### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tsephaʻ**, represented by `{{H6848}}`, refers to a venomous snake such as an **adder** or **cockatrice**. Its definition is derived from an unused root suggesting hissing or extruding a tongue. It appears **5 times** in 5 unique verses, consistently symbolizing a deadly and dangerous creature.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In scripture, `{{H6848}}` is used to illustrate severe threats and judgment. It serves as a potent metaphor for the dangerous consequences of indulgence, warning that wine at last "stingeth like an **adder**" [[Proverbs 23:32]]. Prophetically, it represents an escalating evil, with a **cockatrice** emerging from a serpent's root [[Isaiah 14:29]]. God uses the creature as an instrument of inescapable punishment, promising to send **cockatrices** that cannot be charmed to bite the people [[Jeremiah 8:17]]. The term is also central to a vision of restored peace, where a child can safely play near a **cockatrice**' den, signifying the removal of all harm from creation [[Isaiah 11:8]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help define the context and nature of `{{H6848}}`:
* `{{H5175}}` **nâchâsh** (serpent): This is a more general term for a snake and often appears with `{{H6848}}` to establish the context of serpents as agents of danger and judgment [[Jeremiah 8:17]].
* `{{H5391}}` **nâshak** (bite): This verb, meaning "to strike with a sting (as a serpent)," describes the fatal action of the cockatrice and other serpents sent for judgment [[Jeremiah 8:17]].
* `{{H6567}}` **pârâsh** (sting): Used in parallel with "bite," this word emphasizes the wounding attack of the adder as a metaphor for the painful effects of sin [[Proverbs 23:32]].
* `{{H660}}` **ʼephʻeh** (viper): This term for a venomous serpent appears as the creature that hatches from a crushed cockatrice egg, linking the two as sources of death [[Isaiah 59:5]].
* `{{H6620}}` **pethen** (asp): This word for another venomous snake is used alongside `{{H6848}}` in the vision of future peace, highlighting that danger from all such creatures will be neutralized [[Isaiah 11:8]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6848}}` is concentrated in its symbolic use.
* **Instrument of Divine Judgment:** The cockatrice is portrayed as an agent of God's wrath, sent to execute punishment upon a rebellious people, signifying a judgment that is both deadly and unavoidable [[Jeremiah 8:17]].
* **Fruit of Wickedness:** The act of hatching **cockatrice**' eggs is a powerful metaphor for conceiving and carrying out evil plans. These actions lead directly to death and produce even more venomous consequences, symbolized by the viper that emerges [[Isaiah 59:5]].
* **Symbol of Restored Creation:** In the messianic prophecy of Isaiah, the neutralization of the **cockatrice**'s threat is a sign of a renewed and perfected world. Its presence without its danger symbolizes a creation reconciled and at peace [[Isaiah 11:8]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6848}}` is a highly specific term for a deadly serpent used exclusively in prophetic and wisdom literature. It functions as a powerful symbol for lethal consequences, divine judgment, and the propagation of evil. Its ultimate transformation from a symbol of death to an emblem of peace in a restored creation underscores the comprehensive nature of God's redemptive plan.
TRV