Reference: Horse
Easton
always referred to in the Bible in connection with warlike operations, except Isa 28:28. The war-horse is described Job 39:19-25. For a long period after their settlement in Canaan the Israelites made no use of horses, according to the prohibition, De 17:16. David was the first to form a force of cavalry (2Sa 8:4). But Solomon, from his connection with Egypt, greatly multiplied their number (1Ki 4:26; 10:26,29). After this, horses were freely used in Israel (1Ki 22:4; 2Ki 3:7; 9:21,33; 11:16). The furniture of the horse consisted simply of a bridle (Isa 30:28) and a curb (Ps 32:9).
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Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses, inasmuch as LORD has said to you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen. And David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots.
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. And he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. And so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, they brought them out by their means.
And he said to Jehoshaphat, Will thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou are, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
Have thou given the horse [his] might? Have thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane? Have thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome. read more. He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men. He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed. Neither does he turn back from the sword. The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin. He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage, nor does he believe that it is the voice of the trumpet. As often as the trumpet [sounds] he says, Aha! And he smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Become ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding, whose trappings must be bit and bridle to hold them in, [else] they will not come near to thee.
Bread [grain] is ground, for he will not be always threshing it. And though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he does not grind it.
and his breath is as an overflowing stream that reaches even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction. And a bridle that causes to err [shall be] in the jaws of the peoples.
Fausets
In Scripture used for war-like purposes, not agriculture (except in treading out grain for threshing, Isa 28:28, where for "horsemen" translated "horses".) Job's magnificent description refers to the war horse (Isa 39:8), "hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?" i.e. with the power of inspiring terror. Rather "with majesty" (Umbreit), "with quivering mane" (Maurer). The Greek connection between mane (fobee) and terror (fobos) favors A.V. which is more poetic. "Canst thou make him afraid (rather 'make him spring') as a grasshopper?" So in Joe 2:4 war horses are compared to locusts. Their heads are so like that the Italian for "locust" is cavaletta, "little horse." "The glory of his nostrils is terrible: he paweth in the valley and rejoiceth in strength, he goeth on," etc.; "he swalloweth the ground with fierceness," i.e. draws it in fierce impatience toward him with his hoof, as if he would "swallow" it.
Neither believeth he (for joy) that it is the sound of the trumpet, rather "he will not stand still at the sound." "He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha!" his mettlesome neighing expressing his eagerness for battle, which "he smelleth," snuffeth, i.e. discerneth, "the thunder (i.e. thundering voice) of the captains." (See CHARIOT.) The donkey is the emblem of peace. The bride is compared to "a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots" (Song 1:9), namely, in ardor and beauty (Song 1:4, "run"; Song 1:5, "comely"), and in forming "a company" militant, orderly, and numerous (Re 19:7,14). The qualities which seemed preeminent in the enemy Pharaoh's hosts at the Red Sea really belonged to Israel. Maurer translated "I compare thee to my mare in chariots of (i.e. received from) Pharaoh," but the plural "chariots" requires the collective sense "a company of horses."
The "cutting off of the horse from Jerusalem" prophetically symbolizes the cessation of war (Zec 9:10). Not the horse's speed or utility but his "strength" is his characteristic in Scripture (Ps 33:17). Two names are used in Hebrew, both Persian in origin: sus from Susa, and parash from Pares. The sus was of stronger make, used for the war chariot; the parash more for riding. Perhaps in Ex 14:9 "horsemen" mean "chariot riders." Certainly no Egyptian monument represents horsemen. Translated in 1Ki 4:26, "forty (rather 'four,' a copyist's error, as 2Ch 9:25 proves. Also 1400 chariots suit 4000 horses, two horses for each chariot and a reserve horse: 2Ch 1:14; 1Ki 10:26) thousand chariot horses and twelve thousand riding (i.e. cavalry) horses"; Eze 27:14, "with (chariot) horses and riding horses" (KJV "horsemen".)
Isa 21:7, "a chariot with a couple of horsemen"; rather "a cavalcade of horsemen riding in pairs." In 1Ki 4:28; Es 8:14; Mic 1:13, rekesh "dromedary"; rather "a courser," a "racehorse," for such purposes as the royal post. In 1Ki 10:28-29, the sense seems that the Egyptians regularly brought horses to a mart in S. Palestine (Septuagint and Vulgate name the mart in their translation), of the Hebrew Koa. In A. V. Mi-Kveh is translated "linen yarn") and handed them to the king's dealers at a fixed price, 150 shekels for one horse, 600 for a chariot, including its two draught horses and one reserve horse. In Ge 12:15 horses are not mentioned among the possessions which Abram acquired during his sojourn in Egypt. But in Ge 47:17 they stand foremost among the Egyptians' possessions. In later times, the greater contact of Egypt with Canaanite and Arab nomads' accounts for the introduction of horses.
The camel, one of Abram's possessions in Egypt, is not mentioned in Joseph's time nor on the Egyptian monuments. Their early possession of the desert of Sinai makes it certain they knew and must have used the camel there, "the ship of the desert," but they avoid mentioning it as being unclean. Saddles were not used until a late period. Horses' hoofs hard "as flint" were a good point in days when shoeing was unknown (Isa 5:28). White horses were emblematic of victory (Re 6:2; 19:11,14). Horses were consecrated to the sun, since that luminary was supposed to drive a fiery chariot through the sky (2Ki 23:11). They were driven in procession to meet the rising sun.
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And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
And they brought their cattle to Joseph. And Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the donkeys. And he fed them with bread in exchange for all their cattle for that year.
And the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses [and] chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baal-zephon.
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where [the officers] were, every man according to his charge.
And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt. And the king's merchants received them in herds, each herd at a price. And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred [shekels] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. And so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, they brought them out by their means.
And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs. And he burned the chariots of the sun with f
And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. And he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
So the posts that rode upon swift steeds that were used in the king's service went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment, and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace.
A horse is a vain thing for safety, nor does he deliver any by his great power.
Draw me, we will run after thee. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in thee. We will make mention of thy love more than of wine. Rightly do they love thee. I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent. Their horses' hoofs shall be accounted as flint, and their wheels as a whirlwind.
and when he sees a troop, horsemen in pairs, a troop of donkeys, a troop of camels, he shall hearken diligently with much heed.
Bread [grain] is ground, for he will not be always threshing it. And though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he does not grind it.
Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, The word of LORD which thou have spoken is good. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.
Those of the house of Togarmah traded for thy wares with horses and war-horses and mules.
The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses, and as horsemen, so do they run.
Bind the chariot to the swift steed, O inhabitant of Lachish. She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.
And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off. And he shall speak peace to the nations. And his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of t
And behold, a white horse, and he who sits on it having a bow. And a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering, and so that he might conquer.
We should be glad and rejoice and give the glory to him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has prepared herself.
And I saw the heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he who sits upon it called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
And the armies in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, pure white.
And the armies in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, pure white.
Hastings
The Israelites must have been acquainted with horses in Egypt (Ge 47:17), and it is evident, too, from the Tell el-Amarna correspondence that horses were familiar animals in Palestine at an early period; but it would appear that the children of Israel were slow in adopting them. Throughout the OT up to the Exile they appear only as war-horses; the ass, the mule, and the camel were the beasts for riding and burden-bearing. Even for warlike purposes horses were only slowly adopted, the mountainous regions held by the Israelites being unsuitable for chariot warfare. David commenced acquiring chariots (2Sa 8:4), and Solomon greatly added to their numbers, obtaining horses for them from Musri [not Mizraim, 'Egypt'] in N. Syria and Kue, in Cilicia (1Ki 10:28; 2Ch 1:16 [amending the text]). Horses were obtained also from Egypt (31/1/type/acv'>Isa 31:1,3; Eze 17:15). Some of the references may be to hired horsemen. The kings of Israel were warned against multiplying horses (De 17:16). Trust in horses is put in antithesis to trust in the Lord (Isa 30:16; Ps 20:7; 33:17). Before the reforms of Josiah, horses sacred to the sun were kept in the Temple (2Ki 23:11; cf. 2Ki 11:16). The appearance of the war-horse seems to have made a deep impression (Job 39:19-25; Jer 47:3; Na 3:2 etc.). After the Exile horses were much more common: the returning Jews brought 736 horses with them (Ne 7:68). Horses were fed on barley and tibn (chopped straw) in Solomon's time as in Palestine to-day (1Ki 4:28). Although the breeding of horses has become so intimately associated with our ideas of the Arabs, it would seem that during the whole OT period horses were unknown, or at least scarce, in Arabia. The equipment of horses is mentioned in the Bible
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And they brought their cattle to Joseph. And Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the donkeys. And he fed them with bread in exchange for all their cattle for that year.
Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses, inasmuch as LORD has said to you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen. And David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots.
Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where [the officers] were, every man according to his charge.
And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt. And the king's merchants received them in herds, each herd at a price.
So they made way for her. And she went by the way of the horses' entry to the king's house, and there was she slain.
And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs. And he burned the chariots of the sun with f
Their horses were seven hundred thirty-six, their mules, two hundred forty-five,
Have thou given the horse [his] might? Have thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane? Have thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome. read more. He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men. He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed. Neither does he turn back from the sword. The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin. He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage, nor does he believe that it is the voice of the trumpet. As often as the trumpet [sounds] he says, Aha! And he smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses, but we will make mention of the name of LORD our God.
Become ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding, whose trappings must be bit and bridle to hold them in, [else] they will not come near to thee.
A horse is a vain thing for safety, nor does he deliver any by his great power.
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.
whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent. Their horses' hoofs shall be accounted as flint, and their wheels as a whirlwind.
but ye said, No, for we will flee upon horses. Therefore ye shall flee. And [ye said], We will ride upon the swift. Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they look not to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek LORD!
Now the Egyptians are men, and not God, and their horses flesh, and not spirit. And when LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he who helps shall stumble, and he who is helped shall fall, and they shall all be consumed together.
at the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong ones, at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of his wheels. The fathers do not look back to their sons for feebleness of hands,
But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt that they might give him horses and many people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape who does such things? Shall he break the covenant, and yet escape?
The noise of the whip, and the noise of the rattling of wheels, and prancing horses, and bounding chariots,
In that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses, HOLY TO LORD, and the pots in LORD's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
Morish
The horse was used among the Israelites only for war, either in chariots or for what is now called cavalry; but its use betokened failure in confidence on the Lord: see Ho 14:3. They had been forbidden to multiply horses, De 17:16; and at first they hamstrung the horses, and burnt the chariots of the Canaanites. Jos 11:6,9. David, however, after the defeat of Hadadezer, reserved 100 horses for chariots. 2Sa 8:4. (See a description of the war-horse in Job 39:19-25.) Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots and 12,000 horsemen. 1Ki 4:26.
Symbolically the horse represents careering imperial power, in general providentially controlled. In the early part of Zechariah the prophet had visions of horses of different colours, they are called spirits of the heavens, and as such they acted in the four great Gentile empires described by Daniel. When these are further spoken of, the red horses are not named, for the Chaldean empire had passed away when Zechariah saw the vision. Zec 1:8; 6:1-7.
In the Revelation also there are horses and riders thereon, representing the powers engaged in the providential course of God's dealings. Re 6:1-8; cf. 9/7/type/acv'>Re 9:7,9,17. In Rev. 19 the Lord Jesus, the Faithful and True, comes forth on a white horse, to make war in righteousness. Re 19:11-21. See REVELATION.
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Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses, inasmuch as LORD has said to you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
And LORD said to Joshua, Be not afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will deliver them up all slain before Israel. Thou shall hock their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
And Joshua did to them as LORD bade him. He hocked their horses, and burnt their chariots with fire.
And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen. And David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots.
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
Have thou given the horse [his] might? Have thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane? Have thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome. read more. He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men. He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed. Neither does he turn back from the sword. The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin. He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage, nor does he believe that it is the voice of the trumpet. As often as the trumpet [sounds] he says, Aha! And he smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Assyria shall not save us. We will not ride upon horses, nor will we say any more to the work of our hands, Our gods. For in thee the fatherless finds mercy.
I saw in the night, and, behold, a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom. And behind him there were horses, red, sorrel, and white.
And again I lifted up my eyes, and looked. And, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses, and in the second chariot black horses, read more. and in the third chariot white horses, and in the fourth chariot strong grizzled horses. Then I answered and said to the [heavenly] agent who talked with me, What are these, my lord? And the [heavenly] agent answered and said to me, These are the four winds of heaven, which go forth from standing before LORD of all the earth. [The chariot] in which are the black horses goes forth toward the north country, and the white went forth after them, and the grizzled went forth toward the south country. And the strong ones went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth. And he said, Get you from here. Walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.
And I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals. And I heard one of the four beings saying like the sound of thunder, Come and see. And behold, a white horse, and he who sits on it having a bow. And a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering, and so that he might conquer. read more. And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second being saying, Come. And another horse came forth, fiery red. And it was given to him (to him who sits on it) to take peace from the earth, so that they would kill each other. And a great sword was given to him. And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third being saying, Come and see. And behold, a black horse, and he who sits on it having a balance in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beings saying, A measure of wheat for a denarius, and three measures of barley for a denarius. And thou may not harm the olive oil and the wine. And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth being saying, Come and see. And behold, a green horse, and he who sits on top of it. His name was Death, and Hades followed with him. And authority was given to him over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with starvation, and with what is d
And the likeness of the locusts was similar to horses prepared for battle. And upon their heads were like golden crowns, and their faces were as men's faces.
And they had breastplates like iron breastplates. And the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots of many horses running into battle.
And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sit on them having breastplates fiery red, and of hyacinth color, and sulphurous. And the heads of the horses are like heads of lions, and out of their mouths come fire and smo
And I saw the heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he who sits upon it called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems having names written, and a name written that none knows except he himself, read more. and clothed in a garment dipped in blood. And his name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, pure white. And a sharp two-edged sword comes out of his mouth, so that he would smite the nations by it. And he will tend them with a rod of iron. And he treads the winepress of the wine of the wrath of the anger of the Almighty God. And he has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw one agent having stood in the sun, and he cried out in a great voice, saying to all the birds flying in mid-heaven, Come, gather together to the great supper of God, so that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of those who sit upon them, and the flesh of all men, both freemen and bondmen, and both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against him who sits upon the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and the FALSE prophet with it who did the signs in its sight by which he led astray those who received the mark of the beast and those who worship its image. The two were thrown alive into the lake of fire And the others were killed by the sword that comes forth out of his mouth (of him who sits upon the horse), and all the birds were filled from their flesh.
Smith
Horse.
The most striking feature in the biblical notices of the horse is the exclusive application of it to warlike operations; in no instance is that useful animal employed for the purposes of ordinary locomotion or agriculture, if we except
The animated description of the horse in
applies solely to the war-horse. The Hebrews in the patriarchal age, as a pastoral race, did not stand in need of the services Of the horse, and for a long period after their settlement in Canaan they dispensed with it, partly in consequence of the hilly nature of the country, which only admitted of the use of chariots in certain localities,
and partly in consequence to the prohibition in
De 17:16
which would be held to apply at all periods. David first established a force of cavalry and chariots,
but the great supply of horses was subsequently effected by Solomon through his connection with Egypt.
Solomon also established a very active trade in horses, which were brought by dealers out of Egypt and resold, at a profit, to the Hittites. With regard to the trappings and management of the horse we have little information. The bridle was placed over the horse's nose,
and a bit or curb is also mentioned.
2Ki 19:28; Ps 32:9; Pr 26:3; Isa 37:29
In the Authorized Version it is incorrectly given "bridle," with the exception of
... Saddles were not used until a late period. The horses were not shod, and therefore hoofs are hard "as flint,"
were regarded as a great merit. The chariot-horses were covered with embroidered trappings
Horses and chariots were used also in idolatrous processions, as noticed in regard to the sun.
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Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses, inasmuch as LORD has said to you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
And LORD was with Judah, and drove out [those of] the hill-country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had chariots of iron.
And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen. And David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots.
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
Because of thy raging against me, and because thine arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou came.
And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs. And he burned the chariots of the sun with f
Have thou given the horse [his] might? Have thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane? Have thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome. read more. He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men. He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed. Neither does he turn back from the sword. The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin. He swallows the ground with fierceness and rage, nor does he believe that it is the voice of the trumpet. As often as the trumpet [sounds] he says, Aha! And he smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Become ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding, whose trappings must be bit and bridle to hold them in, [else] they will not come near to thee.
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.
whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent. Their horses' hoofs shall be accounted as flint, and their wheels as a whirlwind.
Bread [grain] is ground, for he will not be always threshing it. And though the wheel of his cart and his horses scatter it, he does not grind it.
and his breath is as an overflowing stream that reaches even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction. And a bridle that causes to err [shall be] in the jaws of the peoples.
Because of thy raging against me, and because thine arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou came.
Watsons
HORSE, ???. Horses were very rare among the Hebrews in the early ages. The patriarchs had none; and after the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, God expressly forbade their ruler to procure them: "He shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way," De 17:16. As horses appear to have been generally furnished by Egypt, God prohibits these,
1. Lest there should be such commerce with Egypt as might lead to idolatry.
2. Lest the people might depend on a well appointed cavalry, as a means of security, and so cease from trusting in the promised aid and protection of Jehovah.
3. That they might not be tempted to extend their dominion by means of cavalry, and so get scattered among the surrounding idolatrous nations, and thus cease in process of time, to be that distinct and separate people which God intended they should be, and without which the prophecies relative to the Messiah could not be known to have their due and full accomplishment. In the time of the Judges we find horses and war chariots among the Canaanites, but still the Israelites had none; and hence they were generally too timid to venture down into the plains, confining their conquests to the mountainous parts of the country. In the reign of Saul, it would appear, that horse breeding had not yet been introduced into Arabia; for, in a war with some of the Arabian nations, the Israelites got plunder in camels, sheep, and asses, but no horses. David's enemies brought against him a strong force of cavalry into the field; and in the book of Psalms the horse commonly appears only on the side of the enemies of the people of God; and so entirely unaccustomed to the management of this animal had the Israelites still continued, that, after a battle, in which they took a considerable body of cavalry prisoners, 2Sa 8:4, David caused most of the horses to be cut down, because he did not know what use to make of them. Solomon was the first who established a cavalry force. Under these circumstances, it is not wonderful that the Mosaic law should take no notice of an animal which we hold in such high estimation. To Moses, educated as he was in Egypt, and, with his people, at last chased out by Pharaoh's cavalry, the use of the horse for war and for travelling was well known; but as it was his object to establish a nation of husbandmen, and not of soldiers for the conquest of foreign lands, and as Palestine, from its situation, required not the defence of cavalry, he might very well decline introducing among his people the yet unusual art of horse breeding. Solomon, having married a daughter of Pharaoh, procured a breed of horses from Egypt; and so greatly did he multiply them, that he had four hundred stables, forty thousand stalls, and twelve thousand horsemen, 1Ki 4:26; 2Ch 9:25. It seems that the Egyptian horses were in high repute, and were much used in war. When the Israelites were disposed to place too implicit confidence in the assistance of cavalry, the prophet remonstrated in these terms: "The Egyptians are men, and not God, and their horses are flesh, not spirit," Isa 31:3.
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Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses, inasmuch as LORD has said to you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen. And David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots.
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
Now the Egyptians are men, and not God, and their horses flesh, and not spirit. And when LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he who helps shall stumble, and he who is helped shall fall, and they shall all be consumed together.