ἀλώπηξ G0258
fox; a cunning, crafty person (metaphorically)
A noun for the animal known for craftiness in ancient lore. Jesus contrasts his homelessness—'Foxes have holes... but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head' (Matt 8:20, Luke 9:58)—with even wild animals' security. When warned about Herod Antipas, Jesus calls him 'that fox' (Luke 13:32), a pointed reference to craftiness or insignificance. Classical Greek uses fox imagery proverbially for cunning deception.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Refers literally to the fox and metaphorically to cunning or sly persons. Jesus's poverty saying juxtaposes foxes' dens with his own landlessness—even clever wild animals have more security than the itinerant Messiah. The Herod reference drips with contempt: either 'that crafty schemer' or 'that insignificant creature'—likely both. Multilingual glosses use standard fox terms (Spanish 'zorra/zorras,' French 'renard,' German 'Fuchs'), with the Herod context allowing the metaphorical edge. 3×
AR["الثَّعْلَبِ", "ثَعالِبُ"]·ben["শিয়ালকে", "শিয়ালের", "শেয়ালগুলির"]·DE["Fuchs"]·EN["fox", "foxes"]·FR["renard"]·heb["שׁוּעָל", "שׁוּעָלִים"]·HI["लोमड़ियों-के", "लोमड़ी-से"]·ID["Rubah", "rubah"]·IT["alopekes", "alopeki"]·jav["rubah", "segawon-asu"]·KO["여우-에게", "여우도", "여우들"]·PT["raposa", "raposas"]·RU["Лисицы", "лисице", "лисицы"]·ES["zorra", "zorras"]·SW["mbweha"]·TR["Tilkilerin", "tilkilerin", "tilkiye"]·urd["لومڑی", "لومڑیوں"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀλώπηξ [ᾰ], εκος (also ἀλώπηκοςRefs 6th c.BC+, ; dative plural, ἀλώπεξιLXX, Epic dialect ἀλωπήκεσσιRefs 3rd c.AD+:—fox, Canis vulpes (smaller Egyptian species Refs 4th c.BC+, C. niloticus), Refs 7th c.BC+: of sly persons, ἀλώπεκος ἴχνεσι βαίνεινRefs 6th c.BC+; μῆτιν ἀ. a very fox for craft, Refs 5th c.BC+ we must trail Archilochus' foxskin behind, i.e. deceive by false appearances, Refs 5th…