“Unicorn” is one translation of the word “re’em,” notably found in the King James Bible. Meanwhile, most other versions render the Hebrew word as “wild ox.”
The idea that unicorns not only existed but are present in God’s narrative is enchanting, yet even if God intended to portray such a creature in his Word as it is in our 21st-century imaginations, His intention was possibly symbolic.
What is the biblical meaning behind the unicorn?
Some Unicorn History — Biblical and Secular
One historian explains that “in Christian thought, the unicorn represents the incarnation of Christ, a symbol of purity and grace.” Unicorns and virgins have a long literary and artistic association.
The problem with connecting the unicorn specifically with Scripture and Christological symbolism is that unicorn mythology began before Christ’s life, death, and resurrection and was even known to non-Jewish cultures.
This mythical beast was potentially portrayed first in “the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization of what is now Pakistan, where it is depicted on seals” if this is indeed what the image depicts. Some scholars say it is merely “a bull in profile” (Ibid.).
Ancient Greeks believed unicorns were real animals originating out of the Middle East and that they resembled “a wild ass with a horn. Pliny the Elder described a “Monoceros, combined of elements of a stag, elephant, boar, and horse” (Ibid.).
Many centuries later, in Europe, unicorns became more equine in shape and were associated with chivalrous knights. The Renaissance unicorn denoted “chastity and fidelity” but was a secular symbol, not a Christian one.
Today, there are connections with Scotland, prosperous businesses, little girls who love princesses, and the LGBTQ+ movement (Ibid). At one time, the unicorn — being impossible to find — signified rarity.
The Hebrew Reality
Whether there was ever such a thing as a unicorn, this beast — named in Numbers 23:22, Job 39:9, and Isaiah 24:8 is probably a "wild ox."
One biblical scholar points to the traits of this beast, which include its untamable nature, strength, and ferocity. “The reem is spoken of as a two-horned animal [...] well known and often seen by the Jews, [...] fit for sacrificial purposes, [...] frequently associated with bulls and oxen.”
Re’em is featured in the Old Testament during events that took place more than two millennia ago. Ancient carvings and writings suggest features that are like that of an ox or an antelope.
Matt Slick says that one description gives us “an extinct, long-horned ancestor of the domestic cattle, Bos primigenius bojanus.”
The KJV stands out as the most well-known translation to feature the word “unicorn,” and the reason is simple: “In 1611, when the KJV was produced, the translators [...] didn’t know what the original Hebrew word meant. It is the English that critics complain about, not the original Hebrew text.”
Translators are not trying to avoid mythological associations; they are trying to be faithful to the text.
Later scholars explored the context of God’s Word to decipher re’em, and came up with the better-known, more widely acknowledged translation.
Scripture does not feature every species of animal by name, so however one should translate re’em, scholars can be sure there is a reason for its presence in God’s Word.
The Symbolism of Re’em
Scripturally, this beast is associated with power, ferocity, or victory. Take Psalm 92:10, for instance, which (in the KJV) says, “My horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn.”
Easton’s Bible Dictionary clarifies the scriptural imagery, saying, “to have the horn ‘exalted’ denotes prosperity and triumph.” The Psalmist was comparing his triumph with the power of a formidable horned beast.
In Deuteronomy 33:17, Moses blessed Joseph, whom he described as “a firstborn bull — he has majesty, and his horns are the horns of a wild ox” (ESV, KJV uses unicorn).
Job 39:9 in the KJV translations tells the reader that God asked Job, “Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?”
Matthew Henry explained that the unicorn is a proud and stately creature that can serve but does not wish to. “God challenges Job to force him to it.”
His reason is to make Job understand that “where God gives strength for service, he gives a heart; it is what we should pray for, and reason ourselves into, which the brutes cannot do.”
As for the Christological associations, “association of Christ and the unicorn derives from an admixture of classical sources that attribute indomitable power, strength, and healing to the unicorn and of biblical references to unicorns whose characters will be interpreted as applying to Christ.”
Terrence Ehrman, examining sacred art, points out that although the word “re’em” is not found in the New Testament, the Old Testament foreshadows his coming and describes his character.
He is “the horn, the powerful one, whom no enemy can conquer, the reality to which the creaturely characteristic of the unicorn points.” The New Testament image of a “horn” confirms this link: God has “raised up a horn of salvation for us” (Luke 1:69).
Longing for the Literal Unicorn
What if there were real unicorns hiding in a remote forest somewhere? The literal unicorn, as the modern world imagines it stems perhaps from a longing to take a break from the real cares of this world and also a desire to have a belief in other impossibilities affirmed like the Loch Ness Monster and Sasquatch.
But the purpose of God’s Word is never to set people in pursuit of legendary creatures or buried treasure, quests which become forms of religious devotion, even addiction, and (for the Christian) distract from his purpose of including them in his Word.
Scripture teaches about who Jesus is, what he has done, is doing, and will do. Scripture explains how men and women are viewed by and can have a relationship with God through His Son. The Bible tells us what it means to live fruitfully in Christ.
Whatever beasts are mentioned in the Bible, their presence contributes in some way to our understanding of God but should not become objects of devotion. Some say that the purity, strength, and majesty of the unicorn really stand for the same features of Christ.
However wonderful it would be to see such an animal, the unicorn’s splendor can still never compete with that of Jesus Messiah, who is both real and present.
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For further reading:
Do Butterflies Have a Spiritual Meaning in the Bible?
How Is God’s Majesty Seen in Creation?
Did the Bible Copy Other Religious Myths and Legends?
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