International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Jackal

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Jackal


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jak´ôl:

(1) תּנּים, tannı̄m, “jackals,” the King James Version “dragons”; compare Arabic tı̂nân, “wolf”; and compare תּנּין, tannı̄n, Arab tinnı̂n, “sea monster” or “monster” the English Revised Version “dragon” ( m; ; ; ; ; ), “serpent” (, , ; ; ), the King James Version “whale” (; ); but תּנּין, tannı̄n, “jackals,” the King James Version “sea monsters” (), “jackal's well,” the King James Version “dragon well” (), and tannı̄m, “monster,” the King James Version and the English Revised Version “dragon” (; ).

(2) איּים, 'ı̄yı̄m, “wolves,” the King James Version “wild beasts of the islands”; compare אי, 'ı̄, plural איּים, 'ı̄yı̄m, “island”; also איּה, 'ayyāh, “a cry,” אוה, 'āwāh, “to cry,” “to howl”; Arabic ‛auwa', “to bark” (of dogs, wolves, or jackals); 'ibn 'âwa', colloquially, wâwı̂, “jackal.”

(3) ציּים, cı̄yı̄m, “wild beasts of the desert.”

(4) אחים, 'oḥı̄m, “doleful creatures.”

“Jackals” occurs as a translation of tannı̄m, the King James Version “dragons,” in ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; of the feminine plural form tannōth in , and of tannı̄n in and . Tannı̄m is variously referred to a root meaning “to howl,” and to a root meaning “to stretch out” trop. “to run swiftly, i.e. with outstretched neck and limb extended” (Gesenius). Either derivation would suit “wolf” equally as well as “jackal.” The expression in , “to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwelling-place of jackals,” seems, however, especially appropriate of jackals. The same is true of ; ; , and .

The jackal (from Persian shaghâl), Canis aureus, is found about the Mediterranean except in Western Europe. It ranges southward to Abyssinia, and eastward, in Southern Asia, to farther India. It is smaller than a large dog, has a moderately bushy tail, and is reddish brown with dark shadings above. It is cowardly and nocturnal. Like the fox, it is destructive to poultry, grapes, and vegetables, but is less fastidious, and readily devours the remains of others' feasts. Jackals generally go about in small companies. Their peculiar howl may frequently be heard in the evening and at any time in the night. It begins with a high-pitched, long-drawn-out cry. This is repeated two or three times, each time in a higher key than before. Finally there are several short, loud, yelping barks. Often when one raises the cry others join in. Jackals are not infrequently confounded with foxes. They breed freely with dogs.

While tannı̄m is the only word translated “jackal” in English Versions of the Bible, the words 'ı̄yı̄m, cı̄yı̄m, and 'oḥı̄m deserve attention. They, as well as tannı̄m, evidently refer to wild creatures inhabiting desert places, but it is difficult to say for what animal each of the words stands. All four (together with benōth ya‛ănāh and se‛ı̄rı̄m) are found in , : “But wild beasts of the desert (cı̄yı̄m) shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures ('oḥı̄m); and ostriches (benōth ya‛ănāh) shall dwell there, and wild goats (se‛ı̄rı̄m) shall dance there. And wolves ('ı̄yı̄m) shall cry in their castles, and jackals (tannı̄m) in the pleasant palaces.”

In the King James Version 'ı̄yı̄m (; ; ) is translated “wild beasts of the islands” (compare 'ı̄yı̄m, “islands”). the King James Version margin has merely the transliteration iim, the Revised Version (British and American) “wolves,” the Revised Version margin “howling creatures.” Gesenius suggests the jackal, which is certainly a howler. While the wolf has a blood-curdling howl, it is much more rarely heard than the jackal.

Cı̄yı̄m (; ; ; ; ; ) has been considered akin to cı̄yāh, “drought” (compare 'erec cı̄yāh, “a dry land” ()), and is translated in the Revised Version (British and American) as follows: , “they that dwell in the wilderness”; , “the people inhabiting the wilderness”; , “them that dwell in the wilderness,” the Revised Version margin “the beasts of the wilderness”; ; ; , “wild beasts of the desert.” There would be some difficulty in referring cı̄yı̄m in to beasts rather than to men, but that is not the case in and . “Wild cats” have been suggested.

'Oḥı̄m, “doleful creatures,” perhaps onomatopoetic, occurs only in . The translation “owls” has been suggested, and is not unsuitable to the context.

It is not impossible that tannı̄m and 'ı̄yı̄m may be different names of the jackals. 'Īyı̄m, cı̄yı̄m, and tannı̄m occur together also in , , and 'ı̄yı̄m and cı̄yı̄m in . Their similarity in sound may have much to do with their collocation. The recognized word for “wolf,” ze'ēbh (compare Arabic dhi'b), occurs 7 times in the Old Testament. See DRAGON; WOLF; ZOOLOGY.