MULE .
(1) pered (m.) and pirdâh (f.) in all passages except three.
(2) rekesh , RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘swift steeds’ ( Esther 8:10; Esther 8:14 ). The tr. [Note: translate or translation.] ‘swift’ is purely conjectural.
(3) yçmîm , Genesis 36:24 , where ‘mules’ is certainly a mistranslation; RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘hot springs.’
The breeding of mules was forbidden to the Israelites (Leviticus 19:19 ), but from David’s time ( 2 Samuel 13:29; 2 Samuel 18:9 ) onwards ( 1 Kings 1:33; 1 Kings 10:25; 1 Kings 18:5 ) they appear to have been increasingly used. The returning Israelites brought 245 mules with them ( Ezra 2:66 ). Mules are preferred in Palestine to-day as pack animals (cf. 1 Chronicles 12:40 , 2 Kings 5:17 ). they are hardier, subsist on less food, and travel better on rough roads. A well-trained mule is a favourite riding animal with the highest officials in the land.
E. W. G. Masterman.