SWARMING THING

[Heb., sheʹrets].

The root word from which this term is drawn means to “swarm” or “teem.” The noun appears to apply to small creatures to be found in large numbers. (Ex. 8:3; Ps. 105:30; compare Exodus 1:7.) It first occurs at Genesis 1:20 with the initial appearance of living souls on the fifth creative day when the waters began to swarm with living souls. The Flood destroyed earthly ‘swarming things’ outside the ark.—Gen. 7:21.

The law regarding clean and unclean things shows that the term may apply to aquatic creatures (Lev. 11:10), winged creatures, including bats and insects (Lev. 11:19-23; Deut. 14:19), land creatures, including rodents, lizards, chameleons (Lev. 11:29-31), and creatures traveling on their “belly” and multi-legged creatures (vss. 41-44). Many, but not all, of these were “unclean” as food under that Law.