ἑρπετόν
herpetón
G2062 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Primary meaning: a creature that moves by crawling or creeping close to the ground. In broader usage, refers to any animal (land or water-dwelling) that moves with a slithering, gliding, or crawling motion, including reptiles, amphibians, and some invertebrates. In many contexts, particularly those influenced by the Septuagint or discussions of dietary law and creation, the term can refer to a category of animals distinguished from birds and four-legged mammals.
Semantic Range
creeping animal, reptile, creature that crawls, slithering animal, small ground animal, serpent, crawling insect (less commonly), general category of crawling creatures distinguished from birds and quadrupeds
Root / Etymology
Related to the Greek verb ἕρπω (herpō), meaning 'to creep, crawl, move slowly.' ἑρπετόν is a neuter noun formation, designating something that creeps or crawls. Cognate with ἕρπω (herpō), from the proto-Indo-European root *serp- ('to crawl, creep'), which is also the source of the Latin serpere ('to creep').
Historical & Contextual Notes
ἑρπετόν appears rarely in classical Greek but becomes more prominent in Hellenistic and biblical Greek, particularly in the Septuagint as a category of animals (translating Hebrew רֶמֶשׂ, remes), often marking a distinction from flying or walking animals as per Levitical and Genesis classification systems. In the New Testament, its use is primarily within lists of animal types and in creation or purity law contexts. The term is not restricted specifically to snakes or lizards but includes a broad class of 'creeping things.' Traditional English translations often use 'creeping thing,' 'reptile,' or 'serpent,' but the semantic scope in Koine Greek—especially as shaped by the Hebrew background—included small land animals more generally. In Greco-Roman natural philosophy, ἑρπετόν sometimes overlapped with worms and insects, but in biblical usage, it most often denotes reptiles and similar ground-dwelling organisms, distinct from quadrupeds and birds. Usage diverges from the more specific biological category of 'reptile' in modern English.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
neuter of a derivative of (to creep); a reptile, i.e. (by Hebraism (compare רֶמֶשׂ)) a small animal:--creeping thing, serpent.
Root Family
ἑρπετόν (herpeton) — creeping animal, crawling creature, slithering animal, ground-moving creature
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2062-02 |
ἑρπετῶν | erpeton | N GEN N PL |
creeping things | of creeping creatures | of creeping creatures | 2 |
G2062-01 |
ἑρπετὰ | erpeta | N NOM N PL |
creeping things | crawling creatures | crawling creatures | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2062-01 |
Acts 10:12 | ἑρπετὰ | erpeta | N NOM N PL |
reptiles | crawling creatures | crawling creatures |
G2062-01 |
Acts 11:6 | ἑρπετὰ | erpeta | N ACC N PL |
creeping things | crawling creatures | crawling creatures |
G2062-02 |
Romans 1:23 | ἑρπετῶν | erpeton | N GEN N PL |
creeping things | of creeping creatures | of creeping creatures |
G2062-02 |
James 3:7 | ἑρπετῶν | erpeton | N GEN N PL |
of reptiles | of creeping creatures | of creeping creatures |