ὄφις (ofis) — snake / reptile / evil person

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 OET LUK 10:19 it is obviously a reference to a poisonous snake that would harm a person who stepped on it. In translating OET 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

Show passage in OET: MAT 7:10

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?

Show passage in OET: MAT 10:16

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.

Jump to OET MAT 7:10 section.

Jump to OET MAT 10:16 section.

All 13 recorded passages for this sense

MAT: OET MAT 7:10 · OET MAT 10:16

MRK: OET MRK 16:18

LUK: OET LUK 10:19 · OET LUK 11:11

JHN: OET JHN 3:14

CO1: OET CO1 10:9

CO2: OET CO2 11:3

REV: OET REV 9:19 · OET REV 12:9 · OET REV 12:14–15 · OET 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 OET MAT 12:34 and ὄφις in OET 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.

Show passage in OET: MAT 23:33

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?

Jump to OET MAT 23:33 section.

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

ὄφις

Form 1

Sense 1: snake, reptile

Sense 2: evil person, viper, snake