קִפּוֹז

# Analysis of Qippōz (קִפּוֹז) The Hebrew word *qippōz* appears in the biblical text exactly once, where it is defined as "arrow snake." The term combines a descriptive reference to an arrow—likely evoking the creature's swift, darting movement—with its identity as a type of snake. This naming convention suggests the animal was characterized by speed and directness of motion, features that would have been visually striking and memorable to ancient Hebrew speakers. Because this word occurs only a single time in the biblical corpus, its precise zoological identity and cultural significance remain limited in scope. The single occurrence provides no opportunity to observe how the term was used across different contexts, whether it carried metaphorical weight, or how it compared to other snake terminology in Hebrew. The rarity of the term suggests either that this particular snake species was uncommon in the regions where biblical texts were composed, or that it held specialized significance that required only one textual reference. The word's survival in the biblical record indicates that ancient Hebrew speakers recognized and named this creature distinctly from other serpents, assigning it a designation rooted in observable physical behavior. However, without additional textual evidence or comparative usage data, the analytical scope remains confined to its literal definition: a snake species associated with arrow-like swiftness.