Search / H0355
H0355 H0355
Prep-k  |  8× in 1 sense
A hind or doe (female deer), used in poetry as a figure of grace, swiftness, and sure-footedness
This feminine noun designates the hind or doe — the female deer — and appears almost exclusively in poetic and wisdom literature. Naphtali is compared to a doe set free giving beautiful words (Gen 49:21), and God is praised for making feet swift and sure like those of a hind (2 Sam 22:34; Ps 18:33; Hab 3:19). The Song of Songs adjures by the 'does of the field' (Song 2:7; 3:5). Spanish 'cierva,' French 'biche,' and German 'Hirschkuh' all confirm the consistent zoological identification across traditions.

Senses
1. hind, doe, female deer The feminine noun אַיָּלָה, denoting a female deer (hind, doe), used across poetic, wisdom, and prophetic contexts as a symbol of grace and agility. In Genesis 49:21, Naphtali is likened to a doe let loose; in 2 Samuel 22:34, Psalm 18:33, and Habakkuk 3:19, God makes the psalmist's feet like those of a hind — swift and sure-footed on high places. Job 39:1 and Psalm 29:9 depict the doe calving. Song of Songs 2:7 and 3:5 invoke the 'does of the field' in an adjuration formula. Multilingual glosses — Spanish 'cierva,' French 'biche,' German 'Hirschkuh/Gazelle' — uniformly identify the animal as a female cervid.
ANIMALS Animals Deer and Gazelle
AR["أَيِّلَةٌ", "الأَيَّلَاتِ", "الْأَيِّلِ", "بِ-أَيْلُوت", "كَ-الْأَيَائِلِ", "كَالأَيَّلَةِ", "كَالأَيَّلِ"]·ben["-হরিণীদের-দিয়ে", "হরিণী", "হরিণীদের", "হরিণীদের-মতো", "হরিণীর-মতো", "হরিণের-মতো"]·DE["Gazelle", "der-Hirsch", "eine-Hirschkuh", "wie-der-Hirsch", "wie-der-deer"]·EN["by-does-of", "doe", "like-the-deer", "the-deer"]·FR["biche", "comme-biche", "comme-le-deer", "doe", "par-les-biches"]·heb["אילה", "אילות", "ב-אילות", "כ-אילות"]·HI["जैसे-हरिणी-के", "जैसे-हिरनी-के", "हरिणियों-की", "हिरणियों-का", "हिरणी", "हिरनियों-को", "हिरनियों-जैसे"]·ID["demi-rusa-rusa-betina", "rusa-betina", "rusa-rusa betina", "seperti-rusa", "seperti-rusa-betina,", "seperti-rusa-rusa-betina"]·IT["[כאילות]", "cerva", "come-il-deer", "doe", "il-deer", "in-da-does-of"]·jav["déning-menjangan-estri", "kados-kidang", "kidang-estri", "menjangan-wadon", "menjangan-èstri"]·KO["사슴들-을", "사슴들이", "사슴들처럼", "사슴이다", "암사슴-같게", "암사슴-처럼", "암사슴들-로"]·PT["as-cervas", "cerva", "como-as-corças", "como-as-gazelas", "como-os-da-corsa", "corvas", "pelas-cervas-de"]·RU["как-у-оленей", "как-у-оленя", "ланей", "лань", "ланями", "оленей"]·ES["cierva", "ciervas", "como-de-ciervas", "como-las-ciervas", "por-las-ciervas-de"]·SW["kama-kulungu", "kama-ya-kulungu", "kwa-kulungu", "mbuzi", "paa", "wa-kulungu-jike"]·TR["geyik", "geyik-gibi", "geyikler-gibi", "geyiklere", "geyikleri", "geyiklerin"]·urd["-ہرنیوں-کے-مانند", "ہرنوں-کی-طرح", "ہرنی", "ہرنیوں-کا", "ہرنیوں-کو", "ہرنیوں-کی", "ہرنیوں-کی-طرح"]

Related Senses
H6629 1. flock, sheep/goats (small livestock) (274×)H1241 1. cattle, herd (bovine livestock) (183×)H0352a 1. ram (male sheep) (156×)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×)

BDB / Lexicon Reference
אַיָּלָה n.f. hind, doe—א׳ abs. Gn 49:21 (but read אֵילָה v. infr.); אַיֶּ֫לֶת Je 14:5; cstr. אַיֶּ֫לֶת ψ 22:1 Pr 5:19; pl. אַיָּלוֹת ψ 29:9 + 4 times; cstr. אַיְלוֹת Ct 2:7; 3:5—hind, doe, as calving Jb 39:1 (חֹלֵל א׳לֶדֶת יַעֲלֵי סָ֑לַע) cf. ψ 29:9 קוֹל יָ׳ יְחוֹלֵל א׳; in adjuration בִּצְבָאוֹת אוֹ בְּא׳ הַשָּׂדֶה Ct 2:7; 3:5; in sim. מְשַׁיֶּה רַגְלַי כָּא ψ 18:34; = 2 S 22:34 cf.