Original Word: שָׂרָף
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: saraph
Pronunciation: sah-raf'
Phonetic Spelling: (saw-rawf')
KJV: fiery (serpent), seraph
Word Origin: [from H8313 (שָׂרַף - burned)]

1. burning, i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent)
2. specifically, a saraph or symbolical creature (from their copper color)

fiery serpent, seraph

From saraph; burning, i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent); specifically, a saraph or symbolical creature (from their copper color) -- fiery (serpent), seraph.

see HEBREW saraph

I. שָׂרָף noun masculine^{Isaiah 14:29} a serpent, usually venomous (possibly from above v, from burning effect of poison); — absolute ׳שׂ Numbers 21:8 (J E; on Arabic parallels see Jacob^{Arabic Dichter ii. 93, iv. 10 f.}), apposition ׳נָחָשׁ שׂ Deuteronomy 8:15, plural הַנְּחָשִׁים הַשְּׂרָפִים Numbers 21:6; a flying serpent, or dragon, שָׂרָף מְעוֺפֵף Isaiah 14:29; Isaiah 30:6.

II. [שָׂרָף] noun masculine^{Isaiah 6:2} plural שְׂרָפִים seraphim (probably akin to I. ׳שׂ, as beings originally mythically conceived with serpents' bodies (serpent-deities, compare Isaiah 14:29; Isaiah 30:6), or (Che^Comm.) personified of lightning, compare arts. SERAPHIM, Strachan^{Hast. DB} Che^{Ency. Bib}.; Di Marti and others compare also Egyptian guardian-griffins, called Šerref; see also כְּרוּב; on Assyrian Šarrapu (-bu), epithet of god Nergal, connected by Dl^WB with √ שָׂרַף, see שָׁרָב, Zim^{KAT 3. 415}); — in OT. majestic beings with six wings, and human hands and voices, attendant upon ׳י Isaiah 6:2,6.

Occurrences and Scope

The noun שָׂרָף appears seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures, describing both venomous desert serpents (Numbers 21:6; Numbers 21:8; Deuteronomy 8:15; Isaiah 14:29; Isaiah 30:6) and the awe-inspiring seraphim who attend the heavenly throne (Isaiah 6:2; Isaiah 6:6). The shared root idea of “burning” links the pain of the serpent’s bite with the burning purity of the celestial ministers.

Fiery Serpents in the Wilderness

Numbers 21 records Israel’s rebellion “on the way around the land of Edom.” In response, “the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people” (Numbers 21:6). Their bite produced a burning inflammation and many died. When the people repented, the Lord directed Moses: “Make a snake and mount it on a pole; when anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will live” (Numbers 21:8).

1. Judgment: The serpents embodied divine discipline for unbelief and grumbling.
2. Mercy: The bronze serpent was a God-given remedy, not a magical object. Life was granted through obedient, faith-filled gaze.
3. Typology: Jesus applied this episode to His crucifixion—“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up” (John 3:14). The burning judgment that we deserved was borne by Christ; looking to Him in faith brings life.

Deuteronomy 8:15 reminds Israel of “that vast and terrifying wilderness with its venomous snakes and scorpions,” highlighting the Lord’s sustaining grace. In Isaiah 14:29 and Isaiah 30:6, fiery serpents reappear as prophetic symbols of swift, penetrating judgment on nations that trust in human schemes rather than in God.

Seraphim Around the Throne

Isaiah’s temple vision introduces the second usage of שָׂרָף. “Above Him stood seraphim. Each had six wings” (Isaiah 6:2). These exalted beings exemplify:

1. Holiness: Two wings cover the face—no created being can gaze unshielded upon the Holy One.
2. Humility: Two cover the feet—honoring God even in posture.
3. Swift Obedience: Two wings fly—ready to execute divine will.

Their constant antiphonal proclamation, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3), anchors the theological center of Isaiah’s entire message.

One seraph brings a live coal from the altar and touches Isaiah’s lips: “Your iniquity is removed and your sin atoned for” (Isaiah 6:6-7). The burning coal, drawn from the place of sacrifice, links heavenly holiness with atonement, commissioning the prophet for service.

Prophetic Imagery of Judgment and Deliverance

Isaiah extends the serpent motif into oracles against Philistia and Egypt-bound Judah:
• Isaiah 14:29 foretells that from the broken rod of Assyria will spring an even more dreadful oppressor—“its fruit will be a fiery serpent.”
• Isaiah 30:6 warns Judah that reliance on Egypt will prove futile; caravans must traverse “a land of hardship and distress… vipers and darting snakes.” The fiery serpent stands both for literal desert peril and for the consuming consequences of misplaced trust.

Theological Themes

1. Holiness and Sin: Whether desert serpents or throne guardians, שָׂרָף exposes sin and demands purification.
2. Judgment and Grace: God judges murmuring yet provides a means of life; He convicts Isaiah yet cleanses him for mission.
3. Mediation: The bronze serpent prefigures Christ’s mediation, while the seraph’s coal illustrates the application of atonement to the individual.
4. Mission: Cleansed lips lead to prophetic witness (Isaiah 6:8-13); forgiven sinners become proclaimers of grace.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Preaching: The Numbers account urges proclamation of Christ crucified as the sole remedy for sin’s deadly bite.
• Worship: Isaiah’s vision shapes liturgy that centers on God’s holiness and the threefold “Holy.”
• Discipleship: The seraphim model humility and readiness; believers cultivate reverent obedience.
• Pastoral Care: Like the bronze serpent, pastoral ministry directs afflicted hearts to look away from self to the saving provision of God.

Christological Fulfillment

The New Testament explicitly links שָׂרָף to the cross. As the fiery serpent was lifted high, so the crucified Savior draws all who believe. The burning coal’s atoning touch anticipates Pentecost’s tongues of fire, signaling purified speech and worldwide witness.

Summary

שָׂרָף threads through Scripture as a vivid reminder that the God who is “consuming fire” mercifully provides purification. From the wilderness to the throne room, the burning serpent and the burning servant point to the One who was lifted up, that those who look to Him might live.

הַשְּׂרָפִ֔ים השרפים וְשָׂרָ֣ף ושרף שְׂרָפִ֨ים שָׂרָ֔ף שָׂרָ֥ף שָׂרָף֙ שרף שרפים haś·śə·rā·p̄îm hasseraFim haśśərāp̄îm śā·rāp̄ saRaf śārāp̄ śə·rā·p̄îm seraFim śərāp̄îm vesaRaf wə·śā·rāp̄ wəśārāp̄Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts