ἔχιδνα
echidna
snake
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word ἔχιδνα (echidna) is a noun that translates to "snake." It appears five times in the Bible, indicating a relatively limited but specific range of usage. Given its definition, it's likely that the word is used to describe a serpent or a snake-like creature, rather than a general term for reptiles. The significance of this word lies in its association with the biblical concept of evil and danger. In many cultures, snakes have been symbolic of malevolence and fear, and the use of this word in the Bible may convey a sense of warning or threat. However, without further context, it's difficult to determine the exact connotation of the word in each of its five occurrences.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences across the text
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Matthew 12:34You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Matthew 23:33You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?
Luke 3:7He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Acts 28:3But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.