37 occurrences across the corpus

King James Version

Luke 11:12

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

Revelation 9:5

And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

KJV Apocrypha (Catholic Deuterocanon)

Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 26:7

An evil wife is a yoke shaken to and fro: he that hath hold of her is as though he held a scorpion.

NT Apocrypha/Pseudepigrapha

Acts of John 2:20

Now when Aristodemus, who was chief priest of all those idols, saw this, filled with a wicked spirit, he stirred up sedition among the people, so that one people prepared themselves to fight against the other. And John turned to him and said: Tell me, Aristodemus, what can I do to take away the anger from thy soul? And Aristodemus said: If thou wilt have me believe in thy God, I will give thee poison to drink, and if thou drink it, and die not, it will appear that thy God is true. The apostle answered: If thou give me poison to drink, when I call on the name of my Lord, it will not be able to harm me. Aristodemus said again: I will that thou first see others drink it and die straightway that so thy heart may recoil from that cup. And the blessed John said: I have told thee already that I am prepared to drink it that thou mayest believe on the Lord Jesus Christ when thou seest me whole after the cup of poison. Aristodemus therefore went to the proconsul and asked of him two men who were to undergo the sentence of death. And when he had set them in the midst of the market-place before all the people, in the sight of the apostle he made them drink the poison: and as soon as they had drunk it, they gave up the ghost. Then Aristodemus turned to John and said: Hearken to me and depart from thy teaching wherewith thou callest away the people from the worship of the gods; or take and drink this, that thou mayest show that thy God is almighty, if after thou hast drunk, thou canst remain whole. Then the blessed John, as they lay dead which had drunk the poison, like a fearless and brave man took the cup, and making the sign of the cross, spake thus: My God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whose word the heavens were established, unto whom all things are subject, whom all creation serveth, whom all power obeyeth, feareth, and trembleth, when we call on thee for succour: whose name the serpent hearing is still, the dragon fleeth, the viper is quiet, the toad (which is called a frog) is still and strengthless, the scorpion is quenched, the basilisk vanquished, and the phalangia (spider) doth no hurt—in a word, all venomous things, and the fiercest reptiles and noisome beasts, are pierced (or covered with darkness). Do thou, I say, quench the venom of this poison, put out the deadly workings thereof, and void it of the strength which it hath in it: and grant in thy sight unto all these whom thou hast created, eyes that they may see, and ears that they may hear and a heart that they may understand thy greatness. And when he had thus said, he armed his mouth and all his body with the sign of the cross and drank all that was in the cup. And after be had drunk, he said: I ask that they for whose sake I have drunk, be turned unto thee, O Lord, and by thine enlightening receive the salvation which is in thee. And when for the space of three hours the people saw that John was of a cheerful countenance, and that there was no sign at all of paleness or fear in him, they began to cry out with a loud voice: He is the one true God whom John worshippeth.

OT Pseudepigrapha

The Story of Ahikar 7:7

O my boy! thou hast been to me like the scorpion which when it strikes on brass, pierces it.

4 Maccabees 5:50

As he spake thus the guards bound him and brought him before the catapult; and they tied him thereto on his knees, and, fastening them there with iron clamps, they wrenched his loins over the rolling 'wedge' so that he was completely curled back like a scorpion and every joint was disjointed.

The Words of Ahikar (Aramaic Papyrus) 1:85

the name of his father and his offspring with the reputation of his wantonness. The scorpion finds

The Testament of Solomon 1:72

And I commanded another demon to come before me. And there came before my face thirty-six spirits, their heads shapeless like dogs, but in themselves they were human in form; with faces of asses, faces of oxen, and faces of birds. And I Solomon, on hearing and seeing them, wondered, and I asked them and said: "Who are you?" But they, of one accord with one voice, said: "We are the thirty-six elements, the world-rulers of this darkness. But, O King Solomon, thou wilt not wrong us nor imprison us, nor lay command on us; but since the Lord God has given thee authority over every spirit, in the air, and on the earth, and under the earth, therefore do we also present ourselves before thee like the other spirits, from ram and bull, from both twin and crab, lion and virgin, scales and scorpion, archer, goat-horned, water-pourer, and fish.

Kebra Nagast

Kebra Nagast 70:22

But address them with bold words, and speak unto them haughtily, saying, `In respect of my father ye say in wood and in stone, but I will make you to serve me with chains of iron and with scorpion-whips.

The Key of Solomon

The Key of Solomon, Book II 8:3

The knife with the white hilt ( see Figure 61) should be made in the day and hour of Mercury, when Mars is in the sign of the Ram or of the Scorpion. It should be dipped [*tempered] in the blood of a gosling and in the juice of the pimpernel [*pimpinella], the Moon being at her full or increasing in light. <Dip therein also> the white hilt, upon the which thou shalt have engraved the characters shown. Afterwards perfume it with the perfumes of the Art.

The Book of the Cave of Treasures

The Book of the Cave of Treasures 70:1

SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC (The sign *Y placed before each name is the Meaning of the name. The Labourer The Star and the Bull of heaven. The Faithful Shepherd of heaven and the Great Twins. The Tortoise. The Great (Lion). Virgin with ear of corn The Scorpion. Enurta (the god) The Goat-fish The Great Star.

The Book of the Cave of Treasures 70:2

The star... and the Band of Fishes Virgin. Scales. Scorpion. Bow. Capricornus. Water-bearer The Fishes Name of month.

Pistis Sophia

Pistis Sophia: A Fifth Book 140:6

"And thereafter, when the sphere turneth itself, and the little Sabaōth, the Good, he of the Midst, who is called in the world Zeus, cometh, and he cometh to the eighth æon of the sphere which is called the Scorpion, and when Boubastis, whom they call Aphroditē, cometh, and she cometh to the second æon of the sphere which is called the Bull, then the veils which are between those of the Right and those of the Left draw themselves aside and Zorokothora Melchisedec looketh out of the height; and the world and the mountains are agitated and the æons become alarmed. And he looketh on all the regions of Hekatē, so that her regions are dissolved and destroyed, and all the souls which are in her chastisements, are carried off and cast back anew into the sphere, because they are dissolved in the fire of her chastisements."

The Mishnah

Mishnah Shabbat 16:7

One may turn a dish over a lamp so that the beams should not catch [fire], and over an infant’s excrement, and over a scorpion so that it should not bite. Rabbi Judah said: an incident came before Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai in Arabia and he said, “I fear that he may be liable for a sin-offering.”

Pirkei Avot (Mishnah Avot) 2:10

They [each] said three things: Rabbi Eliezer said: Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own; And be not easily provoked to anger; And repent one day before your death. And [he also said:] warm yourself before the fire of the wise, but beware of being singed by their glowing coals, for their bite is the bite of a fox, and their sting is the sting of a scorpion, and their hiss is the hiss of a serpent, and all their words are like coals of fire.

Pirkei Avot (Mishnah Avot) 5:5

Ten wonders were wrought for our ancestors in the Temple: [1] no woman miscarried from the odor of the sacred flesh; [2] the sacred flesh never became putrid; [3] no fly was ever seen in the slaughterhouse; [4] no emission occurred to the high priest on the Day of Atonement; [5] the rains did not extinguish the fire of the woodpile; [6] the wind did not prevail against the column of smoke; [7] no defect was found in the omer, or in the two loaves, or in the showbread; [8] the people stood pressed together, yet bowed down and had room enough; [9] never did a serpent or a scorpion harm anyone in Jerusalem; [10] and no man said to his fellow: the place is too congested for me to lodge overnight in Jerusalem.

Mishnah Kelim 11:5

The scorpion [-shaped] bit of a bridle is susceptible to impurity, but the cheek-pieces are clean. Rabbi Eliezer says that the cheek-pieces are susceptible to impurity. But the sages says that the scorpion-bit alone is susceptible to impurity, When they are joined together it is all susceptible to impurity.

Mishnah Kelim 11:5

The scorpion [-shaped] bit of a bridle is susceptible to impurity, but the cheek-pieces are clean. Rabbi Eliezer says that the cheek-pieces are susceptible to impurity. But the sages says that the scorpion-bit alone is susceptible to impurity, When they are joined together it is all susceptible to impurity.

Mishnah Kelim 12:3

The metal cover of a basket of householders: Rabban Gamaliel says: it is susceptible to impurity, The sages say that it is clean. But that of physicians is susceptible to impurity. The door of a cupboard of householders is clean but that of physicians is susceptible to impurity. Tongs are susceptible to impurity but stove-tongs are clean. The scorpion [-shaped] hook in an olive-press is susceptible to impurity but the hooks for the walls are clean.

Mishnah Parah 7:9

One was carrying his water on his shoulder and he ruled in a matter of law, or showed others the way, or killed a snake or a scorpion, or picked up food in order to store it, it [the water] is invalid; But [if he picked up] food to eat, it is valid. [And if he killed] a snake or a scorpion that hindered him, it remains valid. Rabbi Judah said: this is the general rule: If the act was is in the nature of work, the mixture is invalid whether the man stopped or not, If it was not in the nature of work: If he stopped, it is invalid; But if he did not stop it remains valid.

Mishnah Parah 7:9

One was carrying his water on his shoulder and he ruled in a matter of law, or showed others the way, or killed a snake or a scorpion, or picked up food in order to store it, it [the water] is invalid; But [if he picked up] food to eat, it is valid. [And if he killed] a snake or a scorpion that hindered him, it remains valid. Rabbi Judah said: this is the general rule: If the act was is in the nature of work, the mixture is invalid whether the man stopped or not, If it was not in the nature of work: If he stopped, it is invalid; But if he did not stop it remains valid.

The Jerusalem Talmud

Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 5:21

“Even if a snake is wound around one’s heel, one should not interrupt.” Rebbi Ḥuna in the name of Rebbi Yose: They mentioned only a snake, but for a scorpion he interrupts. Why, because it stings repeatedly. Rebbi Ilaï said: They stated only “wound around”, but if a snake is attacking him, he hides before him but he should not interrupt his prayer. It is stated: If he was praying in a thoroughfare or on a square he removes himself from before a donkey or before a cart but he should not interrupt his prayer.

Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 9:38

Elijah, may he be well remembered, asked Rebbi Nehorai: Why did the Holy One, praise to Him, create abominable and crawling animals in His world? He said to him, they fill a need because, when men sin, He gazes at those and says, if I am keeping those who have no utility, certainly I shall keep these who might have utility. He said to him, still they have utility: a fly for wasps, bedbugs for a leech, snail for skin rash, semamit for the scorpion.

Jerusalem Talmud Shabbat 1:41

Mishnah “He should not check his garments for lice nor read by candlelight,” etc. Even on weekdays it is forbidden since it is not decent. It was stated: One who checks his garments takes and throws away; only he should not rub. Abba Shaul says, he may rub and throw away, only he should not kill. Ḥizqiah said, one who kills a louse is like one who kills a camel. Samuel broke off its hands and feet and gave if to the children. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun put it in a flask. Rebbi Simeon ben Ḥalafta said, did we not understand this from the purple snail? Does the purple snail have sinews and bones? But was it not stated: Any which has neither sinews nor bones does not live more than six months? For Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said in the name of Rav Zevid, the Holy One, praise to Him, turns around His world once in seven years. Qamqama turns into Ḥu-Rav-Padah. Ḥar-Efer turns into Šer. The head louse turns into a scorpion and the one of garments into a lizard. A horse worm turns into a wasp, that of cattle into a bee. A male hyena turns into a female, a field rat turns into a wild boar. The spine of a fish turns into a centipede, of a human into a snake. When? If he does not bow down with his entire spine.

Jerusalem Talmud Shabbat 1:91

“One does not put bread dough into the oven.” Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Assi: Women are more careful with bread than with dishes. What is the difference between bread and dish? A dish one usually eats hot, bread one usually does not eat hot. There, they say, hot bread is accompanied by fever. A wasp, cold; a scorpion, hot. He who switches is in danger.

Jerusalem Talmud Shabbat 14:3

Rebbi Yannai said, one is permitted to kill a wasp on the Sabbath. And it was stated thus: “Five are killed on the Sabbath: an Egyptian fly, and a wasp in Niniveh, and a scorpion in Adiabene, and a snake in the Land of Israel, and a rabid dog anywhere. It happened that a snake fell on the Sabbath, when a Nabatean got up and killed it. Rebbi said, it met its match.” But are they not of the ones which are killed on the Sabbath? Explain it if they come to do damage. It was stated, Rebbi Jacob says, he who sees a snake or a scorpion within four cubits was destined to die by them, only that the mercy of the Omnipresent is abundant. Rabban Simeon said, when has this been said? If he did not kill them. But if he killed them they appeared to him so he could kill them. In any case they appeared to him only by merit.

Jerusalem Talmud Shabbat 14:3

Rebbi Yannai said, one is permitted to kill a wasp on the Sabbath. And it was stated thus: “Five are killed on the Sabbath: an Egyptian fly, and a wasp in Niniveh, and a scorpion in Adiabene, and a snake in the Land of Israel, and a rabid dog anywhere. It happened that a snake fell on the Sabbath, when a Nabatean got up and killed it. Rebbi said, it met its match.” But are they not of the ones which are killed on the Sabbath? Explain it if they come to do damage. It was stated, Rebbi Jacob says, he who sees a snake or a scorpion within four cubits was destined to die by them, only that the mercy of the Omnipresent is abundant. Rabban Simeon said, when has this been said? If he did not kill them. But if he killed them they appeared to him so he could kill them. In any case they appeared to him only by merit.

Jerusalem Talmud Shabbat 14:23

The colleagues in the name of Rebbi Abba bar Zavda: Anything inside of the lips one heals on the Sabbath. Rebbi Ze‘ira objected, did we not state: “One whose teeth are aching may not sip vinegar,”? Is this not inside from the lips? [Rebbi Ze‘ira] did not say so, but Rebbi Ze‘ira in the name of Rebbi Abba bar Zavda: Anything inside a body cavity one heals on the Sabbath. Rebbi Ze‘ira, Rebbi Abba bar Zuṭra, Rebbi Ḥanina in the name of Rebbi: One treats the bone of the skull on the Sabbath. Rebbi Ḥiyya the Mede, Rebbi Jona, Rebbi Ze‘ira, Rebbi Abba bar Zuṭra, Rebbi Ḥanina in the name of Rebbi: One treats glands of the throat on the Sabbath. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: One treats an infected eye on the Sabbath. There, they say in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Tops of hands and feet are a danger. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Red color is dangerous. Rebbi Abin said, one removes the sting of a scorpion on the Sabbath. Rav said, wine for exterior treatment of the eye is permitted, inside the eye it is forbidden. Samuel said, tasteless spittle is forbidden for the eye on the Sabbath From this you infer for lichen. The rabbis of Caesarea said, ranula is dangerous. Rebbi Ḥizqiah from Acco in the name of the rabbis of Caesarea: spider sickness is dangerous. Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac: gangrene is dangerous. Rebbi Jeremiah said, one can put sour dough on it on Passover. A boil is permitted. Rebbi Yose said, the Mishnah says this: “A small needle to remove a thorn.” Otherwise, what is the difference between a thorn and a boil? Darkening of the eye, they asked Rebbi Jeremiah. He told them, is not Rebbi Abba available for you? They asked Rebbi Abba who permitted. He told them, also I am permitting it.

Jerusalem Talmud Shabbat 16:33

MISHNAH: One may put a pot over a light lest it set fire to a beam, and over a child’s excrement, and over a scorpion to prevent it from stinging. Rebbi Jehudah said, this happened before Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai in Arab and he said, I fear that he incurred liability for a purification sacrifice.

Jerusalem Talmud Shabbat 16:36

“And over a scorpion to prevent it from stinging.” “This happened before Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai in Arab and he said, I fear that he incurred liability for a purification sacrifice.” Rebbi Ulla said, eighteen years did he spend in Arab and only these two cases came before him. He said, “Galilee, Galilee, you are hating Torah; in the end you will work for discharged veterans.”

Jerusalem Talmud Sanhedrin 4:5

Rebbi Joḥanan said, anybody who cannot argue for the crawling animal to make it pure a hundred times cannot start arguing for acquittal. How does one argue about a crawling animal? Rebbi Joḥanan said, since a snake which kills is pure, a rat which does not kill logically should be pure. Since a rat which does not kill is impure, a snake which kills logically should be impure. Rebbi Phineas objected: Is there not the scorpion which kills and is pure? It was found that a Tanna said, snake and scorpion both follow the same rules.

Jerusalem Talmud Sanhedrin 4:5

Rebbi Joḥanan said, anybody who cannot argue for the crawling animal to make it pure a hundred times cannot start arguing for acquittal. How does one argue about a crawling animal? Rebbi Joḥanan said, since a snake which kills is pure, a rat which does not kill logically should be pure. Since a rat which does not kill is impure, a snake which kills logically should be impure. Rebbi Phineas objected: Is there not the scorpion which kills and is pure? It was found that a Tanna said, snake and scorpion both follow the same rules.

Jerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah 2:15

The colleagues in the name of Rebbi Abba bar Zavda: Anything inside of the lips one heals on the Sabbath. Rebbi Ze‘ira objected, did we not state: “A person having a tooth ache should not suck vinegar with them”? Is this not inside from the lips? Rebbi Ze‘ira did not say so, but Rebbi Ze‘ira in the name of Rebbi Abba bar Zavda: Anything inside a body cavity one heals on the Sabbath. Rebbi Ze‘ira, Rebbi Abba bar Zuṭra, Rebbi Ḥanina in the name of Rebbi: One treats the bone of the skull on the Sabbath. Rebbi Ḥiyya the Mede, Rebbi Jona, Rebbi Ze‘ira, Rebbi Abba bar Zuṭra, Rebbi Ḥanina in the name of Rebbi: One treats glands of the throat on the Sabbath. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: One treats an infected eye on the Sabbath. There, they say in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Tops of hands and feet are a danger. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Red color is dangerous. Rebbi Abin said, one removes the sting of a scorpion on the Sabbath. Rav said, wine for exterior treatment of the eye is permitted, inside the eye it is forbidden. Samuel said, tasteless spit is forbidden for the eye on the Sabbath From this you infer for lichen. The rabbis of Caesarea said, ranula is dangerous. Rebbi Ḥizqiah (said) [from Acco] in the name of the rabbis of Caesarea: spider sickness is dangerous. Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac: gangrene is dangerous. Rebbi Jeremiah said, one can put sour dough on it on Passover. A boil is permitted. Rebbi Yose said, the Mishnah says this: “A small needle to remove a thorn.” Otherwise, what is the difference between a thorn and a boil? Darkening of the eye, they asked Rebbi Jeremiah. He told them, is not Rebbi Abba available for you? They asked Rebbi Abba who permitted it to them. He told them, also I am permitting it.

The Babylonian Talmud

Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 5:134

And though a serpent is wound round his heel, he must not interrupt. Rab Sheshet said : This teaching applies only to a serpent, but if it be a scorpion he may interrupt.

Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 9:191

There is also a tradition : Were it not that the tail of the Scorpion was placed in the Fire-River, nobody who had been stung by a scorpion could live. That is what the All-merciful said to Job, "Canst thou bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?" (Job xxxviii. 31).

Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 9:191

There is also a tradition : Were it not that the tail of the Scorpion was placed in the Fire-River, nobody who had been stung by a scorpion could live. That is what the All-merciful said to Job, "Canst thou bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?" (Job xxxviii. 31).

Babylonian Talmud Chagigah 1:43

R. Jochanan, when he came upon this passage, wept, "And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are come upon them" (Deut. xxxi. 21). A slave, whose master brings upon him evils and troubles—is there any help for him? What is the meaning of "evils and troubles"? Rab said, Evils which become troubles counterbalancing one another, as in the case of the wasp and the scorpion. But Samuel said, This refers to him who bestows money upon the poor man in the hour of his extreme distress. Rabba said, This agrees with the proverb, Money for corn standing in the field is not found, for corn hanging up it is found.