Topical Bible: Wild Ox of Vast Strength

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The wild ox, often referred to in biblical texts, is a symbol of immense strength and untamed power. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the wild ox, or "reem" in Hebrew, is believed to be a reference to a now-extinct species of large, horned cattle, possibly the aurochs. This creature is emblematic of raw, natural power and is frequently used in Scripture to convey the might and majesty of God's creation.

Biblical References:

1. Numbers 23:22 : "God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox." This verse highlights the wild ox as a metaphor for the formidable power with which God delivered the Israelites from bondage. The comparison underscores the divine strength and the unstoppable force of God's will.

2. Deuteronomy 33:17 : "His majesty is like a firstborn bull, and his horns are like the horns of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations, even those at the ends of the earth." Here, the wild ox is used to describe the strength and majesty of Joseph's descendants. The imagery of goring nations with its horns suggests a powerful and victorious force.

3. Job 39:9-12 : "Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will it stay by your manger at night? Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness? Will it plow the valleys behind you? Can you rely on its great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to it? Can you trust it to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?" In this passage, God challenges Job by pointing out the untamable nature of the wild ox, emphasizing its independence and strength. The rhetorical questions highlight the limitations of human control over such a powerful creature, pointing to the sovereignty and wisdom of God.

4. Psalm 92:10 : "But You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; with fine oil I have been anointed." The psalmist uses the wild ox to symbolize strength and exaltation. The anointing with fine oil further signifies blessing and empowerment, suggesting that the psalmist's strength and status are elevated by divine favor.

Symbolism and Interpretation:

In biblical literature, the wild ox serves as a potent symbol of strength, freedom, and divine power. Its untamable nature is often contrasted with human limitations, serving as a reminder of God's ultimate authority and the futility of human efforts to control the natural world without divine assistance. The wild ox's strength is a testament to the Creator's power, and its imagery is used to convey messages of deliverance, majesty, and divine empowerment.

The wild ox also represents the ideal of strength in service to God, as seen in the blessings and prophecies concerning the tribes of Israel. Its horns, a common symbol of power and authority in ancient cultures, are used to depict the ability to overcome adversaries and achieve victory through divine support.

In summary, the wild ox in the Bible is a multifaceted symbol that communicates themes of strength, independence, and divine sovereignty. Its presence in Scripture serves to remind believers of the power and majesty of God, as well as the potential for strength and victory through faith and divine blessing.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 39:11
Will you trust him, because his strength is great? or will you leave your labor to him?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Thanksgiving to God for Deliverance from the Evils Expected Owing ...
... that God not only made it beautiful, and wonderful, and vast, but also ... have their
weapons in their own body; thus, the ox has his horns; the wild boar his ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily xi thanksgiving to god.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... our era, it must still have been vast enough to ... of all sizes, whose prey they
are"the wild cat, the ... birds are literally struck down by the strength of the ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

Hymn for Christmas-Day
... had passed O'er their millennial journey vast, Before in ... All places rough and deserts
wild Have felt from far ... The ox and ass in homage low Obedient to their ...
/.../prudentius/the hymns of prudentius/xi hymn for christmas-day.htm

The General Deliverance
... beast of the field," and that even "the wild asses may ... Thou shalt not muzzle the
ox that treadeth ... the garden of God, will be restored with vast increase; being ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 60 the general deliverance.htm

The Evolution of a Father
... and wives have truly loved; but for the vast mass of ... the kulan from May to July;
the musk-ox at the ... in Asiatic Russia, in September or October; the wild Yak in ...
/.../the lowell lectures on the ascent of man/chapter ix the evolution of.htm

The Springs of Social Life.
... That vast Hades of social evil opening downward from our ... If I were seeking to restore
some wild prodigal, brazen ... where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred ...
/.../chapin/humanity in the city/discourse v the springs of.htm

The Origin of Species.
... said to provide himself with steaks from the ox which carries ... for one another, or
even of wild and tame ... The vast influence of Cuvier was employed against the ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/xii the origin of species.htm

The Condescension of Christ
... who can tell but that in the vast eternity, at ... No, where the ox fed, in the dilapidated
stable, in ... him fasting there, and hungering with the wild beasts around ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the condescension of christ.htm

Against Foolish Talking and Jesting.
... worshipping a fly, did offer up an ox thereto ... woe; when, to be reckoned wits, we
prove ourselves stark wild? ... thing so very brittle, yet of so vast price; which ...
/.../against foolish talking and jesting.htm

Psalm CIV.
... it flow, as at once to satisfy the wild ass, and ... shalt not muzzle the mouth of the
ox which treadeth ... Behold great hills, proud hills, vast hills, prayed not to ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm civ.htm