רְאֵם (re.em)
re.em
wild ox
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun re’em refers to a powerful, untamed bovine, likely the extinct aurochs. It appears seven times in the Old Testament, primarily in poetic books like Job and Psalms, as well as in Numbers. The word conveys immense physical strength and wildness, serving as a metaphor for unyielding power that humans cannot control.
Translators often render re’em as "wild ox" or "unicorn," though the latter is misleading. The biblical authors use it to describe creatures of majestic force, such as in Job 39:9-10, where God questions whether one can harness its strength or bind its horn with ropes. This highlights a key distinction: unlike domesticated cattle, the re’em represents nature’s raw, untamable energy.
Its rarity in Scripture underscores its significance. When used, it points to something beyond human mastery, often reflecting God’s sovereign power over creation. The exact species is uncertain, but its image remains a vivid symbol of wild strength in ancient Hebrew thought.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word re’em describes a creature of immense, untamed power, likely the extinct aurochs. In the ancient world, this wild ox represented strength that no human could harness or control. Unlike domesticated cattle, it refused to serve at the feeding trough or pull the plow. This image reminds us that some forces in life are simply beyond our mastery.
Scripture often uses this symbol to point toward God’s own sovereignty. In Numbers and Job, the re’em illustrates a power that belongs only to the Creator. When we face situations that feel overwhelming or unmanageable, this word offers a quiet comfort. It acknowledges our limits while highlighting a strength far greater than our own.
Reflecting on this imagery helps us release the need to control every outcome. We can trust that God’s power is not constrained by human methods or tools. This perspective invites peace, knowing that ultimate strength rests in His hands alone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a wild ox4×
- wild oxen2×
- [the] wild ox1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- רְאֵ֖ם2×
- רֵּ֣ים1×
- רֵ֭ים1×
- רְאֵמִים֙1×
- רְאֵמִֽים\׃1×
- רְאֵם֙1×
Key Verses
-
Job 39:9
“Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?
This verse highlights the creature's refusal to serve humans, emphasizing its inherent wildness and independence from human control.
-
Numbers 24:8
God brings him out of Egypt. He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. He shall consume the nations his adversaries, shall break their bones in pieces, and pierce them with his arrows.
Here the re’em serves as a metaphor for God’s unstoppable power against Israel’s enemies, showing strength used for divine purposes rather than domestic labor.
-
Job 39:10
Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you?
The rhetorical question about harnessing the wild ox in the furrow underscores the impossibility of forcing this raw power into human service.