Hebrew word · H355

אַיָּלָה

'aiyalah

doe

The female of the ʾayyal, a deer (probably the Persian fallow deer or a similar species native to the Levant; the wild goat or ibex is a different word, yaʿel).

Appears 11 times in 11 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

doe, deer, hind

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Habakkuk 3:19

Range of meaning

The female of the ʾayyal, a deer (probably the Persian fallow deer or a similar species native to the Levant; the wild goat or ibex is a different word, yaʿel). In poetry the doe stands for grace and beauty (Prov 5:19; Song 2:7), freedom ('a doe let loose', Gen 49:21), and nimble, sure footing on steep ground (Ps 18:33; 2 Sam 22:34).

Against the English

KJV and NASB 'hinds' feet' is correct, because 'hind' is old English for a female deer. Many modern readers, though, hear 'hind feet' (back feet). NLT turns the image into its point: 'surefooted as a deer'.

How it drifted

The noun 'hind' (female red deer) has become rare in everyday English, while the adjective 'hind' (rear) is still common. As a result, the KJV phrase is often misheard.

Used elsewhere in the period

The identical phrase 'my feet like does' appears in Ps 18:34 / 2 Sam 22:34, in a royal victory song. Jeremiah 14:5 uses the doe in a drought scene: even the doe abandons her newborn because there is no grass. That is a telling contrast with Habakkuk's famine context. The Septuagint of Habakkuk does not translate 'does' at all (see textual notes).

From the study of Jeremiah 14:5

Range of meaning

Female deer, doe. The exact species is uncertain. Fallow deer, roe deer and red deer all lived in ancient Palestine, and lexicons such as HALOT and BDB simply give 'hind, doe'. Used literally (Job 39:1) and as a picture of swiftness and surefootedness (2 Sam 22:34; Hab 3:19, where feet are made 'like the does''), of beauty and affection (Prov 5:19 'a loving doe'; Song 2:7), and of a creature that is free and graceful (Gen 49:21).

Against the English

KJV's 'hind' is accurate but now archaic. Modern versions say 'doe'. BSB, NIV and ESV add 'newborn fawn' to make the object clear, which is fair, since the Hebrew leaves 'it' unstated.

How it drifted

'Hind' meaning a female deer has dropped out of everyday English, so KJV readers may miss that the animal is specifically a mother.

Used elsewhere in the period

Job 39:1–3 describes the hinds' calving as one of the wonders of God's care for wild creatures. Psalm 29:9 makes the calving of hinds a sign of God's power. Psalm 42:1 (the masculine form, ʾayyāl) gives the related image of a deer panting for water in a dry land.

From the study of 2 Samuel 22:34

Range of meaning

Female deer, doe or hind, probably the fallow deer or roe deer once native to the hill country and forests of Israel. The masculine ʾayyāl is the stag (Psalm 42:1; Isaiah 35:6). Does appear as images of grace and beauty (Proverbs 5:19), freedom of movement (Genesis 49:21, Naphtali 'a doe let loose'), and wild mountain life (Job 39:1, the birthing of does among mountain goats).

Against the English

KJV, NASB and WEB use 'hinds', an archaic English word for a female deer that many modern readers no longer recognise. BSB and NIV use 'deer', which is clear but drops the plural and the female. NLT 'surefooted as a deer' spells out what the comparison is about.

How it drifted

'Hind' fell out of everyday English. It survives mainly through this verse and through the devotional allegory Hinds' Feet on High Places (1955), so many readers know the phrase without knowing it simply means 'doe'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Psalm 18:33 (identical line), Habakkuk 3:19 (same image with 'heights'). Swiftness on mountains is compared to gazelles in 2 Samuel 2:18 (Asahel) and 1 Chronicles 12:8 (Gadite warriors 'swift as gazelles on the mountains'). The deer of the Judean hills and the 'Rocks of the Wild Goats' near En-gedi (1 Samuel 24:2) belong to the landscape where David once hid.

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 49:21 אַיָּלָ֣ה [is] a doe

    Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.

2 Samuel · 1

  1. 2 Samuel 22:34 כָּאַיָּל֑וֹת like <the> does

    He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.

    Here: 'Like the does', a compressed comparison meaning 'like the feet of does'. The female deer (probably a fallow or roe deer) of the rocky hill country was known for agile, sure-footed movement on steep ground. The word is plural and feminine, which English 'a deer' blurs.

Job · 1

  1. Job 39:1 אַיָּל֣וֹת does

    “Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn?

Psalms · 3

  1. Psalm 18:33 כָּאַיָּל֑וֹת like <the> does

    He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.

    Here: 'Like the does': female deer, proverbial in Israel for speed and for sure footing on steep rocky ground. The comparison is to the whole animal's agility, not to any particular legs.

  2. Psalm 29:9 אַיָּלוֹת֮ does

    The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in His temple all cry, “Glory!”

Proverbs · 1

  1. Proverbs 5:19 אַיֶּ֥לֶת a doe of

    A loving doe, a graceful fawn—may her breasts satisfy you always; may you be captivated by her love forever.

    Here: A female deer, the classic picture of beauty, swiftness and sure feet in Hebrew poetry. The verse opens with a pet-name picture of the wife, with no verb, as an exclamation: 'A doe of loves!'

Song of Songs · 2

  1. Song of Songs 2:7 בְּאַיְל֣וֹת by [the] does of

    O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.

  2. Song of Songs 3:5 בְּאַיְל֣וֹת by [the] does of

    O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 14:5 אַיֶּ֙לֶת֙ a doe

    Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass.

    Here: The female deer. In Hebrew poetry she stood for grace, surefootedness and tender motherhood, which is exactly why her abandoning her fawn is so shocking.

Habakkuk · 1

  1. Habakkuk 3:19 כָּֽאַיָּל֔וֹת like <the> does

    GOD the Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer; He makes me walk upon the heights! For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments.

    Here: 'Like the does', short for 'like the feet of does'. The female deer stands for sure, quick footing on broken ground where people and armies cannot follow. The point is agility and security, not anatomy.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.