עַקְרָב (aq.rav)
aq.rav
scorpion
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew word ‘aqrab refers simply to the scorpion, a small arachnid known for its venomous sting. In the Old Testament, it appears in just five verses, always as part of a list of dangers or curses that threaten human life and safety.
Its most notable usage occurs in Deuteronomy 8:15, where Moses describes the wilderness journey. God brought Israel out of Egypt through a "great and terrible wilderness" with fiery serpents and scorpions. Here, the creature symbolizes the hidden, sudden perils of that harsh landscape, not just a biological fact but a metaphor for the hostile environment they faced.
The word also appears in 1 Kings 12:10 and 2 Chronicles 10:10 within Rehoboam’s boastful threat to his subjects. He promises to add "scorpions" to the heavy yoke he places on them, using the animal as a vivid image of painful, stinging oppression. This usage highlights how the sting was understood as a sharp, lingering punishment.
Translators consistently render ‘aqrab as "scorpion," preserving the concrete reality of the threat. The word carries no abstract or metaphorical weight beyond its literal danger, making it a straightforward marker of physical peril in ancient Near Eastern thought.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word aq.rav refers to the scorpion, a creature known for its venomous sting. In the Old Testament, it appears only five times, always as part of a list of dangers that threatened human life. It is not used in abstract poetry but serves as a concrete marker of physical peril in the ancient Near East.
In Deuteronomy 8:15, Moses describes the wilderness journey as a place filled with scorpions and fiery serpents. This highlights the hidden, sudden perils Israel faced. Yet, even in that hostile environment, God provided water from the rock. The presence of danger did not mean God’s absence; rather, it showed His power to sustain His people through severe trials.
In 1 Kings 12 and 2 Chronicles 10, King Rehoboam uses the scorpion as a symbol of painful oppression. He threatens to replace whips with scorpions, implying a sharper, more lingering punishment. This usage reminds us that authority can become cruel when it forgets compassion. We find comfort in knowing that God sees such injustice and remains faithful to those who suffer under heavy burdens.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- with <the>/ scorpions4×
- and/ scorpion1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בָּ/עַקְרַבִּֽים\׃2×
- וְ/עַקְרָ֔ב1×
- בָּֽ/עֲקְרַבִּֽים\׃\ \ס1×
- בָּ/עֲקְרַבִּֽים\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Deuteronomy 8:15
who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with venomous snakes and scorpions, and thirsty ground where there was no water; who poured water for you out of the rock of flint;
This verse places scorpions alongside venomous snakes to illustrate the sudden, hidden dangers of the wilderness that God protected Israel from.
-
I Kings 12:11
Now my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’”
Rehoboam uses the scorpion here as a vivid metaphor for intensified pain, suggesting his rule will be more stinging and oppressive than his father's.
-
II Chronicles 10:11
Now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’”
The parallel account in Chronicles confirms that the scorpion was understood by the original audience as a symbol of severe, lingering punishment rather than just physical weight.