Fiery Flying Serpent

2022-10-20

The fiery flying serpent is mentioned twice in the Bible. Let us consider them.

Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. (Isaiah 14:29)

This verse seems to show a progression from an ordinary snake, to the cockatrice, which is a poisonous snake that bites, to this “fiery flying serpent.” There is an increase of danger and fright with each step. Whatever these things are, they could attack like their terrestrial counterparts, but more effectively so because of its flying ability.

The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them. (Isaiah 30:6)

It is paired here with a viper, indicating its similar poisonous attributes. The word for fiery is also the word for “seraphims” (Isaiah 6:2, 6). These were creatures with six wings that flew in the presence of God, declaring His holiness. Elsewhere, this word “fiery” is used of the serpents that fatally bit people in the wilderness, and the bronze serpent proved to be the antidote (Numbers 21:4-9). This could indicate that the word meant they were poisonous. However, who could know if this was a bona fide fire-breathing dragon, or with a more palatable term, dinosaur?