Bible Dictionaries
Dog

Dog — The dog (Hebrew: כֶּלֶב keleḇ - Strongs: H3611) in the East does not enjoy the companionship and friendship of man as in the western countries. Its instinct has been cultivated only insofar as the protecting of the flocks and camps against wild animals is concerned. In the towns and villages it roams in the streets and places, of which it is the ordinary scavenger; packs of dogs in a half-wild state are met with in the cities and are not infrequently dangerous for men. For this reason the dog has always been, and is still looked upon with loathing and aversion, as filthy and unclean. With a very few exceptions, whenever the dog is spoken of in the Bible (where it is mentioned over 40 times), it is with contempt, to remark either its voracious instincts and eating its own vomit; it was regarded as the emblem of lust, and of uncleanness in general. As some people, to the present day, term Christians "dogs", so did the Jews of old apply that infamous name to Gentiles. A greyhound is mentioned in Proverbs 30:31. Jesus refers to dogs in positive light in the New Testament and a symbol of great faith and humbleness in Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30. "But He answered and said, 'It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.' And she said, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.' Then Jesus answered and said to her, 'O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.' And her daughter was healed from that very hour."

Verses:

• Exodus 11:7
• Exodus 22:31
• Deuteronomy 23:18
• Judges 7:5
• 1 Samuel 17:43
• 1 Samuel 24:14
• 2 Samuel 3:8
• 2 Samuel 9:8
• 2 Samuel 16:9
• 1 Kings 14:11
• 1 Kings 16:4
• 1 Kings 21:19
• 1 Kings 21:23
• 1 Kings 21:24
• 1 Kings 22:38
• 2 Kings 8:13
• 2 Kings 9:10
• 2 Kings 9:36
• Job 30:1
• Psalms 22:16
• Psalms 22:20
• Psalms 59:6
• Psalms 59:14
• Psalms 68:23
• Proverbs 26:11
• Proverbs 26:17
• Proverbs 30:31
• Ecclesiastes 9:4
• Isaiah 56:10
• Isaiah 56:11
• Isaiah 66:3
• Jeremiah 15:3
• Matthew 7:6
• Matthew 15:26
• Matthew 15:27
• Mark 7:27
• Mark 7:28
• Luke 16:21
• Philippians 3:2
• 2 Peter 2:22
• Revelation 22:15