The wild donkey, also known as the onager or wild ass, is a creature mentioned several times in the Bible, symbolizing freedom, untamed nature, and sometimes desolation. In the ancient Near East, the wild donkey was known for its independence and ability to survive in harsh desert environments, characteristics that are reflected in its biblical portrayal.

Biblical References:

1. Job 39:5-8 : In the book of Job, God speaks of the wild donkey to illustrate His creation's diversity and the freedom He grants to His creatures. The passage reads: "Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness? I made the wilderness his home and the salt flats his dwelling. He scorns the tumult of the city and never hears the shouts of a driver. He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing." This description emphasizes the wild donkey's independence and its natural habitat in the wilderness, away from human civilization.

2. Jeremiah 2:24 : The prophet Jeremiah uses the imagery of a wild donkey to describe Israel's unrestrained pursuit of idolatry: "A wild donkey at home in the wilderness, sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can restrain her lust? None who seek her need weary themselves; in her month they will find her." Here, the wild donkey symbolizes unbridled passion and the futility of resisting its natural instincts, paralleling Israel's spiritual waywardness.

3. Hosea 8:9 : Hosea also employs the metaphor of a wild donkey to depict Israel's stubbornness and misguided alliances: "For they have gone up to Assyria like a wild donkey on its own. Ephraim has hired lovers." The wild donkey's solitary nature is used to illustrate Israel's reckless and independent actions, seeking help from foreign nations rather than relying on God.

Symbolism and Themes:

The wild donkey in the Bible often symbolizes freedom and the untamed aspects of nature. Its depiction in Scripture highlights themes of independence, self-reliance, and sometimes rebellion against divine order. The wild donkey's ability to thrive in desolate environments serves as a metaphor for resilience and survival in adverse conditions.

In a spiritual context, the wild donkey can represent the human tendency to stray from God's guidance, pursuing one's own desires without regard for divine will. This symbolism is evident in the prophetic writings, where the wild donkey's behavior is likened to Israel's spiritual infidelity and stubbornness.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the ancient world, the wild donkey was a familiar sight in the arid regions of the Near East. Known for its speed and endurance, it was often contrasted with the domesticated donkey, which was used for labor and transportation. The wild donkey's ability to live independently in the wilderness made it a powerful symbol of freedom and self-sufficiency.

The biblical portrayal of the wild donkey reflects the broader cultural understanding of this animal in the ancient Near East. Its characteristics were well-known, and its image was used effectively by biblical writers to convey spiritual truths and moral lessons.

Overall, the wild donkey serves as a vivid illustration of the tension between human freedom and divine authority, a theme that resonates throughout the biblical narrative.Job 6:5
Does the wild ass bray when he has grass? or lows the ox over his fodder?
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Job 24:5
Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yields food for them and for their children.
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Job 39:5
Who has sent out the wild ass free? or who has loosed the bands of the wild ass?
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Psalm 104:11
They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.
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Isaiah 32:14
Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;
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Jeremiah 2:24
A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffs up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.
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Jeremiah 14:6
And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.
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Hosea 8:9
For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim has hired lovers.
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6501. pere -- a wild donkey
... 6500, 6501. pere. 6502 . a wild donkey. Transliteration: pere Phonetic
Spelling: (peh'-reh) Short Definition: donkey. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/6501.htm - 6k

6171. arod -- a wild donkey
... 6170, 6171. arod. 6172 . a wild donkey. Transliteration: arod Phonetic
Spelling: (aw-rode') Short Definition: donkey. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/6171.htm - 6k

6167. arad -- a wild donkey
... 6166b, 6167. arad. 6168 . a wild donkey. Transliteration: arad Phonetic
Spelling: (ar-awd') Short Definition: donkeys. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/6167.htm - 6k

Life in the Villages
... narrow footpaths, where the difficulty of its broad load made my donkey step gingerly
as ... I then learned what a common thing it is for wild beasts, wolves or ...
/.../cable/the fulfilment of a dream of pastor hsis/chapter v life in the.htm

The Adventures of Saint Denis of France.
... when they were compelled to sustain nature on the berries and wild fruits which ... his
Squire, to his amazement he beheld a starved-looking donkey standing near ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter five the adventures of.htm

The Charm
... stormy, and about nine we heard a galloping towards the door, and then a loud knocking;
it was opened, and in rushed a wild-looking man mounted upon a donkey. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/borrow/letters of george borrow/the charm.htm

The Revolution of 1911
... whole city yielded itself to a condition of panic when every wild report was ... Where
horse or donkey was not available they escaped on foot, carrying the bundle ...
/.../the fulfilment of a dream of pastor hsis/chapter xix the revolution of.htm

On the Road to Jerusalem
... The enriched soil of these inclosures, made one now with the wild at the ... their savage,
stark-ribbed dogs, with offal from kitchen heap and donkey stall and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the city of delight/chapter ii on the road.htm

Letter cxxv. To Rusticus.
... Even dumb animals and wild herds follow leaders of their own ... gestures of derision
with their hands, either a stork's neck or the flapping ears of a donkey or a ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cxxv to rusticus.htm

The Flight into Egypt and St. John the Baptist in the Desert
... Some of the other men, who had in the meantime stabled Joseph's donkey, came in ... This
cave, whose entrance was hidden and grown over by wild plants so that it ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xvi the flight into egypt.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... and the ass of Egypt preserves an original purity of form and a vigour to which
the European donkey has long been a stranger. The pig and the wild boar, the ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

Christ's Birth
... Crib, looking at the Infant Jesus with great devotion, when the donkey threw himself ...
This plant grows wild only in damp, marshy places in that country and on ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xi christs birth.htm

The Journey of the Three Holy Kings to Bethlehem
... as big as calves; others were the size of the horses which run wild on our ... In the
day-time the donkey is generally outside at pasture and only spends the night ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xiii the journey of the.htm

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