עַ֫יִר
a.yir (H5895)
colt
AI Word Study
# עַ֫יִר (ayir): The Young Donkey in Biblical Text The Hebrew word עַ֫יִר (ayir) refers specifically to a colt—a young donkey. Based on its eight occurrences in the biblical text, this term denotes a distinct animal category, separate from fully mature donkeys. The word appears with sufficient frequency to suggest it held practical significance in ancient Israelite life, where donkeys were essential for transport, labor, and commerce. The term's presence across eight biblical passages indicates that young donkeys occupied a recognizable place in Hebrew vocabulary and daily experience. This specificity—having a dedicated word for a colt rather than using a general term for donkeys—reflects the importance of distinguishing animals by age and developmental stage. Such precision was likely practical for agricultural and pastoral communities where understanding an animal's capabilities and stage of life directly affected its usefulness for various tasks. While the lexical data provided does not detail the specific contexts of these eight occurrences, the very existence and repetition of this distinct term demonstrates that young donkeys were noteworthy enough to the biblical writers to warrant their own dedicated vocabulary. This linguistic distinction mirrors the broader ancient Near Eastern awareness of animal husbandry and the value of understanding generational stages within domesticated herds.
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
thirty milk camels and their colts, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals.
Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkey colts. They had thirty cities, which are called Havvoth Jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead.
He had forty sons and thirty sons’ sons who rode on seventy donkey colts. He judged Israel eight years.
An empty-headed man becomes wise when a man is born as a wild donkey’s colt.
The burden of the animals of the South. Through the land of trouble and anguish, of the lioness and the lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they carry their riches on the shoulders of young donkeys, and their treasures on the humps of camels, to an unprofitable people.
The oxen likewise and the young donkeys that till the ground will eat savory feed, which has been winnowed with the shovel and with the fork.
Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.