LiTKRATCKR. — Swtilnsolt. Apontotic nnd Xicfne Ci'ffda; Hciirllt-y, tltirinonitl Siimliotictt ; Ciisjiiiii, rnffftlrucA-le. etc. ; OHi-lleu e. fr'fH. it. y'liii/ftt/nitiolM u. if. (r/tiubenHreifet ', Luiiiby, //ist, of CrfetiH ; Ziilui. Apoat. Sijmb. (1st>*2) ; nnd tlic works of llalin, Harnack, and Swt'tu rt-ferrtMl to above,
J. Dknsky.
••CREEPING THINGS.— Much confusion is some- timis cccasiuned liy the fact that two distinct Ileb. terms are (frequently) represented by this expression in the l".V.
(I) The term which is mo.st correctly so repre- sented is rimes (''^'?';), from ramas, to ylidc or cncp :
018
CREEPING THINGS
CREMATION
under this term 'creeping things' are mentioned (in 1-*- -^ (as created, together with ' cattle,' and 'beasts of the earth' [i.e. speaking generally, herbivora and carnivora], on the sixth day) ; 1-'' (as given into the dominion of man, together with the • tish of the sea,' the 'fowl of the air,' the 'cattle and all beasts [Pesh.] of the earth'); C>'-^ 7"-^ yiT. 19 ^as spared, usually together with ' cattle ' and ' fowl,' on occasion of the Flood) ; in other allusions to the animarf kingdom, often by the side of 'beasts,' 'cattle,' 'fowl,' or 'fishes,' 1 K 4''* (o") ' lie spake also of cattle, and of fowl, and of creepinij tliint/s, and of fishes,' Hos 2i"('-') ; Hab 1'* (the Ciialdiuan makes men to be ' as the fislies of the sea, as the creepiny things, over whom is no ruler'), Kzk 8'" (figures of them worshipped by Israelites), 38", Ps 148"'. In Gn 9^ [HV moving thing], where the term stands by itself, it is used more generally of all gliding or creeping things (cf. the verb in Gn 1-^ 7-' 8''-' [RV mnveth, moved] ; Ps 104-") : and in Ps 104-^ of gliding aquatic crea- tures (cf. the verb in Gn 1-1, Lv ll«,Ps69*'(3^)[RV inoveth'\) ; so also perhaps (note the context, esp. v.i=) in Hab 1". The corresponding verb is often found closely joined to it, Gn l-^' 7" »', Ezk 38-' ; or used synonymously, Gn 1*' 7* 9- (RV teemeth), Lv 202» (RV id.), l3t 4i8 (by the side of cattle, fowl, and fish), cf. Lv ll** (RV moveth). These are all the occurrences of either the subst. or the verb. From a survey of the passages in which rimes occurs, especially those (as Gn 1-'', 1 K 4*) in which it stands beside beasts, fowls, and fishes, in popular classifications of the animal kingdom, it is evident that it is the most general term denoting reptiles, which, especially in the East, would be the most conspicuous and characteristic of living species, when beasts, fowls, and fishes had been excluded. DiUm. and Keil (on Gn 1**) both define it as denot- ing creatures moving on the ground ' either without feet, or with imperceptible feet.' It is often defined more precisely by the addition of ' that creepeth upon the earth,' or (Gn l-^ 6-", Hos 2>*) 'upon the ground.' The term not being a scientific one, it in- cluded also, perhaps, creeping insects, and posaibl'i even very small quadrupeds : but the limitation of remes to the ' smaller quadrupeds of the earth ' (to the exclusion of reptiles), which has been devised (Dawson, Modern Science in Bible Lands, 1888, p. 28) for the purpose of ' harmonizing ' Gn 1 with the teachings of palaeontology, is arbitrary, and cannot be sustained.
(2) The other term, also sometimes unfortunately rendered 'creeping things,' is sherez {'"i^) ■ this is applied to creatures, whether terrestrial or aquatic, which appear in swarms, and is accord- ingly best represented by swarming things. It occurs (sometimes with the cognate verb) Gn 1'^' 'let the water swarm with sicarming things,' cf. V.21 'every living soul [see Son.] that creepeth, wherewith the waters sioarmed' ; 7-' (beside fowl and cattle and beast) '■ every swarming thing that swarmed upon the earth' ; Lv 5- 'the carcases of unclean swarming things'' ; IV ' of all the sicarm- ing things of the waters' ; v.-> (= Dt U^'), vv.^i- =3 'winged swarming things' (i.e. flying insects: locusts are instanced) ; v." 'swarming things, that swarm upon the earth ' (the weasel, the mouse, and various kinds of lizards are instanced), cf. v.'" 'among all sivarming things' ; vv. ■"•■'-• ■'^ 'every swarming thing that swarmeth upon the earth' — including (v.^-) insects with more than four feet ; v.<* 'any siDarming thing that creepeth upon the earth ' ; v.-"* ' every living soul that glideth (ef. above, No. 1) in the waters, and every living soul that sicarmeth upon tlie earth' ; 22' ' whoso toucli- eth any swarming thing by wliich he may become unclean.' The cognate verb shi'iraz occurs also lix 8^ (7-*) 'the river shall sicarm with frogs' (cf.
•• ri,piiri(iht, 189S, hy
Ps 105'°) ; Ezk 47' ' every living soul that swarmeth' (viz. in a river) ; and fig., of animals generally, Gn 81" (RV breed abundantly), and of men, 9' (RV id.) Ex 1" (of the Israelites multiplying in Egypt: RV increased abundantly). Sherez thus denotes creatures that appear in swarms, whether such as teem in the water, or those which swarm on the ground or in the air, i.e. creeping and flying insects, small reptiles, such as lizards, and small quadrupeds, as the wea.sel and the mouse. Shi'rez and remes are not co-extensive ; for, though par- ticular animals, as small reptiles, would no doubt be included under eitlier designation, remes would not be applied to flying insects, or (at lea.st properly) to aquatic creatures, nor is it certain that it was applied to small quadrupeds, or even to creeping insects ; while sherez would not i)robably be used of large reptiles, or of any, in fact, which did not usually appear in swarms.