Lexical Summary tannah: Jackal Original Word: תַּנָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance dragon Probably feminine of tan; a female jackal -- dragon. see HEBREW tan NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfem. of tan, q.v. Topical Lexicon Overview of the ImageThe word תַּנָה depicts the jackal, a wild canine well known in the lands surrounding ancient Israel. Scripture casts the animal in vivid figurative roles: as a surprisingly compassionate nurse and as the emblem of utter ruin. Because jackals frequented deserted places and scavenged what humans abandoned, they furnished the prophets with ready-made language for both pity and desolation. Biblical Occurrences • Lamentations 4:3 — “Even jackals offer the breast to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like ostriches in the wilderness.” These are the only two explicit uses of the exact form תַּנָה. Literary and Theological Themes 1. Compassion in Contrast In Lamentations 4:3, the jackal becomes an unexpected model of natural affection. Jeremiah paints Judah’s plight so severely that even a creature often despised for its scavenging shows more maternal care than Jerusalem’s famine-stricken mothers. The comparison intensifies the sorrow: if a jackal, notorious for haunting ruins, still nurses its pups, how tragic that covenant mothers withhold the same mercy. 2. Desolation as Divine Judgment Malachi 1:3 moves from pity to judgment. The prophet applies תַּנָה to illustrate the fate of Edom. Jackals inhabiting Esau’s inheritance signal that the territory has become unfit for settled life; only scavengers remain. The image confirms that God’s verdict on persistent pride is irreversible desolation (compare Isaiah 34:13 and Jeremiah 9:11, where related words extend the motif). Historical and Cultural Background Jackals roamed the arid valleys and ruined towns of the Levant, emitting a mournful howl at dusk. Their presence warned travelers that a place lay abandoned, its former occupants either slain or exiled. Shepherds considered them petty predators; farmers dreaded them as crop raiders. Yet their adaptability made them a fixture of the ecological fabric, and biblical writers drew theological lessons from their habits. Canonical Connections While תַּנָה appears only twice, references to “jackals” under cognate forms thread through Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Psalms, consolidating two recurring ideas: These parallel strands—ruin for rebellion, renewal by grace—frame the minor uses of תַּנָה within the larger redemptive narrative. Ministry Implications 1. Sin’s Dehumanizing Power When preaching Lamentations 4:3, the jackal’s instinctive care exposes how sin can strip human beings of affections even animals retain. The passage calls congregations to repent of hard-heartedness toward society’s vulnerable. 2. Assurance of Just Judgment Malachi 1:3 vindicates God’s righteousness. The ruin of Edom, symbolized by jackals, assures believers that no unrepentant nation finally escapes divine justice. This serves both as warning and comfort. 3. Hope for Restoration Prophetic images of jackal-haunted wastelands turning into blossoming fields point to the gospel promise that Christ reverses curse and decay. Teaching on תַּנָה can therefore move from lament to hope, inspiring prayer for revival in spiritually barren places. Devotional Reflection The same Lord who notices jackals nursing their young also numbers the hairs of His children’s heads. He knows every wilderness, whether personal or national, and can both expose cruelty and bring beauty from desolation. Let the imagery of תַּנָה rekindle trust that His judgments are true and His mercies sure. Forms and Transliterations לְתַנּ֥וֹת לתנות תַּנִּים֙ תנים lə·ṯan·nō·wṯ letanNot ləṯannōwṯ tan·nîm tanNim tannîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Lamentations 4:3 HEB: [תַּנִּין כ] (תַּנִּים֙ ק) חָ֣לְצוּ INT: Even dragon offer the breast Malachi 1:3 2 Occurrences |
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