שְׁפִיפוֹן m. (b. h. שְׁפִיפֹן; שפף) [sliding,] a species of serpents, adder (?). Num. R. s. 149 כנגד … נחש וש׳ corresponding to the two things to which his (Dan’s) father compared him, serpent and sh’fifon. Sot. 10ᵃ בלעם … שנאמר ש׳ וכ׳ Balaam was lame in one foot, for we read (Num. XXIII, 3), and he went shefi; Samson was lame in both feet, for it says (Gen. XLIX, 17) sh’fifon (sliding) on the road. Y. Ter. VIII, 45ᵈ bot. מין קטן הוא ושמו ש׳ it is a small kind of serpent, its name is sh’fifon, and it is as thin as a hair.
שְׁפִיפוֹן
Gloss
שְׁפִיפוֹן m. (b. h. שְׁפִיפֹן ; שפף ) [ sliding ,] a species of serpents, adder (?). Num. R. s. 14 9 כנגד … נחש וש׳ corresponding to the two things…
References
- Jastrow, שְׁפִיפוֹן 1
- Bamidbar Rabbah 14
- Sotah 10a:9
- Numbers 23:3
- Genesis 49:17
- Jerusalem Talmud Terumot 8:3:28