In the biblical context, the mouse is mentioned primarily in the Old Testament, where it is associated with uncleanliness and divine judgment. The Hebrew word for mouse, "ʿakhbar," appears in several passages, each providing insight into the cultural and religious significance of this small creature in ancient Israelite society.

Levitical Law and Uncleanliness

The mouse is explicitly listed among the unclean animals in the Levitical law. In Leviticus 11:29, the text states: "Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard." The inclusion of the mouse in this list underscores its status as an impure creature, one that the Israelites were forbidden to eat or touch. This prohibition reflects the broader Levitical concern with maintaining ritual purity and avoiding defilement through contact with certain animals.

Symbol of Judgment and Destruction

The mouse also appears in the context of divine judgment. In 1 Samuel 6, the Philistines, having captured the Ark of the Covenant, are afflicted with a devastating plague. In an attempt to appease the God of Israel, they create golden images of the tumors and mice that ravaged their land. 1 Samuel 6:4-5 records: "The Philistines asked, 'What guilt offering should we send to Him?' And they replied, 'Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague has struck both you and your rulers. Make images of your tumors and of the rats that are destroying the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps He will lift His hand from you and your gods and your land.'" Here, the mouse is a symbol of the destruction and divine wrath that befell the Philistines, serving as a tangible representation of their suffering and a reminder of the power of the God of Israel.

Idolatry and Pagan Practices

In Isaiah 66:17, the mouse is mentioned in the context of idolatrous practices that provoke God's anger: "Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves, following after one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and vermin and rats, will perish together," declares the LORD. This passage highlights the association of the mouse with pagan rituals and the consumption of unclean animals, practices that are condemned by the prophet Isaiah. The imagery of the mouse in this context serves to illustrate the abominations that lead to divine retribution.

Cultural and Historical Context

The presence of mice in these biblical narratives reflects the broader cultural and historical context of the ancient Near East, where rodents were common and often associated with disease and agricultural destruction. The biblical portrayal of mice as unclean and as instruments of divine judgment aligns with the experiences of agrarian societies that viewed these creatures as pests and harbingers of misfortune.

In summary, the image of the mouse in the Bible is multifaceted, symbolizing uncleanliness, divine judgment, and idolatrous practices. Its appearances in Scripture serve as a reminder of the importance of ritual purity, the consequences of disobedience to God's commands, and the dangers of engaging in pagan worship.1 Samuel 6:4,5,11,18
Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
Nave's Topical Index

The Absurdity and Shamefulness of the Images by which the Gods are ...
... appear imperfect, as moles and the shrew-mouse, which Nicander says is blind and
uncouth; yet are they superior to those utterly senseless idols and images. ...
/.../exhortation to the heathen/chapter iv the absurdity and shamefulness.htm

A Letter from a West Indian Cottage Ornee
... That one happens to be, as you may see by its little green mouse-tails, a pepper ...
stands) would take a week's work of words, which would convey no images to your ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter v a letter from.htm

The Preface to the Commandments
... the second commandment out of their catechism, because it makes against images;
and to ... They worshipped creeping things, as the crocodile, and the Indian mouse. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/the ten commandments/1 3 the preface to the.htm

The Form of Concord. AD 1577.
... favored the opinion that the consecrated bread, if eaten by a mouse, was fully as ...
and such ceremonies as fasts, processions, and the use of images in churches. ...
/.../creeds of christendom with a history and critical notes/ 45 the form of.htm

Letter civ. (AD 409. )
... over other things"their silver with which they constructed those images of their
false ... equal because they are both offences; in which case the mouse and the ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter civ a d 409.htm

The Puritan Conflict.
... the invocation of Mary and the saints, the worship of images, transubstantiation,
the ... question what effect the consecrated wafer would have upon a mouse or a ...
/.../ 92 the puritan conflict.htm

Concerning the Unity of God . On the Article, I Believe in one God ...
... If one kills a mouse, he also will be a mouse.". ... boasted of their superiority to
the Pagans in not worshipping God with altars, temples, images, victims, or ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture vi concerning the unity.htm

Sennacherib (705-681 BC )
... connected, must have represented a king offering the image of a mouse crouching
on ... The sacred edifices were sacked, the images hacked to pieces or carried off ...
/.../chapter isennacherib 705-681 b c.htm

Interpretation of Holy Scripture. --Inspired Interpretation. --The ...
... when there broke from them words of more than mortal power,"or images of unearthly ...
ton men gar en te bato phanenta to Mouse theologei; ton de en Hiericho to ...
/.../burgon/inspiration and interpretation/sermon v interpretation of holy.htm

Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
... For as concerning his masses, prayers for the dead, images, pilgrimages, monkish
vows, sinful fasts, and the beastly single life of their priests, though when ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/of antichrist and his ruin .htm

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