שְׁפִיפוֹן

שְׁפִיפוֹןm. (b. h. שְׁפִיפֹן; שפף) (sliding, a species of serpents, adder (?). Num. R. s. 149> כנגד … נחש וש׳ corresponding to the two things to which his (Dans) father compared him, serpent and shfifon. Sot.10a בלעם … שנאמר ש׳וכ׳ Balaam was lame in one foot, for we read (Num. 23:3), and he went shefi; Samson was lame in both feet, for it says (Gen. 49:17) shfifon (sliding) on the road. Y.Ter.VIII, 45d bot. מין קטן הוא ושמו ש׳ it is a small kind of serpent, its name is shfifon, and it is as thin as a hair.