Hunting

VIEW:35 DATA:01-04-2020

HUNTING is not conspicuous in the literature of the Hebrews that remains to us. We may probably infer that it did not bulk largely in their life. As an amusement, it seems to belong to a more advanced stage of civilization than they had reached. The typical hunter was found outside their borders (Gen_10:9). Esau, skilful in the chase, is depicted as somewhat uncouth and simple (Gen_25:27 etc.). Not till the time of Herod do we hear of a king achieving excellence in this form of sport (Jos. [Note: Josephus.] BJ I. xxi. 13). Wild animals and birds were, however, appreciated as food (Lev_17:13, 1Sa_26:20 etc.); and in a country like Palestine, abounding in beasts and birds of prey, some proficiency in the huntsman’s art was necessary in order to secure the safety of the community, and the protection of the flocks. Among these ‘evil beasts’ lions and bears were the most dangerous (Gen_37:33, 1Ki_13:24, 2Ki_2:24, Pro_28:15 etc.). Deeds of prowess in the slaughter of such animals—by Samson in self-defence (Jdg_14:6), David the shepherd to rescue his charges (1Sa_17:34), and Benaiah (2Sa_23:20)—gained for these men abiding fame. H. P. Smith (Samuel, in loc.) would read of Benaiah: ‘He used to go down and smite the lions in the pit on snowy days,’ when he could track them easily. The difficulty is that snowy days would be rather few to permit of his making a reputation in this way.
Among the animals hunted for food were the gazelle, the hart, the roebuck, and the wild goat (Deu_12:15; Deu_12:22; Deu_14:5 etc.). The first three are mentioned specially as furnishing the table of Solomon (1Ki_4:23). The partridge was perhaps the bird chiefly hunted in ancient times, as it is at the present day (1Sa_26:20). Neither beast nor bird might be eaten unless the blood had been ‘poured out’ (Lev_17:13, Deu_12:16 etc.)—a law still observed by the Moslems.
Little information is given in Scripture as to the methods followed by the huntsmen. The hunting dog is not mentioned; but it is familiar to Josephus (Ant. VI. viii. 9). The following implements were in use, viz.:—the bow and arrow (Gen_27:3 etc.), the club (Job_41:29), nets (Job_19:6, Psa_9:16, Isa_51:20 etc.), pits, in which there might be a net, dug and concealed to entrap the larger animals (Psa_9:15, Eze_19:8 etc.), the sling (1Sa_17:40), the snare of the fowler (Psa_64:5; Psa_91:3; Psa_124:7). The tame partridge in a cage was used as a decoy (Sir_11:30). The modern Syrian is not greatly addicted to hunting. Occasional raids are made upon the bears on Mt. Hermon. To the scandal of Jew and Moslem, Christians sometimes hunt the wild boar in the Huleh marshes, and in the thickets beyond Jordan. See also Nets, Snares, etc.
W. Ewing.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
Edited by James Hastings, D.D. Published in 1909

Hunting. Hunting, as a matter of necessity, whether for the extermination of dangerous beasts or for procuring sustenance, betokens a rude and semi-civilized state;
as an amusement, it betokens an advanced state.
The Hebrews, as a pastoral and agricultural people, were not given to the sports of the field; the density of the population, the earnestness of their character, and the tendency of their ritual regulations, particularly those affecting food, all combined to discourage the practice of hunting.
The catching of smaller animals was, first, either by digging a pitfall; or, secondly, by a trap which was set under ground, Job_18:10, in the run of the animal, Pro_22:5, and caught it by the leg, Job_18:9, or lastly, by the use of the net, of which there were various kinds, as or the gazelle, Isa_51:20, Authorized Version, "wild bull," and other animals of that class.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
By Dr. William Smith.Published in 1863

hunt?ing (ציד, cayidh): The hunting of wild animals for sport, or for the defense of men and flocks, or for food, was common in Western Asia and Egypt, especially in early times. Some of the Egyptian and Assyrian kings were great hunters in the first sense, for example Amenhotep III (1411-1375 bc ?a lion-hunting and bull-baiting Pharaoh,? who boasted of having slain 76 bulls in the course of one expedition, and of having killed at one time or other 102 lions; and the Assyrian conqueror, Tiglath-pileser I (circa 1100 bc), who claimed 4 wild bulls, 14 elephants and 920 lions as the trophies of his skill and courage.
1. Nimrod and His Like
The Biblical prototype of these heroes of war and the chase is Nimrod, ?a mighty hunter before Yahweh? (Gen_10:9), that is perhaps ?a hunter who had no equal,? a figure not yet clearly identifiable with any historical or mythical character in the Assyro-Bab monuments, but possibly the Gilgamesh of the great epic, who may be the hero represented on seals and reliefs as victorious over the lion (Skinner, ?Gen,? ICC, 208). We are reminded also of Samson's exploit at Timnah (Jdg_14:5 f), but this, like David's encounter with the lion and the bear (1Sa_17:34 f) and Benaiah's struggle with a lion in a pit on a snowy day (2Sa_23:20), was an occasional incident and scarcely comes under the category of hunting. There is no evidence that hunting for sport was ever practiced by the kings of Judah and Israel. Not until the time of Herod the Great, who had a hunting establishment and was a great hunter of boars, stags, and wild asses (Josephus, BJ, I, xxi, 13), mastering as many as 40 beasts in one day, do we find a ruler of Palestine indulging in this pastime.
2. Hunting in the Old Testament
Hunting, however, for the two other purposes mentioned above was probably as frequent among the Israelites, even after they had ceased to be nomads, as among their neighbors. We know indeed of only two personal examples, both in the patriarchal period and both outside the direct line of Israelite descent: Esau (Gen_25:27) and Ishmael (Gen_21:20); but there are several references and many figurative allusions to the pursuit and its methods and instruments. Hunting (inclusive of following) is mentioned in the Pentateuch in the regulation about pouring out the blood and covering it with dust (Lev_17:13); and there is a general reference in the proverb (Pro_12:27): ?The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting.? The hunting of the lion is assumed in Ezekiel's allegory of the lioness and her two whelps (Eze_19:1-9; compare Job_10:16); of the antelope or oryx (Deu_14:5; Isa_51:20); of the roe (Pro_6:5); of the partridge in the mountains (1Sa_26:20), and of birds in general in many passages. Hunting is probably implied in the statement about the provision of harts, gazelles and roebucks for Solomon's kitchen (1Ki_4:23), and to some extent in the reference to the den of lions in Babylon (Dan_6:7).
3. Methods of Hunters
The weapons most frequently employed by hunters seem to have been bows and arrows. Isaac (Gen_27:3) commands Esau to take his bow and quiver and procure him venison or game (compare also Isa_7:24; Job_41:28). This method is amply illustrated by the monuments. Ashur-nazir-pal lII (885-860 bc) and Darius (circa 500 bc), for example, are depicted shooting at lions from the chariot. Use was also made of the sword, the spear, the dart or javelin, the sling and the club (Job_41:26, Job_41:28 f, where the application of these weapons to hunting is implied). The larger animals were sometimes caught in a pit. The classical reference is in Ezekiel's allegory, ?He was taken in their pit? (shaḥath, Eze_19:4, Eze_19:8; compare also Isa_24:17 f; Jer_48:43 f; Psa_35:7, etc.). The details of this mode of capture as practiced at the present day, and probably in ancient times, are described by Tristram in his Natural History of the Bible (118 f). A more elaborate method is described by Maspero in Lectures historiques (285). To make the pit-capture more effective, nets were also employed: ?They spread their net over him? (Eze_19:8; compare Psa_35:7). When caught, the lion was sometimes placed in a large wooden cage (Eze_19:9, ṣūghar, the Assyrian shigāru; for the word and the thing compare SBOT, ?Ezk,? English, 132; Heb, 71). The lion (or any other large animal) was led about by a ring or hook (ḥāḥ) inserted in the jaws or nose (2Ki_19:28 = Isa_37:29; Eze_19:4, Eze_19:9; Eze_29:4; Eze_38:4). From wild animals the brutal Assyrians transferred the custom to their human captives, as the Israelites were well aware (2Ch_33:11 the Revised Version margin, Hebrew ḥōaḥ; for monumental illustrations compare SBOT, ?Ezk,? English, 132 f). Nets were also used for other animals such as the oryx or antelope (Isa_51:20). The Egyptian and Assyrian monuments show that dogs were employed in hunting in the ancient East, and it is not improbable that they were put to this service by the Hebrews also, but there is no clear Biblical evidence, as ?greyhound? in Pro_30:31 is a questionable rendering. Josephus indeed (Ant., IV, viii, 9) mentions the hunting dog in a law ascribed to Moses, but the value of the allusion is uncertain.
4. Fowlers and Their Snares
The hunting of birds or fowling is so often referred or alluded to that it must have been very widely practiced (compare Psa_91:3; Psa_124:7; Pro_1:17; Pro_6:5; Ecc_9:12; Amo_3:5, etc.). The only bird specifically mentioned is the partridge, said to be hunted on the mountains (1Sa_26:20). The method of hunting is supposed by Tristram (NHB, 225) to be that still prevalent - continual pursuit until the creature is struck down by sticks thrown along the ground - but the interpretation is uncertain. Birds were generally caught by snares or traps. Two passages are peculiarly instructive on this point: Job_18:8-10, where six words are used for such contrivances, represented respectively by ?net,? ?toils,? ?gin,? ?snare,? ?noose,? ?trap?; and Amo_3:5, which is important enough to be cited in full: ?Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is set for him? shall a snare spring up from the ground, and have taken nothing at all?? The word for ?snare? in this passage (paḥ) probably describes a net laid on the ground, perhaps a circular net like the Egyptian bird-trap represented in the Cambridge Bible, ?Amos,? 157. The word for ?gin,? usually ira in the Revised Version (British and American) ?snare? (mōḳēsh, literally, ?fowling instrument?) is supposed to refer either to the bait (ibid., 158) or to the catch connected with it which causes the net to collapse (Siegfried). For a full account of Egyptian modes of following which probably illustrate ancient Palestinian methods, compare Wilkinson, Popular Account, II, 178-83. The two words (mōḳēsh and paḥ) mentioned above are used figuratively in many Old Testament passages, the former repeatedly of the deadly influence of Canaanitish idolatry on Israel, as in Exo_23:33, ?For if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee? (compare Exo_34:12; Deu_7:16; Jos_23:13). The use of the hawk in fowling, which is at- tested for Northern Syria by a bas-relief found in 1908 at Sakje-Geuzi, is not mentioned in the Old Testament, but there may perhaps be an allusion in Apocrypha (Baruch 3:17, ?they that had their pastime with the fowls of the air?). A reference to the use of decoys has been found in Jer_5:27, ?a cage ... full of birds,? but that is a doubtful interpretation, and in the Greek of Sirach 11:30, ?As a decoy partridge in a cage, so is the heart of a proud man,? but the Hebrew text of the latter is less explicit. See FOWLER.
5. Allusions in the New Testament
The New Testament has a few figurative allusions to hunting. The words for ?catch? in Mar_12:13 and Luk_11:54 (agreúō and thēreúō) mean literally, ?hunt.? The verb ?ensnare? (pagideúō) occurs in the Gospels (Mat_22:15), and the noun ?snare? (pagı́s) is met with in 5 passages (Luk_21:34; Rom_11:9; 1Ti_3:7; 1Ti_6:9; 2Ti_2:26). Another word for ?snare? (bróchos), which means literally, ?noose? (Revised Version margin), is used in 1Co_7:35. The words for ?things that cause stumbling? and ?stumble? (skándalon and skandalı́zō) may possibly conceal in some passages an allusion to a hunter's trap or snare. Skandalon is closely allied to skandálēthron, ?the stick in a trap on which the bait is placed,? and is used in Septuagint for mōḳēsh. The abundant use of imagery taken from hunting in the Bible is remarkable, in view of the comparative rarity of literal references.
Literature
In addition to the works cited in the course of the article, the article ?Hunting? in DB2, HDB large and small, EB, Jewish Encyclopedia; and ?Jagd? in German Bible Dicts. of Guthe, Riehm2, and Wiener, and in RE3.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PRINTER 1915.

The pursuit and capture of beasts of the field was the first means of sustenance which the human race had recourse to, this mode of gaining a livelihood having naturally preceded the engagements of agriculture, as it presented food already provided, requiring only to be taken and slaughtered; whereas tillage must have been an afterthought, and a later resource, since it implies accumulated knowledge, skill, and such provision aforehand of subsistence as would enable a clan or a family to wait till the fruits of the earth were matured. Hunting was, therefore, a business long before it was a sport. And originally, before man had established his empire on the earth, it must have been not only a serious but a dangerous pursuit. In process of time, however, when civilization had made some progress, when cities were built and lands cultivated, hunting was carried on not so much for the food which it brought as for the recreation it gave and its conduciveness to health.
The East?the cradle of civilization?presents us with hunting in both the characters now spoken of, originally as a means of support, then as a manly amusement. In the early records of history we find hunting held in high repute, partly, no doubt, from its costliness, its dangers, its similitude to war, its capability of combining the energies of many, and also from the relief which it afforded to the stagnant monotony of a court, in the high and bounding spirits that it called forth. Hunting has always borne somewhat of a regal character, and down to the present hour has worn an aristocratic air. In Babylon and Persia this attribute is presented in bold relief. Immense parks were enclosed for nurturing and preserving beasts of the chase. The monarch himself led the way to the sport, not only in these preserves, but also over the wide surface of the country, being attended by his nobles, especially by the younger aspirants to fame and warlike renown.
In the Bible we find hunting connected with royalty so early as in Genesis 10. The great founder of Babel was in general repute as 'a mighty hunter before the Lord.' The patriarchs, however, are to be regarded rather as herdsmen than hunters, if respect is had to their habitual mode of life. The condition of the herdsman ensues next to that of the hunter in the early stages of civilization; and so we find that even Cain was a keeper, of sheep. This, and the fact that Abel is designated 'a tiller of the ground,' would seem to indicate, a very rapid progress in the arts and pursuits of social life. The same contrast and similar hostility we find somewhat later, in the case of Jacob and Esau; the first, 'a plain man dwelling in tents;' the second, 'a cunning hunter, a man of the field' (Genesis 25 sq.). The account given of Esau in connection with his father seems to show that hunting was, conjointly with tillage, pursued at that time as a means of subsistence, and that hunting had not then passed into its secondary state, and become an amusement.
In Egypt the children of Israel would be spectators of hunting carried on extensively and pursued in different manners, but chiefly, as appears probable, with a view rather to recreation than subsistence. That the land of promise into which the Hebrews were conducted on leaving Egypt was plentifully supplied with beasts of the chase appears clear from Exo_22:29, 'I will not drive them out in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beast of the field multiply against thee' (comp. Deu_3:22). And from the regulation given in Lev_17:15, it is manifest that hunting was practiced after the settlement in Canaan, and was pursued with the view of obtaining food. Pro_12:27 proves that hunting animals for their flesh was an established custom among the Hebrews, though the turn of the passage may serve to show that, at the time it was penned, sport was the chief aim. If hunting was not forbidden in the 'year of rest,' special provision was made that not only the cattle, but 'the beast of the field' should be allowed to enjoy and flourish on the uncropped spontaneous produce of the land (Exo_23:11; Lev_25:7). That the lion and other ravenous beasts of prey were not wanting in Palestine, many passages of the Bible make obvious (1Sa_17:34; 2Sa_23:20; 1Ki_13:24). The lion was even made use of to catch other animals (Eze_19:3), and Harmer long ago remarked, that as in the vicinity of Gaza, so also in Judea, leopards were trained and used for the same purpose (Harmer iv. 358; Hab_1:8). That lions were taken by pitfalls as well as by nets appears from Eze_19:4; Eze_19:8 (Shaw, p. 172). In the latter verse the words of the prophet, 'and spread their net over him,' allude to the custom of enclosing a wide extent of country with nets, into which the animals were driven by hunters. The spots thus enclosed were usually in a hilly country and in the vicinity of water-brooks; whence the propriety and force of the language of Psa_42:1 'As the (hunted) hart panteth after the water brooks.' These places were selected because they were those to which the animals were in the habit of repairing in the morning and evening. Scenes like the one now supposed are found portrayed in the Egyptian paintings. Hounds were used for hunting in Egypt, and, if the passage in Josephus (Antiq. iv. 8. 9) may be considered decisive, in Palestine as well. From Gen_27:3, 'Now take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow,' we learn what arms were employed at least in capturing game. Bulls, after being taken, were kept at least for a time in a net (Isa_51:20). Various missiles, pitfalls, snares, and gins were made use of in hunting (Psa_91:3; Amo_3:5; 2Sa_23:20). That hunting continued to be followed till towards the end of the Jewish state appears from Josephus, who speaks of Herod as 'ever a most excellent hunter, for in one day he caught forty wild beasts.' The same passage makes it clear that horses were employed in the pursuits of the chase.
The Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
by John Kitto.

Hunting
(צִיַד, Gr. ἄγρα). The pursuit and capture of beasts of the field was one of the first means of sustenance to which the human race had recourse. In process of time, however, when civilization had made some: progress, when cities were built and lands cultivated, hunting was carried on not so much for the food which it brought as for the recreation it gave and its conduciveness to health. Hunting has always borne somewhat of a regal character, and in Persia immense parks (παράδεισοι) were enclosed for nurturing and preserving beasts of the chase. The monarch himself led the way to the sport, not only in these preserves, but also over the wide surface of the country, being attended by his nobles, especially by the younger aspirants to fame and warlike renown (Xenoph. Cyr. 8, 1, 38). Scenes of this character are abundantly portrayed on the Assyrian and Babylonian monuments recently discovered by Botta and Layard. The king is represented as pursuing not only smaller game on horseback, but also engaged in the chase of more formidable animals, such as lions and wild bulls, in the chariot (Layard's Nineveh, 1st ser. ii, 328). SEE LION. This was especially a favorite employment of princes, and Darius caused to be engraved on his tomb an epitaph recording his proficiency as an archer and hunter (Strabo, 15, 212).
In the Bible we find hunting connected with royalty as early as in Gen_10:9. The great founder of Babel was in general repute as “a mighty hunter before the Lord.” SEE NIMROD. The patriarchs, however, are to be regarded rather as herdsmen than hunters, if respect is had to their habitual mode of life. The condition of the herdsman ensues next to that of the hunter in the early stages of civilization, and so we find that even Cain was a keeper of sheep. This, and the fact that Abel is designated “a tiller of the ground,” would seem to indicate a very rapid progress in the arts and pursuits of social life. The same contrast and similar hostility we find somewhat later in the case of Jacob and Esau; the first “a plain man dwelling in tents,” the second “a cunning hunter, a man of the field” (Genesis 25 sq.). The account given of Esau in connection with his father seems to show that hunting was, conjointly with tillage, pursued at that time as a means of subsistence, and that hunting had not then passed into its secondary state, and become an amusement.
In Egypt the children of Israel doubtless were spectators of hunting carried on extensively and pursued in different methods, but chiefly, as appears probable, with a view rather to recreation than subsistence (Wilkinson's Anc. Egypt. vol. 3). Wild oxen are represented on the Egyptian sculptures as captured by means of the lasso, but dogs appear to have been usually employed in the chase. SEE DOG.
That the land of promise into which the Hebrews were conducted on leaving Egypt was plentifully supplied with beasts of the chase appears clear from Exo_23:29, “I will not drive them out in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beast of the field multiply against thee” (comp. Deu_3:22). Also from the regulation given in Lev_17:15, it is manifest that hunting was practiced after the settlement in Canaan, and was pursued with the view of obtaining food. Pro_12:27 proves that hunting animals for their flesh was an established custom among the Hebrews, though the turn of the passage may serve to show that at the time it was penned sport was the chief aim. If hunting was not forbidden in the “year of rest,” special provision was made that not only the cattle, but the beast of the field,” should be allowed to enjoy and flourish on the uncropped spontaneous produce of the land (Exo_23:11; Lev_25:7). Harmer (iv, 357) says, “There are various sorts of creatures in the Holy Land proper for hunting; wild boars, antelopes, hares, etc., are in considerable numbers there, and one of the Christian kings of Jerusalem lost his life (Gesta Dei, p. 887) in pursuing a hare.” That the lion and other ravenous beasts of prey were not wanting in Palestine many passages of the Bible make obvious (1Sa_17:34; 2Sa_23:20; 1Ki_13:24; Harris, Natural History of the Bible; Kitto's Pictorial Palestine).
The lion was even made use of to catch other animals (Eze_19:3), and Harmer long ago remarked that as in the vicinity of Gaza, so also in Judmea, leopards were trained and used for the same purpose (Harmer, 4, 358; Hab_1:8). That lions were taken by pitfalls as well as by nets appears from Eze_19:4; Eze_19:8 (Shaw, p. 172). In the latter verse the words of the prophet, “and spread their net over him” (comp. 2Sa_22:6), allude to the custom of inclosing a wide extent of country with nets, into which the animals were driven by hunters (Wilkinson, Anc. Egyptians, 3:4). The spots thus enclosed were usually in a hilly country and in the vicinity of water-brooks; whence the propriety' and force of the language of Psa_42:1, “As the (hunted) hart panteth after the water-brooks.” These places were selected because they were those to which the animals were in the habit of repairing in the morning and evening. Scenes like the one now supposed are found portrayed in the Egyptian paintings (Wilkinson). Hounds were used for hunting in Egypt, and, if the passage in Josephus (Ant. 4, 8, 9) may be considered decisive, in Palestine as well. From Gen_27:3, “Now take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow,” we learn what arms were employed at least in capturing game. Bulls, after being taken, were kept at least for a time in a net (Isa_51:20). Various missiles, pitfalls, snares, and gins were made use of in hunting (Psa_91:3; Amo_3:5; 2Sa_23:20). See the various animals and means of capture enumerated above in their alphabetical place. That hunting continued to be followed till towards the end of the Jewish state appears from Josephus (War, 1, 20, 13), where the historian speaks of Herod as “ever a most excellent hunter, for in one day he caught forty wild beasts.” The same passage makes it clear that horses were employed in the pursuits of the chase (compare Josephus, Ant. 15, 7, 7; 16:10, 3). SEE CHASE.
The prophets sometimes depict war under the idea of hunting: “I will send for many hunters,” says Jeremiah. “and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks” (16:16), referring to the Chaldaeans, who held the Jews under their dominion, or, according to others, to the Persians, who set the Hebrews at liberty. Ezekiel also (Eze_32:30) speaks of the kings, who were persecutors of the Jews, under the name of hunters. The psalmist thanks God for having delivered him from the snares of the hunters [Eng. trans. “fowler”] (Psa_91:3). Micah complains (Mic_7:2) that every one lays ambuscades for his neighbor, and that one brother hunts after another to destroy him. Jeremiah (Lam_3:52) represents Jerusalem as complaining of her enemies, who have taken her, like a bird, in their nets. SEE NET.

CYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL
press 1895.

FACEBOOK

Participe de nossa rede facebook.com/osreformadoresdasaude

Novidades, e respostas das perguntas de nossos colaboradores