Topic
Calf
40 passages cited, from 4 classic reference works.
These works date from 1884–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- 1 Samuel 28:24Easton · Smith · ISBE
And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:
- Exodus 32:4Easton · Smith
And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
- Hosea 14:2Easton · Nave “Calves of the lips,” a metaphor signifying worship
Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
- Amos 6:4Easton · ISBE
That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
- Luke 15:23Easton · Smith
And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
- Genesis 15:9Easton
And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
- Genesis 15:10Easton
And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
- Genesis 15:17Easton
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
- Genesis 15:18Easton
In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
- Exodus 32:1–35Nave Golden, made by Aaron
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land…
- Deuteronomy 9:16Nave Golden, made by Aaron
And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you.
- 1 Kings 12:28Easton
Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Show 28 more
- 1 Kings 12:28–33 Nave Images of, set up in Beth-el and Dan by Jeroboam
- 1 Kings 13:1–5 Nave Prophecies against the golden calves at Beth-el
- 1 Kings 13:32 Nave Prophecies against the golden calves at Beth-el
- 2 Kings 10:29 Nave Images of, set up in Beth-el and Dan by Jeroboam
- 2 Kings 15:28 Easton
- 2 Kings 15:29 Easton
- 2 Kings 17:33 Easton
- 2 Kings 23:4 Nave Altars of, destroyed
- 2 Kings 23:15–20 Nave Altars of, destroyed
- Nehemiah 9:18 Nave Golden, made by Aaron
- Psalms 29:6 ISBE
- Psalms 106:19 Nave Golden, made by Aaron
- Psalms 116:7 Easton
- Isaiah 11:6 ISBE
- Isaiah 27:10 ISBE
- Jeremiah 33:11 Easton
- Jeremiah 34:18 Easton
- Jeremiah 34:19 Easton
- Jeremiah 46:21 ISBE
- Jeremiah 48:13 Nave Prophecies against the golden calves at Beth-el
- Hosea 8:5 Nave Prophecies against the golden calves at Beth-el
- Hosea 8:6 Nave Prophecies against the golden calves at Beth-el
- Hosea 10:5 Nave Prophecies against the golden calves at Beth-el
- Hosea 10:6 Nave Prophecies against the golden calves at Beth-el
- Micah 6:6 Nave Offered in sacrifice
- Malachi 4:2 ISBE
- Acts 7:41 Nave Golden, made by Aaron
- Hebrews 13:15 Easton
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 18 references
Calves were commonly made use of in sacrifices, and are therefore frequently mentioned in Scripture. The “fatted calf” was regarded as the choicest of animal food; it was frequently also offered as a special sacrifice (1 Sam. 28:24; Amos 6:4; Luke 15:23). The words used in Jer. 34:18, 19, “cut the calf in twain,” allude to the custom of dividing a sacrifice into two parts, between which the parties ratifying a covenant passed (Gen. 15:9, 10, 17, 18). The sacrifice of the lips, i.e., priase, is called “the calves of our lips” (Hos. 14:2, R.V., “as bullocks the offering of our lips.” Comp. Heb. 13:15; Ps. 116:7; Jer. 33:11).
The golden calf which Aaron made (Ex. 32:4) was probably a copy of the god Moloch rather than of the god Apis, the sacred ox or calf of Egypt. The Jews showed all through their history a tendency toward the Babylonian and Canaanitish idolatry rather than toward that of Egypt.
Ages after this, Jeroboam, king of Israel, set up two idol calves, one at Dan, and the other at Bethel, that he might thus prevent the ten tribes from resorting to Jerusalem for worship (1 Kings 12:28). These calves continued to be a snare to the people till the time of their captivity. The calf at Dan was carried away in the reign of Pekah by Tiglath-pileser, and that at Bethel ten years later, in the reign of Hoshea, by Shalmaneser (2 Kings 15:29; 17:33). This sin of Jeroboam is almost always mentioned along with his name (2 Kings 15:28 etc.).
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884) · 3 references
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 7 references
kaf (`eghel; par, or par, often rendered "bullock"): The etymology of both words is uncertain, but the former has a close parallel in the Arabic `ijl, "calf." Par is generally used of animals for sacrifice, `eghel, in that and other senses. `Eghel is used of the golden calves and frequently in the expression, `eghel marbeq, "fatted calf," or "calf of the stall," the latter being the literal meaning (1Sa 28:24; Jer 46:21; Am 6:4; Mal 4:2).
At the present day beef is not highly esteemed by the people of the country, but mutton is much prized. In the houses of the peasantry it is common to see a young ram being literally stuffed with food, mulberry or other leaves being forced into its mouth by one of the women, who then works the sheep's jaw with one hand. The animal has a daily bath of cold water. The result is deliciously fat and tender mutton. Such an animal is called a ma`luf. From the same root we have ma`laf, "manger," suggestive of the Hebrew marbeq, "stall."
The calf for sacrifice was usually a male of a year old. Other references to calves are: "to skip like a calf" (Ps 29:6); "the calf and the young lion and the fatling together" (Isa 11:6); "a habitation deserted .... there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof" (Isa 27:10).
See CATTLE.
Alfred Ely Day
In the topical indexes
Nave's Topical Bible (1896) · 19 references, grouped by sub-topic
- → Offered in sacrifice Mic 6:6
- → Golden, made by Aaron Ex 32; De 9:16; Ne 9:18; Ps 106:19; Ac 7:41
- → Images of, set up in Beth-el and Dan by Jeroboam 1Ki 12:28-33; 2Ki 10:29
- → Worshiped by Jehu 2Ki 10:29
- → Prophecies against the golden calves at Beth-el 1Ki 13:1-5,32; Jer 48:13; Ho 8:5,6; 10:5,6
- → Altars of, destroyed 2Ki 23:4,15-20
- → “Calves of the lips,” a metaphor signifying worship Ho 14:2
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Nave's Topical Bible (1896), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.