What is a…
bullock

Four different Hebrew words have been translated as “bullock” in the some Bible translations.

  1. baqar

    Hebrew: בָּקָר —transliteration: baqar —meaning: beef cattle, ox, a herd

    A generic name for horned cattle (Isaiah 65:25 KJV).

    It is also rendered “cow” (Ezek. 4:15 KJV), and “ox” (Genesis 12:16 KJV).

  2. shor

    Hebrew: שׁוֹר —transliteration: showr or shor —meaning: ox, bull

    This word always means an animal of the ox kind, without distinction of age or sex (“bullocks” in Hos. 12:11 KJV; “bulls” Hos. 12:11 NASB).

    It is rendered “cow” (Num. 18:17 KJV; “ox” in Num. 18:17 NASB) and “ox” (Lev. 17:3 KJV, and Lev. 17:3 NASB).

  3. egel

    Hebrew: עֵגֶל —transliteration: `egel or egel —meaning: a calf—nearly grown

    In the King James Version, Jeremiah 31:18 KJV translates egel as “bullock.”

    Whereas, the New American Standard Version says “calf.” and “calves” (Jer. 31:18 NASB; Jer. 31:18 ESV).

    Micah 6:6 KJV (calves)
    Micah 6:6 NASB (yearling calves)
    Micah 6:6 ESV (calves)

    Leviticus 9:3 KJV (calf)
    Leviticus 9:3 NKJV (calf)
    Leviticus 9:3 NASB, LSB (calf)
    Leviticus 9:3 ESV (calf)

    Egel is the same word used of the “molten calf” (Exodus 32:4, 8) and “the golden calf” (1 Kings 12:28).

    See: Golden calf

  4. par

    Hebrew: פַר —transliteration: par —meaning: a bullock, bull, young bull

    Judges 6:25 KJV (bullock)
    Judges 6:25 NKJV (bull)
    Judges 6:25 NASB (bull)
    Judges 6:25 ESV (bull)

    Isaiah 34:7 KJV (bulls)
    Isaiah 34:7 NKJV (bulls)
    Isaiah 34:7 NASB (bulls)
    Isaiah 34:7 ESV (bulls)

    Par is the customary word for bulls offered in sacrifice.

    Hos. 14:2 KJV (calves)
    Hos. 14:2 NKJV (sacrifices)
    Hos. 14:2 NASB, LSB (fruit)
    Hos. 14:2 ESV (bulls)

More information

Article Version: May 7, 2025