Scorpion
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(Deut. 8:15; Luke 10:19; Rev. 9:3, 5, 10)—a harmful and venomous creature found in Africa, India, Persia, Arabia, and other warm regions. It resembles a lobster in general form and carries its sting in the jointed tail. Its sting can cause intense pain and, in severe cases, death. Scorpions hide in ruins, dark crevices, and beneath stones. When curled up they can resemble an egg, a circumstance traditionally used to illustrate Luke 11:12. Moses calls the wilderness through which Israel passed “great and terrible,” with fiery serpents and scorpions (Deut. 8:15).