H8318 — שֶׁרֶץ (sherets)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: H8318
Original: שֶׁרֶץ
Transliteration: sherets
Pronunciation: sheh
Part of Speech: Masculine noun
Root: Related to H8317 שָׁרַץ (sharats), "to swarm/wriggle"
Occurrences: 15 unique verses (16 tokens) across 3 books
First Occurrence: Gen 1:20 — "the moving creature that hath life"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

-rets; from ; a swarm, i.e. active mass of minute animals:—creep(-ing thing), move(-ing creature).

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
creeping thing	6	40.0%
creeping	2	13.3%
creeping things	2	13.3%
that creep	2	13.3%
among the creeping things	1	6.7%
that move	1	6.7%
the moving creature	1	6.7%
other	1	6.7%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Leviticus	12	1.4
Genesis	2	0.1
Deuteronomy	1	0.1

Genesis uses sherets in creation/flood contexts. Leviticus dominates the word's legal profile, especially Leviticus 11 uncleanness and eating prohibitions.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Moving/Swarming Creature in Creation and Flood Contexts¶

Gen 1:20 — "the moving creature that hath life"
Gen 7:21 — all flesh dies, including "every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth"

2. Carcase Contact and Uncleanness¶

Lev 5:2 — touching the carcase of unclean creeping things brings guilt/uncleanness
Lev 11:29 — named creeping things on the earth are unclean
Lev 11:31 — touching them when dead makes one unclean until even
Lev 22:5 — touching a creeping thing may make one unclean

3. Aquatic or Flying Swarming Creatures¶

Lev 11:10 — living/moving things in waters without fins and scales are abomination
Lev 11:20-23 — flying creeping things on four feet are prohibited, with specified exceptions
Deut 14:19 — every creeping thing that flies is unclean and not to be eaten

4. Absolute Eating Prohibition / Abomination Language¶

Lev 11:41 — every creeping thing that creeps on the earth "shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten"
Lev 11:42 — belly/four-foot/many-foot creeping things are not to be eaten
Lev 11:43-44 — Israel must not make themselves abominable with creeping things

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
אֶרֶץ (erets)	H776	7x	creeping/swarming things upon the earth
עוֹף (owph)	H5775	6x	flying creeping thing/fowl contexts
שָׁרַץ (sharats)	H8317	6x	cognate verb "to swarm/creep"
נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh)	H5315	5x	living creature / soul subject to uncleanness
שֶׁקֶץ (sheqets)	H8263	5x	abomination/detestable classification
אָכַל (akal)	H398	4x	not to be eaten
אַרְבַּע (arba)	H702	4x	four-footed flying creeping things
חַי (chay)	H2416	4x	living/moving creature contexts
טָמֵא (tame)	H2930/H2931	4x each	uncleanness from contact or classification

Word Family / Cognates¶

H8317 שָׁרַץ (sharats) — verb: to swarm, teem, wriggle, creep.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
רֶמֶשׂ (remes)	H7431	creeping thing(s)	remes is broader moving-creature taxonomy in Genesis; sherets stresses swarming/wriggling and Levitical purity law.
רָמַשׂ (ramas)	H7430	creep/move	ramas is a verb of moving/creeping; sherets is the swarming creature noun.
שֶׁקֶץ (sheqets)	H8263	abomination context	sheqets names detestable/abominable thing; sherets names the creature category often classified as sheqets.
ἑρπετόν (herpeton)	G2062	creeping things	Greek creeping/reptile term, main LXX equivalent for sherets.

Semantic Domain¶

001002006006 — Swarming Creatures (relationship tool). Other listed members include H697 arbeh, H1356/H1357 geb, H1462 gobay, H1359 gob, H1501 gazam.

LXX Mapping¶

Greek Equivalent	Co-occurrences	PMI Score	Notes
ἑρπετόν (herpeton) G2062	13	8.94	Primary creeping-animal equivalent.
πετεινόν (peteinon) G4071	6	6.88	Flying creature contexts.
βδέλυγμα (bdelygma) G946	6	6.52	Abomination rendering/association.
ἀκάθαρτος (akathartos) G169	6	6.20	Unclean classification.
μιαίνω (miaino) G3392	3	5.50	Defilement association.
ἅπτομαι (haptomai) G680	3	5.46	Touch/contact uncleanness.

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