Thursday, March 14, 2024
HomePopularWere Unicorns In The Bible

Were Unicorns In The Bible

Unicorns And The Bible The Perfect Match

Were unicorns real? What does the Bible say about unicorns?

In conclusion, this is what the Bible says about unicorns:

  • Unicorns are mentioned in the Bible, but only in King James Version. Newer translations don´t mention unicorns.
  • The original Hebrew word reem could be translated as a unicorn, a rhinoceros, or a wild ox
  • Unicorns are mentioned in 9 verses in King Jamess Version
  • The unicorn can be seen as an allegory to Christ and even God
  • Physiologus, an ancient Christian bestiary has a legend of a unicorn caught by a virgin. The unicorn has been interpreted as Christ and the virgin as Virgin Mary.

Should unicorns be brought back to the new version of the Bible? I think so. After all, unicorns were mentioned in the Holy Book once, and now they could be brought back. Especially young people love unicorns these days. If the church wants to get more members, the unicorns might be the perfect solution.

Do you think unicorns should be mentioned in the Bible again, and why? What does the unicorn in the Bible symbolize in your opinion? Please share your thoughts in the comments!

Expand

Tribal Associations Of Unicorns

For many tribal people, unicorns also held significance. These beautiful beasts again had many associations, most of them positive. The most common one was mysticism and inner power unicorns were believed to bring out peoples internal strength.

LearnReligions tells us that unicorns also represented the opening of the third eye. They were connected with self-exploration, and the need to gain a deeper understanding of oneself. Those who embodied the spirit of the unicorn would gain great self-awareness and introspection.

In most tribal cultures, unicorns represented purity in both mind and body. They are also connected with serenity, honesty, and majesty. Tribal people able to befriend unicorns, often through a mental connection, were highly respected.

The Unicorns In The Bible: Were They Real Unicorns What Are These Bible Unicorns

The unicorns in the Bible were real but are not the same unicorns you see around in pictures today like the one depicted in the picture below!! The word unicorn only appears in the older English translations like the King James Version because there was a subtle translation error which will be discussed below. We will also conclude with the spiritual message the Lord has for you through these symbolic creatures.

You May Like: Scriptures About Isolation

Why Unicorns Are In The Bible

The unicorn you may be thinking of that is a horse with a single horn that you read about in fairy tales is not the unicorn found in the Bible. The Bible is all about truth. We as Latter-day Saints also believe that the Bible is the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.

The word unicorn is mentioned in the King James Bible, but that is a mistranslation the animal referred to is actually some kind of wild ox or other form of Bovidae. Unicorns, Soul Mates, and Other Mythical Creatures By David A. Edwards and David Dickson LDS Church Magazines

Unicorns are a mythical beast, no more real than dragons, which incidentally are also mentioned in the Bible . But what are we to make of this? With so many references to the creature, could the unicorn actually have existed?

Most experts say no, and they also say that the original manuscripts shouldnt lead us to believe they did. The source text for each of these references gives us the Hebrew reem, which the Jewish Encyclopedia describes as a wild, untamable animal of great strength and agility, with mighty horns. If this sounds less like a unicorn and more like a rhinoceros, thats because many scholars believe these verses likely refer to the African mammal.

Other translations sometimes designate the reem as a type of antelope, while still other scholars believe it refers to a one-horned ox 8 Times Unicorns Were Mentioned in the Bible

Contents

What Is The Origin Of Unicorns

Are there really unicorns in the Bible?

This creature is believed to have originated from Mesopotamia, where artworks from the area indicated its first appearance. The animal is also mentioned in ancient Chinese and Indian myths.

Other tales talk of its combat with the elephant and how its horn was believed to purify poisoned water for other animals to drink.

Its horn was also used to make drinking cups which were used by important people in the Middle Ages.

Read Also: What The Bible Says About Loneliness

The Invisible Pink Unicorn

Despite how frequently the unicorn is used in the actual Bible, it has also been taken as a symbol of religious satire by the Church of the Invisible Pink Unicorn. The unicorn here is used to represent the paradox of religion it cannot be both invisible and pink, yet it succeeds in this because it can ignore the laws of the universe. This parodies arguments that God is unknowable because He also stands outside the laws of the physical universe.

Like similar ridiculous parodies, such as the Flying Spaghetti Monster and the Celestial Teapot, the Invisible Pink Unicorn is used as a representation of everything contradictory about Christianity. The unicorn probably wasnt chosen as a reference to its appearance in the Bible, but for its obviously mythical status. Very few people believe unicorns actually exist, so by choosing it as their symbol, followers automatically ask people to question it.

The Invisible Pink Unicorn is most specifically used to re-write phrases of the Bible in a way which encourages readers to question what they are reading. By replacing terms such as God, which inherently demands respect from followers of Christianity, with Invisible Pink Unicorn, people hope to encourage a more critical and thoughtful reading of the text than is otherwise permitted.

Why Does The Bible Mention Unicorns

They are mentioned in the Bible to portray the mighty strength of God. Based on Biblical scriptures, these are real animals, different from those drawn in many books or featured in movies.

Unicorns Bible-related verses teach about the different attributes of God, key among them being His strength and might.

Recommended Reading: What Does The Bible Say About Mental Abuse

Who Was The First Person To See A Unicorn

The first written account of this creature was written in the 4th century BCE by the Greek doctor Ctesias. The doctor heard tales of a single-horned animal while he was travelling through Persia.

He described the animal as being as large as a horse, with a red head, blue eyes, and a white body.

Ctesias described its horn as multi-coloured. According to his findings, the creature was so powerful and swift that no other animal could overtake it.

However, according to a Time Magazine article, it is likely that Ctesias never saw this unique creature himself and that he combined the descriptions that were told to him by some of his foreign friends.

Unicorns in the Bible are used to depict the mighty power of God. The single-horned horse-like creature is not only known for its horn, beauty, and purity but also for its strength and courage. Despite being extinct, it is still one of the most powerful and beautiful legendary creatures of all time.

Unicorns Spiritualism In Dreams

Unicorns In The Bible?! | Untold Stories In The Bible

Unicorns appearing in dreams represent some very powerful things. The manifestation is perhaps one of the clearest ways these mythical beasts can ever show themselves to humans. It allows a greater sense of connection and communication than any other form of contact.

TheSpiritualCenter says that unicorns rarely lead dreamers anywhere. Their purpose is not to show people the way they must go, but to remind them that there is a way forward. Perhaps their most significant symbol, then, is hope. They provide light by which to see the path, but do not walk ahead of the dreamer. Instead, they serve as a companion, keeping the dreamers spirits up and lighting the way with joy and peace.

This adds a further link to the idea that unicorns spiritually represent Christ, who was considered a teacher and a companion to all. If you have ever seen a unicorn in your dreams, perhaps it was guiding you along a difficult path, and reminding you of the importance of hope.

Because unicorns are associated with power, encountering them in dreams also signifies that something needs to be done. In most cultures, a dream unicorn meant that a significant step needed to be taken, or that some major change lay ahead of the dreamer. This ties in with the idea that unicorns are companions on difficult journeys.

You May Like: What Does The Bible Say About Protecting Yourself

Unicorns In The Biblemythical Fairy Tale Creatures

Unicorns are mentioned in the Bible nine times in the books of Numbers, Deuteronomy, Job, Psalms, and Isaiah and have become one of the problematic creatures referred to in Scripture. From our 21st-century understanding as presented in books and movies, we have come to think of this creature as a beautiful, magical, mythical horse. Thus, it has become an excuse for scoffers to dismiss the Bible as a book of fairy tales. However, a closer examination of the words origin and original English definition may give us a different picture.

The very first edition of Noah Websters dictionary in 1828 lists unicorn with the following definition: an animal with one horn, the monoceros. This name is often applied to the rhinoceros. Notice that this definition says absolutely nothing about a horse, or a horse-like animal, or Greek mythology, or a mythical or fictitious creature. This definition simply states that this is a name that is often applied to the rhinoceros.

Still today, the scientific name of the Asian one-horned rhinoceros is rhinoceros unicornis, and the scientific name for a two-horned rhinoceros is diceros bicornis.

Both unicornis and bicornis are Latin words. Lets look at these two words as found in the Latin Bible in two different Bible passages.

Looking at Deuteronomy 33:17 in a Latin Bible, this verse uses the Latin word rinocerotis, referring to a two-horned rhinoceros.

You Can Get A Permit To Hunt Unicorns

If youre looking to hunt a unicorn, but dont know where to begin, try Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Since 1971, the university has issued permits to unicorn questers. Anyone embarking on such a search is advised to carry a flask of cognac and a pair of pinking shears.

This story originally ran in Mental Floss magazine in 2013.

Also Check: What The Bible Says About Long Hair

The Color Of Unicorns

The color of the unicorn also has significance. According to DreamNest, white unicorns are representations of good luck. Seeing a white unicorn might mean that something is going to go well for you, or that difficulties will be overcome successfully. White is the color which we most commonly associate with these beautiful creatures.

A black unicorn does not suggest the opposite, perhaps surprisingly. Instead, the black unicorns focus is on internal strength and power. A black unicorn is a reminder that you may be facing challenges, but that you have the strength to triumph. We have also discussed the meaning of black unicorns in dreams in our previous article.

You might see any other colored unicorn, especially in your dreams. Remember, we each have different associations with these amazing, versatile creatures, and this means that we all see them a little differently. What unicorns mean to you as an individual is as spiritually important as any meanings they have been given throughout history.

So What Do We Know About Unicorns In The Bible Verses

Those Awkward Moments

While the appearance of the unicorn isnt described in the Bible, it does provide some clues to the nature of this mysterious beast.

  • In Numbers 23:22 and 24:8, the Bible speaks of the strength of a unicorn.
  • Deuteronomy 33:17, Psalms 22: 21 and Psalms 92:10 speak of the unicorns horn.
  • Job 39:10 and 39:10 both speak of the unicorn not tilling the earth.
  • In Psalms 29:6, the unicorn is likened to a young calf skipping, while Isiah 34:7 mentions unicorns in the same context as bulls and bullocks.

From the context of the word unicorn in the Bible, we can conclude that the unicorn was an animal of great strength, similar to bulls and bullocks, with a notable horn. We can also conclude that it was not a domesticated animal used to till the fields.

The answer to the question Are there unicorns in the Bible? is yes, but no one knows for sure what the Biblical unicorn really looked like. Most scholars agree the unicorns mentioned in the Bible were either a type of wild ox as the Hebrew name suggests or a one-horned rhinoceros as the Greek suggests. Nearly everyone agrees that the Biblical unicorn is unlikely to match our image of the mythical unicorn.

All Content Copyright ©

Don’t Miss: What Does Bible Say About Mixing Races

Are Unicorns In The Bible Verses That Mention The Mythical Creature

What are unicorns? They are mythical beasts just like dragons, which are incidentally mentioned in the Bible several times. These creatures are known to have mighty strength and cannot be domesticated. Their power is likened to that of a rhinoceros. Does the Bible mention these creatures? Are there unicorns in the Bible?

Even though this special creature cannot be found in the current world, it did exist in the past. Is there any mention of a unicorn in the Bible?

Young Women Were Believed To Have Power Over Unicorns

During the Dark Ages, when science famously took a back seat to illogical hunches, collections known as bestiaries listed the biological properties and medicinal use of known animals, which at the time included unicorns. Its in these collections that virgins were first described as having great power over the creatures.

Also Check: Bible Verses For Refugees

Bible Verses About The Strength Ofthe Unicorn

It seems quite likely that the phrase unicorn was being used to refer to a single-horned rhino, rather than the great mythical equines we associate the word with today. This is particularly true when you look at how unicorns are described and what they are used to represent in the Bible often strength.

The phrase from Numbers 24:8, God brought them 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, could easily apply to rhinos, since they are extremely strong, powerful creatures. Clearly, Gods strength is being likened to theirs in the defense of his people.

In Isaiah 34:7, the quote And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness, is also indicative of a unicorns powerful and dangerous nature, as here the great creatures are being humbled by man, alongside the bulls perhaps the most feared of our agricultural animals.

Psalm 22:21 furthers the impression that unicorns are extremely powerful creatures, Save me from the lions mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. This speaks of danger from one of the most iconic ferocious animals lions and from unicorns. The two seem to pose an equal threat in this passage, which again demonstrates the sheer power unicorns represented at this time.

What Do Bible Unicorn Verses Teach Us

Unicorns, in the Bible

There are many symbolicmeanings of the Bible unicorn mentioned in different Biblical verses. It is evident that these verses mostly portray the mighty power of God.

The existence of Biblical unicorns during ancient times shows how mighty Yahweh is and how He cannot be compared to any fictional entity.

The unicorns in Bible verses depict God’s attribute of being omnipotent.

In most unicorn Bible verses, this creature is described as an animal of great strength, similar to bulls.

Also Check: What Does The Bible Say About Blood Transfusions

Bible Verses That Talk About Unicorns

Firstly, its important to establish that the version of the Bible which mentions unicorns is the . Later versions often substitute another word for unicorn to limit confusion for readers. Bear in mind that any English Bible is a translation of the original Bible, so words are open to interpretation and different translations which is why other words can be substituted for unicorn without the intended meaning being altered.

With that established, lets look more closely at where these fabulous creatures appear in the Bible! They are in several books, including Numbers, Isaiah, Job, Deuteronomy, and Psalms, and they appear in Numbers 23:22, Numbers 24:8, Isaiah 34:7, Job 39:9-12, Deuteronomy 33:17, Psalm 22:21, Psalm 29:6, and Psalm 92:10. It may only be one translation, but thats a lot of verses and a lot of references to unicorns!

Are There Really Unicorns In The King James Bible

What? Unicorns in the Bible? Yes, they are mentioned nine times.

Could it be unicorns really existed?

A 1967 hit song by the Irish Rovers tells a fanciful story of how Noah couldnt persuade any silly unicorns to get on board the Ark since they wanted to play in the rain.

But, what does the Bible say? Were there really unicorns in ancient times?

The word unicorn appears in the King James Version nine times in Numbers 23:22 and 24:8, Deuteronomy 33:17, Job 39:9,10, Psalms 22:21, 29:6 and 92:10 and in Isaiah 34:7.

What was this biblical unicorn? And why dont later translations of the Bible contain the word?

Numbers 23:22 in the King James Version reads: God brought them out of Egypt he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

However, the New International Version says: God brought them out of Egypt they have the strength of a wild ox.

And the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible says: God hath brought him out of Egypt, whose strength is like to the rhinoceros.

Well, which is it? Unicorn? Ox? Or rhino?

The original Hebrew is the word reem. What was a reem? Scholars cannot agree. In the late Jewish author and skeptic Isaac Asimovs Guide to the Bible, he offers this:

Biblical scholar Bert Thompson, Ph.D., agrees. When the first Greek translation of the Bible was prepared about 250 B.C., the reem was already rare in the long-settled areas of the Near East. The Greeks, who had no direct experience with it, had no word for it.

What kind of animal was it?

Also Check: What Does Bible Say About Cremation Vs Burial

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular