Ox

Oxen appear in Scripture at the altar and in the field. A bullock is the first animal brought for the sin offering when the priests are set apart, and Numbers 28 counts out young bullocks for the monthly and festival offerings. In the field, the ox is the farmer’s strength: “Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.” The law says “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn,” and Paul quotes it when writing about supporting those who work. See Deuteronomy 25:4 and Proverbs 14:4.

50 verses

Exodus

Exodus 29:3

And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.

Exodus 29:10

And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.

Exodus 29:11

And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Exodus 29:12

And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.

Exodus 29:13

And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.

Exodus 29:14

But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.

Exodus 29:36

And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.

Leviticus

Leviticus 4:8

And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,

Leviticus 4:16

And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation:

Numbers

Numbers 7:3

And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle.

Numbers 7:4

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Numbers 7:5

Take it of them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service.

Numbers 7:6

And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites.

Numbers 7:7

Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their service:

Numbers 7:8

And four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Numbers 7:87

All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the lambs of the first year twelve, with their meat offering: and the kids of the goats for sin offering twelve.

Numbers 7:88

And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after that it was anointed.

Numbers 28:11

And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;

Numbers 28:12

And three tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one ram;

Numbers 28:13

And a several tenth deal of flour mingled with oil for a meat offering unto one lamb; for a burnt offering of a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.

Numbers 28:14

And their drink offerings shall be half an hin of wine unto a bullock, and the third part of an hin unto a ram, and a fourth part of an hin unto a lamb: this is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year.

Numbers 28:15

And one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the LORD shall be offered, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.

Numbers 28:16

And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD.

Numbers 28:17

And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.

Numbers 28:18

In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein:

Numbers 28:19

But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall be unto you without blemish:

Numbers 28:20

And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: three tenth deals shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram;

Numbers 28:21

A several tenth deal shalt thou offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs:

Numbers 28:22

And one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.

Numbers 28:23

Ye shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.

Numbers 28:24

After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: it shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.

Numbers 28:25

And on the seventh day ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work.

Numbers 28:26

Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:

Numbers 28:27

But ye shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD; two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year;

Numbers 28:28

And their meat offering of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto one bullock, two tenth deals unto one ram,

Numbers 28:29

A several tenth deal unto one lamb, throughout the seven lambs;

Numbers 28:30

And one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you.

Numbers 28:31

Ye shall offer them beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering,(they shall be unto you without blemish) and their drink offerings.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 25:4

Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

1 Samuel

1 Samuel 14:14

And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.

1 Kings

1 Kings 7:25

It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

1 Kings 19:19

So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 4:4

It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

Psalms

Psalms 22:12

Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

Proverbs

Proverbs 14:4

Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

Isaiah

Isaiah 32:20

Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 1:10

As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

Ezekiel 39:18

Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9:9

For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

Revelation

Revelation 4:7

And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

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).

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

There was no animal in the rural economy of the Israelites, or indeed in that of the ancient Orientals generally, that was held in higher esteem than the ox and deservedly so, for the ox was the animal upon whose patient labors depended all the ordinary operations of farming. Oxen were used for ploughing, (22:10; 1 Samuel 14:14) etc.; for treading out corn, (25:4; Hosea 10:11) etc.; for draught purposes, when they were generally yoked in pairs, (Numbers 7:3; 1 Samuel 6:7) etc.; as beasts of burden, (1 Chronicles 12:40) their flesh was eaten, (14:4; 1 Kings 1:9) etc.; they were used in the sacrifices; cows supplied milk, butter, etc. (32:14; 2 Samuel 17:29; Isaiah 7:22) Connected with the importance of oxen in the rural economy of the Jews is the strict code of laws which was mercifully enacted by God for their protection and preservation. The ox that threshed the corn was by no means to be muzzled; he was to enjoy rest on the Sabbath as well as his master. (Exodus 23:12; 5:14) The ox was seldom slaughtered. (Leviticus 17:1-6) It seems clear from (Proverbs 15:17) and 1Kin 4:23 That cattle were sometimes stall-fed though as a general rule it is probable that they fed in the plains or on the hills of Palestine. The cattle that grazed at large in the open country would no doubt often become fierce and wild, for it is to be remembered that in primitive times the lion and other wild beasts of prey roamed about Palestine. Hence the force of the Psalmist’s complaint of his enemies. (Psalms 22:13)

Based on Nave's Topical Bible by Orville J. Nave (1896). Dictionary entries from Easton's Bible Dictionary and Smith's Bible Dictionary. Public domain. KJV scripture text, public domain.