Rhinoceros
The Translation Question
The word "rhinoceros" appears in marginal notes of some older English Bible translations, particularly in connection with Isaiah 34:7, where the King James Version reads "unicorns" and modern translations render the Hebrew word as "wild oxen." The underlying Hebrew term is "re'em," a word that has generated centuries of debate among translators and scholars trying to identify the animal it describes.
The Hebrew Re'em
The re'em appears several times in the Old Testament, always as a symbol of great strength and untamable wildness. God challenges Job by asking whether the re'em would consent to serve him or stay at his feeding trough (Job 39:9-10). Moses uses it as a metaphor for the power of the tribe of Joseph (Deuteronomy 33:17). The psalmist cries out to be saved from the horns of the re'em (Psalm 22:21). In Balaam's oracles, God's strength on behalf of Israel is compared to this mighty beast (Numbers 23:22; 24:8). Each reference emphasizes raw, uncontrollable power.
Why Rhinoceros Was Suggested
The suggestion that re'em might refer to a rhinoceros arose partly from the Septuagint's translation of the word as "monoceros" (one-horned creature). Since the Indian rhinoceros has a single prominent horn, some scholars proposed it as a candidate. However, this identification presents significant geographical problems. The one-horned rhinoceros is native to the Indian subcontinent, not to the ancient Near East. While two-horned rhinoceros species exist in Africa, there is no evidence that rhinoceroses inhabited the lands of the Bible during the historical period described in Scripture.
The Wild Ox Identification
Modern scholarship has firmly identified the re'em with the aurochs, the massive wild ox that once roamed throughout the ancient Near East, Europe, and North Africa. The aurochs stood up to six feet tall at the shoulder and was known for its tremendous strength and fierce temperament. Assyrian kings hunted the aurochs and depicted it in their palace reliefs. The animal fits every biblical description of the re'em perfectly: powerful, wild, impossible to domesticate, and possessing impressive horns. The last known aurochs died in Poland in 1627.
Lessons from the Biblical Text
The passages that reference the re'em consistently use the animal to illustrate overwhelming power, whether describing God's might, the strength of Israel's tribes, or the terrifying forces from which the psalmist seeks deliverance. In Isaiah 34:7, the context is a prophecy of judgment against Edom, where even the mightiest creatures will fall before God's wrath. The identity of the specific animal matters less than the theological point: no created strength can stand before the Creator.
Biblical Context
The Hebrew word re'em, sometimes marginally translated as rhinoceros, appears in Numbers 23:22 and 24:8 (Balaam's oracles), Deuteronomy 33:17 (Moses' blessing), Job 39:9-10 (God's challenge to Job), Psalm 22:21 and 92:10, and Isaiah 34:7 (judgment on Edom). In every case it symbolizes extraordinary strength and wildness.
Theological Significance
The re'em passages collectively teach that true power belongs to God alone. When God compares His own strength to this mighty beast, the message is that divine power surpasses even the most formidable forces in nature. The inability of humans to tame the wild ox parallels the truth that God's sovereign will cannot be controlled or redirected by human effort.
Historical Background
The rhinoceros identification was based on the Septuagint's 'monoceros' translation and was popular in medieval times. Modern scholarship identifies the re'em as the aurochs (Bos primigenius), an enormous wild ox depicted frequently in Assyrian and Egyptian art. The aurochs was well known throughout the ancient Near East and was hunted by Assyrian kings as a symbol of royal power. It became extinct in the 17th century AD.