Gazelles are graceful, swift-footed antelopes that are frequently mentioned in the Bible, symbolizing beauty, agility, and swiftness. These animals are native to the regions of the Middle East and Africa, and their presence in biblical texts reflects their prominence in the natural landscape of ancient Israel and surrounding areas.

Biblical References:

1. Symbol of Beauty and Grace:
Gazelles are often used metaphorically in the Bible to describe beauty and elegance. In the Song of Solomon, the beloved is compared to a gazelle, highlighting her grace and allure. "My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice" (Song of Solomon 2:9). This imagery captures the delicate and enchanting nature of the gazelle, emphasizing the beloved's captivating presence.

2. Swiftness and Agility:
The swiftness of the gazelle is another characteristic that is frequently highlighted in Scripture. In 2 Samuel 2:18, Asahel, one of David's warriors, is described as "as swift of foot as a wild gazelle" . This comparison underscores Asahel's speed and agility, qualities that were highly valued in a warrior.

3. Symbol of Freedom and Wilderness:
Gazelles are also associated with the wilderness and the freedom it represents. In Proverbs 6:5, the gazelle is used as a metaphor for escaping from danger: "Free yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler" . This verse encourages quick and decisive action to avoid peril, drawing on the gazelle's ability to swiftly evade predators.

4. Dietary Laws:
Gazelles are mentioned in the context of dietary laws in Deuteronomy. They are classified as clean animals that the Israelites were permitted to eat. "You may eat any clean bird. But these you may not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture... the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, or the bat. All flying insects that swarm are unclean for you; they may not be eaten. But you may eat any clean bird" (Deuteronomy 14:11-20). The inclusion of gazelles among clean animals highlights their acceptability for consumption under Mosaic Law.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the ancient Near East, gazelles were common in the wild and were known for their ability to thrive in arid environments. Their presence in biblical literature reflects their role in the ecosystem and their significance in the daily lives of the people. Gazelles were not only a source of food but also a symbol of the natural beauty and vitality of the land.

Theological Significance:

The use of gazelles in biblical metaphors and similes serves to convey deeper spiritual truths. Their beauty and grace are often used to illustrate the splendor of God's creation, while their swiftness and agility are employed to teach lessons about spiritual readiness and the urgency of responding to God's call. The gazelle's ability to escape danger is a reminder of the deliverance and protection that God provides to His people.

In summary, gazelles hold a multifaceted role in the Bible, representing physical beauty, speed, and the freedom of the wilderness. Their presence in Scripture serves as a testament to the richness of God's creation and the lessons that can be drawn from observing the natural world.6380. Pokereth Hatstsebayim -- "bindress of the gazelles," head of ...
Pokereth Hatstsebayim. 6379, 6380. Pokereth Hatstsebayim. 6381 . "bindress
of the gazelles," head of a postexilic family. Transliteration: Pokereth ...
/hebrew/6380.htm - 6k

6643b. tsebi -- gazelle
... gazelle. Transliteration: tsebi Short Definition: gazelle. Word Origin from an unused
word Definition gazelle NASB Word Usage gazelle (9), gazelles (5). ...
/hebrew/6643b.htm - 5k

6636. Tseboim -- a place near Sodom
... Or (more correctly) Tsbiyiym {tseb-ee-yeem'}; or Tsbiyim {tseb-ee-yeem'}; plural
of tsbiy; gazelles; Tseboim or Tsebijim, a place in Palestine -- Zeboiim ...
/hebrew/6636.htm - 6k

Letter Lxx. To Magnus an Orator of Rome.
... [2201] Please beg of him not to envy eaters their teeth because he is toothless
himself, and not to make light of the eyes of gazelles because he is himself a ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter lxx to magnus an.htm

The Sweetness of Tears
... The chief herdsman's house neighboured that of the forester. Through
deer-parks, enclosed by latticed fences, wandered gazelles. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/iv the sweetness of tears.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... The pig and the wild boar, the long-eared hare, the hedgehog, the ichneumon, the
moufflon, or maned sheep, innumerable gazelles, including the Egyptian gazelles ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

Letter Lxxxiv. To Pammachius and Oceanus.
... Origen. You profess to take me for your model, and blind as moles in relation
to others you scan me with the eyes of gazelles. Well ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter lxxxiv to pammachius and.htm

the Legendary History of Egypt
... to him; then the repugnance which he felt to killing his children overcame him,
he substituted beast for man, and decided that oxen, gazelles, birds, should ...
/.../chapter iii -the legendary history of.htm

Ancient Chaldaea
... his hair bristle on his head like those on the corn-god; he is clad in a vestment
like that of the god of the fields; he browses with the gazelles, he quenches ...
/.../chapter iancient chaldaea.htm

The Gods of Egypt
... authentic testimony; more than one hunter had distinctly seen them as they ran along
the furthest planes of the horizon, beyond the herds of gazelles of which ...
/.../chapter ii the gods of egypt.htm

The Real Presence, the Great Want of the Church
... Notice the beautiful imagery of the text. "I charge you by the roes and the hinds
of the field." In ancient times gazelles were often tamed, and were the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 18 1872/the real presence the great.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... touch"the wild asses pursued by hounds, or checked while galloping at full speed
by a cast of the lasso; the herds of goats and gazelles hurrying across the ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty --(Continued)
... Wall," was in the habit of betaking himself frequently to the Libyan desert to practise
with the javelin, or to pursue the hunt of lions and gazelles in his ...
/.../chapter ithe eighteenth theban dynastycontinued.htm

Gazelles (5 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Gazelles (5 Occurrences). ... Now Asahel was swift of foot,
as one of the gazelles that are in the field. (DBY NAS). ...
/g/gazelles.htm - 8k

Gazelle (12 Occurrences)
... G. dorcas; -- called also algazel, corinne, korin, and kevel. The gazelles are
celebrated for the luster and soft expression of their eyes. Int. ...
/g/gazelle.htm - 13k

Roe (21 Occurrences)
... "Among the gray hills of Galilee it is still `the roe upon the mountains of Bether,'
and I have seen a little troop of gazelles feeding on the Mount of Olives ...
/r/roe.htm - 15k

Pleases (51 Occurrences)
... Song of Songs 2:7 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, and by
the hinds of the field, that ye awaken not, nor stir up love, until it please ...
/p/pleases.htm - 21k

Zeboim (7 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Gazelles or roes. (1.) One of the "five cities of
the plain" of Sodom, generally coupled with Admah (Genesis ...
/z/zeboim.htm - 11k

Gazer (2 Occurrences)

/g/gazer.htm - 7k

Fattened (19 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 4:23 ten head of fat cattle, and twenty head of cattle out of the pastures,
and one hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and ...
/f/fattened.htm - 12k

Fallow-deer (2 Occurrences)
... (WBS). 1 Kings 4:23 ten fatted oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a
hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and fallow-deer, and fatted fowl. ...
/f/fallow-deer.htm - 7k

Roebucks (1 Occurrence)
... 1 Kings 4:23 ten head of fat cattle, and twenty head of cattle out of the pastures,
and one hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and ...
/r/roebucks.htm - 6k

Roes (12 Occurrences)
... (BBE). 1 Kings 4:23 Ten fat oxen and twenty oxen from the fields, and a hundred
sheep, in addition to harts and gazelles and roes and fat fowls. (BBE). ...
/r/roes.htm - 9k

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