OX

The male of the beeve kind when grown, synonymous in the Bible with BULL; a clean animal, by the Levitical law; much used for food, 1Ki 19:21, and constituting no small part of the wealth of the Hebrews in their pastoral life, Ge 24:35 Job 1:14 42:12. Oxen were used in agriculture for ploughing, 1Ki 19:19; and for treading out the grain, during which they were not to be muzzled, 1Co 9:9, but well fed, Isa 30:24. The testing of a new yoke of oxen is still a business of great importance in the East, as of old, Lu 14:19. A passage in Campbell’s travels in South Africa well illustrates the proverbial expression, "as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke," Jer 31:18: "I had frequent opportunities of witnessing the conduct of oxen when for the first time put into the yoke to assist in dragging the wagons. On observing an ox that had been in yoke beginning to get weak, or his hoofs to be worn down to the quick by treading on the sharp gravel, a fresh ox was put into the yoke in his place. When the selection fell on an ox I had received as a present from some African king, of course one completely unaccustomed to the yoke, and attempting to make its escape. At other times such bullocks say down upon their sides or back, and remained so in defiance of the Hottentots, though two or three of them would be lashing them with their ponderous whips. Sometimes, from pity to the animal, I would interfere, and beg them to be less cruel. ‘Cruel,’ they would say, ‘it is mercy; for if we do not conquer him now, he will require to be so beaten all his life.’" The "wild ox," mentioned in De 14:5, is supposed to have been a species of stag or antelope. See BULLS OF BASHAN.

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Ox. Ox
Heb. bakar, “cattle;” “neat cattle”, (Gen. 12:16; 34:28; Job 1:3, 14; 42:12, etc.); not to be muzzled when treading the corn (Deut. 25:4). Referred to by our Lord in his reproof to the Pharisees (Luke 13:15; 14:5).

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OX. → See BULLOCK → See CATTLE

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ox. Ox, n. Oxen, n.pl. a castrated bull or bulls

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Ox (ŏks), n.; pl. Oxen (#). [[AS. oxa; akin to D. os. G. ochs, ochse, OHG. ohso, Icel. oxi, Sw. & Dan. oxe, Goth. aúhsa, Skr. ukshan ox, bull; cf. Skr. uksh to sprinkle. √214. Cf. Humid, Aurochs.]] (Zoöl.) The male of bovine quadrupeds, especially the domestic animal when castrated and grown to its full size, or nearly so. The word is also applied, as a general name, to any species of bovine animals, male and female. All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field. Ps. viii. 7. ☞ The castrated male is called a steer until it attains its full growth, and then, an ox; but if castrated somewhat late in life, it is called a stag. The male, not castrated, is called a bull. These distinctions are well established in regard to domestic animals of this genus. When wild animals of this kind are spoken of, ox is often applied both to the male and the female. The name ox is never applied to the individual cow, or female, of the domestic kind. Oxen may comprehend both the male and the female. Grunting ox (Zoöl.), the yak. — Indian ox (Zoöl.), the zebu. — Javan ox (Zoöl.), the banteng. — Musk ox. (Zoöl.) See under Musk. — Ox bile. See Ox gall, below. — Ox gall, the fresh gall of the domestic ox; — used in the arts and in medicine. — Ox pith, ox marrow. Marston. — Ox ray (Zoöl.), a very large ray (Dicerobatis Giornæ) of Southern Europe. It has a hornlike organ projecting forward from each pectoral fin. It sometimes becomes twenty feet long and twenty-eight feet broad, and weighs over a ton. Called also sea devil. — To have the black ox tread on one's foot, to be unfortunate; to know what sorrow is (because black oxen were sacrificed to Pluto). Leigh Hunt.