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Home » Bible Encyclopedias » Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature » Letter H

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Horn

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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(קֶרֶן, ke'ren, identical in root and signif. with the Latin cornu and English. horn; Gr. κέρας) is used in Scripture with a great latitude of meaning.

I. Literally (Joshua 6:4-5; compare Exodus 19:13; 1 Samuel 16:1; 1 Samuel 16:13; 1 Kings 1, 39; Job 42:14). — Two purposes are mentioned in the Scriptures to which the horn seems to have been applied. As horns are hollow and easily polished, they have in ancient and modern times been used for drinking vessels and for military purposes. They were especially convenient for holding liquids (1 Samuel 16:1; 1 Samuel 16:13; 1 Kings 1:39), and were even made instruments of music (Joshua 6:5).

1. Trumpets were probably at first merely horns perforated at the tip, such as are still used upon mountain farms for calling home the laborers at mealtime. If the A.V. of Joshua 6:4-5 ("rams' horns," קֶרֶן הִיּוֹבֵל ) were correct, this would settle the question, (See RAM'S HORN); but the fact seems to be that יוֹבֵל has nothing to do with ram, and that קֶרֶן, horn, serves to indicate an instrument which originally was made of horn, though afterwards, no doubt, constructed of different materials (comp. Varro, L. L. 5, 24,33, "cornua quod ea quae nunc sunt ex aere tune fiebant e cornu bubuli"). (See CORNET). The horns, which were thus made into trumpets, were probably those of oxen rather than of rams: the latter would scarcely produce a note sufficiently imposing to suggest its association with the fall of Jericho. (See TRUMPET).

2. The word "horn" is also applied to a flask, or vessel made of horn, containing oil (1 Samuel 16:1; 1 Samuel 16:13; 1 Kings 1:39), or used as a kind of toilet bottle, filled with the preparation of antimony with which women tinged their eyelashes (Keren-happuch = paint-horn; name of one of Job's daughters, Job 42:14). So in English drinking-horn (commonly called a horn). In the same way the Greek κέρας sometimes signifies bugle, trumpet (Xenoph. An. 2, 2, 4), and sometimes drinking-horn (7, 2, 23). In like manner the Latin cornu means trumpet, and also oil-cruet (Horace, Sat. 2, 2, 61), and funnel (Virgil, Georg. 3, 509). (See INK HORN).

II. Metaphorically. — These uses of the word are often based upon some literal object like a horn, and at other times they are purely figurative.

1. From similarity of Form. — To this use belongs the application of the word horn to a trumpet of metal, as already mentioned. Horns of ivory, that is, elephants' teeth, are mentioned in Ezekiel 27:15, either metaphorically, from similarity of form, or, as seems more probable, from a vulgar error. (See IVORY). But more specific are the following metaphors:

(1.) The altar of burnt offerings (Exodus 27:2) and the altar of incense (Exodus 30:2) had each at the four corners four horns of shittim-wood, the first being overlaid with brass, the second with gold (Exodus 37:25; Exodus 38:2; Jeremiah 17:1; Amos 3:14). Upon the horns of the altar of burnt offerings was to be smeared with the finger the blood of the slain bullock (Exodus 29:12; Leviticus 4:7-18; Leviticus 8:15; Leviticus 9:9; Leviticus 16:18; Ezekiel 43:20). By laying hold of these horns of the altar of burnt offering the criminal found an asylum and safety (1 Kings 1:50; 1 Kings 2:28), but only when the crime was accidental (Exodus 21:14). These horns are said to have served as a means for binding the animal destined for sacrifice (Psalms 118:27), but this use Winer (Handwö rterb.) denies, asserting that they did not and could not answer for such a purpose. These altar- horns are, of course, not to be supposed to have been made of horn, but to have been metallic projections from the four corners (γωνίαικερατοειδεῖς, Josephus, War, 5, 5, 6). (See ALTAR).

(2.) The peak or summit of a hill was called a horn (Isaiah 5:1, where hill= horn in Heb.; comp. κέρας, Xenophon, An. 5, 6, 7, and cornu, Stat. Theb. 5, 532; Arab. "Kurun Hattin," Robinson, Bibl. Res. 2, 370; German Schreckhorn, Wetterhorn, Aarhorn; Celt. cairn).

In Isaiah 5:1, the emblematic vineyard is described as being literally "in a horn the son of oil," meaning, as given in the English Bible, "a very fruitful hill" — a strong place like a hill, yet combining with its strength peculiar fruitfulness.

(3.) In Habakkuk 3:4 ("he had horns coming out of his hand") the context implies rays of light (comp. Deuteronomy 23:2). The denominative קָרִן = "to emit rays," is used of Moses's face (Exodus 34:29-30; Exodus 34:35): so all the versions except Aquila and the Vulgate, which have the translations κερατώδης ην, cornuta erat. This curious idea has not only been perpetuated by paintings, coins, and statues (Zornius, Biblioth. Antiq. 1, 121), but has at least passed muster with Grotius (Annot. ad loc.), who cites Aben-Ezra's identification of Moses with the horned Mnevis of Egypt, and suggests that the phenomenon was intended to remind the Israelites of the golden calf! Spencer (Leg. Hebrews 3, Diss. 1, 4) tries a reconciliation of renderings upon the ground that cornua=radii lucis; but Spanheim (Diss. 7, 1), not content with stigmatizing the efforts of art in this direction as "prepostera industria," distinctly attributes to Jerome a belief in the veritable horns of Moses. (See NIMBUS).

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2. From similarity of Position and Use. — Two principal applications of this metaphor will be found — strength and honor. Of strength the horn of the unicorn, (See UNICORN), was the most frequent representative (Dent. 32:17, etc.), but not always; comp. 1 Kings 22:11, where probably horns of iron, worn defiantly and symbolically on the head, are intended. Expressive of the same idea, or perhaps merely a decoration, is the Oriental military ornament mentioned by Taylor (Calmet's Frag. c14), and the conical cap observed by Dr. Livingstone among the natives of S. Africa, and not improbably suggested by the horn of the rhinoceros, so abundant in that country (see Livingstone's Travels, p. 365,450, 557; comp. Taylor, 1. c.). Among the Druses upon Mount Lebanon the married women wear silver horns on their heads. The spiral coils of gold wire projecting oil either side from the female headdress of some of the Dutch provinces are evidently an ornament borrowed from the same original idea. But it is quite uncertain whether such dresses were known among the covenant people, nor do the figurative allusions in Scripture to horns render it in the least degree necessary to suppose that reference was made to personal ornaments of that description. (See below.)

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Bibliography Information
McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Horn'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​tce/​h/horn.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
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