Original Word: רָמַשׂ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ramas
Pronunciation: rah-MAHS
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-mas')
KJV: creep, move
NASB: creeps, moves, creep, moved, prowl about, swarm
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. (properly) to glide swiftly, i.e. to crawl or move with short steps
2. by analogy to swarm

creep, move

A primitive root; properly, to glide swiftly, i.e. To crawl or move with short steps; by analogy to swarm -- creep, move.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to creep, move lightly, move about
NASB Translation
creep (1), creeps (7), moved (1), moves (6), prowl about (1), swarm (1).

רָמַשׂ verb creep, move lightly, move about (chiefly P) (Arabic touch Gently (Kam Frey); Late Hebrew רְמָשִׂים creeping things (rare)); —

Qal Imperfect3feminine singular תִּרָמשֹׁ Genesis 9:2 2t.; Participle רֹמֵשׂ Genesis 1:26 +; feminine singular רֹמֶ֫שֶׂת Leviticus 11:46 2t.; — 1

subject ground, הָאֲדָמָה ׳כֹּל אֲשֶׁר ת all with which the ground creeps (teems), i.e. all creeping things, Leviticus 20:55 (H), Genesis 9:2 (P).

2 elsewhere subject animal:

a. creep, עַלהָֿאֲדָמָה Deuteronomy 4:18; Genesis 7:8 (P), עַלהָֿאָרֶץ Leviticus 11:44 (H), Genesis 1:30 (P); הָרֶמֶשׂ הָרֹמֵשׂ עַלהָֿאֲדָמָה Ezekiel 38:20, עַלהָֿאָרֶץ Genesis 1:26; Genesis 7:14; Genesis 8:17 (all P).

b. move lightly, glide about, of water animals, כָּלנֶֿפֶשׂ (בַּמַּיִם) הַחַיָּה הָרֹמֶצֶת Leviticus 11:46 (H), Genesis 1:21 (P), compare Psalm 69:35.

c. in General move about, of all land-animals, עַלהָֿאָרֶץ Genesis 1:28; Genesis 7:21; Genesis 8:19 (all P); specifically of wild beasts prowling at night Psalm 104:20.

Biblical Scope and Definition

The verb רָמַשׂ (ramas) pictures living creatures that move, crawl, swarm, or teem across the ground or through the waters. It occurs seventeen times, spanning the Pentateuch, Psalms, and Ezekiel, and always underscores God’s comprehensive sovereignty over all forms of life.

Presence in the Creation Narrative

Genesis repeatedly uses רָמַשׂ to highlight the fullness of God’s creative work:
• “So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves and swarms in the waters, according to their kinds” (Genesis 1:21).
• Humanity’s dominion mandate is framed by the same term: “Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26; cf. 1:28).
• Provision is likewise universal: “To every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls on the earth … I have given every green plant for food” (Genesis 1:30).

The repetition affirms that no corner of creation lies outside God’s design or mankind’s stewardly responsibility.

Dominion and Stewardship

The “creeping things” are the smallest, most easily overlooked members of creation. Yet they are explicitly placed under human dominion (Genesis 1:26, 28) and, after the Flood, subjected to mankind’s fearsome authority: “The fear and dread of you will fall on every creature on the earth … and on every creature that crawls on the ground” (Genesis 9:2). The breadth of these statements anchors a theology of stewardship that extends from the largest beasts to the tiniest insects.

Role in the Flood and Covenant Renewal

Noah’s ark included “every creature that creeps upon the ground” (Genesis 7:8, 14, 21; 8:17, 19). Their preservation signals the continuity of divine purpose from pre-Flood to post-Flood worlds. They serve as living proof that God’s covenant with “all flesh” truly means all (Genesis 9:10).

Clean and Unclean Distinctions

Leviticus employs רָמַשׂ to draw sharp ethical lines:
• “Do not defile yourselves by any swarming creature that crawls on the ground” (Leviticus 11:44).
• “You must therefore distinguish between the clean and the unclean … so you do not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls on the ground” (Leviticus 20:25).

The presence of these smallest animals in the holiness code reinforces Israel’s call to purity in every detail of life.

Cultic Warnings Against Idolatry

Deuteronomy 4:18 forbids fashioning images “of any creature that crawls on the ground,” reminding Israel that even the most inconspicuous beings must not become objects of worship. God alone is Creator; He will not share His glory with carved representations of His creatures.

Memory in Israel’s Worship and Wisdom

The Psalms summon these tiny movers to join the universal chorus of praise:
• “Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them” (Psalm 69:34).
• Nighttime scenes depict their ordered activity: “You bring darkness, and it becomes night, when all the beasts of the forest prowl” (Psalm 104:20).

Their inclusion broadens the worship horizon, teaching that true praise is cosmic in scope.

Prophetic Echoes

Ezekiel’s apocalyptic vision portrays end-time upheaval so great that “every creature that crawls on the ground… will tremble at My presence” (Ezekiel 38:20). The verb ramas here magnifies the totality of divine judgment—nothing in creation will remain unaffected.

Theological Themes

1. Comprehensiveness of Creation: From whales to insects, all life is God’s handiwork.
2. Human Responsibility: Dominion entails care, not exploitation, of even the lowliest creatures.
3. Holiness and Separation: Obedience extends to dietary and moral boundaries involving “creeping things.”
4. Universal Praise: The smallest creatures become symbols of creation’s doxology.
5. Eschatological Certainty: The Lord’s final victory will reverberate through every stratum of existence.

Ministry Implications

• Creation Care: Teaching on רָמַשׂ undergirds a biblically balanced ecology—honoring God by protecting what He owns.
• Holiness of Everyday Life: The Levitical passages encourage believers to pursue purity in “small” matters, trusting that sanctification is comprehensive.
• Evangelistic Apologetics: The intricate design of swarming life offers ready illustrations of divine wisdom for gospel proclamation.
• Worship Planning: Including Scripture readings or songs that echo Psalm 69:34 can widen congregational awareness of God’s glory in all creation.
• Eschatological Hope: Prophetic texts remind the church that God’s future reign will set right every level of the created order, assuring believers of cosmic redemption.

הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ הָֽרֹמֶ֡שֶׂת הָֽרֹמֶ֥שֶׂת הָרֹמֵ֣שׂ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ הָרֹמֶ֖שֶׂת הרמש הרמשת רֹמֵ֖שׂ רֹמֵ֥שׂ רוֹמֵ֣שׂ רומש רמש תִ֝רְמֹ֗שׂ תִּרְמֹ֣שׂ תִּרְמֹ֧שׂ תרמש hā·rō·me·śeṯ hā·rō·mêś haroMes hārōmêś haroMeset hārōmeśeṯ rō·mêś rō·w·mêś roMes rōmêś rōwmêś tir·mōś ṯir·mōś tirMos tirmōś ṯirmōśInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts