Original Word: פֶתֶן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: pethen
Pronunciation: peh'-then
Phonetic Spelling: (peh'-then)
KJV: adder
NASB: cobra, cobras
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to twist]

1. an asp (from its contortions)

adder

From an unused root meaning to twist; an asp (from its contortions) -- adder.

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
(a venomous serpent) perhaps cobra
NASB Translation
cobra (3), cobras (3).

מֶּ֫תֶן noun masculine^{Psalm 68:5} a venomous serpent, perhaps cobra (פתן Ecclus 39:30; Aramaic מִּתְנָא, , whence perhaps Arabic ; — only in poetry: plural מְּתָנִים ראֹשׁ Deuteronomy 32:33 ("" חֲמַת תַּנִּינִם), Job 20:16, ׳מְרוֺרַת פ Job 20:14; singular מֶּ֫תֶן Psalm 91:13 ("" תַּנִּין), חֵרֵשׁ ׳פ Psalm 58:5, חֻר מָּ֑תֶן Isaiah 11:8.

Meaning and Imagery

פֶתֶן (peten) denotes a deadly, venom-bearing snake, most plausibly the Egyptian cobra. In Scripture it is the archetype of concealed danger—quietly coiled yet capable of a sudden, lethal strike. The image is consistently negative apart from passages that foresee its subjugation in the age of Messiah.

Occurrences in Scripture

• Deuteronomy 32:33 – “Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras.”
• Job 20:14 – “Yet his food will sour in his stomach to become the venom of cobras within him.”
• Job 20:16 – “He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.”
• Psalm 58:4 – “Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears.”
• Psalm 91:13 – “You will tread on the lion and cobra; you will trample the young lion and serpent.”
• Isaiah 11:8 – “The infant will play by the cobra’s den, and the young child will put his hand into the viper’s nest.”

Theological Symbolism

1. Deadly Corruption: The cobra’s venom represents the inner toxicity of sin (Job 20:14,16), echoing Genesis 3 where the serpent introduced death into the world.
2. Deceitful Enemies: Psalm 58:4 likens unrepentant judges to cobras that “shut” their ears, portraying willful resistance to truth.
3. Divine Judgment: Deuteronomy 32:33 places cobra-venom in the cup of judgment Yahweh will pour upon an apostate nation.
4. Triumphant Dominion: Psalm 91:13 promises the faithful will trample the cobra, prefiguring the ultimate crushing of Satan (Romans 16:20).
5. Eschatological Peace: Isaiah 11:8 envisions a world transformed by the Messiah where even the most lethal creature is rendered harmless, signifying creation’s liberation from the curse.

Historical Context

Cobras were common along the Nile and in the Levant’s warmer regions. Ancient Near Eastern iconography revered them as symbols of royal power; Scripture, in deliberate contrast, recasts the cobra as a figure of moral peril and divine retribution. For Israelites traversing snake-infested wilderness, the term peten would evoke immediate caution and dependence on God’s protection (cf. Numbers 21:6–9).

Prophetic and Messianic Dimensions

Psalm 91, applied to Jesus by Satan yet fulfilled by Christ in faithful trust (Matthew 4:6–10), announces that the anointed One overcomes the serpent. Isaiah 11:8 portrays the new covenant age consummated, when the Prince of Peace restores harmony between humanity and creation. Together the texts display progressive revelation: the cobra that once embodied the curse becomes a testimony to redemption when subdued by the Messiah.

Practical and Ministry Applications

• Moral Warning: Hidden sin, like cobra venom, poisons from within. Pastoral teaching must expose and treat such sin with gospel antidote.
• Spiritual Warfare: Believers share in Christ’s victory, exercising authority over the “power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19) while relying on God’s supremacy, not presumption.
• Eschatological Hope: The glimpse of a child playing safely near a cobra encourages churches to proclaim the coming kingdom where fear and violence are banished.
• Evangelistic Contrast: Whereas pagan cultures deified serpents, the Bible presents them as defeated foes, underscoring the unique holiness and sovereignty of the Lord.

Summary

פֶתֶן operates in Scripture as a vivid emblem of lethal deceit, divine judgment, and, through prophetic promise, the decisive triumph of God’s kingdom. Its six appearances trace a movement from danger to dominion, sharpening the call to holiness and fueling confidence in the ultimate restoration accomplished by Jesus Christ.

וָפֶ֣תֶן ופתן פְּתָנִ֖ים פְּתָנִ֣ים פְּתָנִ֥ים פֶ֥תֶן פָּ֑תֶן פתן פתנים Feten pā·ṯen Paten pāṯen pə·ṯā·nîm p̄e·ṯen petaNim pəṯānîm p̄eṯen vaFeten wā·p̄e·ṯen wāp̄eṯenInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts