Topical Bible: The Ox: Young of, Considered a Great Delicacy

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In biblical times, the young of the ox, often referred to as a calf, held significant cultural and culinary value. The consumption of a fatted calf was considered a mark of celebration and abundance, symbolizing prosperity and divine blessing. This practice is rooted in the agrarian lifestyle of ancient Israel, where livestock played a central role in both daily sustenance and religious rituals.

The fatted calf is most famously mentioned in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, found in the Gospel of Luke. In this parable, the father orders the slaughter of the fatted calf to celebrate the return of his repentant son: "Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us eat and celebrate" (Luke 15:23). This act of feasting on the fatted calf underscores the themes of forgiveness, restoration, and joy, illustrating the father's lavish love and the communal rejoicing over a sinner's repentance.

The young ox or calf was also integral to sacrificial practices in the Old Testament. In Levitical law, calves were often used in burnt offerings and peace offerings, symbolizing atonement and fellowship with God. Leviticus 9:3 instructs, "And to the Israelites you are to say, 'Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb, both a year old and without blemish, for a burnt offering'" . The requirement for the calf to be without blemish highlights the importance of purity and perfection in offerings made to the Lord.

In addition to its religious significance, the young ox was esteemed as a culinary delicacy. The tender meat of a young, well-fed calf was reserved for special occasions, reflecting the host's wealth and generosity. This is evident in the account of Abraham, who, upon receiving three divine visitors, hastened to prepare a meal that included a choice calf: "Then Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender, choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it" (Genesis 18:7). The preparation of such a meal was a gesture of hospitality and honor.

The consumption of the young ox as a delicacy is further illustrated in the account of King Solomon's daily provisions, which included "ten fat oxen and twenty pasture-fed cattle" (1 Kings 4:23). This abundance of meat signifies the prosperity and grandeur of Solomon's reign, as well as the importance of the young ox in the diet of the ancient Israelites.

Overall, the young of the ox, particularly the fatted calf, held a place of high esteem in biblical culture, symbolizing celebration, sacrifice, and sustenance. Its role in both religious and social contexts underscores the deep connection between the people of Israel and their livestock, reflecting a society that valued the gifts of creation as expressions of divine provision and blessing.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 18:7
And Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it to a young man; and he hurried to dress it.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Amos 6:4
That lie on beds of ivory, and stretch themselves on their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the middle of the stall;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The City of God
... side and the other, holding meanwhile the ox's entrails in ... the ending of a world,
must have considered this present ... He had as secretary a very young man, the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/ii the city of god.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... was considered the most efficacious, but an ox, a cow ... the tyrant and transfer the
crown to the young prince: his ... him," and one sees that he considered Medes and ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm

The Close of the Theban Empire
... must have been mercilessly jolted in the ox-drawn square ... Pharaoh to bring to remembrance
all the great exploits he ... a son of Ramses III., is considered to have ...
/.../chapter iiithe close of the.htm

the Legendary History of Egypt
... There she gave birth to the young Horus, nursed ... he whose voice is true before the
Great Ennead.'" In ... loaf from the bread offerings was considered as abominable ...
/.../chapter iii -the legendary history of.htm

The Close of the Theban Empire --(Continued)
... The ox-driver, while goading his beasts, cried out to them ... centuries of continuous
homage, had come to be considered as the ... Illustration: 041a.jpg YOUNG GIRL IN ...
/.../chapter ithe close of the.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... the solemn casting to the waters of a young girl decked ... into the bosom of the land
was still considered as an ... The White Nile is indebted to the Great Lakes for ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The Temples and the Gods of Chaldaea
... to indicate that at the outset he was considered to be ... a soldier who dreamed but
of battle and great feats of ... The earth was united to the young sun with every ...
/.../chapter iithe temples and the.htm

Ancient Chaldaea
... Olivier is considered, indeed, to have discovered wild cereals in ... besides the
dog"namely, the ass, ox, goat, and ... All the young men of Uruk, the well-protected ...
/.../chapter iancient chaldaea.htm

The Memphite Empire
... us the king at different ages, when young, mature, or ... The great pyramid concealed
a black and white image ... to show that the Egyptian annalist considered them all ...
/.../chapter iithe memphite empire.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... use such of these works as they considered worthy of ... leather, and large wickerwork
shields covered with ox-hide, which ... 1). He must have been quite young in the ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm