Difference between revisions of "Heifer"

<p> (δάμαλις = פָרָה, ‘a cow’) </p> <p> The writer of Hebrews finds a parallel between ‘the water (for the removal) of impurity’ (ὕδωρ ῥαντιοσμοῦ = מֵי נָדָּה, ‘water of exclusion’) and the blood of Christ (&nbsp;Hebrews 9:13 f.). The former element was a mixture of running (living) water with the ashes of a spotless heifer slain and burnt according to the ritual prescribed in Numbers 19. As contact with a dead body, a bone, or a grave involved defilement, and entrance into the sanctuary in a state of uncleanness made the offender liable to excommunication, the use of this holy water was prescribed as a means of purification. Every detail in the ceremonial leads the student of origins back to the childhood of the Semites. ‘Primarily, purification means the application to the person of some medium which removes a taboo, and enables the person purified to mingle freely in the ordinary life of his fellows’ (W. R. Smith, <i> RS </i> [Note: S [[Religion]] of the Semites (W. Robertson Smith).]2. 1894, p. 425). In those days there was probably a cult of the sacred cow, while juniper, cypress, and aromatic plants were supposed to have power to expel the evil spirits which brought death into the home. It is certain, however, that, when [[Israel]] began to put away childish things, the ancient consuetudinary laws in regard to defilement came to be viewed by the more enlightened minds as mere ‘symbols of spiritual truths.’ To the awakened conscience ‘sin was death, and had wrought death, and the dead body as well as the spiritually dead soul were the evidence of its sway’; while cedar-wood, hyssop, and scarlet may ultimately have been regarded-though this is more doubtful-as ‘the symbols of imperishable existence, freedom from corruption, and fulness of life’ (A. Edersheim, <i> The [[Temple]] </i> , 1909, p. 305f.). Discarding all magical ideas, the worshipper of [[Jahweh]] thus endeavoured to change the antique ritual into an object-lesson or sacramental means of grace. The writer to the Hebrews uses it as a stepping-stone to [[Christian]] truth. Rejecting the Philonic distinction between [[Levitical]] washings as directed to the purification of the body and sacrifices as intended to effect a purgation of the soul, he views the whole ritual of lustration and sin-offering alike as an <i> opus operatum </i> which can at the best purify only the body. [[Accepting]] this idea on the bare authority of Scripture, he makes it the premiss of an argument <i> a minori ad majus. If </i> (a particle which posits a fact, and scarcely insinuates a doubt) the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer cleanse the flesh, defiled by contact with death, much more does the life-blood of the [[Messiah]] cleanse the conscience from dead works. </p> <p> Literature.-Maimonides, <i> [[Moreh]] </i> , iii. 47; K. C. W. F. Bähr, <i> Symbolik des mosaischen Cultus </i> , Heidelberg, 1837-39, i. 493ff.; W. Nowack, <i> Lehrbuch der hebräischen Archäologie </i> , [[Freiburg]] i. B. and Leipzig, 1894, ii. 288; article‘Red Heifer’ in <i> Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible (5 vols) </i> and <i> [[Jewish]] Encyclopedia </i> . </p> <p> James Strahan. </p>

<p> eglah , parah . Used, not for plowing, but for the easier work of treading out grain. [[Cattle]] were not yoked together but trod it singly, or drew a threshing sledge over it, and were free to eat of it, being unmuzzled (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 25:4). An image of Israel's freedom and prosperity; but, saith God, "I passed over upon her fair neck," i.e. I will put the [[Assyrian]] yoke upon it (&nbsp;Hosea 10:11); in &nbsp;Hosea 4:16 translated "Israel is refractory (tossing off the yoke) as a refractory heifer." She had represented God under the calf form (&nbsp;1 Kings 12:28), but it is herself who is one, refractory and untamed (&nbsp;Amos 4:1). "Ye kine (cows, feminine, marking effeminacy) of Bashan," richly fed, effeminate, nobles of Israel; compare &nbsp;Amos 3:9-10; &nbsp;Amos 3:12; &nbsp;Amos 3:15. </p> <p> Jeremiah (&nbsp;Jeremiah 46:20) says "Egypt is like a very fair heifer" appropriately, as Αpis was worshipped there under the form of a fair bull with certain spots; in &nbsp;Jeremiah 46:15 [[Septuagint]] and [[Vulgate]] read "thy valiant one," namely, Αpis . As the gadfly attacks the heifer so "destruction cometh" on Egypt, namely, [[Nebuchadnezzar]] the destroyer or agitator sent by Jehovah; Vulgate translated suitably to the image of a heifer, "a goader," qerets . Harassing severely may be meant, rather than utter destruction. &nbsp;Isaiah 15:5, Moab's "fugitives shah flee unto Zoar," on the extreme boundary S. of the [[Dead]] Sea, raising their voices as "an heifer of three years old," i.e. one in full vigor but not yet brought under the yoke, just as [[Moab]] heretofore unsubdued is now about to be subjugated. Maurer translated "Εglath shehshijah " as "the third Eglath", to distinguish it from two others of the name. </p>

<p> &nbsp;Genesis 15:9 (c) In this way we may understand the service character of the Lord [[Jesus]] CHRIST. He served as a young man. He was crucified after He had been only three and one-half years in public ministry. The Jewish priest began to serve at thirty. </p> <p> &nbsp;Numbers 19:2-4 (c) This may be taken as a picture of the Lord JESUS [[Christ]] as a strong, vigorous youth. The red may represent the precious [[Blood]] of CHRIST. Both the [[Saviour]] and His work at [[Calvary]] are necessary to separate us from the world. (See &nbsp;Hebrews 9:13). </p> <p> &nbsp;Isaiah 15:5 (a) This is an interesting type of the [[Moabites]] who, though strong, active and energetic, will need to flee for their lives because of the invading enemy. At three years of age, the heifer is reckoned to have reached his maturity, and is ready for breeding purposes, or other acts which can only be given to a matured animal. (See &nbsp;Jeremiah 48:34). </p> <p> &nbsp;Hosea 4:16 (a) The heifer evidently is difficult to break for work. This is a picture of this young animal sitting down on her haunches, planting her feet in the ground, and trying to prevent the cowboy from pulling her along. It was GOD's desire to bring Israel back into a place of blessing, but she resisted, refused and held back. </p> <p> &nbsp;Hosea 10:11 (a) This type represents Israel in her true condition of sincere service to GOD, and her spirit of obedience. </p>

<p> A young cow, which is several times alluded to as 'three years old,' as if that was the age when they began to be broken in for labour. &nbsp;Genesis 15:9; &nbsp;Isaiah 15:5; &nbsp;Jeremiah 48:34 . They were not usually offered as sacrifices; but it was appointed that one should be slain when an unknown murder was discovered in a field, to put away the guilt of shedding innocent blood. &nbsp;Deuteronomy 21:1-9 . Various symbolical references are made to the heifer. [[Samson]] called his wife a heifer with which others had ploughed to discover his riddle. &nbsp;Judges 14:18 . Egypt was like a 'very fair heifer;' and Israel was a 'backsliding or untractable heifer,' though it had been taught and loved to tread out the corn. &nbsp;Jeremiah 46:20; &nbsp;Jeremiah 50:11; &nbsp;Hosea 4:16; &nbsp;Hosea 10:11 . </p>

<p> <strong> [[Heifer]] </strong> . The heifer was used in agriculture (&nbsp; Judges 14:18 , &nbsp; Jeremiah 50:11 , &nbsp; Hosea 10:11 ), and in religious ritual (&nbsp; [[Genesis]] 15:9 , &nbsp; 1 Samuel 16:2 , &nbsp; Numbers 19:2 f. etc.). Israel is compared to a heifer in &nbsp; Hosea 4:16 , and so is Egypt in &nbsp; Jeremiah 46:20 , and Chaldæa in &nbsp; Jeremiah 50:11 . See also Ox, Red Heifer. </p> <p> E. W. G. Masterman. </p>

<p> '''Heifer.''' &nbsp;1 Samuel 6:7-12; &nbsp;Job 21:10; &nbsp;Isaiah 7:21. The heifer or ''Young Cow'' was not commonly used for ploughing, but only for treading out the corn. &nbsp;Hosea 10:11; but see &nbsp;Judges 14:18, when it ran about without any headstall, &nbsp;Deuteronomy 26:4, hence, the expression an "unbroken heifer," &nbsp;Hosea 4:16. Authorized Version, "backsliding" to which Israel is compared. </p>

<p> HEIF'ER, n. hef'er. A young cow. </p>

<p> (n.) A young cow. </p>

<p> ''''' hef´ẽr ''''' ( פרה , <i> ''''' pārāh ''''' </i> , in &nbsp; Numbers 19 (see following article) and &nbsp; Hosea 4:16; עגלה , <i> '''''‛eghlāh''''' </i> , elsewhere in the Old Testament; δάμαλις , <i> '''''dámalis''''' </i> , in &nbsp;Hebrews 9:13 ):For the "heifer of three years old" in the King James Version, the Revised Version margin of &nbsp;Isaiah 15:5; &nbsp;Jeremiah 48:34 , see [[Eglath-Shelishiyah]] . A young cow (contrast [[Bullock]] ). The <i> '''''‛eghlāh''''' </i> figures specifically in religious rites only in the ceremony of &nbsp;Deuteronomy 21:1-9 for the cleansing of the land, where an unexpiated murder had been committed. This was not a sacrificial rite - the priests are witnesses only, and the animal was slain by breaking the neck - but sacrificial purity was required for the heifer. Indeed, it is commonly supposed that the rite as it now stands is a rededication of one that formerly had been sacrificial. In the sacrifices proper the heifer could be used for a peace offering (&nbsp; Leviticus 3:1 ), but was forbidden for the burnt (&nbsp;Leviticus 1:3 ) or sin (&nbsp;Leviticus 4:3 , &nbsp;Leviticus 4:14 ) offerings. Hence, the sacrifice of &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:2 was a peace offering. In &nbsp; Genesis 15:9 the ceremony of the ratification of the covenant by God makes use of a heifer and a she-goat, but the reason for the use of the females is altogether obscure. Compare following article. </p> <p> Figuratively: The heifer appears as representing sleekness combined with helplessness in &nbsp; Jeremiah 46:20 (compare the comparison of the soldiers to 'stalled calves' in the next verse). In &nbsp; Jeremiah 50:11; &nbsp;Hosea 10:11 , the heifer is pictured as engaged in threshing. This was particularly light work, coupled with unusually abundant food (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 25:4 ), so that the threshing heifer served especially well for a picture of contentment. ("Wanton" in &nbsp;Jeremiah 50:11 , however, is an unfortunate translation in the Revised Version (British and American).) Hosea, in contrast, predicts that the "heifers" shall be set to the hard work of plowing and breaking the sods. In &nbsp;Judges 14:18 , Samson uses "heifer" in his riddle to refer to his wife. This, however, was not meant to convey the impression of licentiousness that it gives the modern reader. </p>

<p> (עֶגְלָה, ''Eglah','' fem. of עֵגֶל, "calf;" פָּרָה, ''Parah','' fern. of פָּר, "bullock;" Sept. and N.T. δάμαλις; Vulg. ''Vacca).'' The [[Hebrew]] language has no expression that exactly corresponds to our "heifer," for both [[Eglah]] and [[Parah]] are applied to cows that have calved (&nbsp;1 Samuel 6:7-12; &nbsp;Job 21:10; &nbsp;Isaiah 7:21); indeed, ''Eylah'' means a young animal of any species, the full expression being עֶגְלִת בָּקָר, "heifer of kine" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 21:3; &nbsp;1 Samuel 16:2; &nbsp;Isaiah 7:21). The heifer or young cow was not commonly used for ploughing, but only for treading out the corn (&nbsp;Hosea 10:11; but see &nbsp;Judges 14:18), when it ran about without any headstall (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 25:4); hence the expression an "unbroken heifer" (&nbsp;Hosea 4:16; Auth. V. backsliding"), to which Israel is compared. A similar sense has been attached to the expression "calf of three years old," עֶגְלִת שְׁלַישַׁיָּה, i.e. ''Unsubdued,'' in &nbsp;Isaiah 15:5; &nbsp;Jeremiah 48:34 : but it has by some been taken as a proper name, ''Eglath'' Shelishiyah, such names being not very uncommon. The sense of" dissolute" is conveyed undoubtedly in &nbsp;Amos 4:1. The comparison of Egypt to a "fair heifer" (&nbsp;Jeremiah 46:20) may be an allusion to the well- known form under which [[Apis]] was worshipped (to which we may also refer the words in &nbsp;Jeremiah 46:15, as understood in the Sept., "Why is the bullock [μόσχος ἐκλεκτός] swept away?"), the "destruction" threatened being the bite of the gad-fly, to which the word ''Keretz'' would fitly apply. "To plough with another man's heifer" (&nbsp;Judges 14:18) implies that an advantage has been gained by unfair means. The proper names Eglah, Eneglaim, and Parah are derived from the Hebrew terms at the head of this article. (See [[Red Heifer]]). </p>