ἔχιδνα
a serpent, snake, viper
Definition
The Greek word ἔχιδνα refers specifically to a venomous snake or viper. In the New Testament, it is used both literally and metaphorically. Literally, it describes the actual viper that bit Paul in Acts 28:3. Metaphorically, it is used by John the Baptist and Jesus as a powerful term of rebuke, characterizing certain religious leaders (the Pharisees and Sadducees) as a 'brood of vipers' (Matthew 3:7, 12:34, 23:33; Luke 3:7), implying they are dangerous, poisonous in their teaching, and deserving of divine judgment.
Biblical Usage
The word is used five times in the New Testament, appearing in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke and in Acts. In Matthew and Luke, it is exclusively used in prophetic denunciations by John the Baptist and Jesus against the religious elite, establishing a pattern of metaphorical usage for hypocrisy and spiritual danger. In Acts 28:3, the usage shifts to a literal description of a poisonous snake encountered on Malta, demonstrating its concrete meaning in a narrative context.
Etymology
Derived from the ancient Greek ἔχιδνα, meaning 'viper' or 'adder.' It is a primary noun with no clear further derivation from a simpler root, and it carried the specific sense of a venomous serpent in classical and Koine Greek. The English word 'echidna' (the spiny mammal) is a modern biological borrowing from this Greek term.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it captures the biblical theme of internal corruption and deadly deception. When used by John the Baptist and Jesus, it starkly reveals God's perspective on religious hypocrisy—it is not merely incorrect but spiritually poisonous and deadly. Understanding this metaphor enriches reading by highlighting the seriousness with which Jesus confronted false piety and the urgent call to genuine repentance (Matthew 3:7-8).
In the ancient Mediterranean world, vipers were universally recognized as dangerous, stealthy, and deadly creatures. The metaphorical label 'brood of vipers' would have conveyed immediate revulsion and a sense of lurking threat. This cultural understanding amplifies the force of the biblical rebukes, painting the targets not just as misled but as actively malignant and destructive within the community.
ὄφις (ophis, G3789) — a more general term for 'serpent' or 'snake,' used for the serpent in Eden (Genesis 3) and by Jesus in Matthew 10:16; it can be non-venomous or symbolic.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
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