Why do people deny that the bible mentions UNICORNS?

Question

They always want to pretend it isn't true, when it is right there in black and white. You can cry until you are blue in the face that they are really talking about rhinos or that it was mistranslated or whatever, but the fact is the bible mentions UNICORNS.

Num 23:22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

Num 24:8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce [them] through with his arrows.

Job 39:9 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

Job 39:10 Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

Psa 29:6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

Psa 92:10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like [the horn of] an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.

Answer 1

The Hebrew is horn of the wild-ox. Example
Psalms 92 (In the Tanach it is 11 not 10)
But my horn hast Thou exalted like the horn of the wild-ox; I am anointed with rich oil.

The Christian Bible (The OT) is a rather bad translation for the most part of the original Hebrew Scriptures.

Answer 2

I think there is a more important issue here. It is likely that the word "unicorn" got shoved in there because the translators didn't know what the hell they were doing. This happens all over the Bible. For instance, 100% (YES, 100%) of the places where the Bible allegedly condemns homosexuality contain a translation error. Now I know the Jesus freaks are really going to love that one, so here is my challenge.

Tell me where in the Bible the words malokois and arsenokoitai are used, and PROVE to me that they have been translated correctly. This should be a hoot, as scholars don't know. But I'm sure the cretins on Yahoo Answers have it all figured out. GO!



Edit

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Looks like I was wrong. The Hebrew word being translated as Unicorn really does mean "one horn." So it looks like in addition to the many stupid translation errors in the bible, it really does reference non-existent animals, as well as call a bat a bird, say that rabbits chew their cud, claim that the sky is a dome with water behind it, etc. What a silly book! I'll tell you a miracle I DO believe in - it is a miracle that anyone can still take the Christian bible seriously!

Answer 3

The KJV of the Bible does use the word "unicorn," but the jury is far from out that this is the correct interpretation.

The word translated as "unicorn" is the Hebrew word, "arym." There is no reliable information that documents exactly what animal to which this word refers. The Hebrew Lexicon defines "arym" as: "probably the great aurochs or wild bulls which are now extinct. The exact meaning is not known."

Although the KJV uses the word "unicorn," the NIV, NASB, NKJV and many other versions read "wild ox." This is not the only creature mentioned in the Bible that's unknown to us today: the creatures called Behemoth and Leviathan mentioned in Job are mysteries which may not be solved in this age.

Having said this, I believe the preponderance of the evidence points to the fanciful imaginations of the KJV's translators. It was translated in 1611, during a time when unicorns were revered as mystical creatures.

p.s. -- Scott C -- I accept your challenge, but you must ask the question; you cannot ask a question within an answer. If I'm available when you ask, then I'd be glad to enlighten you.......

Answer 4

This is an intersting question, and certainly the word "unicorn" is mentioned in the bible. HOWEVER, let's remember that the bible was not written in English, and has had multiple translations over the years. Many Christian's also support the following ideas about translation, and in fact, most versions of the Bible (with the exception of the King James Version) do not use the term Unicorns in their translations (I've included their links below as well). When the KJV was first published in 1611, Unicorns were a mythical creature that everyone was talking about and trying to find... Is it any wonder that they somehow appeared in the newest translation of the Bible (at the time)?
So, here's background on some linguistics that might shed light on the issue:

1) The word used in Hebrew that has been translated into "unicorn" was "re'em."

2) This word had been translated into MANY words, including monoceros, unicorn, einhorn, unicornis, and eenhorn. All of these words mean "one horn."

3) The word "re'em" is actually NOT KNOWN to mean "one horn" or any of its incarnations.

4) When Jews translated the Old Testement, they tended to leave the word "re'em" unchanged because of lack of exact meaning.

5) There is, however, a clue to the meaning of the word "re'em." Archeology has shown that the Mesopatamian King Assurnasirpal hunted oxen that had one horn, called "Rimu." It's likely that this was the "re'em" of the bible, a wild ox.

6) Think of it this way... In some parts of the Bible, "re'em" was translated as "unicorn", and in other parts of the Bible, it was translated as "wild ox."
Ex. Deuteronomy 33:17, Moses says "In majesty he is like a first-born bull; his horns are like the horns of a wild ox (re'em). With them he will push the peoples..."

In the above case, re'em was translated to "wild ox", NOT "unicorn."

What we need to remember when reading the Bible is that its original language was NOT English. Translating is a tricky business. I would argue NOT to get caught up in individual words... It takes away from the beauty and the mystery of the Bible. Try looking at the Bible as a guide to living, not word by word truth.

I hope my answer has been helpful. I've included some links below for further reading.

Answer 5

God brings them out of Egypt,
He is for them like the horns of the wild ox. (Numbers 23:22)

God brings him out of Egypt,
He is for him like the horns of the wild ox
He will devour the nations who are his adversaries,
And will crush their bones in pieces,
And shatter them with his arrows. (Numbers 24:8)

Will the wild ox consent to serve you,
Or will he spend the night at your manger?
Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with ropes,
Or will he harrow the valleys after you? (Job 39:9-10)

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild ox. (Psalm 29:6)

But You have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil. (Psalm 92:10)

Answer 6

Hmmm... yes.. it does mention unicorns... but I don't see any reference that they think unicorns are real animals...

each reference to unicorns (to me) seems to be figurativly speaking... Like an unicorn... canst thou bind the unicorn... etc...

I don't see any passages that say to take your unicorn out and sacrifice it... or to give it to your neighbor... nothing that makes me believe that they even thought unicorns really existed... other than as a figure of speech.. or a mythalogical reference.

Answer 7

I'm going to write Job 39:9-10 on a bumper sticker... That's almost like a zen koan or something!

Answer 8

Yeah, but who says they're like the unicorns drawn on my niece's t-shirt w/ blonde hair and a rainbow flowing out of it's backside. I'm sure it's referring to a beast tht existed or exists.

Answer 9

Didn't Noah have a pair of Unicorns on the Ark?

Answer 10

what are you after? There are many words in the Bible that we do not know what it means-that happens to be one of them. That also happens to be an English translation you are quoting- Go to the original Hebrew and do a word study.