What does שָׂרָף (šārāp) mean in the Bible?
שָׂרָף (šārāp): Celestial beings defined by fiery nature; serpents embody divine judgment through burning poison.
Hebrew · H8314
שָׂרָף
Burning , i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent); specifically, a saraph or symbolical creature (from their copper color)
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שָׂרָף H8314
Pronunciation šārāp
What does שָׂרָף (šārāp) mean in the Bible?
שָׂרָף (šārāp): Celestial beings defined by fiery nature; serpents embody divine judgment through burning poison.
Full entry for שָׂרָף (H8314) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8314?
The BSB source-word alignment has 7 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include serpent (2), a fiery serpent (1), seraphim (1), the seraphim (1), venomous (1).
Where does שָׂרָף (šārāp) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Numbers 21:6. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (4), Numbers (2), Deuteronomy (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It serpent 2× Isaiah 14:29, Isaiah 30:6
a fiery serpent 1× Numbers 21:8
seraphim 1× Isaiah 6:2
the seraphim 1× Isaiah 6:6
venomous 1× Numbers 21:6
with its venomous 1× Deuteronomy 8:15
Show sample aligned rows
Numbers 21:6 הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים to venomous Article | Noun - masculine plural Numbers 21:8 שָׂרָ֔ף to a fiery serpent Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 8:15 שָׂרָף֙ to with its venomous Adjective - masculine singular Isaiah 6:2 שְׂרָפִ֨ים to seraphim Noun - masculine plural Isaiah 6:6 הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים to the seraphim Article | Noun - masculine plural Isaiah 14:29 שָׂרָ֥ף to serpent Noun - masculine singular Isaiah 30:6 וְשָׂרָ֣ף to serpent Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Numbers 21:6
Aligned rows 7
Books represented 3
Numbers 2 Deuteronomy 1 Isaiah 4
Source forms
הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים 2x haś·śə·rā·p̄îm Numbers 21:6, Isaiah 6:6
וְשָׂרָ֣ף 1x wə·śā·rāp̄ Isaiah 30:6
שָׂרָ֔ף 1x śā·rāp̄ Numbers 21:8
שָׂרָף֙ 1x śā·rāp̄ Deuteronomy 8:15
שָׂרָ֥ף 1x śā·rāp̄ Isaiah 14:29
שְׂרָפִ֨ים 1x śə·rā·p̄îm Isaiah 6:2
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine plural 2x Numbers 21:6, Isaiah 6:6
Noun - masculine singular 2x Numbers 21:8, Isaiah 14:29
Adjective - masculine singular 1x Deuteronomy 8:15
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 1x Isaiah 30:6
Noun - masculine plural 1x Isaiah 6:2
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Celestial beings defined by fiery nature; serpents embody divine judgment through burning poison.
Source Gloss
burning , i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent); specifically, a saraph or symbolical creature (from their copper color)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Celestial beings defined by fiery nature; serpents embody divine judgment through burning poison.
burning, i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent); specifically, a saraph or symbolical creature (from their copper color) BDB: seraphim Usage: fiery (serpent), seraph.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
שָׂרָף is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain