Hock
What Does It Mean to Hock?
To hock an animal means to sever the tendons at the back of its hind legs (the hock joint), permanently crippling it. In older English translations, this is rendered as "hough" or "hamstring." The Hebrew word is aqar, meaning "to root out" or "to uproot," vividly describing the destructive nature of the act. Animals that were hocked could never be used again for riding, pulling chariots, or agricultural work.
Jacob's Prophecy in Genesis 49
The earliest biblical reference to hocking appears in Jacob's deathbed prophecy over his sons. In Genesis 49:6, Jacob condemns the violence of Simeon and Levi: "In their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hocked oxen" (some translations read "hamstrung oxen" or "digged down a wall"). This refers to the brothers' destructive rampage at Shechem (Genesis 34), where their disproportionate revenge went beyond justice into wanton destruction. Jacob's condemnation shows that needlessly maiming animals was considered morally reprehensible.
God's Command to Joshua
The most significant use of hocking in Scripture occurs in Joshua 11:6, 9, during Israel's conquest of northern Canaan. When a coalition of kings assembled a massive army with horses and chariots against Israel, God told Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire." Joshua obeyed, defeating the coalition and destroying their military assets (Joshua 11:9).
God's command to hock the horses was deliberate and strategic. Israel was a foot army, and God did not want them relying on horses and chariots — the dominant military technology of the ancient Near East. By destroying captured horses rather than incorporating them into Israel's forces, Joshua demonstrated that Israel's trust was in God rather than in military hardware.
David and the Aramean Horses
In 2 Samuel 8:4, David captured a thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers from Hadadezer, king of Zobah. David "hamstrung all the chariot horses but reserved enough for a hundred chariots." This action followed the precedent set by Joshua, though David kept a small number of horses. The parallel account in 1 Chronicles 18:4 records the same event. David's partial retention of horses may reflect a practical compromise, though later kings like Solomon would amass vast numbers of horses and chariots (1 Kings 10:26).
The Theological Significance of Not Keeping Horses
God's command to hock captured horses is connected to a broader theological principle about trusting in God rather than in military might. Deuteronomy 17:16 warned that Israel's future king "must not acquire many horses for himself." Psalm 20:7 declares, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." Isaiah 31:1 pronounced woe on those "who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses." Hocking enemy horses was a visible, dramatic expression of this trust.
Ancient Warfare and Chariots
Horses and chariots represented the most advanced military technology in the ancient Near East. The great empires of Egypt, Assyria, and the Hittites built their military dominance on chariot forces. For Israel, a relatively small and resource-poor nation, the temptation to adopt these technologies was strong. God's instruction to destroy captured horses rather than use them kept Israel dependent on divine strength and prevented them from becoming just another militaristic ancient state.
Biblical Context
Hocking (hamstringing) appears in Genesis 49:6 (Jacob's condemnation of Simeon and Levi), Joshua 11:6, 9 (God's command to destroy Canaanite chariot horses), and 2 Samuel 8:4 (David's capture of Aramean horses). The practice is consistently connected to themes of divine trust versus military reliance.
Theological Significance
The command to hock enemy horses expressed God's insistence that Israel trust in him rather than in military technology. By destroying captured assets rather than accumulating them, Israel demonstrated dependence on divine power. This principle is echoed in prophetic warnings against trusting in horses and chariots (Psalm 20:7; Isaiah 31:1).
Historical Background
Horses and chariots were the dominant military technology in the ancient Near East from the second millennium BC onward. Chariot forces gave Egypt, Assyria, and the Hittites decisive advantages in warfare. Hamstringing captured horses was a recognized practice for neutralizing enemy military resources. Archaeological evidence from battle sites confirms the destruction of captured equipment as a common ancient strategy.