Difference between revisions of "Dog"

<p> The watch of the house, and of the flock (&nbsp;Isaiah 56:10-11; &nbsp;Job 30:1). Sometimes domesticated, as the [[Syrophoenician]] woman's comparison and argument imply, "the household ( '''''Kunaria''''' , 'little' or 'pet') dogs eat of the crumbs (&nbsp;Matthew 15:26-27; &nbsp;Mark 7:27-28) which fall from their master's table." More commonly ownerless, and banded in troops which divide cities into so many quarters; each half-starved, ravenous troop keeps to its own quarter, and drives off any intruder; feeding on blood, dead bodies, and offal; therefore regarded as "unclean" (&nbsp;1 Kings 14:11; &nbsp;1 Kings 16:4; &nbsp;1 Kings 21:19; &nbsp;1 Kings 21:23; &nbsp;1 Kings 22:38; &nbsp;2 Kings 9:10; &nbsp;2 Kings 9:35-36). Their dismal howlings at night are alluded to in &nbsp;Psalms 59:6; &nbsp;Psalms 59:14-15; "they return at evening, they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city"; perhaps in allusion to Saul's agents thirsting for David's blood coming to Michal's house at evening, and to the retribution on Saul in kind, when he who had made David a wanderer himself wandered about seeking vainly for help against the Philistines, and went at last by night to the witch of Endor. As unclean (&nbsp;Isaiah 66:3), dog, dead dog, dog's head, are terms of scorn or else self-abasement (&nbsp;1 Samuel 24:14; &nbsp;2 Samuel 3:8; &nbsp;2 Samuel 9:8; &nbsp;2 Samuel 16:9; &nbsp;2 Kings 8:13). A wanton, self-prostituting man is called a "dog" (&nbsp;Deuteronomy 23:18). One [[Egyptian]] god had a dog form. "Beware of the (Greek) dogs," those impure persons of whom I told you often" (&nbsp;Philippians 3:2; &nbsp;Philippians 3:18-19); "the abominable" (&nbsp;Revelation 21:8; compare &nbsp;Revelation 22:15; &nbsp;Matthew 7:6); pagan in spirit (&nbsp;Titus 1:15-16); dogs in filthiness, snarling, and ferocity against the Lord and His people (&nbsp;Psalms 22:16; &nbsp;Psalms 22:20); backsliding into former carnality, as the dog "is turned to his own vomit again" (&nbsp;2 Peter 2:22). The [[Jews]] regarded the [[Gentiles]] as "dogs," but by unbelief they ceased to be the true [[Israel]] and themselves became dogs (&nbsp;Isaiah 56:10-11). "Deliver my darling from the power of the dog," i.e. my soul (literally, my unique one, unique in its preciousness) from the [[Jewish]] rabble; as "deliver My soul from the sword" is Messiah's cry for deliverance from the Roman soldiery and governor. The [[Assyrian]] hunting dog as vividly depicted on Assyrian sculptures resembled exactly our harrier or foxhound. </p>

<div> '''1: '''''Κύων''''' ''' (Strong'S #2965 — Noun Masculine — kuon — koo'-ohn ) </div> <p> is used in two senses, (a) natural, &nbsp;Matthew 7:6; &nbsp;Luke 16:21; &nbsp;2—Peter 2:22; (b) metaphorical, &nbsp;Philippians 3:2; &nbsp;Revelation 22:15 , of those whose moral impurity will exclude them from the New Jerusalem. The Jews used the term of Gentiles, under the idea of ceremonial impurity. Among the [[Greeks]] it was an epithet of impudence. Lat., canis, and Eng., "hound" are etymologically akin to it. </p> <div> '''2: '''''Κυνάριον''''' ''' (Strong'S #2952 — Noun Neuter — kunarion — koo-nar'-ee-on ) </div> <p> a diminutive of No. 1, "a little dog, a puppy," is used in &nbsp;Matthew 15:26,27; &nbsp;Mark 7:27,28 . </p>

<p> כּלב , <i> ''''' kelebh ''''' </i> ; (compare Arabic <i> ''''' kelb ''''' </i> , "dog"); κύων , <i> ''''' kúōn ''''' </i> ; and diminutive κυνάριον , <i> ''''' kunárion ''''' </i> ): References to the dog, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, are usually of a contemptuous character. A dog, and especially a dead dog, is used as a figure of insignificance. [[Goliath]] says to David (&nbsp;1 Samuel 17:43 ): "Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?" David says to Saul (&nbsp; 1 Samuel 24:14 ): "After whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea." [[Mephibosheth]] says to David (&nbsp;2 Samuel 9:8 ): "What is th servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?" The same figure is found in the words of [[Hazael]] to [[Elisha]] (&nbsp;2 Kings 8:13 ). The meaning, which is obscure in the King James Version, is brought out well in the Revised Version: "But what is thy servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" The characteristically oriental interrogative form of these expressions should be noted. </p> <p> Other passages express by inference the low esteem in which dogs are held. Nothing worse could happen to a person than that his body should be devoured by dogs (&nbsp;1 Kings 14:11; &nbsp;1 Kings 16:4; &nbsp;1 Kings 21:19 , &nbsp;1 Kings 21:23 , etc.). &nbsp;Job 30:1 says of the youth who deride him that he disdained to set their fathers with the dogs of his flock. In &nbsp; Philippians 3:2 and &nbsp; Revelation 22:15 , dogs are coupled with evil-workers, sorcerers, etc. In &nbsp;Matthew 7:6 we read: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine." </p> <p> &nbsp;Job 30:1 (cited above) refers to the use of dogs to guard flocks; and the comparison of inefficient watchmen with dumb dogs (&nbsp; Isaiah 56:10 ) implies that at least some dogs are useful. In the apocryphal Book of Tob, Tobias' dog is his companion on his travels (Tobit 5:16; 11:4; on this see <i> Expository Times </i> , XI, 258; <i> HDB </i> , IV, 989; Geiger, <i> [[Civilization]] of E. [[Iranians]] </i> , I, 85ff). </p> <p> There is further the reference to the greyhound (&nbsp;Proverbs 30:31 English Versions) as one of the four things which are "stately in their going." But the rendering, "greyhound," rests solely upon inference, and is contrary to the [[Septuagint]] and Vulgate, which have respectively <i> ''''' aléktōr ''''' </i> and <i> gallus </i> , i.e. "cock," the King James Version margin "horse." The [[Hebrew]] has <i> ''''' zarzı̄r mothnayim ''''' </i> , which the King James Version marginrenders "girt in the loins." the Revised Version, margin has "warhorse," Hebrew "well girt (or, well knit) in the loins." In support of the meaning, "girt," for <i> ''''' zarzı̄r ''''' </i> , there is the word <i> ''''' zēr ''''' </i> , which, with <i> ''''' zarzı̄r ''''' </i> , is assigned to the obsolete root <i> ''''' zārar ''''' </i> and the Arabic <i> ''''' zirr ''''' </i> , "button," from <i> ''''' zarr ''''' </i> , "to button," "to compress." Further, to render <i> ''''' zarzı̄r ''''' </i> by "cock" logically requires a change in the text, for <i> ''''' mothnayim ''''' </i> , "loins," becomes superlative and inappropriate (see <i> Encyclopedia Biblica </i> , under the word "Cock"). On the other hand, the Arabic <i> ''''' zarzūr ''''' </i> is a starling (compare Arabic <i> ''''' zarzar ''''' </i> , "to utter cries," said of birds; <i> ''''' ṣarṣar ''''' </i> , "to cry out"; <i> ''''' ṣarṣūr ''''' </i> , "cockroach," or " <i> cricket </i> "). Also, according to <i> Encyclopedia Biblica </i> (s.v. "Cock"), "the Talmudic <i> ''''' zarzı̄r ''''' </i> ̌ ... means some bird (a kind of raven)." If the text stands, there appears to be no better rendering than "girt in the loins," which might fairly be taken to refer to a war horse or to a greyhound. The [[Persian]] greyhound would in that case be understood, a hairy race, which, according to the <i> [[Royal]] Natural History </i> , is less fleet than the English breed and is used in chasing gazelles and in hunting the wild ass, and which according to [[Doughty]] ( <i> [[Arabia]] Deserta </i> ) is kept by the Bedouin. "These dogs are said to be sometimes girdled by their owners to prevent them from over-eating and becoming fat" (L. Fletcher, <i> British Museum </i> (Natural History)). </p> <p> [[Domestic]] dogs have probably been derived from various species of wolves and jackals. In this connection, it is noteworthy that the dogs of certain regions greatly resemble the wolves of those regions. The pariah dogs of Syria and Palestine resemble the jackals, especially in color and in the tail, differing in their greater size and in the shape of muzzle and ears. It is fair to assume that they are much the same as existed in Bible times. They are in general meek and harmless creatures, and are valuable as scavengers, but disturb the night with their barking. Each quarter of the city has its own pack of dogs, which vigorously resents any invasion of its territory. A dog which for any reason finds itself in foreign territory gets home as quickly as possible, and is lucky if it does not have to run the gauntlet of a pack of vicious foes. The pariah dog is sometimes brought up to be a sheep dog, but the best shepherd dogs are great wolfish creatures, which are usually obtained from Kurdistan. </p>