shor · ox, bull

What it means

shor (שׁוֹר) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “ox, bull”.

Ox or bull: a head of cattle.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. A large farm animal that plowed, carried loads and was offered in sacrifice.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Ox, bull: a head of cattle. BDB: a bullock or ox, as a draught animal or for sacrifice.

• The ox in the commandments Exodus 20:17
• The goring ox, in the laws Exodus 21:28
• “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing” Deuteronomy 25:4Deuteronomy 22:10
• “The ox knows its owner” Isaiah 1:3
• The ox in the proverbs Proverbs 14:4Job 6:5

Historical and cultural background

The laws of Exodus 21:28-36 regulate the harm done by an ox that gores and the responsibility of its owner. Deuteronomy 25:4 commands: “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing”.

How we translate it

“Ox” 65 times, “oxen” 7, “bull” 4. It is distinct from בָּקָר, “cattle” or “herd”, the word for the whole herd (1 Kings 1:9).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• ox ×65
• oxen ×7
• bull ×4
• When a calf ×1
• bulls ×1
• cow ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×2
• Exodus×24
• Leviticus×10
• Numbers×4
• Deuteronomy×12
• Joshua×2
• Judges×2
• 1 Samuel×5
• 2 Samuel×1
• 1 Kings×2
• Nehemiah×1
• Job×3
• Psalms×2
• Proverbs×3
• Isaiah×4
• Ezekiel×1
• Hosea×1

• Genesis 32:5

  I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male slaves, and slave women; and I have sent to tell my lord, to find favor in your eyes.’”

• Genesis 49:6

  Into their council let my soul not enter; to their assembly let my honor not be joined; for in their anger they killed men, and at their whim they hamstrung oxen.

• Exodus 20:17

  You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male slave, or his female slave, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

• Exodus 21:28

  When an ox gores a man or a woman and the person dies, the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall be clear.

• Exodus 21:29

  But if an ox has been given to goring in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.

• Exodus 21:32

  If the ox gores a male slave or a female slave, he shall give thirty shekels of silver to his master, and the ox shall be stoned.

• Exodus 21:33

  When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,

• Exodus 21:35

  When a man's ox hurts the ox of his neighbor and it dies, they shall sell the live ox and divide its silver, and the dead ox they shall also divide.

• Exodus 21:36

  Or if it is known that the ox has been given to goring in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall surely repay, ox for ox, and the dead animal shall be his.

• Exodus 22:1

  When a man steals an ox or a lamb and slaughters it or sells it, he shall repay five cattle for the ox and four sheep for the lamb.

• Exodus 22:4

  If the stolen thing is actually found in his hand alive, whether ox or donkey or lamb, he shall repay double.

• Exodus 22:9

  In every case of transgression, whether for an ox, for a donkey, for a lamb, for a garment, or for any lost thing of which someone says, ‘This is it,’ the case of the two of them shall come before Elohim; the one whom Elohim declares guilty shall repay double to his neighbor.

• Exodus 22:10

  When a man gives his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a lamb or any animal to keep, and it dies or is injured or is carried off, with no one seeing,

• Exodus 22:30

  So you shall do with your oxen and with your flock: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.

• Exodus 23:4

  When you come upon your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him.

• Exodus 23:12

  Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave and the resident alien may be refreshed.

• Exodus 34:19

  Everything that first opens the womb is mine, and all your livestock that is male, the firstborn of ox and lamb.

• Leviticus 4:10

  just as it is taken off from the ox of the sacrifice of peace; and the priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering.

• Leviticus 7:23

  “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: You shall not eat any fat of ox or lamb or goat.

• Leviticus 9:4

  and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before YHWH, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today YHWH will appear to you.’”

• Leviticus 9:18

  He slaughtered the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace that was for the people, and the sons of Aaron handed the blood to him, and he splashed it against the altar all around,

• Leviticus 9:19

  and the fat portions from the ox and from the ram, the fat tail, and that which covers, and the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver;

• Leviticus 17:3

  Any man of the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or who slaughters it outside the camp,

• Leviticus 22:23

  And an ox or a lamb that has a limb too long or stunted you may offer as a freewill offering, it, but for a vow it will not be accepted.

• Leviticus 22:27

  “When a calf or a lamb or a kid is born, it shall be seven days under its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be accepted as a fire offering to YHWH.

• Leviticus 22:28

  And a cow or a ewe, it and its young, you shall not slaughter on one day.

• Leviticus 27:26

  But a firstborn, which as a firstborn belongs to YHWH, among the beasts, no man shall consecrate it; whether ox or lamb, it is YHWH’s.

• Numbers 7:3

  And they brought their offering before YHWH: six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and an ox for each one; and they presented them before the dwelling.

• Numbers 15:11

  Thus it shall be done for each bull, or for each ram, or for a lamb, whether of the sheep or of the goats.

• Numbers 18:17

  But the firstborn of a bull or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat you shall not redeem; they are holy. Their blood you shall splash on the altar, and their fat you shall burn as a fire offering, for a pleasing aroma to YHWH.

• Numbers 22:4

  And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this assembly will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the green growth of the field.” And Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

• Deuteronomy 5:14

  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to YHWH your Elohim. You shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male slave, or your female slave, or your ox, or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or your resident alien who is within your gates, so that your male slave and your female slave may rest like you.

• Deuteronomy 5:21

  Nor shall you covet your neighbor’s wife; nor shall you desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male slave, or his female slave, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

• Deuteronomy 14:4

  These are the beasts that you may eat: the ox, the sheep and the goat,

• Deuteronomy 15:19

  Every firstborn male that is born in your herd and in your flock you shall consecrate to YHWH your Elohim; you shall not work with the firstborn of your ox, and you shall not shear the firstborn of your flock.

• Deuteronomy 17:1

  You shall not sacrifice to YHWH your Elohim an ox or a lamb that has a defect, anything bad, for it is an abomination to YHWH your Elohim.

• Deuteronomy 18:3

  And this shall be the due of the priests from the people, from those who sacrifice the sacrifice, whether an ox or a lamb: he shall give to the priest the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the stomach.

• Deuteronomy 22:1

  You shall not see your brother’s ox or his lamb straying and ignore them; you shall surely bring them back to your brother.

• Deuteronomy 22:4

  You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen on the road and ignore them; you shall surely lift them up with him.

• Deuteronomy 22:10

  You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

And 39 more times.