In the context of the Bible, the term "creep" is often associated with creatures that move along the ground or have a slithering motion. This term is primarily found in the Old Testament, particularly in the books of Genesis and Leviticus, where it is used to describe certain animals and their movements.

Biblical References:

1. Genesis 1:24-25 : In the creation narrative, God commands the earth to bring forth living creatures, including those that "creep" on the ground. "And God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good."

2. Leviticus 11:29-31 : The term is also used in the context of dietary laws, where certain creeping creatures are deemed unclean. "Of the creatures that move along the ground, these are unclean for you: the mole rat, the mouse, any kind of great lizard, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink, and the chameleon. Of all that move along the ground, these are unclean for you. Whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean until evening."

3. Genesis 7:21 : During the account of the flood, all creatures that creep on the earth are mentioned as part of the living beings that perished. "Every creature that had moved upon the earth perished—birds, livestock, animals, every creature that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind."

Theological Significance:

The use of "creep" in the Bible often highlights the diversity and complexity of God's creation. It underscores the idea that all creatures, regardless of their form or function, are part of the divine order established by God. The classification of certain creeping creatures as unclean in Levitical law serves to illustrate the distinctions made by God between what is holy and unholy, clean and unclean, for the Israelites. This distinction is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, emphasizing the need for purity and obedience to God's commandments.

Symbolism and Interpretation:

In a broader symbolic sense, creeping creatures can represent the lowly and humble aspects of creation. They are often seen as reminders of the fallen state of the world due to sin, as they move close to the earth, which was cursed after the fall of man (Genesis 3:14). However, they also serve as a testament to God's sovereignty over all life, as He is the creator and sustainer of every living thing, from the greatest to the least.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, creeping creatures were often associated with mystery and sometimes fear, due to their hidden and elusive nature. The biblical text reflects a similar view, where these creatures are acknowledged as part of God's creation but are also subject to specific laws and regulations, particularly in the context of ritual purity.

Overall, the concept of "creep" in the Bible is multifaceted, encompassing literal, symbolic, and theological dimensions that contribute to the broader narrative of God's relationship with His creation.1. (v. t.) To move along the ground, or on any other surface, on the belly, as a worm or reptile; to move as a child on the hands and knees; to crawl.

2. (v. t.) To move slowly, feebly, or timorously, as from unwillingness, fear, or weakness.

3. (v. t.) To move in a stealthy or secret manner; to move imperceptibly or clandestinely; to steal in; to insinuate itself or one's self; as, age creeps upon us.

4. (v. t.) To slip, or to become slightly displaced.

5. (v. t.) To move or behave with servility or exaggerated humility; to fawn; as, a creeping sycophant.

6. (v. t.) To grow, as a vine, clinging to the ground or to some other support by means of roots or rootlets, or by tendrils, along its length.

7. (v. t.) To have a sensation as of insects creeping on the skin of the body; to crawl; as, the sight made my flesh creep. See Crawl, v. i., 4.

8. (v. i.) To drag in deep water with creepers, as for recovering a submarine cable.

9. (n.) The act or process of creeping.

10. (n.) A distressing sensation, or sound, like that occasioned by the creeping of insects.

11. (n.) A slow rising of the floor of a gallery, occasioned by the pressure of incumbent strata upon the pillars or sides; a gradual movement of mining ground.

1744. enduno -- creep.
... 1743, 1744. enduno. 1745 . creep. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration ... mid:
I enter, creep into. Word Origin from en and duno, see enduo. creep. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1744.htm - 6k

3921. pareisduo -- to settle in alongside
... creep in unawares. From para and a compound of eis and duno; to settle in alongside,
ie Lodge stealthily -- creep in unawares. see GREEK para. see GREEK eis. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3921.htm - 7k

2062. herpeton -- a creeping thing
... creeping thing, serpent. Neuter of a derivative of herpo (to creep); a reptile,
ie (by Hebraism (compare remes)) a small animal -- creeping thing, serpent. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2062.htm - 6k

7430. ramas -- to creep, move lightly, move about
... ramas. 7431 . to creep, move lightly, move about. Transliteration: ramas Phonetic
Spelling: (raw-mas') Short Definition: creeps. Word Origin a prim. ... creep, move ...
/hebrew/7430.htm - 6k

8317. sharats -- to swarm, teem
... breed bring forth, increase abundantly in abundance, creep, move. A primitive
root; to wriggle, ie (by implication) swarm or abound ...
/hebrew/8317.htm - 6k

8318. sherets -- swarmers, swarming things
... creeping thing, moving creature. From sharats; a swarm, ie Active mass of minute
animals -- creep(-ing thing), move(-ing creature). see HEBREW sharats. ...
/hebrew/8318.htm - 6k

A Question How Such Wrong Notions Can Creep into Us.
... The Conferences of John Cassian. Chapter XIV. A question how such wrong
notions can creep into us. Germanus: Very aptly has your ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xiv a question how.htm

Treatise x. On Jealousy and Envy.
... prudent, and charged us to watch with careful solicitude, lest the adversary, who
is always on the watch and always lying in wait, should creep stealthily into ...
/.../cyprian/the treatises of cyprian/treatise x on jealousy and.htm

On the Fast of the Tenth Month.
... deceitful tongue" from which the prophet asks that his soul should be delivered
[701] ; because "their words," as says the blessed Apostle, "do creep as doth a ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leo/writings of leo the great/sermon xvi on the fast.htm

Psalm CXL.
... behold a comparison. In the serpent above all beasts is there cunning
and craft to hurt; for therefore does it creep. [5749] It ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cxl.htm

Now in Vergilius and in Many of that Time the Human Heart had ...
... You are a deadly serpent, born to creep and hide. Shame upon you"murderer! ...
Creep away from them who would put their feet upon you. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bacheller/vergilius/chapter 23 now in vergilius.htm

But Suffer it to be So, I Beg You, as You are Lovers of Christ ...
... in the resurrection even lawful intercourse will no longer exist between the sexes,
since there would be danger that unlawful intercourse would creep in if ...
/.../8 but suffer it to.htm

Tenderness.
... itself of protection, rest, warmth, and all manner of conscious well-being in those
poor, defenseless, dependent, little creatures, as they creep under and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/how to live a holy life/tenderness.htm

A Strain of Sodom.
... Nor they which with forth-stretched body creep. Over earth's face. ... The step once
taken: to the mountain speed!". Lot feared to creep the heights with tardy step, ...
/.../fathers of the third century tertullian appendix/2 a strain of sodom.htm

The Lady Miriam
... "Gods! Hotep, thou dost make me creep.". "Creep!" the scribe responded heartily,
"never in my life have I so wanted to flee a royal audience. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter vi the lady miriam.htm

Letter Lxxix. To Salvina.
... Men may say that I am not so much trying to console a widow in affliction as
endeavouring to creep into the imperial court; and that, while I make a pretext ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter lxxix to salvina.htm

Creep (8 Occurrences)
... 7. (vt) To have a sensation as of insects creeping on the skin of the body; to
crawl; as, the sight made my flesh creep. ...Creep (8 Occurrences). ...
/c/creep.htm - 10k

Creeping (43 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Creep. 2. (a.) Crawling,
or moving close to the ground. 3. (a.) Growing along, and ...
/c/creeping.htm - 21k

Weasel (1 Occurrence)
... WEASEL. (1) Choledh is found only in Leviticus 11:29, where it stands first in the
list of eight unclean "creeping things that creep upon the earth." the King ...
/w/weasel.htm - 9k

Crawl (5 Occurrences)
... 1. (vi) To move slowly by drawing the body along the ground, as a worm; to
move slowly on hands and knees; to creep. ... See Creep, vi, 7. ...
/c/crawl.htm - 8k

Swarming (19 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 11:29 And these are they which are unclean unto you among the creeping
things that creep upon the earth: the weasel, and the mouse, and the great ...
/s/swarming.htm - 12k

Creepeth (17 Occurrences)

/c/creepeth.htm - 12k

Fowls (61 Occurrences)
... JPS DBY WBS). Leviticus 11:20 All fowls that creep, going upon all four,
shall be an abomination unto you. (KJV WBS). Leviticus 20 ...
/f/fowls.htm - 25k

Fowl (73 Occurrences)
... the edible birds, but formerly it denoted all flying creatures; in Leviticus
11:20 the King James Version we have even, "all fowls that creep, going upon all ...
/f/fowl.htm - 36k

Quake (23 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 38:20 so that the fish of the sea, and the birds of the sky, and the animals
of the field, and all creeping things who creep on the earth, and all the ...
/q/quake.htm - 12k

Loaded (21 Occurrences)
... (WEY). 2 Timothy 3:6 For of these are those who creep into houses, and take captive
gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, (WEB NIV). ...
/l/loaded.htm - 12k

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