Do animals lie down?
Since most verbs in Hebrew apply equally to humans and animals doing the action (including הלך, שׁתה, אכל), you might assume that the verb שׁכב 'to lie down,' would be the same. While working on the video that teaches שׁכב, I found some stock footage of a cow lying down and a horse lying down and happily included them in my video draft. Thankfully, one of my checkers pointed out that this verb doesn't seem to apply to animals, so I removed those clips before releasing the final draft. For animals lying down, you should use the verb רבץ. This is sometimes translated 'lie down' and sometimes 'crouch,' depending on the context.
The evidence:
וְהִנֵּה־שָׁ֞ם שְׁלֹשָׁ֤ה עֶדְרֵי־צֹאן֙ רֹבְצִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יהָ (Gen. 29:2)
...and behold three flocks of sheep lying beside it...
כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֞ה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ֗ רֹבֵץ֙ תַּ֣חַת מַשָּׂאוֹ (Ex.23:5)
If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden...
וַתֵּ֤רֶא הָֽאָתוֹן֙ אֶת־מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה וַתִּרְבַּ֖ץ תַּ֣חַת בִּלְעָ֑ם (Num.22:27)
And the donkey saw the messenger of YHWH and she lay down under Balaam.
וְגָ֤ר זְאֵב֙ עִם־כֶּ֔בֶשׂ וְנָמֵ֖ר עִם־גְּדִ֣י יִרְבָּ֑ץ (Isa.11:6)
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the goat kid...
וְרֹעִ֖ים לֹא־יַרְבִּ֥צוּ שָֽׁם׃ (Isa.13:20)
...shepherds will not make [their flocks] lie down there.
שָׁ֣ם יִרְעֶ֥ה עֵ֛גֶל וְשָׁ֥ם יִרְבָּ֖ץ וְכִלָּ֥ה סְעִפֶֽיהָ׃ (Isa.27:10)
...there the calf grazes and there it lies down and strips its branches.
וְרָבְצ֨וּ בְתוֹכָ֤הּ עֲדָרִים֙ (Zeph.2:14)
Flocks will lie down in her midst...
To find evidence, search lemma רבץ
I think רבץ means to lie down on the belly with the hind legs bent forward, which only quadripedal animals do.
ReplyDelete