H0352a H0352a
Ram; a male sheep, used prominently in sacrifice, tribute, food, and prophetic symbolism
The ayil is the mature male sheep, and its 156 Old Testament occurrences place it at the intersection of worship, economy, and prophecy. The ram caught in the thicket becomes Abraham's substitute offering at Moriah (Gen 22:13), establishing a pattern of divinely provided sacrifice. In the Levitical system, rams are prescribed for burnt offerings, guilt offerings, and the consecration of priests (Exod 29:15–22). Daniel's vision employs a ram with two horns as a symbol of the Medo-Persian empire (Dan 8:3–4). Translations converge on the standard male-sheep term: 'carnero,' 'bélier,' 'Widder.'
Senses
1. ram (male sheep) — A mature male sheep, prominent across sacrificial, agricultural, economic, and visionary contexts in the Hebrew Bible. The ram appears as Abraham's substitute sacrifice (Gen 22:13), as the prescribed animal for priestly consecration and guilt offerings (Exod 29:15, Lev 5:15), as a commodity of trade and tribute (2 Kgs 3:4, 2 Chr 17:11), and as an apocalyptic symbol of royal power (Dan 8:3). Cross-linguistic evidence — Spanish 'carneros,' French 'béliers,' German 'Widder' — consistently identifies the male ovine without semantic ambiguity. 156×
AR["-اثْنَيْنِ", "كِبَاشًا", "كِبَاشٌ", "كِبَاشٍ"]·ben["-মেষগুলি", "এয়লিম", "মেষ", "শেনায়িম"]·DE["Widder"]·EN["rams"]·FR["béliers"]·heb["איל", "ה-איל"]·HI["मेंढ़ों-को", "मेढ़े"]·ID["domba-domba-jantan", "domba-jantan"]·IT["montoni"]·jav["menda-jaler", "wedhus-jaler", "wedhus-lanang"]·KO["그-숫양들을", "숙양들-을", "숫양", "숫양들"]·PT["carneiros"]·RU["баранов", "овнов"]·ES["carneros", "los-carneros"]·SW["kondoo-dume", "kondoo-madume"]·TR["-koçlar", "koç", "koçlar"]·urd["مینڈھوں", "مینڈھے", "مینڑھے"]
Gen 22:13, Exod 29:15, Exod 29:15, Exod 29:16, Exod 29:17, Exod 29:18, Exod 29:19, Exod 29:19, Exod 29:20, Exod 29:22, Exod 29:32, Lev 8:2 (+38 more)
Related Senses
H6629 1. flock, sheep/goats (small livestock) (274×)H1241 1. cattle, herd (bovine livestock) (183×)H6499 1. young bull, bullock (130×)H3532 1. lamb, young male sheep (105×)H2543 1. donkey (male ass) (96×)H7794 1. ox, bull (79×)H7462b 1. shepherd (agent noun) (76×)H5795 1. she-goat(s), female goat(s) (68×)H7462b 2. to shepherd, tend, pasture (60×)H1581 1. camel (domestic animal) (54×)H0738b 1. lion (46×)G4263 1. sheep (39×)H5739 1. flock or herd of livestock (38×)H5695 1. calf, young bull (35×)H0738a 1. lion (large predatory feline) (34×)H0860 1. female donkey (34×)H3611 1. dog (animal) (32×)H3715a 1. young lion, lion cub (31×)G0721 1. Lamb (29×)H6260 1. male goat, he-goat (28×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. אַ֫יִל156 n.m. Gn 22:13 ram (as leader of flock, NHeb. & Aramaic id., Assyrian ailu DlW, Ph. איל, = אַיִל rather than אַיָּל, cf. CISi. p. 231)—אַיִל (אָ֑יִל) Gn 15:9 +; cstr. אֵיל Ex 29:22 +; pl. אֵילִים (אֵילִם, אֵלִים) Gn 32:15 +; cstr. אֵילֵי Gn 31:38 Is 60:7.—ram, 1. used as food Gn 31:38 (E) Dt 32:14 (cf. ram of sacrifice, infr. e.g. Ex 29:32 cf. Lv 8:31); as yielding wool 2 K 3:4; as…