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Ox

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

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The male of the beeve kind when grown, synonymous in the Bible with BULL; a clean animal, by the Levitical law; much used for food, 1 Kings 19:21 , and constituting no small part of the wealth of the Hebrews in their pastoral life, Genesis 24:35 Job 1:14 42:12 . Oxen were used in agriculture for ploughing, 1 Kings 19:19; and for treading out the grain, during which they were not to be muzzled, 1 Corinthians 9:9 , but well fed, Isaiah 30:24 . The testing of a new yoke of oxen is still a business of great importance in the East, as of old, Luke 14:19 . A passage in Campbell's travels in South Africa well illustrates the proverbial expression, "as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke," Jeremiah 31:18 : "I had frequent opportunities of witnessing the conduct of oxen when for the first time put into the yoke to assist in dragging the wagons. On observing an ox that had been in yoke beginning to get weak, or his hoofs to be worn down to the quick by treading on the sharp gravel, a fresh ox was put into the yoke in his place. When the selection fell on an ox I had received as a present from some African king, of course one completely unaccustomed to the yoke, and attempting to make its escape. At other times such bullocks say down upon their sides or back, and remained so in defiance of the Hottentots, though two or three of them would be lashing them with their ponderous whips. Sometimes, from pity to the animal, I would interfere, and beg them to be less cruel. Cruel,' they would say, it is mercy; for if we do not conquer him now, he will require to be so beaten all his life.'"

The "wild ox," mentioned in Deuteronomy 14:5 , is supposed to have been a species of stag or antelope. See BULLS OF BASHAN.