The term "unicorn" appears in several passages of the Bible, primarily in the Old Testament. The Berean Standard Bible translates the Hebrew word "re'em" as "wild ox," but in earlier translations, such as the King James Version, it is rendered as "unicorn." This has led to various interpretations and discussions regarding the creature's identity and significance in biblical texts.

Biblical References:

1. Numbers 23:22 : "God brought them out of Egypt; He is for them like the horns of a wild ox." In this passage, the strength and power of God are likened to the horns of a wild ox, which earlier translations referred to as a unicorn. The imagery suggests a creature of great might and majesty, symbolizing divine strength and protection.

2. Deuteronomy 33:17 : "His majesty is like a firstborn bull, and his horns are like the horns of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even those at the ends of the earth." Here, the wild ox (unicorn in older translations) is used metaphorically to describe the power and dominance of the tribes of Joseph, emphasizing their ability to conquer and lead.

3. Job 39:9-10 : "Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will it stay by your manger at night? Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness? Will it plow the valleys behind you?" These rhetorical questions highlight the untamable nature of the wild ox, illustrating the creature's independence and strength, which humans cannot control.

4. Psalm 22:21 : "Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild ox You have answered me." In this plea for deliverance, the psalmist invokes the image of the wild ox's horns as a symbol of divine intervention and salvation.

5. Psalm 92:10 : "But You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; with fine oil I have been anointed." The exaltation of the horn signifies strength and honor, with the wild ox serving as a metaphor for the psalmist's empowerment and blessing by God.

6. Isaiah 34:7 : "And the wild oxen will fall with them, the young bulls with the mighty bulls. Their land will be soaked with blood, and their soil will be saturated with fat." This passage uses the imagery of wild oxen to depict the devastation and judgment that will befall the nations, emphasizing the completeness of God's wrath.

Interpretation and Significance:

The biblical "unicorn," or wild ox, is often associated with strength, power, and untamable nature. In a conservative Christian viewpoint, these references are understood as symbolic representations rather than descriptions of a mythical creature. The wild ox serves as a metaphor for God's might, the strength of His people, and the futility of human attempts to control divine power.

The translation of "re'em" as "unicorn" in older versions of the Bible has contributed to the mythological image of the unicorn in Western culture. However, modern scholarship and translations like the BSB clarify that the biblical context refers to a real, albeit now-extinct, animal known for its formidable presence and strength.

In summary, the biblical unicorn, or wild ox, is a powerful symbol used to convey themes of divine strength, protection, and judgment throughout the Scriptures.

The Psalm Also Predicts the Crucifixion and the Subject of the ...
... the sword, and my [2351] only-begotten from the hand of the dog; save me from the
lion's mouth, and my humility from the horns of the unicorns,'"was also ...
/.../chapter cv the psalm also predicts.htm

The New Evangelism: and Its Relation to Cardinal Doctrines
... and grey. Why was the sky not scarlet like the inside of our trumpet, or
a good hearty blue, with unicorns on it like our drum? We ...
/.../berkhof/new evangelism and other papers/the new evangelism and its.htm

Predictions of Christ in Ps. xxii.
... from the hand of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth, and my humility
from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare Thy name ...
/.../chapter xcviii predictions of christ in.htm

Prophecies of the Death of Christ.
... implores His Father's help, He says, "Save me from the lion's mouth," that is, the
jaws of death, "and my humiliation from the horns of the unicorns;" in other ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xix prophecies of the death.htm

Psalm XXIX.
... the earth stood up, and the rulers agreed together against the Lord, and against
His Christ." [667] "And the Beloved is as the young of the unicorns." For even ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xxix.htm

That the Jews Would Fasten Christ to the Cross.
... paw [4067] of the dog. Save me from the mouth of the lion, and my lowliness
from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare Thy name ...
/.../cyprian/three books of testimonies against the jews/20 that the jews would.htm

Psalm 22
... 21Out of the roaring lion's mouth. do thou me shield and save: For from the horns
of unicorns. an ear to me thou gave. ^22I will shew forth thy name unto. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/scottish psalter and paraphrases/psalm 22.htm

Discourse of the Same Elder on the Untrustworthy Sort of ...
... and serpents and birds, which are cut off and separated from all others by their
intolerable ferocity or deadly poison, as basilisks, unicorns and vultures ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter ii discourse of the.htm

On the Animals
... God. And in another part: and my humility is like the horn of a unicorn.
The unicorns having this magnificence or one testimony. [Ps ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/iv on the animals.htm

All who Walk According to Truth are Children of God.
... are those called children who know Him who is God alone as their Father, who are
simple, and infants, and guileless, who are lovers of the horns of the unicorns ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter v all who walk according.htm

Unicorns (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Unicorns (2 Occurrences). Psalms 22:21 Save me from the
lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. (KJV WBS) ...
/u/unicorns.htm - 6k

Unicorn (6 Occurrences)

/u/unicorn.htm - 10k

Uniformly (2 Occurrences)

/u/uniformly.htm - 7k

Rhinoceros
... ri-nos'-er-os: This word is found in the King James Version margin to Isaiah
34:7 ("rhinocerots") for re'emim, the King James Version "unicorns," the Revised ...
/r/rhinoceros.htm - 7k

Drenched (11 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 34:7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the
bulls; and their land shall be drenched with blood, and their dust made fat ...
/d/drenched.htm - 10k

Soaked (7 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 34:7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the
bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat ...
/s/soaked.htm - 8k

Fatness (17 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 34:7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the
bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat ...
/f/fatness.htm - 13k

Bullocks (50 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 34:7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the
bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat ...
/b/bullocks.htm - 23k

Bull (114 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 33:17 His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns
are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to ...
/b/bull.htm - 40k

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