שֶׁ֫רֶץ (she.rets)
she.rets
swarm
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 15 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun sherets refers to creatures that move in a teeming mass or swarm. It typically describes small animals, insects, and creeping things that multiply rapidly. In the Old Testament, this term appears most frequently in Leviticus, where it plays a central role in the laws distinguishing clean from unclean animals.
Its meaning extends beyond simple movement to imply abundance and often chaos. The sources note it covers a wide range of small creatures, including insects and reptiles. This broad category helps explain why dietary laws in Leviticus 11 use it to group various land animals that do not have split hooves or chew cud, marking them as ritually unclean.
The word connects back to the creation narrative in Genesis 1:20, where God commands the waters to bring forth swarming life. There, sherets describes the vibrant, abundant life of the sea, showing that the term itself is not inherently negative but becomes so in the context of ritual purity laws. Translators often render it as "swarming thing" or "creeping thing," capturing both its motion and its collective nature.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
In Genesis, we see God commanding the waters to bring forth living creatures in abundance. The word for these swarming life forms highlights the sheer vitality and creativity of the Creator. It reminds us that God delights in fullness and variety, filling the earth with diverse forms of life that reflect His imagination.
Later, this same term appears in detailed laws regarding what is considered clean or unclean. While it might seem strange to modern readers, these instructions were about setting Israel apart as a people dedicated to God. The focus was not on the creatures themselves being evil, but on maintaining ritual purity and remembering that God’s ways are distinct from the surrounding cultures.
For your faith today, this word invites you to appreciate the richness of creation while also considering how you set yourself apart for holy living. It encourages a balance: enjoying the world God made with gratitude, yet keeping your heart focused on what is spiritually pure and pleasing to Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 15 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ swarming thing6×
- <the> swarming thing of5×
- swarming thing[s]1×
- swarming thing1×
- among the/ swarming thing[s]1×
- a swarming thing1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שֶׁ֣רֶץ6×
- הַ/שֶּׁ֖רֶץ5×
- שֶׁ֖רֶץ2×
- הַ/שָּׁ֑רֶץ1×
- בַּ/שֶּׁ֖רֶץ1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 1:20
God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”
This verse establishes the word's positive origin in creation, describing the abundant life God commanded into existence.
-
Leviticus 11:44
For I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth.
Here the term is linked directly to the call for holiness, showing how ritual distinctions point to a deeper spiritual separation.
-
Leviticus 11:42
Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, even all creeping things that creep on the earth, them you shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
This occurrence groups various creatures together to illustrate the specific boundaries God set for His people's dietary practices.