Cockatrices are the fourth most referenced mythical animal in the Bible. They are mentioned, by name, four times in four King James translation verses. The book of Isaiah writes about cockatrices (as known as basilisks) three times while Jeremiah mentions this unique creature once.
The word translated as "cockatrice" (or its plural), in the KJV, is derived from the Hebrew tsepha. This root word means "to extrude" and refers to a poisonous serpent such as a viper or adder. Tsepha is recorded five times in the Hebrew Old Testament where four times it is translated as "cockatrice" and once as "adder."
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder (tsepha) (Proverbs 23:31 - 32, KJV throughout).
Characteristics
The Bible tells us this creature was a poisonous animal who lived in a hole in the ground (Isaiah 11:8, Proverbs 23:32). It was also said to reproduce by laying eggs which were deadly to eat.
They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. (Isaiah 59:5).
The prophet Jeremiah further reiterates the deadliness of these creatures when discussing the punishment Judah and Jerusalem would receive for disobeying God.
I will surely consume them, saith the Lord: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them . . .
For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 8:13, 17).
The phrase "will not be charmed" in Jeremiah 8:17 refers to incantations being useless against the cockatrices sent to punish the people.
God used a cockatrice in Isaiah 14:29 to warn the Philistines (Palestina) that his judgment against them was not over. This verse, interestingly, also hints at cockatrices having the ability to fly.
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).
Symbolism in the Bible
Cockatrices symbolize the deadly effects man's disobedience in Eden had on the earth. They also represent God's wrath on humans who do not repent of their sins.
What Was It?
The majority of commentaries believe cockatrices were adders, vipers, or other deadly poisonous snakes. It is also speculated it might have been a venomous snake that lived in the wilderness of Sinai.
"The 'cockatrice' . . . was certainly not the mythological snake hatched from a cock's egg, of English mythology, but was some kind of venomous serpent, associated possibly with the "fiery flying serpents" of the Sinai wilderness (Isa. 14:29)." (Biblical Basis for Modern Science, chapter 12).
Cockatrices and Prophecy
Isaiah 11 not only gives us a prophecy of Jesus' first coming to earth, it reveals information about his 1,000 year rule known as the Millennium. Isaiah 11:1 - 3 can be aptly applied to Jesus' ministry in the first century A.D. Verse four, however, to the end of the chapter discusses his rule after his Second Coming. It is in this unique Biblical section that cockatrices are used to illustrate the peace that will permeate the entire earth!
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked . . .
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them . . .
And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. (Isaiah 11:4, 6, 8).
During the Millennium even wild and deadly animals like the cockatrice will become tame and harmless. This fulfills God's promise that, during Jesus' rule, peace will finally come to humans (Isaiah 11:9).
Other Fascinating Facts
The 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica stated the following about these mythical Bible animals.
"Produced from a cock's egg hatched by a serpent, it was believed to possess the most deadly powers, plants withering at its touch, and men and animals dying poisoned by its look.
"It stood in awe, however, of the cock, the sound of whose crowing killed it, and consequently travelers were wont to take this bird with them in travelling over regions supposed to abound in cockatrices. The weasel alone among mammals was unaffected by the glance of its evil eye, and attacked it at all times successfully . . ." (article on the cockatrice).
The 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia states the following about the Biblical cockatrices (basilisks).
"The rendering 'basilisk' - so also Jerome and the Syriac Version - is correct in so far as that the Hebrew word likewise appears to designate some fabulous creature, though it is not known which was the particular kind of serpent that suggested the fanciful notions of the ancients." (article on basilisk).
The modern basilisk lizard, which runs on water, is sometimes called the "Jesus Christ lizard" and is thought to resemble this fabled monster. The term "basilisk stare" is used to describe a frightening or seductive deep and piercing gaze.
Cockatrices, in folklore, are generally depicted with a rooster's head and wings, a dragon-like body, and a serpent-like tail. They can be shown either with two or four legs. Medieval tales claimed they hatched from an egg laid by an old rooster and incubated by a serpent or toad.