Topical Bible: Roe and Roebuck

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Topical Encyclopedia

Roe:

The term "roe" in the Bible typically refers to a small, graceful deer, known for its swiftness and beauty. The roe is often mentioned in the context of its agility and elegance, symbolizing qualities such as love, beauty, and speed. In the ancient Near East, the roe was a familiar animal, and its characteristics were well-known to the people of biblical times.

One of the most notable references to the roe is found in the Song of Solomon, where it is used as a metaphor for love and desire. In Song of Solomon 2:9 , the beloved is compared to a roe: "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 roe symbolizes the beloved's grace and the swiftness of love's approach.

The roe is also mentioned in Proverbs 6:5 as an example of escaping from danger: "Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler." This imagery emphasizes the need for quick and decisive action to avoid peril.

In the broader biblical context, the roe is often associated with the natural beauty and abundance of the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 12:15 permits the Israelites to eat the meat of the roe, highlighting its role as a clean animal suitable for consumption: "But whenever you want, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your gates, according to the blessing the LORD your God has given you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it, as they would a gazelle or deer."

Roebuck:

The term "roebuck" is often used interchangeably with "roe" in some translations of the Bible, referring to the male of the species. The roebuck, like the roe, is noted for its speed and grace. In biblical literature, the roebuck is frequently mentioned alongside other clean animals, emphasizing its acceptability for consumption and its presence in the land of Israel.

In Deuteronomy 14:5 , the roebuck is listed among the animals that the Israelites are permitted to eat: "the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep." This inclusion underscores the roebuck's status as a clean animal and its availability as a source of sustenance.

The roebuck is also a symbol of the natural wealth and provision of God. In 1 Kings 4:23 , the daily provisions of King Solomon's court are described, including "ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, and goats, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry." This passage highlights the abundance and prosperity of Solomon's reign, with the roebuck serving as a representation of the richness of the land.

In summary, the roe and roebuck in the Bible are emblematic of beauty, swiftness, and divine provision. They are clean animals, permissible for consumption, and serve as symbols of the natural abundance bestowed by God upon His people. Their frequent mention in Scripture reflects their significance in the cultural and religious life of ancient Israel.

ATS Bible Dictionary

Roe and Roebuck

Not the animal still found in Scotland and Germany, but the oriental antelope or gazelle, the Antilopa Cervicapra, or Dorcas, of Linnaeus. It is often referred to in the Bible, De 12:15,22 14:5 1 Kings 4:23 Proverbs 6:5 So 2:7,9,17 8:14 Isaiah 13:14. It is about two and a half feet in height, of a reddish-brown color, with the belly and feet white, has long naked ears, and a short, erect tail. The horns are black, about twelve inches long, and bent like a lyre. It inhabits Barbary, Egypt, Arabia, and Syria, and is about half the size of a fallow deer. It goes in large flocks, is easily tamed, though naturally very timid; and its flesh is reckoned excellent food.

There are no less than twenty-nine species of antelopes in all. This animal constitutes a genus between the deer and the goat. They are mostly confined to Asia and Africa, inhabiting the hottest regions of the old world, or the temperate zones near the tropics. None of them, except the chamois and the saiga, are found in Europe. In America only one species has yet been found, namely, the Missouri antelope, which inhabits the country west of the Mississippi. Antelopes chiefly inhabit hilly countries, though some reside in the plains; and some species form herds of two or three thousand, while others keep in small troops of five or six. These animals are elegantly formed, active, restless, timid, shy, and astonishingly swift, running with vast bounds, and springing or leaping with surprising agility; they frequently stop for a moment in the midst of their course to gaze at their pursuers, and then resume their flight. The greyhound, the fleetest of dogs, is usually outrun by them; and the sportsman is obliged to have recourse to the aid of the falcon, which is trained to the work, for seizing on the animal and impeding its motion, that the dogs may thus have an opportunity of overtaking it. In India and Persia a sort of leopard is made use of in the chase; and this animal takes its prey, not by swiftness of foot, but by its astonishing springs, which are similar to those of the antelope; and yet, if the leopard should fail in its first attempt the game escapes.

The fleetness of this animal has been proverbial in the countries which it inhabits, from the earliest time, 2 Samuel 2:18 1 Chronicles 12:8; as also the beauty of its eyes; so that to say, "You have the eyes of a gazelle," is to pay a high compliment.

Strong's Hebrew

6643. tsbiy -- beauty, honor
... roebuck From tsabah in the sense of prominence; splendor (as conspicuous); also
a gazelle (as beautiful) -- beautiful(-ty), glorious, goodly, pleasant, roe(- ...
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