Fox

(Heb. shual). Probably the jackal is the animal signified in almost all the passages in the Old Testament where the Hebrew term occurs. Though both foxes and jackals abound in Palestine, the shualim (foxes) of (Judges 15:4) are evidently jackals and not foxes, for the former animal is gregarious, whereas the latter is solitary in its habits; and Samson could not, for that reason, have easily caught three hundred foxes, but it was easy to catch that number of jackals, which are concealed by hundreds in caves and ruins of Syria. It is not probable, however, that Samson sent out the whole three hundred at once. With respect to the jackals and foxes of Palestine, there is no doubt that the common jackal of the country is the Canis aureus , which may be heard every night in the villages. It is like a medium-sized dog, with a head like a wolf, and is of a bright-yellow color. These beasts devour the bodies of the dead, and even dig them up from their graves.

Fox

Two words in Hebrew are translated "fox" in the Bible; and it is not easy in every case to determine what animal is referred to. There were several varieties of fox in Palestine, all like the common fox in form and habits. The fox is cunning, voracious, and mischievous, Ezekiel 13:4 Luke 13:32. He is fond of grapes, and does much harm in vineyards, So 2:15. The fable of the fox and the sour grapes is well known. He is solitary in his habits, and burrows a home for himself in the ground, Luke 9:58. The jackal, at the present day, is much more numerous in Palestine, and is probably referred to in many texts where the word "foxes" occurs. It is like a medium-sized dog, with a head like the wolves, and a tail like the fox's; of a bright yellow color. To the fierceness of the wolf it joins the impudent familiarity of the dog. It differs from the fox in its habit of hunting its prey in large packs, and in its cry-a mournful howl, mixed with barking, which they keep up all night, to the annoyance of all within hearing. They live in holes; prowl around villages; ravage poultry yards; feed upon game, lizards, insects, grapes, garbage; and when they can find nothing else, old leather and any thing that has once had animal life. They follow after caravans and armies, and devour the bodies of the dead, and even dig them up from their graves, Psalm 63:10 La 5:18. The incident in the life of Samson, where foxes, or perhaps jackals, are referred to, Jud 15:4-5, has a parallel in the ancient Roman feast of Ceres, goddess of corn; when torches were bound to the tails of numbers of foxes, and they ran round the circus till the fire stopped and consumed them. This was in revenge for their once burning up some fields of corn.

FOX

(shu`al; compare Arabic tha`lab (Judges 15:4 Nehemiah 4:3 Psalm 63:10 Songs 2:15 Lamentations 5:18 Ezekiel 13:4); alopex (Matthew 8:20 Luke 9:58; Luke 13:32)): The foxes of different parts of Europe and Western Asia differ more or less from each other, and some authors have given the local tyes distinct specific names. Tristram, for instance, distinguishes the Egyptian fox, Vulpes nilotica, of Southern Palestine, and the tawny fox, Vulpes flavescens, of the North and East It is possible that the range of the desert fox, Vulpes leucopus, of Southwestern Asia may also reach Syria. We have, however, the authority of the Royal Natural History for considering all these as merely local races of one species, the common fox, Vulpes alopex or Canis vulpes. The natives of Syria and Palestine do not always distinguish the fox and jackal although the two animals are markedly different. The jackal and wolf also are frequently confounded.

See DRAGON; JACKAL.

In Psalm 63:9 we have, "Those that seek my soul, to destroy it,. shall be given over to the power of the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes" (shu`alim). It has been thought that the jackal is meant here (Revised Version margin), and that may well be, though it is also true that the fox does not refuse carrion. In the Revised Version, margin, "jackal" is suggested in two other passages, though why is not clear, since the rendering "fox" seems quite appropriate in both. They are Nehemiah 4:3, ". if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall," and Lamentations 5:17, ". our eyes are dim; for the mountain of Zion which is desolate: the foxes walk upon it." the Revised Version, margin also has "jackals" in Judges 15:4, where Samson "caught three hundred foxes. and put a firebrand in the midst between every two tails. and let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and the standing grain, and also the oliveyards." Jackals are probably more numerous than foxes, but the substitution does not appreciably diminish the difficulties in the way of any natural explanation of the story. In Songs 2:15 we have a reference to the fondness of the fox for grapes. In Matthew 8:20 and Luke 9:58 Jesus says in warning to a would-be follower, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Foxes differ from most of the Canidae in burrowing holes for their lairs, unless indeed they take possession of the burrow of another animal, such as the badger. In Luke 13:32 Jesus compares Herod to a fox.

Alfred Ely Day.

(Hebrews shu'al, a name derived from its digging or burrowing under ground), the Vulpes thaleb, or Syrian fox, the only species of this animal indigenous to Palestine. It burrows, is silent and solitary in its habits, is destructive to vineyards, being a plunderer of ripe grapes (Cant. 2:15). The Vulpes Niloticus, or Egyptian dog-fox, and the Vulpes vulgaris, or common fox, are also found in Palestine.

The proverbial cunning of the fox is alluded to in Ezek. 13:4, and in Luke 13:32, where our Lord calls Herod "that fox." In Judges 15:4, 5, the reference is in all probability to the jackal. The Hebrew word shu'al_ through the Persian _schagal becomes our jackal (Canis aureus), so that the word may bear that signification here. The reasons for preferring the rendering "jackal" are (1) that it is more easily caught than the fox; (2) that the fox is shy and suspicious, and flies mankind, while the jackal does not; and (3) that foxes are difficult, jackals comparatively easy, to treat in the way here described. Jackals hunt in large numbers, and are still very numerous in Southern Palestine.

1. (n.) A carnivorous animal of the genus Vulpes, family Canidae, of many species. The European fox (V. vulgaris or V. vulpes), the American red fox (V. fulvus), the American gray fox (V. Virginianus), and the arctic, white, or blue, fox (V. lagopus) are well-known species.

2. (n.) The European dragonet.

3. (n.) The fox shark or thrasher shark; -- called also sea fox. See Shark.

4. (n.) A sly, cunning fellow.

5. (n.) Rope yarn twisted together, and rubbed with tar; -- used for seizings or mats.

6. (n.) A sword; -- so called from the stamp of a fox on the blade, or perhaps of a wolf taken for a fox.

7. (n.) A tribe of Indians which, with the Sacs, formerly occupied the region about Green Bay, Wisconsin; -- called also Outagamies.

8. (n.) To intoxicate; to stupefy with drink.

9. (n.) To make sour, as beer, by causing it to ferment.

10. (n.) To repair the feet of, as of boots, with new front upper leather, or to piece the upper fronts of.

11. (v. i.) To turn sour; -- said of beer, etc., when it sours in fermenting.

7776. shual -- fox, perhaps jackal
... << 7775, 7776. shual. 7777 >>. fox, perhaps jackal. Transliteration: shual
Phonetic Spelling: (shoo-awl') Short Definition: foxes. ... fox. ...
/hebrew/7776.htm - 6k

2705. Chatsar Shual -- "village of the fox," a place in S. Judah
... "village of the fox," a place in S. Judah. Transliteration: Chatsar Shual Phonetic
Spelling: (khats-ar' shoo-awl') Short Definition: Hazar-shual. ...
/hebrew/2705.htm - 6k

7777b. Shual -- "fox," an Asherite
... "fox," an Asherite. Transliteration: Shual Short Definition: Shual. Word Origin
from the same as shual Definition "fox," an Asherite NASB Word Usage Shual (1). ...
/hebrew/7777b.htm - 5k

7777a. Shual -- "fox," a district in Isr.
... Shual. 7777b >>. "fox," a district in Isr. Transliteration: Shual Short Definition:
Shual. Word Origin from the same as shual Definition "fox," a district in Isr ...
/hebrew/7777a.htm - 5k

7777. Shuw'al -- "fox," a district in Isr.
Shuw'al. << 7776, 7777. Shuw'al. 7777a >>. "fox," a district in Isr. Transliteration:
Shuw'al Phonetic Spelling: (shoo-awl') Short Definition: Shual. Shual ...
/hebrew/7777.htm - 5k

8169. Shaalbim -- perhaps "(haunt of) foxes," a city in Dan
... Shaalabbin, Shaalbim. Or Sha.alabbiyn {shah-al-ab-been'}; plural from shuw'al;
fox-holes; Shaalbim or Shaalabbin, a place in Palestine -- Shaalabbin, Shaalbim. ...
/hebrew/8169.htm - 6k