wild ass

In the context of being in the wilderness, the Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “wild ass” in English is translated in Chitonga as cibize or “zebra,” because “from the Tonga perspective, no ‘donkey of the bush’ [the literal correspondent of ‘wild ass’] could be expected to live very long, due to predators like lions, etc.” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 130)

 

Two species of wild ass were known by the Israelites, the Nubian Wild Ass Equus asinus africanus, which lived on the African side of the Red Sea, and the Persian Wild Ass or Onager Equus hemionus, which was common in the land of Israel, Syria, and Mesopotamia. It seems likely that the Hebrew ‘arod and the Aramaic ‘arad refer to the Nubian wild ass, and the Hebrew pere’ to the onager.

Both species of wild ass were hunted for their meat.

The Nubian wild ass is probably the ancestor of virtually all domestic donkeys. It is a smallish, light brown donkey with a characteristic dark stripe down its spine and across its shoulders. It originally had stripes on the lower part of its forelegs. It has long ears and a tufted tail. It is still found in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia.

The onager, or Persian wild ass, is a larger animal, classified scientifically as a species of horse. It looks something like a mule. The scientific name hemionus means “half-ass”. It has smaller ears than a typical donkey. It is a fawn color but has a whitish chest and belly. It was evidently never fully domesticated, although one ancient Sumerian illustration shows onagers harnessed to a chariot. Onagers are still found in very small numbers in parts of Syria and Iraq and have been reintroduced into Israel.

The onager was a symbol of untameable wildness, and thus the metaphor “wild ass” was used to describe anyone with wild uncontrolled behavior.

In Africa the closest equivalent to the wild ass is the zebra, which is about the same size and belongs to the same animal family. Like the onager, the zebra has never been widely domesticated. Where the phrase “wild donkeys” would refer to domestic donkeys that have returned to living in a wild state (“feral donkeys”), a phrase meaning “wild horse” is a better choice, since feral donkeys are easily captured and domesticated, whereas feral horses are harder to domesticate. Languages that use the same word for horse and zebra may still have a problem.

The same word or expression can be used for both Hebrew words and for the Aramaic ‘arad, since no distinction between the wild ass species is intended in the biblical text, except in Job 39:5. In this verse, the Hebrew pere’ and ‘arod are both used:

The parallelism can be preserved either by using a pronoun in the second line (Who untied its ropes?) or by using “zebra” or “wild horse” for pere’ and “wild ass” for ‘arod.

Nubian Wild Ass, Wikimedia Commons

Persian Wild Ass / Onager, Wikimedia Commons

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

See also wild ass of a man / wild donkey and donkey.

complete verse (Isaiah 32:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 32:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “They shall migrate from the home of the king
    and that big city shall be abandoned.
    The places from where the city was guarded shall be destroyed
    and become where animals always live.
    The city shall belong to donkeys
    and become a place where cows and goats/sheep are grazed.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The king palace will be completely abandoned,
    the crowded busy cities will be empty.
    Fortresses and towers will forever become desolate places.
    [There will be] joy for wild donkeys and green pastures for cows, oxen, sheep and goats,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The busy city will- no-longer be-inhabited and the strong portion of-it will- now just -be-abandoned. The hill/[lit. small-mountain] and tower of-it will-become like a desolate-place forever/[lit. until whenever]. The donkeys will-roam-around here and the animals will-graze/eat.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 32:14

For renders the Hebrew particle ki, which functions as an emphatic marker here. It emphasizes that Jerusalem and its fortified places will also suffer. It may be rendered “Indeed” or “Truly.” Good News Translation says “Even.”

The palace will be forsaken means the king of Judah will abandon his palace in Jerusalem, either because he will flee or because he will go into captivity. If the passive verb will be forsaken requires an active form in some languages, this clause may be rendered “the king will abandon his palace.”

The populous city deserted indicates that the large population of Jerusalem will leave with the king.

The hill and the watchtower will become dens for ever: The hill (ʿophel in Hebrew) refers to an area of the city that was higher than the other parts and was fortified. New Jerusalem Bible treats it as a place name, saying “Ophel,” but we recommend an expression for a fortified place, such as “citadel” (New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The watchtower was a tower within this fortified part of the city. It was an observation post from which guards kept a watch on events outside the city. The Hebrew term used here is not found anywhere else in the Old Testament, so scholars dispute its precise meaning. New Jerusalem Bible has “the Keep” with a note saying that it probably corresponds to the great tower of Neh 3.26-27. These fortified areas in Jerusalem will become dens. The Hebrew word for dens could refer to “ruins” (Good News Translation), but in this context it more likely refers to caves where wild animals live (see 2.19, where it is rendered “caves”). So wild animals will occupy the fortified parts of the city. They will do this for a long time. The Hebrew phrase rendered for ever (literally “for an age”) is better rendered “for a long time” (see the comments at 30.8). This phrase is repeated in verse 17, which helps to link the first half of this section with the latter half.

A joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks: These two lines say the abandoned city will become a place where animals roam freely and feed. The Hebrew word rendered joy is the same one translated “joyous” in the previous verse. Happy donkeys will replace homes filled with joy. The Hebrew word for wild asses refers to onagers. An onager is a species of horse that is known for being wild. It looks like a donkey. For the idea of flocks pasturing in a deserted city, see the comments on 17.2.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Indeed, the royal palace will be abandoned,
the crowds will desert the city;
the citadel and the watchtower
will become places where animals live for a long time,
a place where wild donkeys and herds of domestic animals will happily feed….

• Indeed, the king will abandon the palace,
the crowds will leave the city;
its citadel and watchtower
will become animal dens for a long time,
enjoyed by wild donkeys and where sheep and cattle feed….

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .