אַרְנֶבֶת (ar.ne.vet)
ar.ne.vet
hare
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun arnevet refers to a small mammal listed among unclean creatures in Leviticus 11:5 and Deuteronomy 14:7. While often translated as "hare," the exact identity of this animal remains uncertain. The primary issue is that no known hare chews its cud, yet the biblical text classifies it with animals that do, creating a descriptive contradiction for modern zoology.
Because of this mismatch, some scholars suggest arnevet may denote an extinct species or a different animal entirely whose habits were misunderstood in ancient times. The word appears only twice in Scripture, both within the purity laws given to Israel. Rather than guessing its precise biological counterpart, many translations retain the transliteration "arnebeth" to acknowledge the ambiguity while preserving the text’s original categorization of forbidden foods.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word arnevet appears in the Old Testament laws regarding clean and unclean animals. It is listed alongside the camel as an animal that chews its cud but lacks a split hoof. This specific combination of traits places it outside the dietary guidelines given to ancient Israel.
Modern readers often find this classification puzzling because contemporary hares do not actually chew their cud. Scholars suggest the Hebrew term might refer to a different small mammal, or perhaps describe an animal whose habits were misunderstood in antiquity. Regardless of the exact species, the text uses it to illustrate a clear boundary.
For your faith today, this word reminds us that biblical laws often carry symbolic weight beyond their literal biological details. The distinction between clean and unclean animals pointed toward a life set apart for God. You can trust that these ancient instructions were given with purpose, inviting His people into a rhythm of holiness and obedience.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ hare2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הָ/אַרְנֶ֨בֶת1×
- הָ/אַרְנֶ֗בֶת1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 11:6
The hare, because it chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, is unclean to you.
This verse explicitly identifies the arnevet as unclean because it possesses one qualifying trait (chewing cud) but lacks the other required sign of a clean land animal (a split hoof).
-
Deuteronomy 14:7
Nevertheless these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of those who have the hoof split: the camel, the hare, and the rabbit. Because they chew the cud but don’t part the hoof, they are unclean to you.
Here the word is repeated in Moses' restatement of the law, reinforcing the prohibition against eating this creature due to its incomplete physical signs.