צֶ֫פַע (tse.pah)
tse.pah
serpent
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun tsepah refers specifically to a poisonous serpent, such as a viper or adder. Unlike broader terms for snakes, this word highlights the danger of venom, appearing in just five verses across Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Proverbs.
Its usage often underscores sudden threat. In Isaiah 14:29, it describes a snake whose bite brings swift destruction, fitting the context of coming judgment. Proverbs uses similar imagery to warn against the hidden dangers of deceitful speech, where words strike like a venomous reptile.
Etymologically, some sources suggest a link to hissing sounds, though this remains debated. The word’s rarity in Scripture emphasizes its weight: when tsepah appears, it signals a lethal risk that demands immediate attention and caution.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tsepah describes a specific kind of danger: a serpent whose venom strikes fast and leaves no room for delay. In Scripture, this term does not refer to harmless garden snakes but to vipers and adders that hide in shadows, waiting to strike. When the biblical writers use this word, they are highlighting threats that seem small or hidden until it is too late to escape.
For your daily life, this imagery serves as a sobering reminder about the consequences of sin and deceit. Just as a viper’s bite brings sudden harm, so too can careless words or unguarded hearts lead to unexpected pain. The text in Proverbs warns that indulgence may feel sweet at first, but its end is bitter and sharp. This helps us see why wisdom requires vigilance—not out of fear, but out of respect for the real risks we face.
Yet even in these warnings, there is hope. Isaiah 11 paints a picture where the child plays safely near the viper’s den, showing that God’s peace restores what sin has broken. You do not have to live in constant anxiety about hidden dangers. Instead, you can walk in wisdom, trusting that God provides discernment and protection when you seek Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a viper3×
- vipers1×
- and/ like/ a viper1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- צֶ֔פַע1×
- צִפְעוֹנִי֙1×
- צִפְעוֹנִ֔י1×
- צִפְעֹנִ֔ים1×
- וּֽ/כְ/צִפְעֹנִ֥י1×
Key Verses
-
Proverbs 23:32
In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.
This verse uses tsepah to illustrate how the final consequence of drunkenness is sudden, painful, and deceptive, contrasting sharply with its initial appeal.
-
Isaiah 11:8
The nursing child will play near a cobra’s hole, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
Here the word appears in a prophecy of peace, showing that in the restored creation, even deadly threats like the viper lose their power to harm.
-
Jeremiah 8:17
“For, behold, I will send serpents, adders among you, which will not be charmed; and they will bite you,” says Yahweh.
God uses the image of uncharmed adders to describe prophets who cannot be silenced or appeased, emphasizing the inevitability of His judgment.