פֶּ֫תֶן

From the study of Isaiah 11:8

Range of meaning

A venomous snake, generally identified as a cobra (likely the Egyptian cobra, Naja haje, found in the region). In the Hebrew Bible it is the emblem of deadly poison: 'the venom of cobras' (Deut 32:33), 'the cobra's gall' (Job 20:14). Psalm 58:4–5 describes 'the deaf cobra that stops its ear' to the snake-charmer. Ps 91:13 has the one who trusts God treading on 'the lion and the cobra'.

Against the English

KJV 'asp' and modern 'cobra' are close: an asp was the classical name for the Egyptian cobra. Precise zoological identification is not certain, but every rendering rightly signals a snake that kills.

Used elsewhere in the period

LXX usually renders it aspis ('asp'), as here. Cobras appear widely in Egyptian iconography (the royal uraeus) and in Near Eastern snake-charming and incantation texts, which shows how familiar and feared the animal was.

From the study of Psalm 58:4

Range of meaning

A specific venomous snake, distinguished from the general nāḥāš. Its six Old Testament uses (Deut 32:33; Job 20:14, 16; Ps 58:4; 91:13; Isa 11:8) all present it as deadly. It is most commonly identified with the Egyptian cobra (Naja haje), though exact zoological identification of biblical animals is never fully certain.

Against the English

KJV and ESV use 'adder'; YLT 'asp'; BSB, WEB, NIV and NASB 'cobra'. In today's English, 'adder' means the small European viper, which is not a charmer's snake. 'Asp' in classical usage did mean the Egyptian cobra (Cleopatra's 'asp'), but most readers no longer know that.

How it drifted

In older English, 'adder' (from Old English nǣdre) meant any serpent. Its meaning narrowed over time to the common European viper.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Septuagint translates it ἀσπίς (aspis), the Greek name for the Egyptian cobra. Isaiah 11:8 pictures a nursing infant playing over the peten's hole as a sign of a remade, safe world. Psalm 91:13 has the protected person treading on it.

From the study of Psalm 91:13

Range of meaning

A venomous snake, usually identified with the cobra (in Egypt and the Levant, the Egyptian cobra, Naja haje). Its venom is proverbially deadly (Deut 32:33; Job 20:14, 16). It is the 'deaf' snake that ignores the charmer (Ps 58:4–5), and its hole is where the child plays safely in the coming peace (Isa 11:8).

Against the English

'Cobra' (BSB, WEB, NIV, NASB) is probably correct. 'Adder' (KJV, ESV) and 'asp' (YLT, following the Greek) are older general words for a poisonous snake.

How it drifted

Today 'adder' names a particular small European viper, Vipera berus. In 1611, and in the older English nædre, it simply meant a serpent. 'Asp' comes from Greek aspis, which was itself often the cobra.

Used elsewhere in the period

It is cognate with Ugaritic bṯn, the word for the serpent defeated in the Baal cycle, and probably with Akkadian bašmu, a mythical horned serpent. Both are related words in neighbouring languages. The Septuagint here renders peten as basiliskos ('basilisk', a 'little king' snake that later grew into a legend).