So, I thought about this today. Figured I'd check it out. I was surprised what I found out.
The quote that is referred to about this is this:
[h=3]"Matthew 3:7[/h]King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]7 [/SUP]But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" (1)
So people say that because it says generation of vipers, it means like reptilians, etc. So I was kind of skeptical, I took this as an adjective. Basically calling them a generation of mean people or something. However, when you think about it, God lets everyone repent etc. so maybe there is something more?
A person on this website sent me a great resource a long time ago. You can find it at Resource #2. So I used that resource and typed the verse in. You know what the original text is? "ἔχιδνα echidna"(3).
So what is an Echidna? I first saw some sort of ant eater and thought it shrugged it off. However, Wikipedia came up with a mythological character so I decided to check it out. It's an exact match, "In Greek mythology, Echidna (Ancient Greek: Ἔχιδνα, "she viper") was half woman half snake, known as the "Mother of All Monsters" because many of the more famous monsters in Greek myth were mothered by her. Hesiod's Theogony described her as:
I'm quite surprised it is an exact match. So I guess they were talking about actual snakes afterall. Or they could just be saying they are like these creatures. Regardless, it is very interesting.
Resources:
(1) Matthew 3:7 KJV - But when he saw many of the Pharisees - Bible Gateway
(2) Bible Study Resources and Strong's Concordance with Hebrew and Greek Lexicon
(3) BLB - Mat 3: Gospel of Matthew 3 (Blue Letter Bible: KJV - King James Version)
(4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna_(mythology)
The quote that is referred to about this is this:
[h=3]"Matthew 3:7[/h]King James Version (KJV)
[SUP]7 [/SUP]But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" (1)
So people say that because it says generation of vipers, it means like reptilians, etc. So I was kind of skeptical, I took this as an adjective. Basically calling them a generation of mean people or something. However, when you think about it, God lets everyone repent etc. so maybe there is something more?
A person on this website sent me a great resource a long time ago. You can find it at Resource #2. So I used that resource and typed the verse in. You know what the original text is? "ἔχιδνα echidna"(3).
So what is an Echidna? I first saw some sort of ant eater and thought it shrugged it off. However, Wikipedia came up with a mythological character so I decided to check it out. It's an exact match, "In Greek mythology, Echidna (Ancient Greek: Ἔχιδνα, "she viper") was half woman half snake, known as the "Mother of All Monsters" because many of the more famous monsters in Greek myth were mothered by her. Hesiod's Theogony described her as:
[...] the goddess fierce Echidna who is half a nymph with glancing eyes and fair cheeks, and half again a huge snake,[SUP][1][/SUP] great and awful, with speckled skin, eating raw flesh beneath the secret parts of the holy earth. And there she has a cave deep down under a hollow rock far from the deathless gods and mortal men. There, then, did the gods appoint her a glorious house to dwell in: and she keeps guard in Arima beneath the earth, grim Echidna, a nymph who dies not nor grows old all her days.[SUP][2] "(4).[/SUP]
I'm quite surprised it is an exact match. So I guess they were talking about actual snakes afterall. Or they could just be saying they are like these creatures. Regardless, it is very interesting.
Resources:
(1) Matthew 3:7 KJV - But when he saw many of the Pharisees - Bible Gateway
(2) Bible Study Resources and Strong's Concordance with Hebrew and Greek Lexicon
(3) BLB - Mat 3: Gospel of Matthew 3 (Blue Letter Bible: KJV - King James Version)
(4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna_(mythology)