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Topic

Unicorn

11 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 They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently.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.

Deuteronomy 33:17Easton · Smith · ISBE · Torrey Sometimes found with two horns
His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
Psalms 92:10Easton · Smith · ISBE · Torrey Generally had a single horn
But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
Numbers 23:22Easton · ISBE · Torrey ILLUSTRATIVE — Of God as the strength of Israel
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
Job 39:9Easton · ISBE · Torrey DESCRIBED AS — Intractable in disposition
Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
Psalms 22:21Easton · ISBE · Torrey ILLUSTRATIVE — (Horns of,) of the strength of powerful enemies
Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
Psalms 29:6Easton · ISBE · Torrey The young of, remarkable for agility
He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
Isaiah 34:7Easton · ISBE · Torrey ILLUSTRATIVE — Of the wicked
And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.
Numbers 24:8ISBE · Torrey ILLUSTRATIVE — Of God as the strength of Israel
God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
Job 39:10ISBE · Torrey DESCRIBED AS — Intractable in disposition
Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
Job 39:11Torrey DESCRIBED AS — Of vast strength
Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
Job 39:12Torrey DESCRIBED AS — Intractable in disposition
Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?

In the reference works

Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 8 references

Described as an animal of great ferocity and strength (Num. 23:22, R.V., “wild ox,” marg., “ox-antelope;” 24:8; Isa. 34:7, R.V., “wild oxen”), and untamable (Job 39:9). It was in reality a two-horned animal; but the exact reference of the word so rendered (reem) is doubtful. Some have supposed it to be the buffalo; others, the white antelope, called by the Arabs rim. Most probably, however, the word denotes the Bos primigenius (“primitive ox”), which is now extinct all over the world. This was the auerochs of the Germans, and the urus described by Caesar (Gal. Bel., vi.28) as inhabiting the Hercynian forest. The word thus rendered has been found in an Assyrian inscription written over the wild ox or bison, which some also suppose to be the animal intended (comp. Deut. 33:17; Ps. 22:21; 29:6; 92:10).

Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884) · 2 references

the rendering of the Authorized Version of the Hebrew reem , a word which occurs seven times in the Old Testament as the name of some large wild animal. The reem of the Hebrew Bible, however, has nothing at all to do with the one-horned animal of the Greek and Roman writers, as is evident from (33:17) where in the blessing of Joseph it is said; "his glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of a unicorn ;" not, as the text of the Authorized Version renders it, "the horns of unicorns ." The two horns of the ram are "the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh." This text puts a one-horned animal entirely out of the question. Considering that the reem is spoken of as a two-horned animal of great strength and ferocity, that it was evidently well known and often seen by the Jews, that it is mentioned as an animal fit for sacrificial purposes, and that it is frequently associated with bulls and oxen we think there can be no doubt that, some species of wild ox is intended. The allusion in (Psalms 92:10) "But thou shalt lift up, as a reeym , my horn," seems to point to the mode in which the Bovidae use their horns, lowering the head and then tossing it up. But it is impossible to determine what particular species of wild ox is signified probably some gigantic urus is intended. (It is probable that it was the gigantic Bos primigeniua , or aurochs, now extinct, but of which Caesar says, "These uri are scarcely less than elephants in size, but in their nature, color and form are bulls. Great is their strength and great their speed; they spare neither man nor beast when once; they have caught sight of them" --Bell. Gall. vi. 20.-ED.)

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 9 references

u'-ni-korn (re'em (Nu 23:22; 24:8; De 33:17; Job 39:9,10; Ps 22:21; 29:6; 92:10; Isa 34:7)): "Unicorn" occurs in the King James Version in the passages cited, where the Revised Version (British and American) has "wild-ox" (which see).

In the topical indexes

Torrey's New Topical Textbook (1897) · 13 references, grouped by sub-topic

Generally had a single horn Ps 92:10
Sometimes found with two horns De 33:17
DESCRIBED AS
- Intractable in disposition Job 39:9,10,12
- Of vast strength Job 39:11
The young of, remarkable for agility Ps 29:6
ILLUSTRATIVE
- Of God as the strength of Israel Nu 23:22; 24:8
- Of the wicked Isa 34:7
- (Horns of,) of the strength of the descendants of Joseph De 33:17
- (Horns of,) of the strength of powerful enemies Ps 22:21
- (The position of its horns,) of the exaltation of saints Ps 92:10

Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Torrey's New Topical Textbook (1897), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.

Unicorn

The verses

In the reference works

In the topical indexes

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