Lexical Summary zachal: To crawl, to creep Original Word: זָחַל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be afraid, serpent, worm A primitive root; to crawl; by implication, to fear -- be afraid, serpent, worm. Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [זָחַל] verb shrink back, crawl away (Aramaic זְחַל crawl (also drop, drip, of water: so Late Hebrew זָחַל), זָחֵיל worm; Syriac  locust (as crawling); Arabic  withdraw, retire to a distance (see Lane, Wetzst in DeHiob 2, 428), and Sabean זחֿל withdraw, humble oneself DHMZMG 1875, 610) — Qal only Participle plural construct זֹחֲלֵי Deuteronomy 32:24; Micah 7:17; — crawl, of reptiles (participle) זֹחֲלֵי עָפָר Deuteronomy 32:24 i.e. serpents (as poisonous), instruments of Yahweh's judgment on Israel; ארץ ׳ז Micah 7:17 id. (as crawling into the earth to hide), simile of nations in fear of ׳י. II. [זָחַל] verb fear, be afraid (Aramaic דְּחַל, Qal Perfect1singular זָחַלְתִּי Job 32:6 therefore I feared ("" וָאִירָא); > most, who derive from I. זָחַל = shrink away in fear, hold back (RV), compare ᵑ7 אִסְתְּמִּיתִי Fl ChWBii. 571. Topical Lexicon Semantic Field and Imagery זָחַל pictures a low, gliding movement near the ground and, by extension, the inner quiver that accompanies awe or dread. Scripture applies the verb both to literal creatures that slip through the dust and to people whose confidence melts into trembling before a greater power. Occurrences in Scripture • Deuteronomy 32:24 – Within the Song of Moses, serpents “crawling in the dust” are listed among the agents of covenant discipline. Historical Context In Deuteronomy, the imagery belongs to a wilderness generation well acquainted with desert fauna; venomous serpents were a vivid reminder of mortality (Numbers 21:6). Job, set in patriarchal times, records an honor-based culture in which younger men deferred to aged wisdom. Micah prophesied during the eighth century B.C., when imperial powers threatened Judah. In each setting זָחַל evokes either the real presence of creeping reptiles or the metaphorical “creeping” of humbled people. Theological Themes 1. Divine Judgment – The crawling serpent in Deuteronomy 32:24 reinforces that judgment reaches every stratum of life, from sky to soil. Prophetic and Eschatological Resonance Micah’s vision stretches to the Messianic age, when hostile powers are silenced. The crawling stance mirrors Genesis 3:14, suggesting the final subjugation of evil. Revelation 12:9 identifies the ancient serpent with Satan, whose ultimate defeat fulfills the imagery inaugurated by זָחַל. Practical Ministry Implications • Preaching – Use the verb to draw contrasts between sinful pride and godly humility. Christological Reflection Jesus entered Jerusalem “humble and mounted on a donkey” (Matthew 21:5), embodying the lowliness symbolized by זָחַל while simultaneously exercising sovereign authority. At the cross He crushed the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15), ensuring that every creature—and every nation—will one day bow (Philippians 2:10). Related Hebrew and Greek Parallels Hebrew: רָמַשׂ (ramas, “to creep”), רָעַד (raʿad, “to tremble”). Greek (Septuagint and New Testament): ἑρπετόν (herpeton, “creeping thing”), τρόμος (tromos, “trembling”). These parallels affirm the shared biblical motif of lowly movement linked with reverential fear. Summary זָחַל intertwines the physical motion of ground-hugging creatures with the spiritual motion of the human heart bowing before God. Whether describing deadly serpents, deference before elders, or nations abased at the Lord’s appearing, the verb consistently teaches that genuine life and safety are found only in humble submission to the Holy One. Forms and Transliterations זָחַ֥לְתִּי זֹחֲלֵ֥י זחלי זחלתי כְּזֹחֲלֵ֣י כזחלי kə·zō·ḥă·lê kezochaLei kəzōḥălê zā·ḥal·tî zaChalti zāḥaltî zō·ḥă·lê zochaLei zōḥălêLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 32:24 HEB: עִם־ חֲמַ֖ת זֹחֲלֵ֥י עָפָֽר׃ NAS: upon them, With the venom of crawling things of the dust. KJV: upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. INT: With the venom of crawling of the dust Job 32:6 Micah 7:17 3 Occurrences |
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; compare Arabic 
rancour, malevolence; NöZMG. 1886, 741) — only