CALF

The young of the cow, a clean animal much used in sacrifice; hence the expression, "So will we render the calves of our lips," Ho 14:2, meaning, we will offer as sacrifices the prayers and praises of our lips, Heb 13:15. The fatted calf was considered the choicest animal food, Ge 18:7 Am 6:4 Lu 15:23. In Jer 34:18, "they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof," there is an allusion to an ancient mode of ratifying a covenant; the parties thus signifying their willingness to be themselves cut in pieces if unfaithful, Ge 15:9-18. THE GOLDEN CALF worshipped by the Jews at mount Sinai, while Moses was absent in the mount, was cast by Aaron from the earrings of the people. Its worship was attended with degrading obscenities, and was punished by the death of three thousand men. The golden calves of Jeroboam were erected by him, one at each extreme of his kingdom, that the ten tribes might be prevented from resorting to Jerusalem to worship, and thus coalescing with the men of Judah, 1Ki 12:26-29. Thus the people "forgot God their Savior," and sank into gross idolatry. Jeroboam is scarcely ever mentioned in Scripture without the brand upon him, "who made Israel to sin," 2Ki 17:21. The prophet Hosea frequently alludes to the calf at Bethel, to the folly and guilt of its worshippers, and to the day when both idol and people should be broken in pieces by the Assyrians.

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Calf. Calf
Calves were commonly made use of in sacrifices, and are therefore frequently mentioned in Scripture. The “fatted calf” was regarded as the choicest of animal food; it was frequently also offered as a special sacrifice (1 Sam. 28:24; Amos 6:4; Luke 15:23). The words used in Jer. 34:18, 19, “cut the calf in twain,” allude to the custom of dividing a sacrifice into two parts, between which the parties ratifying a covenant passed (Gen. 15:9, 10, 17, 18). The sacrifice of the lips, i.e., priase, is called “the calves of our lips” (Hos. 14:2, R.V., “as bullocks the offering of our lips.” Comp. Heb. 13:15; Ps. 116:7; Jer. 33:11).

The golden calf which Aaron made (Ex. 32:4) was probably a copy of the god Moloch rather than of the god Apis, the sacred ox or calf of Egypt. The Jews showed all through their history a tendency toward the Babylonian and Canaanitish idolatry rather than toward that of Egypt.

Ages after this, Jeroboam, king of Israel, set up two idol calves, one at Dan, and the other at Bethel, that he might thus prevent the ten tribes from resorting to Jerusalem for worship (1 Kings 12:28). These calves continued to be a snare to the people till the time of their captivity. The calf at Dan was carried away in the reign of Pekah by Tiglath-pileser, and that at Bethel ten years later, in the reign of Hoshea, by Shalmaneser (2 Kings 15:29; 17:33). This sin of Jeroboam is almost always mentioned along with his name (2 Kings 15:28 etc.).

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CALF. → Offered in sacrifice Mic 6:6 → Golden, made by Aaron Ex 32; De 9:16; Ne 9:18; Ps 106:19; Ac 7:41 → Images of, set up in Beth-el and Dan by Jeroboam 1Ki 12:28-33; 2Ki 10:29 → Worshiped by Jehu 2Ki 10:29 → Prophecies against the golden calves at Beth-el 1Ki 13:1-5,32; Jer 48:13; Ho 8:5,6; 10:5,6 → Altars of, destroyed 2Ki 23:4,15-20 → Calves of the lips, a metaphor signifying worship Ho 14:2

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calf. Calf, pl. calves, n. the young of a cow, thick part of hte leg

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Calf (?), n.; pl. Calves (#). [[OE. calf, kelf, AS. cealf; akin to D. kalf, G. kalb, Icel. kālfr, Sw. kalf, Dan. kalv, Goth. kalbō; cf. Skr. garbha fetus, young, Gr. �����, Skr grabh to seize, conceive, Ir. colpa, colpach, a calf. √222.]] 1. 1. The young of the cow, or of the Bovine family of quadrupeds. Also, the young of some other mammals, as of the elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, and whale.
2. 2. Leather made of the skin of the calf; especially, a fine, light-colored leather used in bookbinding; as, to bind books in calf.
3. 3. An awkward or silly boy or young man; any silly person; a dolt.
Some silly, doting, brainless calf. Drayton. 4. 4. A small island near a larger; as, the Calf of Man.
5. 5. A small mass of ice set free from the submerged part of a glacier or berg, and rising to the surface. Kane.
6. 6. [[Cf. Icel. kālfi.]] The fleshy hinder part of the leg below the knee.
Calf's-foot jelly, jelly made from the feet of calves. The gelatinous matter of the feet is extracted by boiling, and is flavored with sugar, essences, etc.