Job 39:9-12 asks, “Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?” I assume that your question has to do with the “unicorn”, a mythological horse-like creature with a single, long, spiraling horn in its forehead. In some descriptions of the unicorn, it’s said that its horn had the power to render poisoned water drinkable and to heal sicknesses. How is it that this creature of the imagination should be mentioned in the Bible? In fact, it is mentioned nine times in the Bible.

In these verses in Job, we see a few of the characteristics of this creature.

  • He is wild. “Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee?”
  • He cannot be tamed. “Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow?’
  • He is strong. “With thou trust him, because his strength is great?”

It is interesting to notice that the King James Version and the Wycliffe Version are the ONLY versions that calls this creature a ‘unicorn’. In every other translation I could find, it is either referred to as a ‘wild ox’ or a ‘buffalo’. Some writers have suggested that it may be related to the antelope. The Hebrew word for unicorn is ‘rieym’ which is defined as a “wild oxen.”

It is important to see the difference so that we don’t become confused and believe that the Bible authenticates the existence of this mythological creature. (245.8)