Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Unicorn and the Bible


Painting of Elasmotherium sibiricum by Heinrich Harder, ca. 1920 (Heinrich Harder, Wikimedia Commons [Public Domain])

Scientists may have discovered what the Bible has said all along: unicorns and man lived at the same time.  (Man may have been the reason that they went extinct.)  No, I am not talking about a mythological (flying?) horse with a horn on its head.  It is not 100% clear which one-horned creature God's Word was talking about, but it does give many clues.  It is clear, though, that the unicorns lived at the same time as people (as did all of God's creatures - see Genesis 1).  The "Siberian unicorn" does seem to fit the description of unicorns found in Job.

"Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?" - Job 39:9-12

The unicorn is listed in Job 39 as other known animals (goat, wild donkey, peacock, ostrich, horse, hawk and eagle).  It is also mentioned twice in the book of Numbers, and twice in the Psalms.

"God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn."  - Numbers 23:22 

"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."  - Numbers 24:8

"He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn."  - Psalms 29:6

"But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil."  - Psalms 92:10

-Aaron Moore









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