Hunting

HUNT'ING is the necessity of man in the wild state, and his recreation when civilized. Before the Flood animal food does not seem to have been eaten, but the killing of animals, both tame and wild, was expressly permitted to Noah, Gen 9:3. Nimrod achieved a reputation as "a mighty hunter before the Lord," Gen 10:9. In Palestine the patriarchs probably lived very quietly with their flocks and herds, but they may have occasionally indulged in the pleasures of the hunt; at all events, we know that Isaac was very fond of venison, Gen 27:3-4. After the Exodus we have proof in the promise of God to drive out the wild animals that Palestine was at that time plentifully supplied with beasts of the chase, Ex 23:29. But their utter destruction was provided against. Ex 23:11; Lev 25:7. We find mention made of lions, Jud 14:5; 1 Sam 17:34; bears, 1 Sam 17:34; 2 Kgs 2:24; jackals, Jud 15:4; foxes. Song 2:15; hart, roebucks, and fallow-deer, Deut 12:15; 1 Kgs 4:23. The manner of catching these animals was either by digging a pitfall, which was the usual manner with the larger animals, as the lion, 2 Sam 23:20; Eze 19:4, Josh 19:8, or, secondly, by a trap, which, set under ground. Job 18:10, in the run of the animal, Prov 22:5, caught it by the leg. Job 18:9, or, lastly, by a net stretched across a, ravine, into which the animals were driven and then despatched. The game was for food, Prov 12:27, and the blood of these wild animals was poured out in the same manner as that of the tame. Lev 17:13. Birds were eaten by the Hebrews, Lev 17:13, who exercised considerable ingenuity in the capture of them. The most usual method was by the trap, which was "a net strained over a frame, and a stick to support it, but so placed that it should give way at the slightest touch." Job 18:9; Eccl 9:12; Prov 7:23. Besides the trap, a snare, by which the bird's leg was caught. Job 18:10, a net to close with a string, and a decoy, Jer 5:26-27, were occasionally used.