Re'em Explained

A re'em, also reëm (Hebrew: רְאֵם|rəʾēm), is an animal mentioned nine times in the Hebrew Bible.^[1] It has been translated as "unicorn" in the Latin Vulgate, King James Version, and in some Christian Bible translations as "oryx" (which was accepted as the referent in Modern Hebrew), "wild ox", "wild bull", "buffalo" or "rhinoceros".^[2] Natan Slifkin has argued that the re'em was an aurochs,^[3] as has Isaac Asimov before him.^[4]

Translation

The King James Version of the Book of Job followed the Septuagint and Jerome's Vulgate in the translation of re'em into unicorn:

Some Bible translations into English, including the American Standard Version and New American Standard Bible, interpret re'em as "wild ox" or "wild bull".^{[5] [6]}

Notes and References

1. [Book of Job|Job]
2. Web site: Numbers 23:22 - Bible Gateway. 2021-02-07. www.biblegateway.com. en.
3. Book: Slifkin . Natan . 2015 . The Torah Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdom . Maggid Books . Aurochs . 277–286 . 9781592644049.
4. Book: Asimov, Isaac . Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare . 1978 . Avenel Books . 978-0-517-26825-4 . en.
5. Web site: Bible Gateway passage: Job 39:9-12 - American Standard Version . 2023-06-28 . Bible Gateway . en.
6. Web site: Bible Gateway passage: Job 39:9-12 - New American Standard Bible . 2023-06-28 . Bible Gateway . en.