In the Bible, reptiles are mentioned in various contexts, often symbolizing uncleanliness or danger, but also as part of God's creation. The term "reptile" in the biblical sense can refer to a range of creeping creatures, including snakes, lizards, and other similar animals. These creatures are often associated with the ground, reflecting their mode of movement and habitat.

Creation and Classification

Reptiles are part of the broader category of "creeping things" created by God on the sixth day of creation. Genesis 1:24-25 states, "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." This passage highlights that reptiles, as part of the "creatures that move along the ground," were created by God and deemed good in their original state.

Symbolism and Imagery

Reptiles, particularly snakes, hold significant symbolic meaning in the Bible. The serpent in Genesis 3 is the most notable example, where it is used as a vessel for Satan to tempt Eve, leading to the fall of man. Genesis 3:1 describes the serpent as "more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made." This association with cunning and deceit has influenced the perception of reptiles, especially snakes, throughout biblical literature.

In the New Testament, Jesus refers to serpents in a metaphorical sense when addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees. In Matthew 23:33 , He says, "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?" Here, the imagery of snakes is used to convey the deceitful and dangerous nature of those who oppose God's truth.

Dietary Laws and Cleanliness

The Mosaic Law provides specific instructions regarding the cleanliness of reptiles. Leviticus 11:29-30 lists certain reptiles among the unclean animals: "Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink, and the chameleon." These creatures were not to be eaten, and contact with their carcasses rendered a person ceremonially unclean.

The distinction between clean and unclean animals served to set the Israelites apart from other nations and to teach principles of holiness and separation. The unclean status of reptiles reinforced the idea of avoiding that which is impure or defiled.

Reptiles in Prophecy and Apocalyptic Literature

Reptiles also appear in prophetic and apocalyptic literature, often symbolizing chaos and evil. In Isaiah 27:1 , the Leviathan, a creature often associated with a sea serpent or dragon, is mentioned: "In that day the LORD will take His sharp, great, and mighty sword, and bring judgment on Leviathan, the fleeing serpent—Leviathan, the coiling serpent—and He will slay the dragon of the sea." This imagery is used to depict God's ultimate victory over evil and chaos.

Similarly, in Revelation, the dragon, a creature with reptilian features, represents Satan and his opposition to God. Revelation 12:9 states, "And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." This passage connects the serpent of Genesis with the apocalyptic dragon, emphasizing the ongoing spiritual battle between good and evil.

Conclusion

Reptiles in the Bible serve as powerful symbols and reminders of various spiritual truths. They illustrate the themes of temptation, sin, and the need for holiness, while also pointing to God's sovereignty over all creation, including the forces of chaos and evil.2062. herpeton -- a creeping thing
... Word Origin from herpo (to crawl) Definition a creeping thing NASB Word Usage
crawling creatures (3), reptiles (1). creeping thing, serpent. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2062.htm - 6k1512. gachon -- belly (of reptiles)
... 1511, 1512. gachon. 1513 . belly (of reptiles). Transliteration: gachon
Phonetic Spelling: (gaw-khone') Short Definition: belly. ...
/hebrew/1512.htm - 6k

2119a. zachal -- to shrink back, crawl away
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to shrink back, crawl away NASB Word Usage crawling
things (1), reptiles (1). 2119, 2119a. zachal. 2119b . ...
/hebrew/2119a.htm - 5k

Concerning Reptiles and Flying Creatures (Ver. 20), --The ...
... Book XIII. Chapter XX."Concerning Reptiles and Flying Creatures (Ver.
20),"The Sacrament of Baptism Being Regarded. 26. Let ...
/.../the confessions and letters of st/chapter xx concerning reptiles and flying.htm

And Now Let us Proceed to Explain the Reasons for which this ...
... Nay, more than this: they paid divine honors to animals of various species, and
to the most noxious reptiles: they felled trees, and excavated rocks; they ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter xiii and now let.htm

Describes the Hideous Appearance of a Soul in Mortal Sin as ...
... It will learn its own baseness better thus than by self-contemplation, and will
be freer from the reptiles which enter the first room where self-knowledge is ...
/.../teresa/the interior castle or the mansions/chapter ii describes the hideous.htm

God's Approbation of his Works
... bulk. Rather, he is inferior therein not only to most birds and beasts,
but to the generality of even reptiles and insects. However ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 56 gods approbation of.htm

On Divine Providence
... and all the hosts of them." And after he had set all things else in array, the plants
after their kinds, fish and fowl, beasts and reptiles, after their kinds ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 67 on divine providence.htm

This ChapterTreats of the Beauty and Dignity of Our Souls and ...
... It appears impossible for them to retire into their own hearts; accustomed as they
are to be with the reptiles and other creatures which live outside the castle ...
/.../teresa/the interior castle or the mansions/chapter i this chapter treats.htm

Only Chapter Treats of the Great Importance of Perseverance in ...
... For now the devils set on us the reptiles, that is to say, thoughts about the world
and its joys which they picture as unending; they remind us of the high ...
/.../teresa/the interior castle or the mansions/only chapter treats of the.htm

The Creation of Fowl and Water Animals.
... Earth is calling me to describe wild beasts, reptiles and cattle, ready to show
us in her turn sights rivalling those of plants, fish, and birds. ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily viii the creation of.htm

On the Educational Value of the Natural History Sciences.
... Thus, if you ask an ordinary person what kinds of animals there are, he will
probably say, beasts, birds, reptiles, fishes, insects, &c. ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/v on the educational value.htm

The Creation of Moving Creatures.
... There are weevers, lampreys and eels, produced in the mud of rivers and ponds,
which more resemble venomous reptiles than fish in their nature. ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily vii the creation of.htm

Reptiles (6 Occurrences)
...Reptiles (6 Occurrences). Acts 10:12 in which were all kinds of four-footed animals
of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky. ...
/r/reptiles.htm - 8k

Quadrupeds (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Quadrupeds (3 Occurrences). Acts 10:12 In it were
all kinds of quadrupeds, reptiles and birds, (WEY DBY). ...
/q/quadrupeds.htm - 7k

Zoology
... zo-ol'-o-ji: A systematic list of the animals of the Bible includes representatives
of the principal orders of mammals, birds and reptiles, and not a few of ...
/z/zoology.htm - 18k

Kinds (110 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Acts 10:12 in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild
animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky. (WEB WEY NAS RSV NIV). ...
/k/kinds.htm - 36k

Lizard (3 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Any one of the numerous species of reptiles belonging to the order Lacertilia;
sometimes, also applied to reptiles of other orders, as the Hatteria. ...
/l/lizard.htm - 16k

Imagery (5 Occurrences)
... What the imagery consisted of, we may gather from 8:10: symbolic representations
of beasts and reptiles and "detestable things." It is thought that these ...
/i/imagery.htm - 10k

Fish (66 Occurrences)
... This excluded not only reptiles and amphibians, but also, among fishes, siluroids
and eels, sharks, rays and lampreys. For our knowledge ...
/f/fish.htm - 38k

Reptile (3 Occurrences)
... (WEY). James 3:7 For brute nature under all its forms--beasts and birds, reptiles
and fishes--can be subjected and kept in subjection by human nature. ...
/r/reptile.htm - 8k

Vent (8 Occurrences)
... 6. (n.) The anal opening of certain invertebrates and fishes; also, the external
cloacal opening of reptiles, birds, amphibians, and many fishes. ...
/v/vent.htm - 9k

Various (52 Occurrences)
... Acts 11:6 Fixing my eyes on it, I examined it closely, and saw various kinds
of quadrupeds, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. (WEY). ...
/v/various.htm - 22k

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