Topical Bible: The Fox: Active

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical literature, the fox is often depicted as a cunning and elusive creature, symbolizing deceit and destruction. The Hebrew word for fox, "שׁוּעָל" (shual), appears in several passages throughout the Old Testament, and its presence is often associated with negative connotations.

Old Testament References

One of the most notable mentions of foxes is found in the Song of Solomon 2:15, where the foxes are described as destructive animals: "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom." Here, the foxes symbolize small, seemingly insignificant problems or sins that can cause significant damage if left unchecked. The imagery of foxes ruining vineyards serves as a metaphor for the subtle and insidious nature of sin that can spoil the purity and beauty of a relationship, particularly the relationship between God and His people.

In the book of Judges, the account of Samson using foxes as a tool for vengeance against the Philistines is another prominent reference. Judges 15:4-5 recounts, "Then Samson went out and caught three hundred foxes. He took torches, turned the foxes tail to tail, and fastened a torch between each pair of tails. Then he lit the torches and released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines, burning up the shocks and standing grain, along with the vineyards and groves." This account highlights the foxes' role in executing divine retribution, demonstrating their capacity for destruction when used as instruments of God's judgment.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, Jesus Himself uses the imagery of a fox to describe Herod Antipas. In Luke 13:32, Jesus responds to the Pharisees who warn Him about Herod's intentions: "Go and tell that fox, 'Look, I will keep driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.'" Here, the term "fox" is employed to characterize Herod as cunning and deceitful, yet ultimately powerless to thwart God's divine plan. Jesus' use of the term underscores the fox's symbolic association with craftiness and the futility of human schemes against divine purposes.

Symbolism and Interpretation

Throughout Scripture, the fox is emblematic of slyness, cunning, and the potential for destruction. Its presence in biblical narratives serves as a reminder of the subtlety of sin and the need for vigilance in spiritual matters. The fox's ability to cause significant harm despite its small size is a powerful metaphor for the dangers of underestimating seemingly minor transgressions or adversaries.

In a broader theological context, the fox can be seen as a representation of the challenges and temptations that believers face in their spiritual journey. The call to "catch the little foxes" is an exhortation to address and overcome the small, persistent issues that can undermine one's faith and relationship with God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Nehemiah 4:3
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Thoughts on Talking
... or in part, must be added in some degree the talents of active life. ... was but commonplace,
was an exception; but the conversation of Pitt and Fox was brilliant ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kleiser/talks on talking/thoughts on talking.htm

His Passion and Crucifixion.
... AS all active virtues meet in Jesus, so he unites the active or heroic ... Edmund Burke
said to Fox, in the English Parliament, "Obloquy is a necessary ingredient ...
/.../schaff/the person of christ/his passion and crucifixion.htm

Conclusion
... In Fox we have a person of extraordinary psychical experiences and of dynamic ... of
as a resident germ of divine Life which, through the active co-operation of ...
/.../spiritual reformers in the 16th and 17th centuries/chapter xviii conclusion.htm

Psalm LXIII.
... on the stretch on active works; if for a long time the soul shall have been intent
on active pursuits, the ... Herod the king the Lord Himself hath called a fox. ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxiii.htm

The Builders on the Wall
... added, "Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their
stone wall.". The builders were soon beset by more active opposition. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 53 the builders on.htm

Carey's College
... district which had produced Shakspere, had fostered Wyclif and Hooker, had bred
Fox and Bunyan ... He was generally one of the most active in all the amusements and ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter i careys college.htm

The Compassion of Jesus
... emergency presently to diminish and disappear as the rebellion took a more active
form, and ... The fox had its hole, and the bird its nest, but he had no dwelling ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 60 1914/the compassion of jesus.htm

The Middle Colonies: the Jerseys, Delaware, and Pennsylvania --The ...
... Pennsylvania, had been spent by him, in company with George Fox, Robert Barclay ... An
active missionary campaign was begun and sustained by the large resources of ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter ix the middle colonies .htm

On Singing and Music.
... the flesh profiteth nothing," was steadily kept in view by George Fox and his ... is
a very possible thing, that the moral and the rational and the active man, may ...
//christianbookshelf.org/various/on singing and music/on singing and music.htm

On Contempt for Pain, Poverty, and Other External Things.
... in accordance with reason, in the case of one depriving him of active exertion,
so ... Thus also, in reference to Herod: "Go, tell that fox, Behold, I cast out ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter v on contempt for pain.htm