Bible Discussion Thread

When the Bible speaks of a unicorn is it a true unicorn or another animal being called a unicorn ?

Robin Reed

Hi Robin. The unicorn is a mythological beast, depicted as a horse with a horn from its forehead. However, in the Bible, the references to unicorn are commonly understood to be a wild ox (Hebrew: reem), which was known for its strength. Now, whether there is a wild ox, past or present, having a horn, or whether a rhinocerous is inferred, can only be a guess. Numbers 23:22 speaks of the unicorn's strength; Psalm 92:10: having a horn. So, clearly this was a strong savage beast & probably one that couldn't be domesticated (see Job 39:10: such an animal couldn't be used for ploughing & field work, such was its nature & strength).

Thank you so much for the quick response. I had always known unicorns as mythical but it stopped me when I saw it in the verses.

Robin Reed

Roanoke, va

Robin: I suggest that when you are reading or studying the King James Bible you search online and pull up a King James Bible dictionary based on Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary. Webster's first dictionary included definitions for many of the words used in the King James Bible. Although many of the words from the KJV are still in use today, such as unicorn, the commonly held definitions for those words have changed since the 1769 version of the King James Bible was published.