Ass

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

Five different Hebrew words give it name in the Bible. A patient beast of burden, and palfrey for even kings (Gen. 22:3; 12:16; 36:24³And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:3)
¹⁶And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. (Genesis 12:16)
²⁴And these are the children of Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah: this was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father. (Genesis 36:24); 1 Chron. 27:30³⁰Over the camels also was Obil the Ishmaelite: and over the asses was Jehdeiah the Meronothite: (1 Chronicles 27:30); Job 1:3³His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. (Job 1:3); Zech. 9:9⁹Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zechariah 9:9)), which last is the prophecy of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1-9¹And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, ²Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. ³And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. ⁴All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, ⁵Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. ⁶And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, ⁷And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. ⁸And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. ⁹And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. (Matthew 21:1‑9)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

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Equus Heminus

In the East the ass takes the place which the horse has among European nations. It is there a much more noble animal, and is declared to be a very intelligent one (compare Isa. 1:3³The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. (Isaiah 1:3)). It is highly valued there and is well treated. It was used for riding both by men and women, and for carrying burdens. Among a man’s property the asses are often enumerated (Gen. 12:16¹⁶And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. (Genesis 12:16); Job 1:3³His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. (Job 1:3); Job 42:12¹²So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. (Job 42:12); Ezra 2:67⁶⁷Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty. (Ezra 2:67); Neh. 7:69⁶⁹Their camels, four hundred thirty and five: six thousand seven hundred and twenty asses. (Nehemiah 7:69)). There are five Hebrew words used for the domestic and the wild ass, referring to its strength or to its color.

The “white asses” mentioned in Judges 5:10¹⁰Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. (Judges 5:10) are still greatly prized in the East. In some parts the flesh of the ass is highly esteemed for food, but it was forbidden as unclean to the Jews: was however eaten in the dire famine at the siege of Samaria (2 Kings 6:25²⁵And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. (2 Kings 6:25)).

THE WILD Ass is very wild and very swift. It is seldom tamed. It is thus a fit emblem of man’s natural birth (Job 11:12¹²For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt. (Job 11:12)). Jehovah demanded of Job “Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?” (Job 39:5⁵Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? (Job 39:5); compare Jer. 2:24²⁴A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her. (Jeremiah 2:24); Dan. 5:21²¹And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. (Daniel 5:21)).

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Judges 5:10¹⁰Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. (Judges 5:10). Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way.

There is no reason to interpret, as some writers do, the expression “white asses,” to mean asses covered with white caparisons. The intention is to indicate the wealth and luxury of the riders; and as asses wholly white, or even nearly so, are rare and costly, the men who own them must be classed among the rich and influential. Morier says that in Persia the Mollahs, or men of the law, consider it a dignity suited to their character to ride on white asses.

Ass

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