Gazelle in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE

ga-zel' (tsebhi, and feminine tsebhiyah; compare Tabeitha (Acts 9:36), and Arabic zabi; also Arabic ghazal; Dorkas (Acts 9:36); modern Greek zarkadi): The word "gazelle" does not occur in the King James Version, where tsebhi and tsebhiyah, in the 16 passages where they occur, are uniformly translated "roe" or "roebuck." In the Revised Version (British and American) the treatment is not uniform. We find "gazelle" without comment in Dt 12:15,22; 14:5; 15:22; 1 Ki 4:23. We find "roe," with marginal note "or gazelle," in Prov 6:5; Song 2:7,9,17; 4:5; 8:14; Isa 13:14. We find "roe" without comment in 2 Sam 2:18; 1 Ch 12:8; Song 3:5; 7:3. In the last passage cited, Song 7:3, while the American Standard Revised Version has no note, the English Revised Version refers to Song 4:5, where "gazelle" is graven in the margin. In the opinion of the writer, the rendering should be "gazelle" in all of these passages. It must be acknowledged, however, that the gazelle and the roe- deer are of about the same size, and are sometimes confused with each other. The Greek dorkas may refer to either, and in Syria the roe-deer is sometimes called ghazal or even wa`l, which is the proper name of the Persian wild goat...