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שֶׁרֶץ

𐤔𐤓𐤑

sherets

H8318 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שׁרץ to swarm, teem, multiply prolifically

Definition

Collective term for small, low-moving or swarming creatures, especially those which crawl, creep, or teem close to the ground or in water. Includes a broad spectrum of living things such as insects, arthropods, small reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic organisms that move in swarms or masses. Serves as a catch-all for a zoological category defined more by movement and observable behavior than by strict species delineation.

Semantic Range

swarm, teeming or creeping creature, reptile, insect, swarm of small animals, aquatic swarm, low-moving animal, crawling organism

Root / Etymology

From the root שׁרץ (shin-resh-tsade), "to swarm, teem, multiply rapidly." The noun form שֶׁרֶץ is derived as a collective or abstract noun referring to a mass or swarm of small animals, or the individual creatures themselves, that exhibit the movement or proliferation implied by the root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, שֶׁרֶץ primarily refers to creatures classified according to their swarming, creeping, or teeming nature, rather than specific taxonomic boundaries. Most often discussed in priestly or legal contexts (especially Leviticus 11), the שֶׁרֶץ is generally forbidden as food (not kosher) for Israelites, with some nuanced distinctions (e.g., certain locusts are permitted; cf. Leviticus 11:21-23). The term encompasses land creatures (creeping things: small reptiles, insects) and aquatic life (small fish, amphibians, or invertebrates such as crustaceans). It is distinct from חַיָּה ("wild animal") or בְּהֵמָה ("domesticated animal/livestock"), which refer to larger or differently categorized creatures. The designation is based on observable swarming or crawling movement, emphasizing ecological function. In post-biblical usage, the term acquired narrower or metaphorical senses, but in biblical usage, it remains broadly descriptive. English translations as "creeping thing" or "swarming creature" sometimes fail to convey the inclusive, movement-based category of the Hebrew term. In Second Temple and later Jewish literature, legal discussions refine the identification and allowed/disallowed species, but these are later developments based on the biblical classification.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁרַץ; a swarm, i.e. active mass of minute animals; creep(-ing thing), move(-ing creature).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

שרץ (sh-r-ts) — to swarm, teem, multiply prolifically

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H8317 שָׁרַץ the swarming one

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8318-04 שֶׁ֖רֶץ sherets HNcmsc swarming thing swarming creature 8
H8318-03 הַ/שֶּׁ֖רֶץ hasherets HTd/Ncmsa swarming thing the swarming creature 5
H8318-01 בַּ/שֶּׁ֖רֶץ basherets HRd/Ncmsa among the swarming things in the swarming mass 1
H8318-02 הַ/שָּׁ֑רֶץ hasharets HTd/Ncmsa the swarming things the swarming mass 1

Occurrences in Scripture

15 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8318-04 Genesis 1:20 שֶׁ֖רֶץ sherets HNcmsc a swarm swarming creature
H8318-03 Genesis 7:21 הַ/שֶּׁ֖רֶץ hasherets HTd/Ncmsa swarming thing the swarming creature
H8318-04 Leviticus 5:2 שֶׁ֣רֶץ sherets HNcmsa swarming thing swarming creature
H8318-04 Leviticus 11:10 שֶׁ֣רֶץ sherets HNcmsc swarming thing swarming creature
H8318-04 Leviticus 11:20 שֶׁ֣רֶץ sherets HNcmsc swarming thing swarming creature
H8318-04 Leviticus 11:21 שֶׁ֣רֶץ sherets HNcmsc winged insect swarming creature
H8318-04 Leviticus 11:23 שֶׁ֣רֶץ sherets HNcmsc swarming thing swarming creature
H8318-01 Leviticus 11:29 בַּ/שֶּׁ֖רֶץ basherets HRd/Ncmsa among the swarming things in the swarming mass
H8318-02 Leviticus 11:31 הַ/שָּׁ֑רֶץ hasharets HTd/Ncmsa the swarming things the swarming mass
H8318-03 Leviticus 11:41 הַ/שֶּׁ֖רֶץ hasherets HTd/Ncmsa swarming thing the swarming creature
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