The term "roe" or "gazelle" refers to a graceful and swift-footed antelope found in the regions of the Middle East, particularly in the biblical lands. In the Bible, the gazelle is often used symbolically to convey beauty, agility, and swiftness. The Hebrew word for gazelle is "tzvi" (צְבִי), which is sometimes translated as "roe" in older English versions of the Bible.

Biblical References:

1. Symbol of Beauty and Grace:
The gazelle is frequently mentioned in the context of beauty and elegance. In the Song of Solomon, the beloved is compared to a gazelle, highlighting her beauty and grace. "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 emphasizes the beloved's attractiveness and the swiftness of love.

2. Swiftness and Agility:
The gazelle's speed and agility are noted in several passages. 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 remarkable speed and ability in battle.

3. Symbol of Freedom and Wilderness:
Gazelles are often associated with the wilderness and open spaces, symbolizing freedom and the untamed beauty of God's creation. In Deuteronomy 12:15, the Israelites are permitted to eat meat "as of the gazelle or deer," indicating the gazelle's status as a clean animal suitable for consumption.

4. Metaphor for Love and Desire:
The gazelle is also used metaphorically to express love and desire. In Proverbs 5:19, the wife is described as "a loving doe, a graceful fawn," encouraging the husband to find joy and satisfaction in her love. This metaphor highlights the tenderness and allure of marital love.

5. Cultural and Historical Context:
In ancient Near Eastern culture, the gazelle was admired for its beauty and was often depicted in art and literature. Its presence in the biblical text reflects the cultural appreciation for this animal and its symbolic meanings.

Theological Significance:

The gazelle, as depicted in the Bible, serves as a reminder of the beauty and intricacy of God's creation. Its frequent use in poetic and metaphorical language underscores the importance of appreciating the natural world and recognizing the divine attributes reflected in it. The gazelle's characteristics of grace, speed, and beauty are often used to illustrate spiritual truths, such as the swiftness of God's love and the elegance of His creation.

In summary, the roe or gazelle holds a significant place in biblical literature, symbolizing beauty, agility, and the splendor of God's handiwork. Its presence in Scripture invites believers to reflect on the divine qualities mirrored in the natural world and to appreciate the depth of meaning found in God's Word.Roe or Gazelle

The roe belongs to the class of antelopes-animals very much resembling the deer; they are equally innocent and beautiful, and are often mentioned together in the Bible. The form of the antelope is, if possible, still more graceful than that of the deer, and its limbs still more delicate; but the principal difference between them is in the horns. Those of the deer grow from the bone of the forehead, and are at first small; but they are renewed every spring-the old horns falling off, and being succeeded by larger ones which grow in their place. They are at first covered with a soft, downy substance, called "the velvet;" but this soon comes off in fragments, leaving the horn white and smooth. The antelope never sheds its horns.

The roe or gazelle is the smallest animal of the antelope kind; it is only about two feet in height, and not more than half the size of the fallow-deer. Its eyes are remarkably soft and expressive; so that the people of those countries sometimes say of a beautiful woman, "She has the eyes of a gazelle." Like the hart and hind, it is noted for its swiftness: so we read, in 1 Chronicles 12:8, of men who were "as swift as the roes upon the mountains." In 2 Samuel 2:18, it is said, "And Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe;" and in the Song of Solomon, "The voice of my beloved! behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills: my beloved is like a roe or a young hart."

The gazelle is often pursued in the chase; so Solomon says, "Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter." They go in very large companies, sometimes as many as two or three thousand; and they are still found in great numbers on the hills of Judea, the land where our Savior lived and died.

"The wild gazelle o'er Judah's hills
Exulting, still may bound,
And drink from all the living rills
That gush on holy ground."

6646. tsebiyyah -- female gazelle
... Word Origin fem. of tsebi Definition female gazelle NASB Word Usage gazelle (2).
roe. Feminine of tsbiy; a female gazelle -- roe. see HEBREW tsbiy. 6645, 6646 ...
/hebrew/6646.htm - 6k

6643. tsbiy -- beauty, honor
... From tsabah in the sense of prominence; splendor (as conspicuous); also a gazelle
(as beautiful) -- beautiful(-ty), glorious, goodly, pleasant, roe(-buck). ...
/hebrew/6643.htm - 5k

Over the Mountains. "My Beloved is Mine, and I am His: He Feedeth ...
... The roe and the young hart, or, as you may read it, the gazelle and the ibex, live
among the crags of the mountains, and leap across the abyss with amazing ...
/.../spurgeon/till he come/over the mountains my beloved is.htm

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