Dog's
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In the Bible, dogs are mentioned in various contexts, often symbolizing uncleanliness, contempt, or danger. The cultural perception of dogs during biblical times was significantly different from the modern view, where dogs are often seen as beloved pets. In the ancient Near East, dogs were generally not domesticated in the same way they are today and were often associated with scavenging and wild behavior.

Old Testament References

1. Unclean Animals: Dogs are frequently associated with uncleanness. In Deuteronomy 23:18 , it is written, "You must not bring the wages of a prostitute or the earnings of a dog into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow, because both are detestable to the LORD your God." Here, "dog" is often interpreted as a derogatory term for male prostitutes, highlighting the impurity associated with the term.

2. Scavengers: Dogs are depicted as scavengers in several passages. In 1 Kings 14:11 , it is stated, "Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and anyone who dies in the field, the birds of the sky will eat, for the LORD has spoken." This imagery underscores the disgrace and dishonor of being left unburied, with dogs consuming the remains.

3. Enemies and Threats: In Psalm 22:16 , the psalmist laments, "For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet." Here, dogs symbolize the psalmist's enemies, portraying them as vicious and threatening.

New Testament References

1. Metaphorical Use: In the New Testament, dogs are used metaphorically to describe those who are considered outside the covenant community or who exhibit morally corrupt behavior. In Matthew 7:6 , Jesus advises, "Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces." This passage warns against offering sacred things to those who will not appreciate or respect them.

2. Gentiles and Outsiders: In Matthew 15:26-27 , Jesus uses the term "dogs" in a conversation with a Canaanite woman: "But Jesus replied, 'It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.' 'Yes, Lord,' she said, 'even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.'" Here, "dogs" refers to Gentiles, highlighting the prevailing Jewish view of Gentiles as outsiders to the covenant blessings.

3. False Teachers: In Philippians 3:2 , Paul warns, "Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!" In this context, "dogs" refers to false teachers who were promoting circumcision and other legalistic practices contrary to the gospel of grace.

Cultural Context

In biblical times, dogs were not typically kept as household pets. They were more commonly found in the streets, acting as scavengers. This cultural backdrop informs the negative connotations associated with dogs in the biblical text. The biblical portrayal of dogs reflects their role in society as unclean animals, often used to symbolize impurity, danger, or those outside the covenant community.

Overall, the biblical references to dogs serve as a reminder of the cultural and religious perceptions of the time, illustrating themes of purity, community boundaries, and the consequences of moral and spiritual corruption.
Strong's Hebrew
3611. keleb -- a dog
... 3610, 3611. keleb. 3612 . a dog. Transliteration: keleb Phonetic Spelling:
(keh'-leb) Short Definition: dogs. Word Origin of uncertain ...
/hebrew/3611.htm - 5k
Library

Blind Force or Intelligence, Which?
... animal, with the same heat and air, will build up bodies of different types, one
as well as another, making human flesh in the human body, and dog's flesh in ...
/.../blind force or intelligence which.htm

Secondly, to Assign Some Reasons Why Christians must Make this the ...
... " He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrifices a lamb, as if
he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered ...
/.../flavel/on keeping the heart/secondly to assign some reasons.htm

A Selection from the Notices of Mr. Robertson's Sermons, and of ...
... It is thumbed, dog's-eared, pencil-marked, worn by much perusal. Is it
then a novel? On the contrary, it is a volume of sermons. ...
/.../robertson/sermons preached at brighton/a selection from the notices.htm

Israel in Canaan.
... From seeing a dog's mouth stained purple after eating a certain shell-fish on their
coast, they had learnt how to dye woollen garments of a fine purple or ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson v israel in canaan.htm

The Vile Calumny About Onocoetes Retorted on the Heathen by ...
... You have amongst you gods with a dog's head, and a lion's head, with the horns of
a cow, and a ram, and a goat, goat-shaped or serpent-shaped, and winged in ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/ad nationes/chapter xiv name vile calumny.htm

The Throne of Grace
... be an acceptable sacrifice before God, makes a mistake; he has not brought an offering
that God can accept, any more than if he had struck off a dog's neck, or ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the throne of grace.htm

Preface.
... For charity, most excellent and unassuming, gratefully accepts the dovelike eye;
but for the dog's tooth nothing remains, save either to shun it by the most ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/on the holy trinity/preface 2.htm

For what grandeur -- if you look at the truth without any ...
... her horn full of apples, figs, or autumnal fruits; Diana, with half-covered thighs,
or Venus naked, exciting to lustful desire; Anubis, with his dog's face; or ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/25 for what grandeur .htm

Letter cxlvii. To Aburgius.
... And perhaps he has suffered all this because he has irritated some L??strygones against
him, and has fallen in with some Scylla, hiding a dog's fierceness and ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter cxlvii to aburgius.htm

Petilianus Said: "If You Suppose that You Can Offer Sacrifice...
... sacrifice, God Himself thus speaks of you as most abandoned sinners: The wicked
man,' He says, that sacrificeth a calf is as if he cut off a dog's neck; and he ...
/.../chapter 52 119 petilianus.htm

Thesaurus
Dog's (3 Occurrences)
...Dog's (3 Occurrences). 2 Samuel 3:8 Then was Abner very angry for the words of
Ishbosheth, and said, "Am Ia dog's head that belongs to Judah? ...
/d/dog's.htm - 7k

Dogs (30 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Psalms 22:20 Deliver my soul from
the sword; mine only one from the power of the dog. (See NIV). ...
/d/dogs.htm - 15k

Judah's (18 Occurrences)
... (BBE). 2 Samuel 3:8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth,
and said: 'Am Ia dog's head that belongeth to Judah? ...
/j/judah's.htm - 12k

Loyal (15 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). 2 Samuel 3:8 Then was Abner very angry for the words of Ishbosheth,
and said, "Am Ia dog's head that belongs to Judah? ...
/l/loyal.htm - 11k

Loyalty (18 Occurrences)
... (See RSV). 2 Samuel 3:8 Then was Abner very angry for the words of Ishbosheth,
and said, "Am Ia dog's head that belongs to Judah? ...
/l/loyalty.htm - 11k

Grabs (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Grabs (1 Occurrence). Proverbs 26:17 Like one who grabs
a dog's ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own. (WEB). ...
/g/grabs.htm - 6k

Involving (2 Occurrences)
... Involving (2 Occurrences). 2 Samuel 3:8 Then was Abner very angry for the words
of Ishbosheth, and said, "Am Ia dog's head that belongs to Judah? ...
/i/involving.htm - 7k

Ish-bo'sheth (13 Occurrences)
... RSV). 2 Samuel 3:8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth,
and said: 'Am Ia dog's head that belongeth to Judah? This ...
/i/ish-bo'sheth.htm - 10k

Reproachest (2 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 3:8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am
Ia dog's head, I who against Judah do shew kindness this day to the house of ...
/r/reproachest.htm - 7k

Doing (1260 Occurrences)

/d/doing.htm - 6k

Resources
Is there any evidence for the giants mentioned in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

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Concordance
Dog's (3 Occurrences)

2 Samuel 3:8
Then was Abner very angry for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, "Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me this day with a fault concerning this woman!
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Proverbs 26:17
Like one who grabs a dog's ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.
(WEB)

Isaiah 66:3
He who kills an ox is as he who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as he who breaks a dog's neck; he who offers an offering, as he who offers pig's blood; he who burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Dog's

Related Terms

Dogs (30 Occurrences)

Judah's (18 Occurrences)

Loyal (15 Occurrences)

Loyalty (18 Occurrences)

Grabs (1 Occurrence)

Involving (2 Occurrences)

Ish-bo'sheth (13 Occurrences)

Reproachest (2 Occurrences)

Doing (1260 Occurrences)

Dog (19 Occurrences)

Delighteth (23 Occurrences)

Memorial-offering (1 Occurrence)

Meddles (1 Occurrence)

Presenteth (10 Occurrences)

Pig's (4 Occurrences)

Ishbosheth (13 Occurrences)

Belongeth (36 Occurrences)

Blesses (18 Occurrences)

Bite (13 Occurrences)

Chargest (1 Occurrence)

Slaughtereth (13 Occurrences)

Sacrificeth (22 Occurrences)

Ish-bosheth (14 Occurrences)

Killeth (23 Occurrences)

Breaks (35 Occurrences)

Burns (34 Occurrences)

Delights (39 Occurrences)

Slayeth (28 Occurrences)

Accuse (34 Occurrences)

Quarrel (22 Occurrences)

Offense (44 Occurrences)

Showing (41 Occurrences)

Abominations (81 Occurrences)

Kills (38 Occurrences)

Breaketh (49 Occurrences)

Frankincense (22 Occurrences)

Passes (74 Occurrences)

Haven't (87 Occurrences)

Blesseth (55 Occurrences)

Fault (42 Occurrences)

Abner (54 Occurrences)

Burneth (67 Occurrences)

Idol (56 Occurrences)

Friends (152 Occurrences)

Belongs (127 Occurrences)

Souls (114 Occurrences)

Neck (97 Occurrences)

Guilt (180 Occurrences)

Handed (101 Occurrences)

Dogs
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