Author: Jim

A mythical animal typically represented as a horse with a single straight horn projecting from its forehead.

In 1611, when a group of scholars translated the Bible to English, there was no English equivalent for the word unicornis, so they coined the new English word unicorn.

Numbers 23:22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

Numbers 24:8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.

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 the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

Job 39:9-10 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

Psalm 22:21 Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

Psalm 29:6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

Psalm 92:10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.

Prophecy that God will bring upon all nations (Isaiah 34).
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 with fatness.

Is it possible that scripture is referring to the rhinoceros?

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An eight-legged predatory arachnid with an unsegmented body consisting of a fused head and thorax and a rounded abdomen. Spiders have fangs which inject poison into their prey, and most kinds spin webs in which to capture insects.

One of the 4 little things on earth that are exceedingly wise:
Proverbs 30:28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.

Spiders reside everywhere.

⇛ return to Insects-Bugs
⇛ also see Ant, Grasshopper, Locust

The serpent is one of the most intriguing animals to be found in the Hebrew Bible. Mentioned 27 times in Old Testament and 8 times in New Testament.

Genesis 3:1-14 The serpent was a subtil (Cunning; artfulness; probably attractive, 4 legged) animal became a snake as part of his punishment.

The Lord Jesus used the serpent in his teaching.
Matthew 7:10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
Luke 11:11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

And to describe the form of death He would suffer: Crucifixion.
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

Paul knew his scripture as he recalled the Genesis account:
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

The serpent is revealed by the Apostle John in prophecy:
Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Revelation 12:14-15 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

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⇛ also see Adder, Asp, Viper

Listed among the clean animals.

Deuteronomy 12:15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.

Deuteronomy 12:22 Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.

Deuteronomy 14:5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.

Deuteronomy 15:22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart.

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⇛ also see Deer, Hart

The first mentioned of a raven is when Noah sent one forth from the Ark.
Genesis 8:7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

Listed as among the unclean birds.
Leviticus 11:15 Every raven after his kind;
Deuteronomy 14:14 And every raven after his kind,

The Lord God reminds Job how He cares for all of creation.
Job 38:41 Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

Even today very black is referred to as raven:
Song of Solomon 5:11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

Prophecy about the Judgements God will bring upon the nations (Isaiah 34).
Isaiah 34:11 But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness.

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⇛ also see Bird, Birds, Dove, Eagle, Fowl, Hawk, Owl, Peacock, Pelican, Pigeon, Quail, Sparrow, Stork, Swallows, Turtledove

Exodus 16:13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

Numbers 11:31-32 And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

The Psalmist reminds Israel of God’s care for them.
Psalm 105:40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

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⇛ also see Bird, Birds, Dove, Eagle, Fowl, Hawk, Owl, Peacock, Pelican, Pigeon, Raven, Sparrow, Stork, Swallows, Turtledove

Pygarg is an animal mentioned in the Bible as one of the animals permitted for food. The Septuagint translates the Hebrew ḏîšōn (דִּישֹׁן) as pygargos in Koiné Greek (“white-rumped”, from pyge “buttocks” and argo “white”), and the King James Version takes from there its term pygarg.
Listed as among the clean animals.

Deuteronomy 14:5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.

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Each mention of Pigeons in scripture are in reference to a sacrifice, most likely because anyone could have access to a pigeon regardless of social or financial status.

Genesis 15:9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
Leviticus 1:14 And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.
Leviticus 5:7 And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.
Leviticus 5:11 But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering.
Leviticus 12:6 And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest:
Leviticus 12:8 And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.
Leviticus 14:22 And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.
Leviticus 14:30 And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get;
Leviticus 15:14 And on the eighth day he shall take to him two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and give them unto the priest:
Leviticus 15:29 And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Numbers 6:10 And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

When Joseph and Mary brought the baby Jesus to the temple
Luke 2:22-23 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

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⇛ also see Bird, Birds, Dove, Eagle, Fowl, Hawk, Owl, Peacock, Pelican, Quail, Raven, Sparrow, Stork, Swallows, Turtledove

Peacocks were a sign of wealth and given as gifts between Kings.
1 Kings 10:22 For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

2 Chronicles 9:21 For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

The Lord God reminds Job of His power in creation.
Job 39:13 Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

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⇛ also see Bird, Birds, Dove, Eagle, Fowl, Hawk, Owl, Pelican, Pigeon, Quail, Raven, Sparrow, Stork, Swallows, Turtledove