Fawn
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Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, the term "fawn" is often used to describe a young deer, symbolizing innocence, gentleness, and beauty. The imagery of a fawn is employed in various passages to convey themes of love, grace, and the natural beauty of God's creation.

Biblical References:

1. Proverbs 5:19 : "A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever." In this verse, the fawn is used metaphorically to describe the beauty and allure of a beloved wife. The imagery of a graceful fawn emphasizes the tender and captivating nature of marital love, encouraging faithfulness and delight within the covenant of marriage.

2. Song of Solomon 2:9 : "My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice." Here, the fawn-like qualities of the beloved are highlighted, portraying him as swift, graceful, and full of vitality. The comparison to a young stag or gazelle underscores the romantic and passionate aspects of the relationship celebrated in the Song of Solomon.

3. Song of Solomon 4:5 : "Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, grazing among the lilies." This verse uses the imagery of fawns to describe the beauty and symmetry of the beloved's form. The comparison to fawns grazing among lilies evokes a sense of purity, natural beauty, and harmony, reflecting the idealized love and admiration expressed in the poetic language of the Song of Solomon.

Symbolism and Themes:

· Innocence and Gentleness: The fawn, as a young deer, is often associated with innocence and gentleness. This symbolism is used to convey the purity and tender affection found in loving relationships, particularly within the context of marriage.

· Beauty and Grace: The graceful movements of a fawn are frequently used to illustrate beauty and elegance. In biblical poetry, these qualities are attributed to both the physical and emotional aspects of love, highlighting the divine design and aesthetic of human relationships.

· Natural Imagery: The use of fawn imagery in the Bible reflects a broader appreciation for the natural world as a testament to God's creative power. The beauty and grace of the fawn serve as reminders of the Creator's artistry and the harmonious order of creation.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Near Eastern culture, deer and fawns were common in the landscape and often featured in art and literature. Their presence in biblical texts reflects the everyday experiences and observations of the people, as well as their understanding of nature as a reflection of divine attributes. The fawn's depiction in Scripture aligns with the broader biblical theme of creation as a revelation of God's character and love.

Overall, the fawn serves as a powerful symbol in the Bible, representing innocence, beauty, and the tender aspects of love, while also pointing to the Creator's intricate design and the harmonious relationships intended for His creation.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) A young deer; a buck or doe of the first year. See Buck.

2. (n.) The young of an animal; a whelp.

3. (n.) A fawn color.

4. (a.) of the color of a fawn; fawn-colored.

5. (v. i.) To bring forth a fawn.

6. (v. i.) To court favor by low cringing, frisking, etc., as a dog; to flatter meanly; -- often followed by on or upon.

7. (n.) A servile cringe or bow; mean flattery; sycophancy.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
FAWN

fon.

See DEER.

Greek
4525. saino -- to wag the tail, hence to greet, flatter, disturb
... flatter, disturb. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: saino Phonetic Spelling:
(sah'-ee-no) Short Definition: I move, disturb Definition: I fawn upon, flatter ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4525.htm - 6k

4352. proskuneo -- to do reverence to
... From pros and a probable derivative of kuon (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking
his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, ie (literally or figuratively ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4352.htm - 10k

Strong's Hebrew
469. Elitsaphan -- "God has protected," two Israelites
... "God has protected," two Israelites. Transliteration: Elitsaphan or Eltsaphan Phonetic
Spelling: (el-ee-tsaw-fawn') Short Definition: Elizaphan. ...
/hebrew/469.htm - 6k

212. ophan -- a wheel
... 211, 212. ophan. 213 . a wheel. Transliteration: ophan Phonetic Spelling:
(o-fawn') Short Definition: wheels. Word Origin of uncertain ...
/hebrew/212.htm - 5k

6084. Ophrah -- an Israelite, also two places in Isr.
... NASB Word Usage Ophrah (8). Ophrah. Feminine of opher; female fawn; Ophrah, the
name of an Israelite and of two places in Palestine -- Ophrah. see HEBREW opher. ...
/hebrew/6084.htm - 6k

3720. kaphan -- hunger, famine
... 3719, 3720. kaphan. 3721 . hunger, famine. Transliteration: kaphan Phonetic
Spelling: (kaw-fawn') Short Definition: famine. Word ...
/hebrew/3720.htm - 6k

8227. shaphan -- hyrax
... 8226, 8227. shaphan. 8227a . hyrax. Transliteration: shaphan Phonetic Spelling:
(shaw-fawn') Short Definition: coney. coney; a species of rock-rabbit ...
/hebrew/8227.htm - 5k

8197. Shphuwpham -- "serpent-like," a Benjamite
... Shephuphan, Shupham Or Shphuwphan {shef-oo-fawn'}; from the same as shphiyphon;
serpent-like; Shephupham or Shephuphan, an Israelite -- Shephuphan, Shupham. ...
/hebrew/8197.htm - 5k

5855. Atroth Shophan -- a place in Isr.
... 5854, 5855. Atroth Shophan. 5856 . a place in Isr. Transliteration: Atroth
Shophan Phonetic Spelling: (at-roth' sho-fawn') Short Definition: Atroth-shophan ...
/hebrew/5855.htm - 6k

6082. opher -- a young hart, stag
... young roe hart. From aphar; a fawn (from the dusty color) -- young roe (hart). see
HEBREW aphar. 6081, 6082. opher. 6083 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6082.htm - 6k

6085. Ephron -- a Hittite, also a mountain and a place in Isr.
... Ephron, Ephrain. From the same as Epher; fawn-like; Ephron, the name of a Canaanite
and of two places in Palestine -- Ephron, Ephrain (from the margin). ...
/hebrew/6085.htm - 6k

Library

Prayer and Faith
... Looking away to a broad, open field in front of me, I saw a young fawn making its
way across, and giving signs, moreover, that its race was well-nigh run. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/the necessity of prayer/i prayer and faith.htm

November the Eighteenth Exhilarant Spirits
... "She shall be sportive as the fawn That wild with glee across the lawn Or
up the mountain springs.". And it is this buoyancy, this ...
/.../november the eighteenth exhilarant spirits.htm

On the Animals
... The fawn is Christ, or the saint because of the multiplicity of his graces; in Solomon:
my little brother, you are like a little antelope or like the fawn of a ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/iv on the animals.htm

Of the Infirmity of the Flesh, and Similar Pleas.
... Footnotes: [370] Matthew 26:41. [371] Adulamur: "we fawn upon," or "caress," or
"flatter." Comp. de P??n., c. vi. sub init.: "flatter their own sweetness.". ...
/.../tertullian/to his wife/chapter iv of the infirmity of.htm

Literary Expressions
... A faintly quizzical look came into his incisive stare. A fawn-colored sea streaked
here and there with tints of deepest orange. A fever of enthusiasm. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section vii literary expressions.htm

The Perfect Love.
... mother in this church will give but one answer to that question; for mothers give
it among the very animals; and the deer who fights for her fawn, the bird who ...
/.../kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon ii the perfect love.htm

Exhortation to Abandon their Old Errors and Listen to the ...
... Come, O madman, not leaning on the thyrsus, not crowned with ivy; throw away
the mitre, throw away the fawn-skin; come to thy senses. ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter xii exhortation to abandon their.htm

What Lasts, and what Passes Away.
... in its maiden freshness and innocence, the flowers are blooming, and the birds are
singing, and Adam and Eve stand surrounded by the beasts, which fawn on them ...
/.../the village pulpit volume ii trinity to advent/lxii what lasts and what.htm

Wherefore, they which Will not do Right Things...
... to twist the manifest words of the Apostle into a wrong meaning, others choose to
defend the sound understanding of the Scriptures rather than fawn upon any men ...
/.../augustine/of the work of monks /section 41 wherefore they which.htm

On the Holy Martyr, S. Babylas.
... alike. But this man used to fawn upon demons, strangers to his salvation,
and used to worship them with every mode of worship. But ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chrysostom/on the priesthood/on the holy martyr s.htm

Thesaurus
Fawn (2 Occurrences)
... See Buck. 2. (n.) The young of an animal; a whelp. 3. (n.) A fawn color. 4. (a.)
of the color of a fawn; fawn-colored. 5. (vi) To bring forth a fawn. ...
/f/fawn.htm - 7k

Young (3454 Occurrences)
... in the first part of life; not yet arrived at adolescence, maturity, or age; not
old; juvenile; -- said of animals; as, a young child; a young man; a young fawn...
/y/young.htm - 10k

Ophrah (9 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A fawn. 1 Chronicles 4:14. (1.) A city of Benjamin
(Joshua 18:23); probably identical with Ephron (2 Chronicles ...
/o/ophrah.htm - 13k

Orpah (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Forelock or fawn, a Moabitess, the wife of Chilion
(Ruth 1:4; 4:10). On the death of her husband she accompanied ...
/o/orpah.htm - 7k

Leopard (6 Occurrences)
... It is of a yellow or fawn color, with rings or roselike clusters of black spots
along the back and sides. It is found in Southern Asia and Africa. ...
/l/leopard.htm - 13k

Fawning (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Fawn. Multi-Version Concordance
Fawning (1 Occurrence). Deuteronomy 33:29 You are happy, Israel. ...
/f/fawning.htm - 6k

Favours (3 Occurrences)

/f/favours.htm - 7k

Root (54 Occurrences)
... 1. (vi) To turn up the earth with the snout, as swine. 2. (vi) Hence, to seek for
favor or advancement by low arts or groveling servility; to fawn servilely. ...
/r/root.htm - 28k

Ephron (13 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Fawn-like. (1.) The son of Zohar a Hittite, the
owner of the field and cave of Machpelah (qv), which Abraham ...
/e/ephron.htm - 13k

Creep (8 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To slip, or to become slightly displaced. 5. (vt) To move or behave with
servility or exaggerated humility; to fawn; as, a creeping sycophant. ...
/c/creep.htm - 10k

Resources
Fawn: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Fawn (2 Occurrences)

Job 39:1
"Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns?
(Root in WEB NIV)

Jeremiah 14:5
Yes, the hind also in the field calves, and forsakes her young, because there is no grass.
(See NIV)

Subtopics

Fawn

Related Terms

Fawn (2 Occurrences)

Fawns (4 Occurrences)

Cringe (5 Occurrences)

Supple (2 Occurrences)

Servile (13 Occurrences)

Tobit

Anaharath (1 Occurrence)

Herod (45 Occurrences)

Favours
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