### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **sherets**, represented by `{{H8318}}`, refers to a **swarm, i.e. active mass of minute animals**, and is often translated as **creeping thing** or **moving creature**. It appears 15 times across 15 unique verses. Derived from the root word for "to swarm," `{{H8318}}` primarily denotes small, swarming land animals, aquatic creatures, and sometimes flying insects.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
Biblically, `{{H8318}}` is introduced during the creation account, where God commands the waters to "bring forth abundantly the **moving creature**" [[Genesis 1:20]]. The term also appears in the narrative of the Flood, where "every **creeping thing**" was among the flesh that died upon the earth [[Genesis 7:21]]. The majority of its occurrences are in Leviticus, where it is central to the laws of dietary and ceremonial purity. These passages meticulously define which **creeping things** are unclean `{{H2931}}` and an abomination `{{H8263}}`, forbidding them from being eaten [[Leviticus 11:41-42]] and establishing that contact with their carcases renders a person unclean ([[Leviticus 5:2]], [[Leviticus 22:5]]).
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words clarify the context and meaning of `{{H8318}}`:
* `{{H8317}}` **shârats** (breed abundantly, creep, move): This is the primitive root from which `sherets` is derived. It signifies the action of swarming or abounding, as seen in God's command for the waters to "bring forth abundantly" [[Genesis 1:20]].
* `{{H2931}}` **ṭâmêʼ** (unclean): This adjective is frequently used to describe `sherets`. Specific creatures are listed as "unclean unto you among the creeping things" [[Leviticus 11:29]], and every flying "creeping thing" is also declared "unclean unto you" [[Deuteronomy 14:19]].
* `{{H398}}` **ʼâkal** (to eat): This verb is used in prohibitions concerning `sherets`. The law states that certain creeping things "ye shall not eat" [[Leviticus 11:42]], making the act of consumption a violation of purity laws.
* `{{H8263}}` **sheqets** (abomination): This term describes the status of forbidden creeping things. The text explicitly states that wingless insects that creep "shall be an abomination unto you" [[Leviticus 11:20]], and that many land-based swarming creatures are also an "abomination" [[Leviticus 11:41]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H8318}}` is tied directly to the biblical concepts of creation, holiness, and divine order.
* **Source of Life:** The initial use of `sherets` in Genesis highlights God as the creator of all forms of life, including the "active mass of minute animals" that fill the waters [[Genesis 1:20]].
* **Ceremonial Purity:** In Leviticus, `sherets` becomes a key object lesson in the separation between clean and unclean. The detailed laws against eating or touching certain swarming things teach Israel that holiness requires careful observance of God's distinctions [[Leviticus 11:43-44]].
* **Abomination and Defilement:** The strong language used, such as `sheqets` (abomination), emphasizes that violating these commands is not merely a dietary mistake but a source of defilement that makes one "unclean" `{{H2930}}` and separates them from a state of holiness [[Leviticus 11:43]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H8318}}` moves from a simple biological term for a **swarm** or **creeping thing** to a significant theological symbol. It originates as part of God's abundant creation [[Genesis 1:20]] but is later used as a primary vehicle for teaching Israel about the divine principles of holiness, purity, and separation. The regulations surrounding `sherets` in the Mosaic Law illustrate how everyday aspects of life, including what one eats or touches, are integral to one's relationship with a holy God.
TRV