Sunday, December 26, 2010

Dogs and the Judeo-Christian Tradition

He who breeds a wild dog in his house keeps loving kindness away from his house. (Shabbath 63a)

A certain woman entered a house to bake. The dog barked at her, whereupon (she miscarried). Said the householder to her, 'Fear not: his fangs and claws have been extracted.' 'Take your favours and throw them on the thorns,' she retorted, 'the child has already (died).' (Shabbath 63b)

A philosopher asked R. Gamaliel, 'It is written in your Torah, For the Lord thy God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.24 Why, however, is He so jealous of its worshippers rather than of the idol itself?' He replied, 'I will give you a parable: To what is the matter like? To a human king who had a son, and this son reared a dog to which he attached his father's name, so that whenever he took an oath he exclaimed, "By the life of this dog, my father!" When the king hears of it, with whom is he angry - his son or the dog? Surely he is angry with his son!' [The philosopher] said to him, 'You call the idol a dog; but there is some reality in it.' [The Rabbi asked], 'What is your proof?' He replied, 'Once a fire broke out in our city, and the whole town was burnt with the exception of a certain idolatrous shrine!' He said to him, 'I will give you a parable: To what is the matter like? To a human king against whom one of his provinces rebelled. If he goes to war against it, does he fight with the living or the dead? Surely he wages war with the living!'25 [The philosopher] said to him, 'You call the idol a dog and you call it a dead thing. In that case, let Him destroy it from the world!' He replied, 'If it was something unnecessary to the world that was worshipped, He would abolish it; but people worship the sun and moon, stars and planets, brooks and valleys. Should He destroy His universe on account of fools! (‘Abodah Zarah 54b)


The Bible and the Dog

For dogs have surrounded me, a band of evildoers has encompassed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. (Psalm 22:16)

Deliver my soul from the sword, my only life from the power of the dog. (Psalm 22:20)

They return at evening, they howl like a dog, and go around the city. (Psalm 59:6)

They return at evening, they howl like a dog, and go around the city. (Psalm 59:14)

Your foot may shatter them in blood, the tongue of your dogs may have its portion from your enemies. (Psalm 68:23)

Like a dog that returns to its vomitIs a fool who repeats his folly. (Proverbs 26:11)

Like one who takes a dog by the ears. Is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him. (Proverbs 26:17)

For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a living dog is better than a dead lion. (Ecclesiastes 9:4)

Against any of the sons of Israel not a single dog will even bark, whether against a man or a beast, so that you may understand how the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. (Exodus 11:7)

You shall be holy men to Me, therefore you shall not eat any flesh torn to pieces in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.
(Exodus 22:31)

You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the wages of a dog into the house of the LORD your God for any votive offering, for both of these are an abomination to the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 23:18)

So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, 'You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels to drink.' (Judges 7:5)

(Goliath) the Philistine said to David, 'Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?' And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
(1 Samuel 17:43)

Tobias went forward, and the dog followed him, and he lodged the first night by the river of Tigris. (Tobit 6:1)

The dog, which had been with them in the way, ran before, and coming as if he had brought the news, shewed his joy by his fawning and wagging his tail. (Tobit 11:9)

And he will tell me when he will repay them for their sins, and I will come and tell thee, so that I may bring thee through the midst of Jerusalem, and thou shalt have all the people of Israel, as sheep that have no shepherd, and there shall not so much as one dog bark against thee. (Judith 11:15)

Terrors startle him on every side and dog his every step. (Job 18:11)

Now they mock me, men younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs. (Job 30:1)

For many dogs have encompassed me, the council of the malignant hath besieged me. They have dug my hands and feet. (Psalm 21:17)

Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword: my only one from the hand of the dog. (Psalm 21:21)

For dogs have surrounded Me, the assembly of the wicked have enclosed Me. (Psalm 22:16)

Deliver my soul from the sword, my only life from the power of the dog. (Psalm 22:20)

They shall return at evening, and shall suffer hunger like dogs and shall go round about the city. (Psalm 58:7)

They shall return at evening and shall suffer hunger like dogs and shall go round about the city. (Psalm 58:15)

That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thy enemies; the tongue of thy dogs be red with the same. (Psalm 67:24)

As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly. (Proverbs 26:11)

His watchmen are blind, all of them know nothing. All of them are mute dogs unable to bark, Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber. (Isaiah 56:10)

The dogs are greedy, they are not satisfied. And they are shepherds who have no understanding. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his unjust gain, to the last one. (Isaiah 56:11)

He who kills an ox is like one who slays a man. He who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog's neck. He who offers a grain offering is like one who offers swine's blood. (Isaiah 66:3)

"I will appoint over them four kinds of doom," declares the LORD: "the sword to slay, the dogs to drag off, and the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. (Jeremiah 15:3)

Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. (Matthew 7:6)

And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.'...But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. (Matthew 15:26-27)

(Jesus) was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs.' (Mark 7:27-28)

Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own. (Proverbs 26:17)

Anyone who is among the living has hope -even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! (Ecclesiastes 9:4)

But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. (Ecclesiastes 9:4

What fellowship hath a holy man with a dog, or what part hath the rich with the poor? (Sirach 13:22)

His watchmen are blind, all of them know nothing. All of them are mute dogs unable to bark, Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber. (Isaiah 56:10)

The dogs are greedy, they are not satisfied and they are shepherds who have no understanding; They have all turned to their own way, each one to his unjust gain, to the last one. (Isaiah 56:11)

He who kills an ox is like one who slays a man. He who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog's neck. He who offers a grain offering is like one who offers swine's blood. He who burns incense is like the one who blesses an idol. As they have chosen their own ways and their soul delights in their abominations. (Isaiah 66:3)

'I will appoint over them four kinds of doom,' declares the LORD: 'the sword to slay, the dogs to drag off, and the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.' (Jeremiah 15:3)

Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. (Matthew 7:6)

And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.'...But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. (Matthew 15:26-27)

(Jesus) was saying to her, "Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs.' (Mark 7:27-28)

The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.' “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” (Mark 7:26-28)

At the gate lay a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. (Luke 16:20-22)

Longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. (Luke 16:21)

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision. (Philippians 3:2)

It has happened to them according to the true proverb, 'A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,' and, 'A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.' (2 Peter 2:22)

Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. (Revelation 22:15)

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