Numbers 23:22

23:22 God brought them ¹  out of Egypt.

They have, as it were, the strength of a wild bull. ² 

Numbers 24:8

24:8 God brought them out of Egypt.

They have, as it were, the strength of a young bull;

they will devour hostile people ³ 

and will break their bones

and will pierce them through with arrows.

Job 39:9-10

39:9 Is the wild ox willing to be your servant?

Will it spend the night at your feeding trough?

39:10 Can you bind the wild ox ⁴  to a furrow with its rope,

will it till the valleys, following after you?

Psalms 22:21

22:21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion, ⁵ 

and from the horns of the wild oxen! ⁶ 

You have answered me! ⁷ 

Psalms 29:6

29:6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf

and Sirion ⁸  like a young ox. ⁹ 

Psalms 92:10

92:10 You exalt my horn like that of a wild ox. ¹⁰ 

I am covered ¹¹  with fresh oil.

Isaiah 34:7

34:7 Wild oxen will be slaughtered ¹²  along with them,

as well as strong bulls. ¹³ 

Their land is drenched with blood,

their soil is covered with fat.

[23:22]  ¹ tn The form is the Hiphil participle from יָצַא (yatsa’) with the object suffix. He is the one who brought them out.

[23:22]  ² sn The expression is “the horns of the wild ox” (KJV “unicorn”). The point of the image is strength or power. Horns are also used in the Bible to represent kingship (see Pss 89 and 132).

[24:8]  ³ tn Heb “they will devour nations,” their adversaries.

[39:10]  ⁴ tn Some commentators think that the addition of the “wild ox” here is a copyist’s error, making the stich too long. They therefore delete it. Also, binding an animal to the furrow with ropes is unusual. So with a slight emendation Kissane came up with “Will you bind him with a halter of cord?” While the MT is unusual, the sense is understandable, and no changes, even slight ones, are absolutely necessary.

[22:21]  ⁵ sn The psalmist again compares his enemies to vicious dogs and ferocious lions (see vv. 13, 16).

[22:21]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew term רֵמִים (remim) appears to be an alternate spelling of רְאֵמִים (rÿ’emim, “wild oxen”; see BDB 910 s.v. רְאֵם).

[22:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “and from the horns of the wild oxen you answer me.” Most take the final verb with the preceding prepositional phrase. Some understand the verb form as a relatively rare precative perfect, expressing a wish or request (see IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d). However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew. (See the discussion at Ps 3:7.) Others prefer to take the perfect in its usual indicative sense. The psalmist, perhaps in response to an oracle of salvation, affirms confidently that God has answered him, assuring him that deliverance is on the way. The present translation takes the prepositional phrase as parallel to the preceding “from the mouth of the lion” and as collocated with the verb “rescue” at the beginning of the verse. “You have answered me” is understood as a triumphant shout which marks a sudden shift in tone and introduces the next major section of the psalm. By isolating the statement syntactically, the psalmist highlights the declaration.

[29:6]  ⁸ sn Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon (Deut 3:9).

[29:6]  ⁹ sn Lebanon and Sirion are compared to frisky young animals (a calf…a young ox) who skip and jump. The thunderous shout of the Lord is so powerful, one can see the very mountains shake on the horizon.

[92:10]  ¹⁰ sn The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “to exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 75:10; 89:24; Lam 2:17).

[92:10]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew verb בָּלַל (balal) usually has the nuance “to mix.” Here it seems to mean “to smear” or “to anoint.” Some emend the form to בַּלֹּתַנִי (ballotaniy; a second person form of the verb with a first person suffix) and read, “you anoint me.”

[34:7]  ¹² tn Heb “will go down”; NAB “shall be struck down.”

[34:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “and bulls along with strong ones.” Perhaps this refers to the leaders.