ταῦρος (tauros)
tauros
bull
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun tauros refers to a bull or an ox, representing one of the most significant animals in ancient agricultural and sacrificial life. In the New Testament, it appears in only four verses, yet its presence carries heavy symbolic weight regarding ritual purity and sacrifice.
Its usage highlights the contrast between Old Covenant rituals and the new reality in Christ. In Acts 14:13, the people of Lystra attempt to offer a tauros as part of a pagan sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas, mistaking them for gods. Conversely, Hebrews uses the word to describe the blood of bulls offered by the high priest on the Day of Atonement (Hebrews 9:13) and notes that the blood of bulls cannot take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). This distinction underscores the insufficiency of animal sacrifices compared to Christ’s own offering.
The term is a direct translation of the Hebrew shor, frequently found in the Septuagint. By referencing this specific animal, the biblical authors connect their audience to familiar images of strength and sacrificial duty, while simultaneously pointing to the limitations of those very traditions.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tauros, meaning bull or ox, appears in only four New Testament verses, yet it carries a heavy weight of meaning. In Acts 14:13, we see this animal used in a pagan context when the people of Lystra prepare to sacrifice bulls to Paul and Barnabas, mistaking them for gods. This moment highlights how deeply such sacrifices were woven into ancient culture, serving as symbols of strength and devotion.
However, the book of Hebrews uses tauros to point toward a greater truth. It reminds us that the blood of bulls and goats, offered repeatedly in the Old Covenant, could never truly take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). These rituals were shadows, pointing forward to the perfect and final sacrifice of Christ. While animal offerings were necessary under the old law, they were insufficient to cleanse the human conscience.
For your faith today, this word offers a comforting perspective. You do not need to rely on repeated efforts or imperfect sacrifices to find peace with God. The insufficiency of the bull’s blood underscores the sufficiency of Jesus’ own life given for you. His sacrifice is complete, requiring no addition from us.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- oxen2×
- of bulls2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ταύρων2×
- ταῦροί1×
- ταύρους1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 14:13
The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes.
This verse shows how tauros was used in pagan worship to honor false gods, contrasting sharply with the true God Paul and Barnabas preached.
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Hebrews 9:13
For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh,
Here the word highlights the ritual purity achieved by animal blood, which served as a temporary cleansing for physical defilement.
-
Hebrews 10:4
For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.
This occurrence is crucial because it explicitly states that the blood of bulls cannot remove sin, pointing to the need for a better sacrifice.