H5697a H5697a
Heifer — a young cow used in sacrifice, covenant ceremony, and as a prophetic metaphor for nations
The noun עֶגְלָה (eglah) designates a young female cow, a heifer, in ritual, legal, and metaphorical contexts. Abraham's covenant ceremony requires a three-year-old heifer (Gen 15:9). Deuteronomy 21:3-6 prescribes breaking a heifer's neck to expiate unsolved murder. Samson accuses the Philistines of 'plowing with my heifer' to discover his riddle (Judg 14:18). The prophets use the heifer as a national metaphor: Jeremiah compares Egypt to 'a beautiful heifer' stung by a gadfly (Jer 46:20) and Babylon to a threshing heifer (Jer 50:11). Hosea portrays Ephraim as a trained heifer yoked for harder labor (Hos 10:11). Spanish 'becerra' and French 'genisse' specify the young female bovine.
Senses
1. heifer, young cow — A young female cow used in sacrifice, law, and figurative speech. In ritual: Abraham's covenant sacrifice (Gen 15:9). In law: neck broken to expiate unsolved murder (Deut 21:3-6). In metaphor: Samson's 'my heifer' for his wife (Judg 14:18), Egypt as a beautiful heifer (Jer 46:20), and Ephraim as a trained heifer yoked for harder labor (Hos 10:11). 12×
AR["الْعِجْلَةَ", "الْعِجْلَةِ", "بِ-عِجْلَتِي", "عِجلَةً-مِنَ-", "عِجلَةٌ", "عِجْلَةً", "عِجْلَةٌ", "عِجْلَةَ", "كَعِجْلَةٍ", "لِعِجلَةِ"]·ben["আমার-বাছুরে", "গাভী-", "বাছুর", "বাছুরগাভী", "বাছুরগুলির-জন্য-", "বাছুরি", "বাছুরী", "বাছুরের-মতো", "সেই-বাছুর"]·DE["[כעגלה]", "[לעגלות]", "[עגלה]", "[עגלת]", "der-heifer", "eine-Kuh", "heifer", "heifer-von", "mit-mein-heifer"]·EN["a-heifer", "for-the-calves-of", "heifer", "heifer-of", "like-a-heifer", "the-heifer", "with-my-heifer"]·FR["[כעגלה]", "[עגלה]", "[עגלת]", "avec-mon-heifer", "génisse", "heifer", "heifer-de", "le-heifer", "une-génisse"]·heb["ב-עגלתי", "ה-עגלה", "כ-עגלה", "ל-עגלות", "עגלה", "עגלת"]·HI["बचिय", "बछड़ों-के-लिए", "बछदिय", "बछिया", "बछिया-की-तरह", "मेरी-बछिया-से"]·ID["Lembu-betina", "anak-sapi-betina", "dengan-lembu-betinaku", "lembu-betina", "lembu-muda", "seperti-anak-lembu"]·IT["[כעגלה]", "[לעגלות]", "[עגלה]", "[עגלת]", "con-mio-heifer", "heifer", "heifer-di", "il-heifer", "un-heifer"]·jav["anak-sapi-èstri", "dara-badag", "kados-pedet", "kalayan-sapi-dara-kula", "kangge-pedhet", "pedet-èstri", "pedhet", "pedhetan", "sapi-dara"]·KO["나의-암송아지로", "송아지같이", "암소", "암소를", "암소이다", "암송아지", "암송아지라", "암송아지를", "암송아지의", "에-송아지들을-위하여"]·PT["Novilha", "Para-bezerros-de", "a-novilha", "com-novilha-minha", "como-novilha", "novilha", "novilha-de"]·RU["-тёлке", "-тёлкой", "-тёлку", "Телица", "как-тёлка", "на-тёлке-моей", "о-тельцах", "телицу", "тёлка", "тёлку"]·ES["becerra-de", "como-novilla", "con-mi-novilla", "la-novilla", "novilla", "novilla-de", "por-los-becerros-de"]·SW["Ng’ombe-mke", "kama-ndama-ya", "kwa-ndama-za", "kwa-ng'ombe-wangu", "mtamba", "ndama", "ng'ombe-jike"]·TR["-gibi-düve", "-ile-düvem", "buzağıları-için", "düev-sığırı", "düve", "düvenin", "düveyi", "inek"]·urd["بچھڑوں-کے-لیے", "بچھڑی", "بچھڑی-کی", "بچھیا", "بچھیا-کی-طرح", "میری-بچھیا-سے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. עֶגְלָה n.f. heifer;—abs. ע׳ Gn 15:9 +; cstr. עֶגְלַת Is 7:21 +; sf. עֶגְלָתִי Ju 14:18; pl. cstr. עֶגְלוֹת Ho 10:5 (but v. infr.);—heifer, Is 7:21, used in ploughing Ju 14:18 (fig.), threshing Je 50:11 (ע׳ דָשָׁא, in sim., v. דּוּשׁ, read perhaps דָשָׁה), fig. of stateliness etc. Je 46:20; ע׳ מְלֻמָּדָה Ho 10:11 a trained heifer (sim. of Ephr.); used for sacrif. 1 S 16:2 (עֶגְלַת בָּקָר);…