Cattle
kat'-'-l (behemah, "a dumb beast"; miqneh, "a possession"
from qanah, "to acquire" (compare Arabic qana', "to
acquire," and Greek kienos, "beast," and plural ktenea,
"flocks," from ktaomai, "to acquire," flocks being both with
the Homeric peoples and with the patriarchs an important
form of property; compare English "fee"); tso'n "small
cattle," "sheep" or goats (compare Arabic da'n, "sheep");
seh, a single sheep or goat (compare Arabic shah);
mela'khah, "property," from la'akh, "to minister" (compare
Arabic malakah and mulk, "property," from malak, "to
possess"); meri' "fatling" (1 Ki 19); thremma (Jn 4:12),
"cattle," i.e. "that which is nourished," from trepho, "to
nourish"; baqar, "kine," "oxen" (compare Arabic baqar,
"cattle"); shor, tor (Dan 4:25), tauros (Mt 22:4), "ox" or
"bull"; bous, "ox" (Lk 13:15); 'eleph, only in the plural,
'alaphim, "oxen" (Ps 8:7)): From the foregoing and by
examination of the many references to "cattle," "kine" or
"oxen" it is apparent that there are important points of
contact in derivation and usage in the Hebrew, Greek and
English terms. It is evident that neat cattle were possessed
in abundance by the patriarchs and later Israelites, which
is fax from being the case in Israel at the present day. The
Bedouin usually have no cattle. The fellachin in most parts
of the country keep them in small numbers, mostly for
plowing, and but little for milk or for slaughtering.
Travelers in the Holy Land realize that goat's milk is in
most places easier to obtain than cow's milk. The commonest
cattle of the fellachin are a small black breed. In the
vicinity of Damascus are many large, fine milch cattle which
furnish the delicious milk and cream of the Damascus
bazaars. For some reason, probably because they are not
confined and highly fed, the bulls of Israel are meek
creatures as compared with their European or American
fellows...
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-(Of the bovine species)
-Used for sacrifice
1Ki 8:63
-See HEIFER
-See OFFERINGS
-Sheltered
Ge 33:17
-Stall-fed
Pr 15:17
-Gilead adapted to the raising of
Nu 32:1-4
-Bashan suitable to the raising of
Ps 22:12; Eze 39:18; Am 4:1
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There was no animal in the rural economy of the Israelites,
or indeed in that of the ancient Orientals generally, that
was held in higher esteem than the ox and deservedly so, for
the ox was the animal upon whose patient labors depended all
the ordinary operations of farming. Oxen were used for
ploughing, De 22:10; 1Sa 14:14 etc.; for treading out corn,
De 25:4; Ho 10:11 etc.; for draught purposes, when they were
generally yoked in pairs, Nu 7:3; 1Sa 6:7 etc.; as beasts of
burden, 1Ch 12:40 their flesh was eaten, De 14:4; 1Ki 1:9
etc.; they were used in the sacrifices; cows supplied milk,
butter, etc. De 32:14; 2Sa 17:29; Isa 7:22 Connected with
the importance of oxen in the rural economy of the Jews is
the strict code of laws which was mercifully enacted by God
for their protection and preservation. The ox that threshed
the corn was by no means to be muzzled; he was to enjoy rest
on the Sabbath as well as his master. Ex 23:12; De 5:14 The
ox was seldom slaughtered. Le 17:1-6 It seems clear from Pr
15:17 and 1Kin 4:23
that cattle were sometimes stall-fed though as a
general rule it is probable that they fed in the plains or
on the hills of Israel. The cattle that grazed at large in
the open country would no doubt often become fierce and
wild, for it is to be remembered that in primitive times the
lion and other wild beasts of prey roamed about Israel.
Hence the force of the Psalmist's complaint of his enemies.
Ps 22:13
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And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty
thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of
asses two thousand, and of men an hundred thousand.
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But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in
it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy
daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine
ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger
that [is] within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy
maidservant may rest as well as thou.
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And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of
thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy
cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD
will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy
fathers:
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Cattle. - Very early in the history of mankind, animals were tamed and domesticated, to be used in agriculture, for milk, for their flesh, and especially for sacrifices. Many words in Hebrew expressed the different ages and sexes of cattle, West of the Jordan River the cattle were generally stall-fed; in the plains and hills south and east they roamed in a half-wild state; such were the most famous "bulls of Basan".
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