H6510 H6510
Cow, heifer — a female bovine; used of livestock, dream symbolism, sacrificial ritual, and prophetic metaphor.
The standard Hebrew word for a female bovine, encompassing both the mature cow and the younger heifer without sharp distinction. It appears most memorably in Pharaoh's dream, where seven fat cows and seven lean cows emerging from the Nile foretell years of plenty and famine (Gen 41:2-26). In ritual law, the red heifer (פָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה) of Numbers 19:2-10 provides ashes for purification from corpse contamination — a rite whose mystery later Jewish and Christian traditions deeply pondered. The Philistines test the ark's power with milch cows (1 Sam 6:7-14). Amos stingingly calls Samaria's luxury-loving women 'cows of Bashan' (Amos 4:1), and Hosea likens stubborn Israel to a rebellious heifer (Hos 4:16). Spanish 'vaca' and German 'Kühe' confirm a single zoological referent.
Senses
1. cow, heifer — A female bovine, whether a mature cow or a younger heifer. The term spans agricultural, ritual, symbolic, and prophetic contexts. Agriculturally, cows appear among livestock gifts (Gen 32:15) and as working animals (1 Sam 6:7, 10, 12, 14). Ritually, the red heifer of Numbers 19:2-10 holds unique purificatory significance. Symbolically, Pharaoh's dream cows represent economic cycles (Gen 41:2-26). Prophetically, 'cows of Bashan' satirizes elite women's indulgence (Amos 4:1), while Hosea 4:16 uses the stubborn heifer as a metaphor for Israel's waywardness. Isaiah 11:7 envisions eschatological peace where cow and bear graze together. 26×
AR["الـ-بَقَرَتَانِ", "الـ-بَقَرَتَيْنِ", "الْ-بَقَرَاتُ", "الْ-بَقَرَاتِ", "الْبَقَرَةَ", "الْبَقَرَةِ", "بَقَراتٍ", "بَقَرَاتٍ", "بَقَرَتَيْنِ"]·ben["গাভী", "গাভীকে", "গাভীগুলি", "গাভীদের", "গাভীর", "গাভীরা"]·DE["Kühe", "cows", "der-cows", "der-heifer", "die-Kühe"]·EN["cows", "the-cows", "the-heifer"]·FR["cows", "le-cows", "le-heifer", "le-vaches", "vaches"]·heb["ה-פרה", "ה-פרות", "פרות", "פרת"]·HI["गाय", "गाय-की", "गायें", "गायों", "गायों-के", "गायों-ने"]·ID["lembu", "lembu-betina", "lembu-itu", "lembu-lembu-itu", "sapi-betina"]·IT["il-heifer", "il-vacche", "vacche"]·jav["lembu-èstri", "lembu-èstri-punika", "sapi-estri", "sapi-estri-punika", "sapi-èstri"]·KO["그-소들을", "그-소들이", "그-암소", "그-암소-를", "그-암소-의", "그-암소들", "그-암소들은", "그-암소들을", "그-암소들이", "소들을", "암소", "암소들은", "암소들이"]·PT["a-novilha", "as-vacas", "vacas"]·RU["коров", "коровами", "корову", "коровы"]·ES["la-vaca", "las-vacas", "vacas"]·SW["ndama-jike", "ng'ombe", "ng'ombe-jike"]·TR["-inek", "-inekler", "-inekleri", "-ineklerin", "inek", "inekler", "ineği", "ineğin"]·urd["دودھ-دینے-والی-گائیں", "گائیوں", "گائیوں-نے", "گائیوں-کو", "گائیوں-کے", "گائیں", "گائیں-وہ", "گائے", "گائے-کی", "گائے-کے"]
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
I. פָּרָה26 n.f. heifer, cow;—abs. פ׳ Is 11:7 +; sf. פָּרָתוֹ Jb 21:10; pl. פָּרוֹת Gn 32:16 +, פָּרֹת 41:26; cstr. פָּרוֹת Am 4:1;—as gift Gn 32:16; in Pharaoh’s dream 41:2, 3(×2) + 8 times 41; drawing cart 1 S 6:7, 12, 14 + פ׳ עָלוֹת v 7, 10 cows giving suck, milch cows; פ׳ calving Jb 21:10, grazing Is 11:7; פ׳ אֲדֻמָּה red heifer Nu 19:2, cf. v 5, 6, 9, 10; sim. of stubbornness Ho 4:16; פָּרוֹת הַבָּשָׁן Am 4:1, fig. of luxurious women.