ZEBRA

[Heb., peʹreʼ].

An animal of the horse family resembling the wild ass in appearance and habits, though easily distinguished from the latter by its dark or black stripes. The stripes distort the shape and unity of the zebra’s outline to such an extent that even sharp-eyed natives are often unaware of its presence just forty or fifty yards (c. 37 or c. 46 meters) away. Aside from its camouflage, the zebra’s keen senses of sight and smell, as well as its ability to run swiftly, serve as a protection from carnivores. The animal has been reported to travel at 40 m.p.h. (c. 64 k.p.h.) after its initial burst of speed. Also, its hoofs and teeth are effective weapons of defense.

The zebra is a wild animal that is hard to tame. (Job 24:5; 39:5; Isa. 32:14) Zebras feed chiefly on grasses. (Job 6:5; Jer. 14:6) They regularly quench their thirst (Ps. 104:11) and are seldom found more than five miles (8 kilometers) away from water.

The obstinacy of the zebra and the strong impulse that drives the female when in sexual heat were used to illustrate the independent and adulterous course of wayward Israel. (Jer. 2:24; Hos. 8:9) Jehovah’s angel foretold that Abraham’s son Ishmael would be a “zebra of a man.” Likely this had reference to a fiercely independent disposition, as suggested by the words: “His hand will be against every-one.”—Gen. 16:12.

The word peʹreʼ, rendered “zebra” (NW), has also been translated “wild ass.” (AV and others) Because of their similarities, both the zebra and the wild ass fit the context of the scriptures cited above. However, a recent Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon by Koehler and Baumgartner defines peʹreʼ as “zebra.”