ANIMAL

PART 2

CROCODILE

The largest of all existing reptiles, the crocodile attains a length of well over twenty feet. Crocodiles have large lizard-like bodies that are supported by short legs. The head terminates in a flattened snout armed with strong teeth. The crocodile spends most of its time in the water where it feeds mainly on fish but also on aquatic birds and even small animals that come down to the water’s edge to drink. It is surprisingly fast and agile on dry land, even though its legs are so short that its belly and tail drag across the earth leaving a distinct path. The description of “Leviathan” in Job 41 seems to be based on the crocodile {thus the translation of the NLT}. The “dragon” of Ezekiel 29:3, used figuratively of the Egyptian pharaoh, may be a reference to the crocodile.

DEER

The males of this large, cud-chewing animal have antlers {branching horns}. Like other cud-chewing animals, their stomachs are divided into a series of compartments, some of which are used to store partly chewed food. The food is later regurgitated, rechewed, and finally swallowed into a section of the stomach where true digestion takes place. The red deer referred to in the Bible as “hart” {male}, “stag” {male}, or “hind” {female} stood about four feet high at the shoulder. It was gregarious {living in herds or flocks}, each group remaining in a definite territory. Red deer grazed and browsed during the morning and late afternoon {Lamentations 1:6}. The sexes remained in separate herds. The red deer was known for its leaping {Isaiah 35:6} and sure-footedness in the mountains {Psalm 18:33; Song of Songs 2:8-9, 17; Song of Songs 8:14; Habakkuk 3:19}. The hart {the male red deer} was listed among the clean beasts that Jewish Law permitted as food {Deuteronomy 12:15, 22; 14:5}, but deer were not listed among the animals appropriate for sacrifice. The hind {female red deer} illustrated grace and charm {Genesis 49:21; Proverbs 5:19}, and its dark, gentle eyes and graceful limbs were used to describe the beauty of a woman {5:18-19}.

DOG

Dogs were probably the earliest domesticated animals. The dogs of biblical times probably looked like a modern German shepherd, with short pointed ears, a pointed nose, and a long tail. The dog was generally looked down upon in biblical times {Proverbs 26:11; 2 Peter 2:22}. The biblical writers did not share modern sentiments about dogs being our best friends. The dog was pictured as a scavenger, haunting streets and dumps {Exodus 22:31; 1 Kings 22:38; Matthew 15:26; Luke 16:21}. One good quality of dogs highly esteemed by the Israelites was watchfulness {Isaiah 56:10}. In general, however, in biblical times “dog” was a term of contempt {1 Samuel 17:43; 2 Samuel 16:9}.

DONKEY

Donkeys were known as beasts of burden. In biblical times, the donkey was a beautiful, stately, friendly animal. Its colour was usually reddish brown. It is first mentioned in the Bible among the animals that Abraham acquired in Egypt {Genesis 12:16}. From the time of the Middle Kingdom on {about 2040 BC}, it was used for riding in Egypt, but only the Jews and Nubians rode donkeys regularly. The donkey was also used for threshing grain and for pulling the plough. Until the time of Solomon {960 BC}, horses were not used in Palestine. From that time on, warriors rode only horses; those who were traveling peaceably rode the donkey. The Jews held the donkey in high regard, and it was considered an economic asset. An individual had to have a donkey for minimum existence {Job 24:3}. The number of donkeys a family owned indicated their personal worth {Genesis 12:16; 24:35}.

DRAGON

A dragon is used to describe any one of a number of monstrous land and sea creatures. In biblical usage, “dragon” does not refer to the huge, fire-breathing, winged reptile of European folklore. The translators of the King James Version used the term to translate two Hebrew words that are usually rendered more precisely in modern translations. One word referred to “jackals” {Psalm 44:19; Isaiah 13:22; Jeremiah 9:11; Malachi 1:3}. The other Hebrew word translated “dragon” is harder to define. It was frequently used in reference to serpents {so translated in the RSV: Exodus 7:9-12; Deuteronomy 32:33; Psalm 91:13}. In other RSV passages it is translated “sea monster” {Genesis 1:21; Job 7:12; Psalm 148:7}. The exact identity of such sea monsters is not known. In its figurative usages in Scripture, “dragon” has a similar significance, especially in the prophetic books. In the book of Revelation, it is a symbol of Satan, the archenemy of YHVH and His people {Revelation 12:3-17; 13:2, 4, 11; 16:13; 20:2}.

FISH

Aquatic animals are frequently mentioned in the Bible without the benefit of names or descriptions that enable us to identify the particular species. Fish have long constituted one of the staple foods of humanity, and they still serve as the chief source of protein in many parts of the world. The trade in fish was highly developed in biblical times. The Law in Leviticus 11:9-12 permitted the Jews to eat fish, but only those having both fins and scales. Scaleless fish such as catfish were forbidden, even though they had fins. Very early in the history of the believers, the fish became a symbol for the Moshiach and the faith. It was scratched on the walls of Roman catacombs and may be seen today decorating walls, altars, pews, and vestments. The symbol came into use because the Greek word for “fish” {ichthus} is composed of the first letter of each word in the Greek phrase “Yeshua Moshiach, Son of YHVH, Saviour.”

FLEA

Known as a tiny, irritating insect {1 Samuel 24:14; 26:20}, many species of fleas occur in Palestine. A fleabite is painful and causes some swelling and itching. The most dangerous fleas are those of the rat that transmit the organism responsible for bubonic plague.

FLY

Flies are insects that have just one pair of wings. Many winged insects of other orders, however, are also called flies, such as the dragonfly or butterfly. As in almost all parts of the world, flies are abundant in Palestine. One of the most numerous is the common housefly, found chiefly around dung heaps and garbage. The fourth plague in Egypt just before the Exodus featured “swarms of flies” {Exodus 8:21-31; compare to Psalms 78:45; 105:31}.

FOX

A fox is a small, doglike carnivore with a bushy tail that is about half its body length. The red fox of the Holy Land is similar to the North American red fox. The fox is intelligent and known for its slyness {Luke 13:32}. It has considerable endurance and can run at speeds up to 30 miles {48 kilometres} per hour. The Jews rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall were taunted by the wisecrack that even a fox jumping on their wall would knock it over {Nehemiah 4:3}.

FROG

Amphibians live part of life in the water and part on land; frogs are covered with soft, hairless skin and lack a tail in the adult stage. The hind legs are much longer and more powerfully developed than the forelegs so that the animals are able to jump large distances. Frogs are found throughout the Palestinian lowlands, where their croaking is heard in the spring and on summer evenings. The Israelites seem to have associated frogs primarily with sliminess and foulness. They fell into the category of creeping or swarming creatures, which in general were ritually unclean {Leviticus 11:29-31}. The ancient Egyptians made the frog a symbol of life and birth. It was the image of Heqet, the patron goddess of birth. She is depicted with a frog’s head giving life to the newborn. YHVH specifically discredited that deity when He afflicted Egypt in the second of the ten plagues with the very animal that was her symbol {Exodus 8:1-14; Psalms 78:45; 105:30}.

GAZELLE

A gazelle is a small, dainty, graceful antelope with hollow recurved horns on both sexes. Gazelles are still quite common throughout the desert and steppe areas of the Holy Land, especially in the Negev Desert. They are very shy and post guards to warn the herd of approaching danger. In biblical times, the gazelle was probably the game animal most hunted by the Jews {Proverbs 6:5; Isaiah 13:14}. The gazelle is said to have graced Solomon’s table {1 Kings 4:23}. Gazelles were not easy to catch because of their great speed {2 Samuel 2:18; 1 Chronicles 12:8; Proverbs 6:5}; they surpass the deer in swiftness. The gazelle is referred to in Song of Songs 2:9, 17; 4:5; 7:3; 8:14, where it is an image of feminine beauty.

GECKO

A reptile, the gecko is referred to in Leviticus 11:30. In Jewish food Law it was a ritually unclean lizard. Another name for the gecko is the wall lizard, so named because it can walk upside down on ceilings with the aid of the suction discs on its toes -- but it often plops down into the middle of the room. Since it was considered unclean, such an intrusion would have been a disgusting nuisance to Jewish households {Leviticus 11:31-38}.

GNAT

Any very small fly could be called a gnat in common and biblical usage. According to the NLT, the third plague in Egypt before the Exodus consisted of gnats {Exodus 8:16-18; Psalm 105:31}. Gnats were drawn to wine while it was fermenting. The Pharisees in particular would strain their wine to avoid consuming unclean gnats {Matthew 23:24}. Yeshua used this as an illustration of their tendency to neglect the big issues in favour of the tiny ones.

GOAT

Goats are cloven-hooved mammals with large eyes and big, floppy ears. Both males and females have backward arching horns. The Palestinian goat is a cud-chewing animal of lighter build than the sheep. The goat was probably the earliest ruminant to be domesticated. Almost every part of the goat was used by the Israelites. The whole goat was used for sacrifice. Its flesh served as meat {Leviticus 7:23; Deuteronomy 14:4}, and it was the principal source of milk {Proverbs 27:27}. Goats were sheared in the late spring, and the goat hair was used for weaving tent cloth and for various domestic purposes {Exodus 36:14; 1 Samuel 19:13, 16}. The tabernacle at Mount Sinai was made of goat’s hair blankets {Exodus 26:7}. Adult male goats were generally not eaten because of their strong flavour and toughness and also because they were necessary to ensure the flock’s increase. Young kids {baby goats}, however, were usually the chief meat for a feast and were offered to visitors as a symbol of hospitality.

GRASSHOPPER

Grasshoppers have chewing or biting mouth parts and two pairs of wings, the front pair of which is narrow and somewhat thickened and the hind pair used for flying. The terms “grasshopper” and “locust” are often used interchangeably. The difference between grasshoppers and locusts depends more on behaviour than appearance. Grasshoppers are individual insects that lead solitary lives and do not migrate. The same insects when migrating in a swarm are called locusts. Grasshoppers and locusts have been a staple food in the Middle East. To the Israelites the grasshopper was considered ritually clean and could be eaten {Leviticus 11:22}.

HARE

The hare is found in open country, often near or on cultivated lands, and in woods, usually deciduous rather than evergreen. It is an herbivorous rodent and is different from the rabbit, which is not found in Palestine. The hare was ceremonially unclean {Leviticus 11:6; Deuteronomy 14:7}, evidently because although it appeared to chew its cud, it did not have cloven hooves. The hare was widely hunted by other people in ancient times. Its great speed, prolific breeding, timidity, and caution have saved it from extermination by its many enemies.

HIPPOPOTAMUS

Some early interpreters thought the biblical references described a creature comparable to the elephant, others to the wild ox, the mammoth, or any large animal. The King James Version translators called it “behemoth.” Today it is generally agreed that the reference is to the hippopotamus, a large, thick-skinned, amphibious mammal. The description in Job 40:15-24 fits closely the modern hippopotamus {see NLT}, except for the depiction of the tail. At present, the hippopotamus is found only in the rivers of Africa, but there is fossil evidence that it has existed in the Holy Land, perhaps in the swamps of northern Galilee and the Jordan Valley. The hippopotamus lives on plants and herbs growing in rivers, but if food is scarce, it forages on land. In spite of its heavy body, it is surprisingly agile on land.