Lexical Summary tor: Turtledove Original Word: תּוֹר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance turtle dove (Aramaic) corresponding (by permutation) to showr; a bull -- bullock, ox. see HEBREW showr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to shor Definition a bullock NASB Translation bulls (3), cattle (4). Topical Lexicon Semantic Field and Imagery תּוֹר consistently denotes a mature male bovine. In Scripture it functions in two principal spheres: worship, where it is the costliest burnt offering, and royal-historical narrative, where it becomes an emblem by which God exposes and humbles human pride. Occurrences and Narrative Setting Ezra 6:9, Ezra 6:17, and Ezra 7:17 portray the תּוֹר as the premier sacrificial animal during the rebuilding and dedication of the second temple. In Daniel 4:25, 4:32, 4:33, and 5:21 the same term is used metaphorically of Nebuchadnezzar, whose mind is reduced to that of an animal so that he “ate grass like an ox.” Cultic Role in Second-Temple Worship After the exile, the leaders of Judah faced the dual need of restoring true worship and reassuring the returnees of God’s favor. Provision of the most expensive sacrifices—hundreds of bulls—signaled both reverence and covenant renewal. Ezra 6:17 records, “For the dedication of this house of God, they offered one hundred bulls…” The scale underscores two truths: 1. Worship requires costly devotion, even when resources appear scarce. The fact that Persian treasuries funded many of these offerings (Ezra 6:8-10; Ezra 7:17) also exhibits the Lord’s sovereign ability to move pagan rulers to underwrite His purposes. Symbol of Humbled Royal Power Daniel describes Nebuchadnezzar’s transformation with the same word. “You will be made to eat grass like an ox” (Daniel 4:25). The mightiest monarch of his age becomes what he once sacrificed. The inverted imagery teaches: Intertextual Connections The Hebrew sacrificial term פַּר (bull) dominates Leviticus, yet in Ezra and Daniel the Aramaic תּוֹר carries the same theological freight, reinforcing the continuity of covenant truth across languages and empires. The humiliation motif in Daniel anticipates prophetic statements such as Isaiah 2:11—“The haughty looks of man shall be brought low…”—and prepares the reader for New Testament teaching: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Practical Ministry Applications 1. Stewardship: Like post-exilic Israel, believers honor God by offering the best, confident that He can channel even secular resources to advance His work. Christological Foreshadowing The unblemished bull, costly and substitutionary, foreshadows the surpassing sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Hebrews later draws from the imagery of bulls and goats (Hebrews 9:13-14) to proclaim that the blood of Christ secures eternal redemption. Nebuchadnezzar’s restoration further hints at messianic grace: God humbles but also exalts, culminating in the exaltation of the humbled Son (Philippians 2:8-11). Summary תּוֹר unites temple liturgy and imperial history to declare one message: the Most High is worthy of the finest sacrifice and able to abase the mightiest king. Bulls are offered, kings become as bulls, and through both themes Scripture points to the ultimate sacrifice and the ultimate King, before whom every knee will bow. Forms and Transliterations כְתוֹרִ֣ין ׀ כְתוֹרִין֙ כתורין תּוֹרִ֣ין תּוֹרִ֤ין ׀ תוֹרִ֣ין תורין chetoRin ḵə·ṯō·w·rîn ḵəṯōwrîn tō·w·rîn ṯō·w·rîn toRin tōwrîn ṯōwrînLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 6:9 HEB: חַשְׁחָ֡ן וּבְנֵ֣י תוֹרִ֣ין וְדִכְרִ֣ין וְאִמְּרִ֣ין ׀ NAS: both young bulls, rams, KJV: both young bullocks, and rams, INT: of young bulls rams and lambs Ezra 6:17 Ezra 7:17 Daniel 4:25 Daniel 4:32 Daniel 4:33 Daniel 5:21 7 Occurrences |
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