Topical Bible: Cow

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the Bible, the cow is a significant animal, often symbolizing abundance, fertility, and provision. It is mentioned in various contexts throughout the Old and New Testaments, reflecting its importance in the agrarian society of ancient Israel.

Old Testament References

1. Creation and Dominion: In Genesis 1:24-25, God creates livestock, including cows, as part of His creation, granting humanity dominion over them. This establishes the cow as a part of God's provision for mankind.

2. Symbol of Abundance: The cow is often associated with prosperity and abundance. In Genesis 41, Pharaoh's dream of seven fat cows being devoured by seven lean cows is interpreted by Joseph as seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine (Genesis 41:26-30). This narrative underscores the cow's role as a symbol of agricultural abundance and economic stability.

3. Sacrificial System: Cows, specifically bulls and heifers, were integral to the sacrificial system in the Mosaic Law. Leviticus 1:3-5 describes the offering of a bull as a burnt offering, signifying atonement and dedication to God. The red heifer, mentioned in Numbers 19:2, was used in purification rituals, highlighting the cow's role in religious practices.

4. Idolatry and Judgment: The cow also appears in contexts of idolatry. In Exodus 32, the Israelites create a golden calf while Moses is on Mount Sinai, leading to God's anger and judgment (Exodus 32:4-10). This incident illustrates the dangers of idolatry and the cow's association with false worship.

5. Provision and Blessing: Deuteronomy 7:13 speaks of God's blessings, including the increase of cattle, as a sign of His favor upon Israel. The cow, therefore, is a representation of God's provision and blessing upon His people.

New Testament References

While the New Testament does not frequently mention cows, the principles established in the Old Testament regarding livestock continue to hold significance. The New Testament emphasizes spiritual abundance and provision through Christ, transcending the physical symbols of the Old Testament.

Cultural and Theological Significance

In biblical times, cows were vital to the economy and daily life, providing milk, meat, and labor. Theologically, cows represent God's provision and the sustenance He offers to His people. They also serve as a reminder of the dangers of idolatry and the importance of worshiping God alone.

The cow's role in sacrificial practices points to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law and provided a way for humanity's redemption. The imagery of the cow in the Bible, therefore, is rich with meaning, reflecting both God's material blessings and His spiritual provision.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Cow

[BULL, BULLOCK]

Easton's Bible Dictionary

A cow and her calf were not to be killed on the same day (Leviticus 22:28; Exodus 23:19; Deuteronomy 22:6, 7). The reason for this enactment is not given. A state of great poverty is described in the words of Isaiah 7:21-25, where, instead of possessing great resources, a man shall depend for the subsistence of himself and his family on what a single cow and two sheep could yield.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) A chimney cap; a cowl

2. (n.) The mature female of bovine animals.

3. (n.) The female of certain large mammals, as whales, seals, etc.

4. (v. t.) To depress with fear; to daunt the spirits or courage of; to overawe.

5. (n.) A wedge, or brake, to check the motion of a machine or car; a chock.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

COW; KINE

kou, kin (baqar (compare Arabic baqar, "cow"); `eghlath baqar (Isaiah 7:21); parah (compare Arabic furar, "young of a sheep, goat, or cow"); paroth `aloth (1 Samuel 6:7, 10), "milch kine," from `ul, "to suckle"; 'eleph): In Amos 4:1, the term, "kine of Bashan," is applied to the voluptuous women of Samaria. In Genesis 41:1-36 is the narration of Pharaoh's dream of the seven fat and seven lean kine. In Isaiah's vision (Isaiah 11:7) we have: "And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together." Cows do not seem to have been sacrificed. The sacrifice of the kine that brought the ark back from the Philistines (1 Samuel 6:14) was due to the exceptional circumstances.

See CALF; CATTLE.

Alfred Ely Day

Greek

1016. bous -- an ox, a cow
... an ox, a cow. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: bous Phonetic Spelling:
(booce) Short Definition: an ox Definition: an ox, cow, bull. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1016.htm - 6k

1151. damalis -- a heifer
... a heifer. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: damalis Phonetic Spelling:
(dam'-al-is) Short Definition: a heifer Definition: a heifer, young cow. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1151.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

6510. parah -- a heifer, cow
... 6509, 6510. parah. 6511 . a heifer, cow. Transliteration: parah Phonetic
Spelling: (paw-raw') Short Definition: cows. ... cow, heifer, kine. ...
/hebrew/6510.htm - 6k

1241. baqar -- cattle, herd, an ox
... from baqar Definition cattle, herd, an ox NASB Word Usage bull (1), bull* (21),
bulls (9), bulls* (5), calf* (2), calves* (1), cattle (13), cow's (1), cows (1 ...
/hebrew/1241.htm - 6k

7794. shor -- a head of cattle (bullock, ox, etc.)
... bullock, cow, ox. From shuwr; a bullock (as a traveller) -- bull(-ock), cow, ox,
wall (by mistake for shuwr). see HEBREW shuwr. see HEBREW shuwr. 7793, 7794. ...
/hebrew/7794.htm - 6k

5697. eglah -- a heifer
... calf, cow, heifer. Feminine of egel; a (female) calf, especially one nearly grown
(ie A heifer) -- calf, cow, heifer. see HEBREW egel. 5696, 5697. ...
/hebrew/5697.htm - 6k

504. eleph -- cattle
... family, kine, oxen. From 'alph; a family; also (from the sense of yoking or taming)
an ox or cow -- family, kine, oxen. see HEBREW 'alph. 503, 504. ...
/hebrew/504.htm - 6k

441. alluwph -- tame
... Or (shortened) talluph {al-loof'}; from 'alph; familiar; a friend, also gentle;
hence, a bullock (as being tame; applied, although masculine, to a cow); and so ...
/hebrew/441.htm - 5k

Library

"About the Same Time, a Cow which a Demon Harassed Met Martin as ...
... Dialogues of Sulpitius Severus. Chapter IX. "About the same time, a cow
which a demon harassed met Martin as he was? "About the ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter ix about the same.htm

Another Wonderful Record of 25.
... MR. SPURGEON'S COW. "My ... done. They knew nothing about my grandfather's cow;
but God did, you see; and there was the new cow for him. ...
/.../various/the wonders of prayer/another wonderful record of 25 00.htm

Kedron
... built a foot-causeway, or a foot-bridge, upheld with arches, from the mount of the
Temple to the mount of Olives, upon which they led away the red cow (to be ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 38 kedron.htm

Responsiveness to Christ.
... Shepherd.". THE COW AND THE SUNSET. Sanctification ... A cow and the man who owns the
cow may stand side by side and look at the same sunset. The cow ...
/.../rees/the heart-cry of jesus/chapter vii responsiveness to christ.htm

David the Shepherd Youth.
... Then one day he left Ramah early in the morning, riding on an ass, with a young
man behind him driving a cow; for he gave out that he was going to offer a ...
/.../anonymous/children of the old testament/david the shepherd youth.htm

Chapter xli
... 4. Cow eating up cow is the strange thing that now follows; and yet in a dream such
an occurrence is entirely of the type that might be expected. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xli.htm

The Blessedness of Giving
... When they got into the yard, the deacon, pointing to one of the cows, exclaimed,
'There, take that cow, and drive her home.' The man thanked him heartily for ...
/.../various/the wonders of prayer/the blessedness of giving.htm

Thankfulness to God.
... See how the animals have been subjected to man; the horse, the useful cow, the dog,
and the sheep have been tamed, the horse which once roved wild submits to ...
/.../the village pulpit volume ii trinity to advent/lxiii thankfulness to god.htm

The Persecutions.
... A wild cow was let loose on them, and threw down the two women; but Perpetua at
once sat up again, covered herself with her garments, and helped up Felicitas ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson xxv the persecutions.htm

Diamond Managed with Many Blunders to Read this Rhyme to his ...
... Little Boy Blue, come blow me your horn; The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in
the corn, He had to keep them out, you know. But he wasn't minding his work. ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 21 diamond managed with.htm

Thesaurus

Cow (32 Occurrences)
... A cow and her calf were not to be killed on the same day (Leviticus 22:28; Exodus
23:19; Deuteronomy 22:6, 7). The reason for this enactment is not given. ...
/c/cow.htm - 18k

Cow's (1 Occurrence)
...Cow's (1 Occurrence). Ezekiel 4:15 Then he said to me, Behold, I have given you
cow's dung for man's dung, and you shall prepare your bread thereon. ...
/c/cow's.htm - 6k

Kine (24 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. (n. pl.) Cows. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. COW;
KINE. kou, kin (baqar (compare Arabic baqar, "cow"); `eghlath ...
/k/kine.htm - 16k

Tanned (7 Occurrences)
... Exodus 25:5 rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, (See RSV). ... (See RSV).
Exodus 35:7 rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, (See RSV). ...
/t/tanned.htm - 8k

Rams (81 Occurrences)
... RSV NIV). Exodus 25:5 rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV). Exodus 26:14 You shall ...
/r/rams.htm - 33k

Dyed (10 Occurrences)
... George B. Eager. Multi-Version Concordance Dyed (10 Occurrences). Exodus 25:5 rams'
skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS NIV ...
/d/dyed.htm - 10k

Porpoise (14 Occurrences)
... Exodus 25:5 rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, (See NAS). ... (See NAS).
Exodus 35:7 rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, (See NAS). ...
/p/porpoise.htm - 11k

Skins (27 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Exodus 25:5 rams' skins dyed red,
sea cow hides, acacia wood, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/s/skins.htm - 15k

Cows (33 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) Plural of Cow. ... (BBE WBS NAS RSV NIV). Exodus
25:5 rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, (See NIV). ...
/c/cows.htm - 15k

Goatskins (8 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Exodus 25:5 rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, (See RSV). ...
Exodus 35:7 rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood, (See RSV). ...
/g/goatskins.htm - 8k

Resources

What is the significance of a red heifer in the Bible? Is a red heifer a sign of the end times? | GotQuestions.org

How and to whom did Jesus pay our ransom? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean to be born of God? | GotQuestions.org

Cow: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Cow (32 Occurrences)

Hebrews 9:13
For if the blood of goats and oxen, and the dust from the burning of a young cow, being put on the unclean, make the flesh clean:
(BBE)

Genesis 15:9
And he said, Take a young cow of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a sheep of three years old, and a dove and a young pigeon.
(BBE)

Exodus 25:5
rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood,
(WEB NIV)

Exodus 26:14
You shall make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of sea cow hides above.
(WEB NIV)

Exodus 34:19
"All that opens the womb is mine; and all your livestock that is male, the firstborn of cow and sheep.
(WEB ASV RSV)

Exodus 35:7
rams' skins dyed red, sea cow hides, acacia wood,
(WEB NIV)

Exodus 35:23
Everyone, with whom was found blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats' hair, rams' skins dyed red, and sea cow hides, brought them.
(WEB NIV)

Exodus 36:19
He made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of sea cow hides above.
(WEB NIV)

Exodus 39:34
the covering of rams' skins dyed red, the covering of sea cow hides, the veil of the screen,
(WEB NIV)

Leviticus 22:28
Whether it is a cow or ewe, you shall not kill it and its young both in one day.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS RSV NIV)

Numbers 18:17
"But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Numbers 19:2
This is the rule of the law which the Lord has made, saying, Give orders to the children of Israel to give you a red cow without any mark on her, and on which the yoke has never been put:
(BBE YLT)

Numbers 19:5
And the cow is to be burned before him, her skin and her flesh and her blood and her waste are to be burned:
(BBE YLT)

Numbers 19:6
Then let the priest take cedar-wood and hyssop and red thread, and put them into the fire where the cow is burning.
(BBE YLT)

Numbers 19:9
Then let a man who is clean take the dust of the burned cow and put it outside the tent-circle in a clean place, where it is to be kept for the children of Israel and used in making the water which takes away what is unclean: it is a sin-offering.
(BBE YLT)

Numbers 19:10
And he who takes up the dust of the burned cow is to have his clothing washed with water and be unclean till evening: this is to be a law for ever, for the children of Israel as well as for the man from another country who is living among them.
(BBE)

Deuteronomy 21:3
And whichever town is nearest to the body, the responsible men of that town are to take from the herd a young cow which has never been used for work or put under the yoke;
(BBE)

Deuteronomy 21:4
And they are to take the cow into a valley where there is flowing water, and which is not ploughed or planted, and there the neck of the cow is to be broken:
(BBE)

Deuteronomy 21:6
And all the responsible men of that town which is nearest to the dead man, washing their hands over the cow whose neck was broken in the valley,
(BBE)

Judges 14:18
Then on the seventh day, before he went into the bride's room, the men of the town said to him, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If you had not been ploughing with my cow you would not have got the answer to my question.
(BBE)

1 Samuel 16:2
And Samuel said, How is it possible for me to go? If Saul gets news of it he will put me to death. And the Lord said, Take a young cow with you and say, I have come to make an offering to the Lord.
(BBE)

1 Samuel 28:24
And the woman had in the house a young cow, made fat for food; and she put it to death straight away; and she took meal and got it mixed and made unleavened bread;
(BBE)

Job 21:10
Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don't miscarry.
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 7:21
It shall happen in that day that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 11:7
The cow and the bear will graze. Their young ones will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the ox.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 31:18
Certainly Ephraim's words of grief have come to my ears, You have given me training and I have undergone it like a young cow unused to the yoke: let me be turned and come back, for you are the Lord my God.
(BBE)

Jeremiah 46:20
Egypt is a fair young cow; but a biting insect has come on her out of the north.
(BBE)

Jeremiah 50:11
Because you are glad, because you are lifted up with pride, you wasters of my heritage, because you are playing like a young cow put out to grass, and you make a noise like strong horses;
(BBE)

Ezekiel 4:15
Then he said to me, Behold, I have given you cow's dung for man's dung, and you shall prepare your bread thereon.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Hosea 4:16
For Israel is uncontrolled, like a cow which may not be controlled; now will the Lord give them food like a lamb in a wide place.
(BBE)

Hosea 10:11
And Ephraim is a trained cow, taking pleasure in crushing the grain; but I have put a yoke on her fair neck; I will put a horseman on the back of Ephraim; Judah will be working the plough, Jacob will be turning up the earth.
(BBE)

Amos 4:3
And ye shall go out at the breaches, every cow at that which is before her; and ye shall cast them into the palace, saith the LORD.
(KJV WBS)

Subtopics

Related Terms

Kine (24 Occurrences)

Tanned (7 Occurrences)

Rams (81 Occurrences)

Dyed (10 Occurrences)

Porpoise (14 Occurrences)