'Horses' in the Bible

So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for the horses and the flocks and the herds and the donkeys; and he supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year.

now hear this: the hand of the Lord will fall on your livestock which are out in the field, on the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks—a horrible plague shall come.

The Egyptians chased them with all the horses and war-chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them as they camped by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

Then the Egyptians pursued them into the middle of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his war-chariots and his charioteers.

For the horses of Pharaoh went with his war-chariots and his charioteers into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea.

and what He did to the army of Egypt, to its horses and its chariots, when He made the water of the Red Sea engulf them as they pursued you, and how the Lord completely destroyed them;

Further, he shall not acquire many [war] horses for himself, nor make the people return to Egypt in order to acquire horses [to expand his military power], since the Lord said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’

“When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.

They went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow by this time I am going to hand over all of them slain [by the sword] to Israel; you shall hamstring (disable) their horses and set fire to their chariots.”

Joshua did to them as the Lord had told him; he hamstrung (disabled) their horses and set fire to their chariots.

“Then the horses’ hoofs beat [loudly]Because of the galloping—the galloping of his valiant and powerful steeds.

David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. David also hamstrung all the chariot horses (making them lame), but reserved enough of them for a hundred chariots.

After this, Absalom provided for himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men as runners before him.

Solomon also had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen.

They also brought the barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds (warhorses, chargers) to the place where it was needed, each man according to his assignment.

Every man brought a gift [of tribute]: articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue, and the king’s merchants acquired them from Kue, for a price.

Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go into the land to all the sources of water and to all the streams; perhaps we may find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.”

Ben-hadad king of Aram (Syria) gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were [allied] with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria [Israel’s capital], and fought against it.

The king of Israel went out and struck [the riders of] the horses and chariots, and killed the Arameans in a great slaughter.

And Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

As they continued along and talked, behold, a chariot of fire with horses of fire [appeared suddenly and] separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

Then he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” And he replied, “I will go; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the entrance of Elisha’s house.

So he sent horses and chariots and a powerful army there. They came by night and surrounded the city.

The servant of the man of God got up early and went out, and behold, there was an army with horses and chariots encircling the city. Elisha’s servant said to him, “Oh no, my master! What are we to do?”

Then Elisha prayed and said, “Lord, please, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servants eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.

For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the sound of chariots, and the sound of horses, the sound of a great army. They had said to one another, “The king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come [and fight] against us.”

So the Arameans set out and fled during the twilight, and left their tents, horses, and donkeys, even left the camp just as it was, and fled for their lives.

So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city. They told them, “We went to the camp of the Arameans (Syrians), and behold, there was no one there, nor the sound of man there—only the horses and donkeys tied up, and the tents [had been left] just as they were.”

One of his servants replied, “Please let some men take five of the horses which remain inside the city. Consider this: [if they are caught then at worst] they will be like all the people of Israel who are left in the city; [even if they are killed then] they will be like all the people of Israel who have already died. So let us send [them] and see [what happens].”

So they took two chariots with horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and see.”

And he said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her underfoot.

“Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master’s sons (male descendants) are with you, as well as chariots and horses and a fortified city and weapons,

So they seized her, and she went through the horses’ entrance to the king’s house (palace), and she was put to death there.

Then they carried him on horses and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.

Now then, make a bargain with my lord the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if on your part you can put riders on them.

And he got rid of the horses that the kings of Judah had given [in worship] to the sun at the entrance of the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the official, which was in the annex; and he burned the chariots of the sun.

David took from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers (infantrymen). David also hamstrung [nearly] all the chariot horses [to make them lame and useless], but left enough of them for 100 chariots.

Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue. The king’s merchants purchased them [in large numbers] from Kue at a price.

And they imported chariots from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver apiece, and horses for 150 apiece; and in the same way they exported horses to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Arameans (Syrians).

Each man brought his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses and mules, so much year by year.

Now Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities or with the king at Jerusalem.

And they were importing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all [the other] countries.

Then they brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of [David in] Judah.

Their horses totaled 736; their mules, 245;

Their horses were 736; their mules, 245;

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,But we will remember and trust in the name of the Lord our God.

I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the ground.

Their land has also been filled with silver and goldAnd there is no end to their treasures;Their land has also been filled with horsesAnd there is no end to their chariots.

Their arrows are sharp and all their bows are strung and bent;Their horses’ hoofs seem like flint and their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.

Bread grain is crushed fine,Indeed, the farmer does not continue to thresh it forever.Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually damage it,He does not thresh it longer.

And you said, “No! We will flee on horses!”Therefore you will flee [from your enemies]!And [you said], “We will ride on swift horses!”Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.

Woe (judgment is coming) to those who go down to Egypt for help,Who rely on horsesAnd trust in chariots because they are many,And in horsemen because they are very strong,But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek and consult the Lord!

Now the Egyptians are men and not God,And their horses are flesh and not spirit;And the Lord will stretch out His hand,And he (Egypt) who helps will stumble,And he (Judah) who is helped will fall,And all of them will perish together.

So now, exchange pledges with my master the king of Assyria and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to put riders on them.

Then they shall bring all your countrymen (children of Israel) from all the nations as a grain offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels—to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord.

“Behold, the enemy comes up like clouds,His chariots like the whirlwind;His horses are swifter than eagles.Woe (judgment is coming) to us, for we are ruined!”

“They seize bow and spear;They are cruel and inhuman and have no mercy.Their voice sounds like the roaring sea;They ride [in formation] on horses,Arrayed as a man for battleAgainst you, O Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem)!”

The snorting of [Nebuchadnezzar’s] horses is heard from Dan [on Palestine’s northern border].At the sound of the neighing of his strong stallionsThe whole land quakes;For they come and devour the land and all that is in it,The city and those who live in it.

[The Lord rebukes Jeremiah for his impatience, saying] “If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out,Then how can you compete with horses?If you fall down in a land of peace [where you feel secure],Then how will you do [among the lions] in the [flooded] thicket beside the Jordan?

then kings and princes who will sit on the throne of David will enter through the gates of this city, riding in chariots and on horses—the kings and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city will be inhabited and endure throughout the ages.

For if you will indeed obey this word, then kings will enter through the gates of this palace, sitting in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, even the king himself and his servants and his people.

“Harness the horses,And mount, you riders!Take your stand with your helmets!Polish the spears,Put on the coats of mail!

Charge, you horses,And drive like madmen, you chariots!Let the warriors go forward:Ethiopia and Put (Libya) who handle the shield,And the Lydians who handle and bend the bow.

“A sword against their horses and against their chariotsAnd against all the foreign troops that are in her midst,And they will become [as weak and defenseless as] women!A sword against her treasures, and they will be plundered!

“They seize their bow and spear;They are cruel and have no compassion.They sound like the roaring of the sea;They ride on horses,Every man equipped like a man [ready] for the battleAgainst you, O Daughter of Babylon.

Lift up a signal in the land [to spread the news]!Blow the trumpet among the nations!Dedicate the nations [for war] against her;Call against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz.Appoint a marshal against her;Cause the horses to come up like bristly locusts [with their wings not yet released from their cases].

But Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar by sending his ambassadors to Egypt so that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant [with Babylon] and [still] escape?

who were clothed in purple, governors and officials, all of them attractive young men, horsemen riding on horses.

She lusted after the Assyrians—governors and officials, her neighbors, magnificently clothed, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men.

the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and officials all of them, princes, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses.

For thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots and with horsemen and a great army.

Because of the great number of his horses, their dust will cover you; your walls [O Tyre] will shake from the noise of the horsemen and the wagons and the chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city that is breached.

With the hoofs of his horses Nebuchadnezzar will trample all your streets; with the sword he will kill your people, and your strong pillars (obelisks) will fall to the ground.

Those from Beth-togarmah (Armenia) traded for your wares with [chariot] horses, war horses, and mules.

I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them magnificently clothed in full armor, a great horde with buckler (small shield) and [large] shield, all of them wielding swords;

You will come from your place in the remote parts of the north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding horses, a great horde, and a mighty army;

You will eat your fill at My table with horses and riders, with mighty men, and with all the men of war,” says the Lord God.

But I will have mercy on the house of Judah and will rescue them by the Lord their God, and will not rescue them by bow, sword, war, horses, or horsemen.”

“Assyria will not save us;We will not ride on horses [relying on military might],Nor will we say again to [the idols who are] the work of our hands,‘You are our gods.’For in You [O Lord] the orphan finds love and compassion and mercy.”

Their appearance is like the appearance of horses,And they run like war horses.

“I sent a plague among you like [those of] Egypt;I killed your young men with the sword and I captured your horses,I made the stench of your camp rise up into your nostrils;Yet you have not returned to Me [in repentance],” says the Lord.

Do horses run on rocks?Do men plow rocks with oxen? [Of course not!]Yet you have turned justice into poisonAnd the fruit of righteousness into wormwood (bitterness),

“And in that day,” says the Lord,“I will cut off your horses from among youAnd destroy your chariots [on which you depend].

The shields of his soldiers [of Media and Babylon] are colored red;The warriors are dressed in scarlet.The chariots blaze with fire of [flashing] steelWhen he is prepared to march,And the cypress spears are brandished [for battle].

The noise of the [cracking of the] whip,The noise of the rattling of the wheel,Galloping horsesAnd rumbling and bounding chariots [in the assault of Nineveh]!

“Their horses are swifter than leopardsAnd keener than [hungry] wolves in the evening,Their horsemen come galloping,Their horsemen come from far away;They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.

Did the Lord rage against the rivers,Or was Your anger against the rivers,Or was Your wrath against the [Red] Sea,That You rode on Your horses,On Your chariots of salvation?

You have trampled on the sea with Your horses,On the surge of many waters.

I will [in the distant future] overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the [ungodly] nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them, and the horses and their riders will go down, every one by the sword of his brother [annihilating one another].

In the night I saw [a vision] and behold, a Man was riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees that were in the ravine; and behind Him were horses: red, sorrel (reddish-brown), and white.

And the men on the horses answered the Angel of the Lord who stood among the myrtle trees and said, “We have gone throughout the earth [patrolling it] and behold, all the earth sits at rest [in peace and free from war].”

The first chariot had red horses (war, bloodshed), the second chariot had black horses (famine, death),

the third chariot had white horses (victory), and the fourth chariot had strong dappled horses (death through judgment).

with the chariot with the black horses going toward the north country; then the one with the white horses follows after them [because there are two northern powers to overcome], and the chariot with the dappled horses goes toward the south country.”

When the strong horses went out, they were eager to patrol the earth. And the Lord said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth [watching and protecting it].

“They will be like mighty menTrampling down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle;And they will fight because the Lord is with them,And the [enemies’] riders on horses will be shamed.

In that day there will be written on the little bells on the horses, “HOLY TO The Lord.” And the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be [holy to the Lord] like the bowls before the altar.