Topical Bible: The Horse used for Hunting

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, the horse was a symbol of strength, speed, and nobility. While horses are often associated with warfare and chariots in the Scriptures, they also played a role in hunting, a practice that was both a necessity and a sport in ancient cultures.

Biblical References and Context

The Bible does not explicitly mention horses being used for hunting in the same way it details their use in battle. However, the attributes of the horse—its speed, agility, and strength—made it an ideal companion for hunting expeditions. The horse's role in hunting can be inferred from its general use in activities requiring speed and endurance.

In the book of Job, the horse is described with admiration for its power and fearlessness: "Do you give strength to the horse or adorn his neck with a mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting?" (Job 39:19-20). This passage highlights the horse's attributes that would be advantageous in a hunting context.

Cultural and Historical Insights

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, hunting was a royal pastime and a demonstration of power and skill. Kings and nobles often engaged in hunting as a way to display their prowess and to provide food. The horse, being a valuable and prestigious animal, would have been a part of these hunting parties, especially for the elite.

The Assyrians, known for their military prowess, also used horses in hunting. Assyrian reliefs depict horses alongside hunters, suggesting that the practice was common among neighboring cultures during biblical times. This cultural context provides a backdrop for understanding how horses might have been used in similar ways by the Israelites and their neighbors.

Symbolism and Spiritual Insights

In the Bible, the horse often symbolizes strength and human reliance on military might, which is contrasted with reliance on God. Psalm 20:7 states, "Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God" . This verse underscores the biblical theme of trusting in divine power over human strength.

While the horse's use in hunting is not directly addressed, the broader biblical narrative encourages reliance on God rather than on human or animal strength. The horse, in its role as a hunting companion, can be seen as a tool provided by God for sustenance and survival, yet it is not to be idolized or relied upon above the Creator.

Conclusion

The horse, though not explicitly mentioned in the context of hunting in the Bible, was undoubtedly a part of the ancient world’s hunting practices due to its speed and strength. Its symbolic representation in Scripture serves as a reminder of the balance between utilizing God's creation and maintaining trust in His providence.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 39:18
What time she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

"She Hath done what She Could. "
... One of these was a man who used to spend his Sundays in hunting and fishing. ... He used
to have a Sunday-school horse, a "Robert Raikes" horse he called him ...
/.../moody/to the work to the work/chapter vii she hath done.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... Some of these"as, for example, the horse and the camel"were only introduced at ... Those
wooden weapons which were retained, were used for hunting, or were ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The Bishop Elect and Consecrate
... of twelve and clergy to be sworn to the hunting peace, mangling ... He never touched
flesh but often used fish. ... their little ones, he would get off his horse at a ...
/.../marson/hugh bishop of lincoln/chapter iv the bishop elect.htm

Five Catechetical Lectures the Same Author,
... of theatres [2367] , and horse-races, and hunting, and all ... Shun also horse-races,
that frantic and soul ... [2363] phugadeuterion, the word commonly used in the ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/five catechetical lectures the same.htm

How Eurycles Calumniated the Sons of Mariamne; and How Euaratus of ...
... If they be at any time hunting, and he says nothing ... appear then before him with that
dread he used to do ... Tyrannus, who had once been masters of the horse to the ...
/.../chapter 26 how eurycles calumniated.htm

How Eurycles Falsely Accused Herod's Sons; and How their Father ...
... Herod, who was displeased at them; these now used to ride ... it might be said he fell
from his horse, and was ... had given the young men the royal hunting spears and ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 10 how eurycles falsely.htm

The More Excellent Way
... men, as the sports of the field-hunting, shooting, fishing ... Others are chiefly used
in private houses, as cards ... Neither need much be said about horse-races, till ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 89 the more excellent.htm

Alexander.
... all held together as one nation, and used to meet ... moment, and Alexander was down
from his horse, adoring upon ... serve as an enclosure for a hunting ground, where ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson xv alexander.htm

The Wicked Man's Life, Funeral, and Epitaph
... He is like a horse that hath been in the ... round, and I have seen the handkerchief
used to brush ... the Bible; more about fox-hounds than about hunting after men's ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the wicked mans life funeral.htm

the Legendary History of Egypt
... But it happened that Sit, when hunting by moonlight, caught sight of the chest ... for
the weak or cowardly in need of help, whereas the horse is used for the ...
/.../chapter iii -the legendary history of.htm