A substance obtained from plants or animals that can cause illness, pain, disability or death. It is often used symbolically to refer to distress or bitterness.
Kinds of poison
Poison from plants, water or food
Exodus 15:23; Deuteronomy 32:32; 2 Kings 2:19–22, 2 Kings 4:39–40; Hosea 10:4
Poison from animals or reptiles
Numbers 21:6; Deuteronomy 32:24, Deuteronomy 32:33
Poison used symbolically
To refer to distress
In these incidences God himself is portrayed as the one who brings such bitter experiences: Job 6:4; Jeremiah 8:14, Jeremiah 9:15, Jeremiah 23:15
To refer to evil and its effects
Job 20:12–16 See also Deuteronomy 29:18, Deuteronomy 32:32–33; Psalm 58:4; Proverbs 23:32; Isaiah 14:29; Jeremiah 8:17; Amos 6:12; Acts 14:2; Romans 3:13; Psalm 140:1–3; James 3:8; Revelation 9:5
Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue, though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth, yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him. He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach. He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.