Lexical Summary dishon: ibex Original Word: דִּישׂן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance An antelope -- pygargFrom duwsh; the leaper, i.e. An antelope -- pygarg. see HEBREW duwsh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom dush Definition mountain goat (a cermonially clean animal) NASB Translation ibex (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. דִּישֹׁן noun [masculine] a clean animal, ᵐ5 πύγαργος compare ᵑ9; hence AV RV & most pygarg, a kind of antelope or gazelle, compare Di Leviticus 11:2f.; perhaps rather mountain-goat, HomNS 391 compare Ethiopic version [ᵑ8̈]; only Deuteronomy 14:5 — (Homl.c. derives from √ דושׁ with kindred meaning of spring, leap & compare Assyrian daššu; so already DlS i. 54). Topical Lexicon Biblical Context דִּישׂן appears once, in Deuteronomy 14:5, where Moses rehearses the dietary code for a new generation poised to enter the land: “the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep” (Berean Standard Bible). Within this list the דִּישׂן stands as one of seven land animals explicitly declared clean. Its single mention occurs in a carefully structured paragraph (Deuteronomy 14:4-6) that frames the animal as a concrete example of God’s gracious provision, placed alongside domestic species such as oxen and sheep as well as elusive desert ungulates. Identification in the Animal Kingdom Ancient and modern witnesses converge on an antelope-type creature inhabiting arid zones. The Septuagint renders the word πυγαργός (“white-rumped”), a clue that points toward the Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) or the addax (Addax nasomaculatus), both bearing pale coats and contrasted hindquarters. Both animals fulfill the Mosaic criteria of divided hooves and rumination, are indigenous to the Sinai-Arabian corridor, and feature in rock art stretching from the Negev to northern Arabia. Medieval Jewish commentators, reading Targumic traditions that gloss the term as “white goat,” reached similar conclusions. Role in Mosaic Dietary Laws The list in Deuteronomy is not arbitrary. It gathers clean wild game whose habits mirror those of domestic herds, reinforcing the principle articulated in Leviticus 11:3 that eligibility for Israel’s table requires both chewing the cud and having the hoof split in two. Because דִּישׂן meets these criteria, the people could harvest it during desert wanderings or later hunts in the Trans-Jordan highlands without fear of ritual contamination. Its inclusion demonstrates that holiness does not forbid culinary pleasure; rather, it channels appetite toward creation that reflects order and discernment. Geographical and Ecological Considerations Classical writers such as Pliny and modern zoologists describe herds of oryx and addax ranging from Egypt’s eastern desert through the Arabian Peninsula. These antelopes survive on sparse grasses and can go long stretches without free water, a providential design for the environments through which Israel traveled. Their presence confirmed for wilderness pilgrims that the Creator already supplied clean meat in the very landscapes that otherwise seemed barren. Translation History English versions vary: the King James Version has “pygarg,” an Anglicized form of the Greek; several twentieth-century translations opt for “ibex,” “white antelope,” or simply “antelope.” Each choice reflects attempts to render an ancient zoological term for readers unfamiliar with Near-Eastern fauna. What remains consistent is the animal’s status as clean and its association with holiness through diet. Theological and Devotional Insights 1. Provision: דִּישׂן illustrates Psalm 104:27’s affirmation that “They all wait for You to give them their food in season.” Even in the wilderness, God’s menu included delicacies requiring no human cultivation. Ministry Application Preaching or teaching on Deuteronomy 14 can draw on the דִּישׂן to illustrate: Summary The דִּישׂן, likely the Arabian oryx or a related antelope, occupies a single but strategic slot in Scripture. Standing amid the clean creatures of Deuteronomy 14, it testifies to the meticulous care of God for His people, the moral pedagogy of dietary laws, and the abiding truth that all creation—whether domesticated or wild—exists to reflect the holiness and generosity of its Maker. Forms and Transliterations וְדִישֹׁ֖ן ודישן vediShonLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 14:5 HEB: וְיַחְמ֑וּר וְאַקּ֥וֹ וְדִישֹׁ֖ן וּתְא֥וֹ וָזָֽמֶר׃ NAS: the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope KJV: and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, INT: the roebuck the wild the ibex the antelope and the mountain 1 Occurrence |
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