Original Word: עַכָּבִישׁ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: `akkabiysh
Pronunciation: ahk-kaw-beesh'
Phonetic Spelling: (ak-kaw-beesh')
Definition: Spider
Meaning: a spider

spider

Probably from an unused root in the literal sense of entangling; a spider (as weaving a network) -- spider.

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a spider
NASB Translation
spider's (2).

עַכָּבִישׁ noun masculine spider (ᵑ7 עַכּוּבִיתָא, עַכָּבִיתָא; whence Arabic as loan-word; Late Hebrew עַכְשׁוּב probably tarantula, according to Levy^{NHWB iii.648}); — ׳בֵּית ע Job 8:14 i.e. web, so probably Job 27:18 (reading ׳ע for ᵑ0 עָשׁ); compare ׳קוּרֵי ע Isaiah 59:5 filaments of a spider.

Word Origin: Derived from an unused root meaning to entangle.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There is no direct Greek equivalent for the Hebrew עַכָּבִישׁ in the Strong's Greek lexicon, as the specific imagery of the spider is not directly paralleled in the New Testament. However, the concept of frailty and the transient nature of life is echoed in various New Testament passages, such as James 4:14, which speaks of life as a "mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

Usage: The term עַכָּבִישׁ is used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to a spider, specifically in the context of its web, which is often used metaphorically to describe frailty or the transient nature of human endeavors.

Context: The Hebrew word עַכָּבִישׁ (ʿakkābîš) appears in the Old Testament and is translated as "spider." This term is found in two key passages: Job 8:14 and Isaiah 59:5. In Job 8:14, the spider's web is used metaphorically to illustrate the fragile and unreliable nature of the hope of the godless: "His confidence is fragile; his trust is a spider’s web." This imagery emphasizes the insubstantial and fleeting nature of human reliance on anything other than God. Similarly, in Isaiah 59:5, the spider's web is used to describe the futile and deceptive works of the wicked: "They hatch viper’s eggs and weave a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die; crack one open, and a viper is hatched." Here, the spider's web symbolizes the fruitless and dangerous outcomes of sinful actions. The use of the spider in these contexts highlights the biblical theme of the vanity of human efforts apart from divine wisdom and righteousness.

עַ֝כָּבִ֗ישׁ עַכָּבִ֖ישׁ עכביש ‘ak·kā·ḇîš ‘akkāḇîš akkaVishInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts