Hyena

Holman Bible Dictionary

Hyaena  Isaiah 13:22 Isaiah 34:14 Jeremiah 50:39 Jeremiah 50:39 Isaiah 34:14

The Hebrew term for hyena is used as a man's name (Zibeon,  Genesis 36:20 ) and as the name for a town (Zeboim,  Nehemiah 11:34 ) and valley ( 1 Samuel 13:18 ) in the territory of Benjamin.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

 Jeremiah 12:9, "speckled bird." But Septuagint "the hyena," in parallelism to the "lion" in  Jeremiah 12:8; tsabuwa the Arabic word for hyena corresponds. Zeboim ( 1 Samuel 13:18) means "the valley of hyenas." But the Hebrew 'ayit joined to it always means a bird; and "speckled" symbolizes the blending of paganism with the utterly diverse, divinely-ordained law.

Webster's Dictionary

(n.) Any carnivorous mammal of the family Hyaenidae, of which three living species are known. They are large and strong, but cowardly. They feed chiefly on carrion, and are nocturnal in their habits.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(ὕαινα ,  Sirach 13:18) does not occur in the A.V. of the canonical Scriptures, but is probably denoted by צָבוּע(tsabu'a, streaked or Ravenous, only  Jeremiah 12:9; so Sept. ὕαινα, but Vulg. Avis Discolor, and Auth. Vers. "speckled bird"), as the context and parallelism of the preceding verse require; an identification disputed by some, on the ground that the animal is not mentioned by ancient authors as occurring in Western Asia before the Macedonian conquest, and was scarcely known by name even in the time of Pliny; it has since been ascertained, however, that in Romaic or modern Greek the word krokalos and glanos have been substituted for the ancient term hyena, and that the animal is still known in those regions by names cognate with the Hebrew (see Ruppel, Abyss. 1, 227; Shaw, Tray. 154; Kimpfer, Anasen. 411 sq.; Russell's Alfppo, 2, 65 sq.; comp. Pliny, 8, 44; 11, 67). The only other instance in which it occurs is as a proper name, Zeboim ( 1 Samuel 13:18, "the valley of hyenas," Aquila;  Nehemiah 11:34). (See Zeboim).

The Talmudical writers describe the hyena by no less than four names, of which Tsabua is one (Lewysohn, Zool. § 119). Bochart (Hieroz. 2, 163 sq.) and Taylor (Continuation Of Calmet) have indicated what is probably the true meaning in the above passage in Jeremiah, of עִיַט צָבוּעִ, Ait Tsabua, The Striped Rusher, i.e. the hyena, turning round upon his lair-introduced after an allusion in the previous verse to the lion calling to the beasts of the field (other hyenas and jackals) to come and devour. This allusion, followed up as it is by a natural association of ideas with a description of the pastor, feeder, or rather consumer or devourer of the vineyard, treading down and destroying the vines, renders the natural and poetical picture complete; for the hyena seeks burrows and caverns for a lair; like the dog, it turns round to lie down; howls, and occasionally acts in concert; is loathsome, savage, insatiable in appetite, offensive in smell, and will, in the season, like canines, devour grapes. The hyena was common in ancient as in modern Egypt, and is constantly depicted on monuments (Wilkinson, 1, 213, 225); it must, therefore, have been well known to the Jews, as it is now very common in Palestine, where it is the last and most complete scavenger of carrion (Wood, Bible Animals, p. 62 sq.). Though cowardly in his nature, the hyena is very savage when once he attacks, and the strength of his jaws is such that he can crunch the thigh-bone of an ox (Livingstone's Travels, p 600).

"Tsabua, therefore, we consider proved to be, generically, the hyena; more specifically, the Canis hyaena of Linn., the Hyena vulgaris of more recent naturalists, the food of Barbary, the dub, dubbah, dabah, zabah, and kaftaar of modern Shemitic nations; and, if the ancients understood anything by the word, it was also their trochus. The striped species is one of three or four-all, it seems, originally African, and, by following armies and caravans, gradually spread over Southern Asia to beyond the Ganges, though not as yet to the east of the Bramapootra. It is now not uncommon in Asia Minor, and has extended into Southern Tartar; but this progress is comparatively so recent that no other than Shemitic names are-well known to belong to it. The head and jaws of all the species are broad and strong. the muzzle truncated; the tongue like a rasp; the teeth robust, large, and eminently formed for biting, lacerating, and reducing the very bone; the neck stiff; the body short and compact; the limbs tall, with only four toes on each foot; the fur coarse, forming a kind of semi-erectile mane along the back; the tail rather short, with an imperfect brush, and with a fetid pouch beneath it. In stature the species varies from that of a large wolf to much less. Hyenas are not bold in comparison with wolves, or in proportion to their powers. They do not in general, act collectively; they prowl chiefly in the night; attack asses, dogs, and weaker animals; feed most willingly on corrupt animal offal, dead camels, etc.; and dig into human graves that are not well protected with stakes and brambles. The striped species is of a dirty ashy buff, with some oblique black streaks across the shoulders and body, and numerous cross-bars on the legs; the muzzle and throat are black, and the tip of the tail white." (See Pliny Cyclopedia, s.v.) (See Jackal); (See Wolf); (See Bear).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Hyena

Hyena (Tzeboa), . Excepting in Ecclesiasticus just noted, the word does not occur in the English Bible, although there are several passages in the Hebrew canonical books, where Tzeboa, 'streaked' or 'variegated,' is assumed to designate the hyena. The most noted of these is , where the words which the Septuagint render 'the cave of the hyena,' are rendered in our version 'a speckled bird.' But Bochart and the continuator of Calmet vindicate what we take to be the true reading, 'the striped rusher,' i.e. the hyena, turning round upon his lair, introduced after an allusion in the previous verse to the lion calling to the beasts of the field (other hyenas and jackals) to come and devour. This allusion, followed up as it is by a natural association of ideas, with a description of the pastor, feeder, or rather consumer or devourer of the vineyard, treading down and destroying the vines, renders the natural and poetical picture complete; for the hyena seeks burrows and caverns for a lair; like the dog it turns round to lie down; howls, and occasionally acts, in concert; is loathsome, savage, insatiable in appetite, offensive in smell; and will in the season, like canines, devour grapes, as the writer has himself ascertained by actual experiment.

Tzeboa, therefore, we consider proved to be generically, the hyena. The striped species is one of three or four—all, it seems, originally African; and, by following armies and caravans, gradually spread over Southern Asia to beyond the Ganges, though not as yet to the east of the Bramapootra. It is now not uncommon in Asia Minor, and has extended into Southern Tartary; but this progress is comparatively so recent, that no other than Semitic names are well known to belong to it. The head and jaws of all the species are broad and strong; the muzzle truncated; the tongue like a rasp; the teeth 34 instead of 42, as in the canidæ, but robust, large, and eminently formed for biting, lacerating, and reducing the very bone; the neck stiff; the body short and compact; the limbs tall, with only four toes on each foot; the fur coarse, forming a kind of semi-erectile mane along the back; the tail rather short, with an imperfect brush, and with a fetid pouch beneath it. In stature the species varies from that of a large wolf to much less. Hyenas are not bold in comparison with wolves, or in proportion to their powers. They do not in general act collectively; they prowl chiefly in the night; attack asses, dogs, and weaker animals; feed most willingly on corrupt animal offal, dead camels, etc.; and dig into human graves that are not well protected with stakes and brambles. The striped species is of a dirty ashy buff, with some oblique black streaks across the shoulders and body, and numerous cross-bars on the legs; the muzzle and throat are black, and the tip of the tail white.

There is reason to believe that the deeb,or Scriptural wolf, when represented as carrying off a lamb, is no other than the hyena, unless the real wolf has been extirpated; for zoologists have not found the wolf in Syria.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hı̄ - ē´na ( צבוּע , cābhūa‛ (  Jeremiah 12:9 ); Septuagint ὑαίνη , huaı́nē ( Jeremiah 12:9; Ecclesiasticus 13:18); compare Arabic ḍab‛ or ḍabu‛ , "hyaena"; compare צבעים , cebhō‛ı̄m , Zeboim (  1 Samuel 13:18;  Nehemiah 11:34 ); also compare צבעון , cibh‛ōn , Zibeon ( Genesis 36:2 ,  Genesis 36:14 ,  Genesis 36:20;  1 Chronicles 1:38 ); but not צביים , cebhōyı̄m , Zeboiim ( Genesis 10:19;  Genesis 14:2 , etc.)): English Versions of the Bible does not contain the word "hyena," except in Ecclesiasticus 13:18, "What peace is there between the hyena and the dog? and what; peace between the rich man and the poor?" In  Jeremiah 12:9 , where the Hebrew has ha - ‛ayiṭ cābhūa‛ (the Revised Version (British and American) "a speckled bird of prey"), Septuagint has σπήλαιον ὑαίνης , spḗlaion huaı́nēs , "a hyena's den," as if from a Hebrew original having me‛ārāh , "cave," instead of ha - ‛ayiṭ , "bird." The root cābha‛ may mean "to seize as prey" (compare Arabic seb‛ , "lion" or "rapacious animal"), or "to dip" or "to dye" (compare Arabic ṣabagh , "to dye"), hence, the two translations of cābhūa‛ as "hyena" and as "speckled" (Vulgate versicolor ).

The hyena of Palestine is the striped hyena ( Hyaena striata ) which ranges from India to North Africa. The striped, the spotted, and the brown hyenas constitute a distinct family of the order of Carnivora, having certain peculiarities of dentition and having four toes on each foot, instead of four behind and five in front, as in most of the order. The hyena is a nocturnal animal, rarely seen though fairly abundant, powerful but cowardly, a feeder on carrion and addicted to grave-robbing. The last habit in particular has won it the abhorrence of the natives of the countries which it inhabits. In the passage cited in Ecclus, it is to be noted that it is to the hyena that the rich man is compared. The jaws and teeth of the hyena are exceedingly strong and fitted for crushing bones which have resisted the efforts of dogs and jackals. Its dens are in desolate places and are littered with fragments of skeletons. "Is my heritage unto me as a speckled bird of prey?" (  Jeremiah 12:9 ) becomes a more striking passage if the Septuagint is followed, "Is my heritage unto me as a hyena's den?"

Shaḳḳ - ud - Ḍibâ‛ , "Cleft of the hyenas," is the name of a valley north of Wâdi - ul - Ḳelt , and Wâdi - Abu - Dibâ‛ (of similar meaning) is the name of an affluent of Wâdi - ul - Ḳelt . Either of these, or possibly Wâdi - ul - Ḳelt itself, may be the valley of Zeboim (valley of hyenas) of   1 Samuel 13:18 .

The name of Zibeon the Horite ( Genesis 36:2 , etc.) is more doubtfully connected with "hyena."