In biblical literature, the terms "hart" and "hind" refer to the male and female of the deer species, respectively. These animals are frequently mentioned in the Bible, symbolizing various spiritual truths and characteristics.

Hart

The "hart" is a term used to describe a male deer, particularly the red deer, known for its grace, speed, and strength. In the Bible, the hart is often used metaphorically to convey longing and desire for God. One of the most well-known references is found in Psalm 42:1: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God." This verse captures the deep spiritual thirst and yearning for divine presence and communion with God, illustrating the believer's dependence on the Lord for spiritual sustenance.

The hart is also associated with swiftness and agility. In 2 Samuel 22:34 and its parallel passage in Psalm 18:33, David praises God for making his feet "like the feet of a deer" and setting him "secure on the heights." This imagery highlights the ability to navigate difficult and treacherous paths with confidence and grace, a metaphor for God's enabling power in the life of the believer.

Hind

The "hind" refers to the female deer and is often used in Scripture to symbolize beauty, grace, and gentleness. In the poetic and romantic language of the Song of Solomon, the hind is used to describe the beloved's beauty and allure. Song of Solomon 2:9 portrays the beloved as "like a gazelle or a young stag," emphasizing the admiration and affection between the lovers.

The hind is also noted for its sure-footedness and ability to traverse rugged terrain. Habakkuk 3:19 states, "The Lord GOD is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk on the heights." This passage reflects the confidence and stability that come from trusting in God's strength, enabling the believer to overcome obstacles and rise above challenges.

In Proverbs 5:19, the hind is used in the context of marital fidelity and delight: "A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever." Here, the hind symbolizes the joy and satisfaction found in a faithful and loving marital relationship, underscoring the importance of commitment and affection.

Symbolism and Spiritual Lessons

The hart and hind, as depicted in the Bible, carry rich symbolic meanings that convey spiritual truths. They represent the believer's longing for God, the grace and strength provided by the Lord, and the beauty and joy found in faithful relationships. These animals serve as reminders of the qualities that should characterize the life of a believer: a deep desire for God, reliance on His strength, and the pursuit of grace and beauty in relationships.

In summary, the biblical references to the hart and hind offer profound insights into the nature of spiritual longing, divine empowerment, and relational fidelity, encouraging believers to seek after God with the same intensity and devotion as the deer seeks water.Hart and Hind

Several animals of the deer kind are mentioned in the Bible under the names of Fallow-deer, Hart, Hind, and Roe-buck. They were all numbered among the clean animals, or those which the Israelites were allowed to eat; as we see in De 14:4,5, "These are the beasts which ye shall eat; the ox, the sheep, the goat, the hart, the roe-buck and the fallow- deer." In 1 Kings 4:23, we read of the daily provision which was made for king Solomon's table, and among the rest were "ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides harts, and roe-bucks, and fallow-deer."

These animals are all harmless, gentle, timid, loving and beautiful; noted for their branching horns, for the elegance of their form, and for their surprisingly swift and graceful motion. It has long been a favorite amusement in eastern countries to pursue them in the chase; and as the swiftest greyhound can scarcely overtake them, it is usual to train hawks or falcons to attack them, and so delay them till the dogs come up. They bound along over the plains, "fleet as the wind," seeming scarcely to touch the ground: no motion can be more beautiful. In the last verse of Solomon's Song we read, "Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe, or to a young hart on the mountains of spices." The 35th chapter of Isaiah Is 35 contains a beautiful description of the peaceful kingdom which Christ will one day establish in the earth; and among other things it is said, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped; then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing."

The hart or hind is remarkably sure-footed as well as swift: this may explain one or two verses in the Bible. David says, 2 Samuel 22:33,34, " God is my strength and power, and he maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places." In the last verse of Habakkuk we read, "The Lord is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet."

The male deer is called a hart, the female a hind; and their affection for each other is beautiful. Solomon says in the Proverbs, "Rejoice with the wife of thy youth; let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe."

The hart often suffers from thirst in the dry and sandy countries where it lives-especially when pursued by the hunters; it then longs for water, and plunges with the greatest eagerness into the cooling stream. David says in the Psalm 42, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?" Nothing could more strongly express his love to God, or his ardent desire for communion with him. Happy is the child who has in his heart such feelings towards God, and who finds pleasure in praying to him, from day to day; he has been taught by the Holy Spirit, and is preparing to meet God in peace. (See ROE OR GAZELLE.)

A New Forest Ballad
... 'Ah, here's a curse on hare and grouse, A curse on hart and hind; And a health
to the squire in all England, Leaves never a head behind.'. ...
/.../kingsley/andromeda and other poems/a new forest ballad.htm

Psalm 29. LM Storm and Thunder.
... 3 He speaks, and tempest, hail, and wind, Lay the wide forests bare around; The
fearful hart, and frighted hind, Leap at the terror of the sound. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watts/the psalms of david/psalm 29 l m storm.htm

Psalm 29 Storm and Thunder.
... Lay the wide forest bare around: The fearful hart and frighted hind. Leap
at the terror of the sound. To Lebanon he turns his voice,. ...
/.../watts/the psalms and hymns of isaac watts/psalm 29 storm and thunder.htm

Over the Mountains. "My Beloved is Mine, and I am His: He Feedeth ...
... to resurrection. O yawning gulfs and frowning steeps of woe, our Beloved,
like hind or hart, has traversed your glooms! O my Lord ...
/.../spurgeon/till he come/over the mountains my beloved is.htm

Darkness Before the Dawn
... Like the hinds' feet, this blessed Hind of the morning can come skipping over the ...
over the mountains of division, and come quickly, like a roe or a young hart. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 42 1896/darkness before the dawn.htm

A Bundle of Myrrh
... May God be pleased to make us grow in grace, and give us so much of the Holy Spirit,
that with feet like hind's feet we may stand ... and they leaped as a hart. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/a bundle of myrrh.htm

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3. <. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the desire of the righteous.htm

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