Proverbs 30:31

[Abiel]

I am in the process of adopting a greyhound, and this brought me to a curious bit of bible. The information book I bought told me that the greyhound is the only breed of dog mentioned. But only in the authorised version. In others, it is a rooster. And it says in the notes 'hebrew unclear'. Any insights?

KJV
29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: 30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; 31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

NIV
PR 30:29 "There are three things that are stately in their stride,
four that move with stately bearing:
PR 30:30 a lion, mighty among beasts,
who retreats before nothing;
PR 30:31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
and a king with his army around him.

ASV
PR 30:29 There are three things which are stately in their march, Yea, four which are stately in going: 30 The lion, which is mightiest among beasts, And turneth not away for any; 31 The greyhound; The he-goat also; And the king against whom there is no rising up.

NRSV
PR 30:29 Three things are stately in their stride;
four are stately in their gait:
PR 30:30 the lion, which is mightiest among wild animals
and does not turn back before any;
PR 30:31 the strutting rooster, the he-goat,
and a king striding before his people.

 

[Nazaroo]

There are hundreds of unidentified fauna and flora in the Old Testament. Even modern Jews are uncertain of many of the species referred to by obscure words which often occur only once in the whole bible.

The word here however, is unlikely to refer to a 'greyhound' since dogs have been bred for almost a thousand years as farm animals and have hung around human settlements seeking garbage and preying on unguarded livestock since recorded time. Most of the modern breeds of dog have only existed in last 400 years or so.

Be advised that dogs and cats are however unclean animals, and not suitable as 'housepets'. Due to a longstanding parasitic and symbiotic relation with mankind, dogs cannot be totally avoided but it is clearly a perverse thing to breed them as 'toys' for the rich, or as freaks which could have no chance of survival in the wild. This is a form of genetic engineering which many Christians feel is an abomination.

The health hazards of having unclean scavengers and carnivores as housepets are well known. Women, especially pregnant women are more susceptable than men to the dangers. For instance, Health boards continuously post warnings about even touching cat feces while pregnant, the stuff is so toxic it can cause spontaneous abortion.

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~pregnant/whiltoxo.html
http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site482/mainpageS482P0.html
http://www.drphil.com/articles/article/288
http://www.2ndchance.info/toxoplasmosis.htm
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1359&articleid=770
http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/petcolumns/showarticle.cfm?id=402
http://www.pa.msu.edu/sciencet/ask_st/041697.html
http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthinformation/diseasesandconditions/maternity/planning/
http://www.uchospitals.edu/online-library/content=P01200



Unless you own a farm or ranch, I strongly suggest avoiding a dog or any kind of carnivore as a pet. Try a rabbit, they are cuddly and cute.