Topic
Asp
10 passages cited, from 4 classic reference works.
These works date from 1884–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Isaiah 11:8Easton · Smith · ISBE · Nave A venomous serpent
And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
- Deuteronomy 32:33Easton · ISBE · Nave A venomous serpent
Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
- Job 20:14Easton · ISBE · Nave A venomous serpent
Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.
- Job 20:16Easton · ISBE · Nave A venomous serpent
He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper’s tongue shall slay him.
- Romans 3:13Easton · ISBE · Nave A venomous serpent
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
- Psalms 58:4Smith · ISBE
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
- Psalms 91:13Smith · ISBE
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
- Psalms 140:3Nave Venom of, illustrates the speech of the wicked
They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
- Proverbs 23:32Nave Injurious effects of wine
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
- Isaiah 11:9Nave Deprived of venom, illustrates conversion
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 5 references
(Heb. pethen), Deut. 32:33; Job 20:14, 16; Isa. 11:8. It was probably the Egyptian cobra (Naja haje), which was very poisonous (Rom. 3:13; Gr. aspis). The Egyptians worshipped it as the uraeus, and it was found in the desert and in the fields. The peace and security of Messiah’s reign is represented by the figure of a child playing on the hole of the asp. (See ADDER.)
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884) · 3 references
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 7 references
(pethen (De 32:33; Job 20:14,16; Isa 11:8); aspis (Ro 3:13)); Any poisonous snake, or even poisonous snakes in general, would satisfy the context in all the passages cited. Pethen is also translated ADDER (which see) in Ps 58:4; 91:13. Most authors have supposed the Egyptian cobra (Naia haje, L.) to be the snake meant, but while this is widely distributed throughout Africa, its occurrence in Southern Palestine seems to rest solely on the authority of Canon Tristram, who did not collect it.
There are Other poisonous snakes in Palestine, any one of which would satisfy the requirements of these passages. See SERPENT. While the aspis of classical Greek literature may well have been the Egyptian cobra, it is to be noted that Vipera aspis, L., is confined to central and western Europe.
Alfred Ely Day
In the topical indexes
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Nave's Topical Bible (1896), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.