UBS Greek Dictionary Article

Form 1

Part of speech: noun, m.

Inflections: ὄφις; -εως

Sense 1: snake, reptile

Semantic entry: 4.52

Semantic domains: Animals

Subdomains: Reptiles and Other 'Creeping Things'

Definition: long legless reptile; no eyelids or external ears; moves by wriggling or gliding; some species have a poisonous bite; symbol of lurking, unexpected danger; associated with lies, deception, and misleading teaching

Notes: Though ὄφις[a] may refer to any kind of snake, in RV LUK 10:19 · LV LUK 10:19 · Read together LUK 10:19 it is obviously a reference to a poisonous snake that would harm a person who stepped on it. In translating RV LUK 10:19 · LV LUK 10:19 · Read together LUK 10:19 it is essential to avoid an expression which will mean merely ‘to walk on snakes’ as though one were to walk for some distance over a mass of swarming snakes. The implication of this context is simply that one is able to step on snakes without being harmed.

Further resources: fauna:4.9

MAT 7:10: RV MAT 7:10 · LV MAT 7:10 · Read together MAT 7:10

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OET-RV MAT 7:10

10 Or if the child asked for some fish, who would give them a snake?

OET-LV MAT 7:10

10 Or also will _be _requesting a_fish, not will _be _handing _out a_serpent to _him?

MAT 10:16: RV MAT 10:16 · LV MAT 10:16 · Read together MAT 10:16

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OET-RV MAT 10:16

16 “Look out, because I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves, so you’ll need to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

OET-LV MAT 10:16

16 Behold, I am _sending_ you _all _out as sheep in the_midst of _wolves, therefore be _becoming shrewd as the serpents and innocent as the doves.

All 13 recorded passages for this sense

MAT: RV MAT 7:10 · RV MAT 10:16 · LV MAT 7:10 · LV MAT 10:16 · Read together MAT 7:10 · Read together MAT 10:16

MRK: RV MRK 16:18 · LV MRK 16:18 · Read together MRK 16:18

LUK: RV LUK 10:19 · RV LUK 11:11 · LV LUK 10:19 · LV LUK 11:11 · Read together LUK 10:19 · Read together LUK 11:11

JHN: RV JHN 3:14 · LV JHN 3:14 · Read together JHN 3:14

CO1: RV CO1 10:9 · LV CO1 10:9 · Read together CO1 10:9

CO2: RV CO2 11:3 · LV CO2 11:3 · Read together CO2 11:3

REV: RV REV 9:19 · RV REV 12:9 · RV REV 12:14–15 · RV REV 20:2 · LV REV 9:19 · LV REV 12:9 · LV REV 12:14–15 · LV REV 20:2 · Read together REV 9:19 · Read together REV 12:9 · Read together REV 12:14–15 · Read together REV 20:2

Sense 2: evil person, viper, snake

Semantic entry: 88.123

Semantic domains: Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior

Subdomains: Bad, Evil, Harmful, Damaging

Definition: (a figurative extension of meaning of ὄφις[a] snake, 4.52: ὄφις) a dangerous and despised person

Notes: One must exercise due caution in rendering ἔχιδνα in RV MAT 12:34 · LV MAT 12:34 · Read together MAT 12:34 and ὄφις in RV MAT 23:33 · LV MAT 23:33 · Read together MAT 23:33, since in some cultures snakes are regarded as being particularly wise and clever, and therefore an expression such as ‘brood of vipers’ could be a compliment. In some languages important distinctions are made between different types of snakes, and therefore connotations may vary considerably.

MAT 23:33: RV MAT 23:33 · LV MAT 23:33 · Read together MAT 23:33

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OET-RV MAT 23:33

33 Bunch of snakes! Brood of vipers! How are you planning to escape being condemned to hell?

OET-LV MAT 23:33

33 Serpents, brood of _vipers, how may _you _all _escape from the judgement of_ the _geenna?

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

ὄφις

Form 1

Sense 1: snake, reptile

Sense 2: evil person, viper, snake