---
title: שָׂרָף — serpent · The Tanakh dictionary
description: שָׂרָף (8314), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 7 times: serpent. BDB 1906: n.m. fiery, serpent. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# שָׂרָף

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«שָׂרָף» in the Tanakh dictionary: **serpent** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 7 times · **Key:** 8314 · **BDB:** שָׂרָף

### Glosses

seraphim (2); \[will.be\].a.serpent (1); a.saraph (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

serpent [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8314/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. fiery, serpent [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8314/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Is 14:29 fiery, serpent, usually venomous (poss. from above √, from burning effect of poison);—abs. שׂ׳ Nu 21:8 (JE; on Arabic parallels v. JacobAr. Dichter ii. 93, iv. 10 f.), appos. נָחָשׁ שׂ׳ Dt 8:15, pl. הַנְּחָשִׁים הַשְּׂרָפִים Nu 21:6; a flying serpent, or dragon, שָׂרָף מְעוֹפֵף Is 14:29; 30:6.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 5 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (4 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (4 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «שָׂרָף» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1513/8314/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Isaiah 6:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.6.6/)

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וַיָּ֣עָף אֵלַ֗י אֶחָד֙ מִן־הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים וּבְיָד֖וֹ רִצְפָּ֑ה בְּמֶ֨לְקַחַ֔יִם לָקַ֖ח מֵעַ֥ל הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

*Word for word:* and he.flew to me one of the seraphim and.\[was\] in hand his a.live.coal \[which\].with tongs he.had.taken from on the altar

*JPS 1917:* Then flew unto me one of the seraphim, with a glowing stone in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar;

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[Isaiah 14:29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.14.29/)

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אַֽל־תִּשְׂמְחִ֤י פְלֶ֙שֶׁת֙ כֻּלֵּ֔ךְ כִּ֥י נִשְׁבַּ֖ר שֵׁ֣בֶט מַכֵּ֑ךְ כִּֽי־מִשֹּׁ֤רֶשׁ נָחָשׁ֙ יֵ֣צֵא צֶ֔פַע וּפִרְי֖וֹ שָׂרָ֥ף מְעוֹפֵֽף׃

*Word for word:* do.not rejoice O.Philistia of.you all (dm).that it.has.been.broken the.rod of the.\[one.who\].struck.you (dm) from.\[the\] root of.a.snake it.will.go.forth a.viper and fruit its \[will.be\].a.serpent flying

*JPS 1917:* Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of thee, because the rod that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a basilisk, and his fruit shall be a flying serpent.

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