Snail
Summary
A term used to translate two different Hebrew words: one referring to a type of lizard among unclean animals, and another to a snail or slug mentioned in a psalm.
☩Chomet (Leviticus 11:30)
The Hebrew word chomet, listed among unclean animals, is variously translated as 'snail,' 'sand-lizard,' or 'chameleon.' The Septuagint and Vulgate render it as a type of lizard. Most scholars believe it refers to the skink, a small lizard abundant throughout northern Africa, Arabia, and Syria, which burrows rapidly in sand.
☩Shablul (Psalm 58:8)
The Hebrew shablul in Psalm 58:8 is properly translated 'snail' or 'slug.' The word derives from a verb meaning 'to smear' or 'soil,' referring to the slimy trail of the creature. The psalmist's image of the snail 'melting away' reflects the ancient belief that the mucus trail represented the creature wasting itself away. More likely, it refers to the slug's vulnerability when caught in the open and dried by the sun.
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Snail," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Snail," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).