Meaning of UNICORN

The Hebrew term. It is "reem", translated in the LXX as "adros" and "monokerõs". From this last term, the term "unicorn" was introduced in the old Reina-Valera version.

There is nothing in Scripture to suggest that the “reem” had a single horn. On the contrary, Deut. 33:17 speaks of "his antlers, like the antlers of a reem." It must have been an animal that the Israelites were familiar with.

His great strength and his indomitable nature were his main characteristics; could not be used like a domestic ox for agricultural purposes (Num. 23:22; 24:8; Deut. 33:17; Jb. 39:9, 10; Ps. 29:6; 92:10; Is. 34: 7).

The Lord asked to be saved from the mouth of the lion, because Jehovah had heard it from the horns of unicorns (KJV) or buffaloes (KJV, KJV) (Ps. 22:21), with which the implacable enemies are compared. of the.

It is more than likely that reference is made to a species of wild ox, the “Bos primigenius”. They may have existed in Palestine, like the lion, although they are now extinct.

This identification is confirmed by the existence of wild oxen in Assyrian bas-reliefs, with the name "reem" or "rim" above them.