Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Pygarg
Subjects in this Topic:
pı̄´garg (דּיש×ן, dı̄shoÌ„n; Septuagint πυÌγαÏγος, puÌgargos; compare proper nouns, “Dishon†and “Dishan†(-30; -42); according to BDB, Hommel, Saugethiere, derives דיש×ן, from דּוּש×, duÌ„sh, Arabic daÌ‚s, “to tread,†and compare Assyrian dashshu, “mountain-goatâ€): Dı̄shoÌ„n as the name of an animal occurs only in in the list of clean beasts. Both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) have “pygarg,†which is not the recognized name of any animal whatever. The Septuagint pugargos (from πυγηÌ, pugeÌ„Ì, “rump,†and ἀÏγοÌÏ‚, argoÌs, “whiteâ€) was used by Herodotus (iv. 192) as the name of an antelope. A white rump is a very common feature of deer and antelopes, and is commonly explained as enabling the fleeing herd easily to keep in sight of its leaders. It has been used as a specific name of Cervus pygargus, the Tartarian roe, and Bubalis pygargus, a small South African antelope. The Arabic Bible has ri'm, “a white gazelle,†a kindred word to re'eÌ„m, the King James Version “unicorn,†the Revised Version (British and American) “wild-ox.†Tristram, Tristram, Natural History of the Bible, considers dı̄shoÌ„n to be the addax, Antilope addax or Addax nasomaculatus. There is excellent reason, however, for believing that the range of this African antelope does not extend into Palestine, Sinai or Arabia. For a discussion of the animal names in , , see ZOOLOGY.