Ox (2)
A Name in Judith's Genealogy
Ox appears in Judith 8:1 as one of the ancestors in the genealogy of Judith, the heroine of the deuterocanonical book that bears her name. The book of Judith opens the account of its protagonist with an extensive genealogy tracing her lineage through sixteen generations, establishing her as a woman of noble and distinguished Israelite descent. Ox is listed among these ancestors, connecting Judith to the tribe of Simeon.
The Problem of the Name
The name "Ox" is unusual in a Hebrew genealogical context. Unlike other names in Judith's lineage, it does not appear to be a standard Hebrew personal name. Scholars have long recognized that this name likely represents a textual corruption or an imperfect transliteration from Hebrew into Greek and then into English.
The Latin translation (Itala) renders the name as "Ozi," and the Syriac version reads "Uz." These variants point toward the Hebrew name Uzzi, meaning "my strength" or "strength of the LORD," which appears elsewhere in the Old Testament as a legitimate Israelite name (1 Chronicles 6:5-6; 7:2-3; Nehemiah 11:22). If this identification is correct, then Ox is simply a garbled form of a well-known Hebrew name.
The Book of Judith
The book of Judith tells the story of a beautiful and devout Jewish widow who saved her people from destruction by the Assyrian general Holofernes. When the Assyrian army besieged her city of Bethulia and cut off the water supply, Judith devised a bold plan. She entered the enemy camp, gained Holofernes' trust, and when he was incapacitated by wine, she beheaded him with his own sword (Judith 13:6-8). The Assyrian army fled in disarray, and Israel was saved.
Judith's Distinguished Lineage
The lengthy genealogy in Judith 8:1 serves to establish Judith's credentials as a true Israelite of noble ancestry. In the ancient world, genealogies functioned as identity documents, confirming a person's tribal affiliation and social standing. By tracing Judith's ancestry through multiple generations, the author emphasized that this woman who saved Israel was no ordinary figure but came from a line of distinguished Simeonite ancestors.
The Significance of Names in Genealogies
The textual difficulties surrounding the name Ox illustrate a broader challenge in biblical and deuterocanonical literature: the transmission of names across languages and centuries. Names could become corrupted through repeated copying, transliteration between scripts, and translation between languages. Despite these challenges, the genealogical records preserved in texts like Judith served the vital function of connecting individuals to their ancestral heritage and tribal identity.
Canonical Status
The book of Judith is considered deuterocanonical by Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions but is classified among the Apocrypha by Protestant traditions. Regardless of canonical status, the book is valued for its literary artistry, its portrait of courageous faith, and its insight into Jewish life and thought during the Second Temple period.
Biblical Context
Ox appears only in Judith 8:1 within the genealogy of the heroine Judith. The book of Judith is part of the deuterocanonical/apocryphal literature and is not included in the Hebrew Bible or Protestant Old Testament. The genealogy traces Judith's ancestry within the tribe of Simeon.
Theological Significance
While Ox himself carries no independent theological significance, his inclusion in Judith's genealogy serves the literary and theological purpose of establishing Judith as a woman of authentic Israelite heritage. The book of Judith as a whole celebrates faith, courage, and God's deliverance of His people through unexpected instruments.
Historical Background
The book of Judith was likely composed in the 2nd century BC, during or shortly after the Maccabean period. The genealogy in Judith 8:1 is generally regarded as a literary construction designed to give the heroine impressive ancestral credentials. The name Ox may derive from a Hebrew original (possibly Uzzi) that was distorted through the process of translation into Greek. The book survives primarily in Greek manuscripts, with the original Hebrew (if it existed) now lost.