. James, (James 3:7) who particularizes serpents among all other
animals that “have been tamed by man.” It was under the form of a serpent that the devil seduced
Eve; hence in Scripture Satan is called “the old serpent.” (Revelation 12:9) and comp. 2Cor 11:3
Hence, as a fruit of the tradition of the Fall, the serpent all through the East became the emblem of
the spirit of evil, and is so pictured even on the monuments of Egypt. It has been supposed by many
commentators that the serpent, prior to the Fall, moved along in an erect attitude. It is quite clear
that an erect mode of progression is utterly incompatible with the structure of a serpent; consequently,
had the snakes before the Fall moved in an erect attitude they must have been formed on a different
plan altogether. The typical form of the serpent and its mode of progression were in all probability
the same before: the Fall as after it; but subsequent to the Fall its form and progression were to be
regarded with hatred and disgust by all mankind, and thus the animal was cursed above all cattle,”
and a mark of condemnation was forever stamped upon it. Serpents are said in Scripture to “eat
dust,” see (Genesis 3:14; Isaiah 65:25; Micah 7:17) these animals which for the most part take their
food on the ground, do consequently swallow with it large portions of sand and dust. Throughout
the East the serpent was used as an emblem of the evil principle, of the spirit of disobedience and
contumacy. Much has been written on the question of the “fiery serpents” of (Numbers 21:6,8)
with which it is usual to erroneously identify the “fiery flying serpent” of (Isaiah 14:29) and Isai
30:6 The word “fiery” probably signifies “burning,” in allusion to the sensation produced by the
bite. The Cerastes, or the Naia haje, or any other venomous species frequenting Arabia, may denote
the “serpent of the burning bite” which destroyed the children of Israel. The snake that fastened on
St. Paul’s hand when he was at Melita, (Acts 28:5) was probably the common viper of England,
Pelias berus . (See also Adder; Asp] When God punished the murmurs of the Israelites in the
wilderness by sending among them serpents whose fiery bite was fatal, Moses, upon their repentance,
was commanded to make a serpent of brass, whose polished surface shone like fire, and to set it
up on the banner-pole in the midst of the people; and whoever was bitten by a serpent had but to
look up at it and live. (Numbers 21:4-9) The comparison used by Christ, (John 3:14,15) adds a deep
interest to this scene. To present the serpent form, as deprived of its power to hurt, impaled as the
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William Smith