Is the Rabbit a Ruminant Animal in Bible Versus Quran?

The Rabbit in the Bible:When defining the rabbit, most of the Bible
RABBITS ERRONEOUSLY CALLED RUMINANTS INDictionaries say that the habit of the rabbit is to grind
THE BIBLEits teeth and move its jaw as if it actually chewed
The rabbits are mentioned in the Old Testament inthe cud. But, like the Coney, it is not a ruminant with
Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. The rabbit doesfour stomachs, but a rodent like the squirrel, rat, etc.
not mentioned in the New Testament.Moses speaks of it according to appearance. It is
The quotes herein are from the New Internationalinterdicted because, though apparently chewing the
Version.cud, it did not divide the hoof."
Leviticus 11:3-6:Examples of what is said about the rabbit in some
‘Whatever divides the hoof, and isBible Dictionaries
cloven-footed, chewing the cud, among the animals,Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, page 525:
that you shall eat."The assertion that the hare is a ruminant is contrary
‘Only, you shall not eat these of them that chewto fact. Some movements of the mouth and jaws
the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: the camel,have been erroneously interpreted as cud-chewing."
for he chews the cud but does not divide the hoof;International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, page 616:
he is unclean to you."This animal is mentioned only in the lists of unclean
And the rock badger, because he chews the cud, butanimals in Leviticus and Deuteronomy...The hare and
does not divide the hoof; he is unclean to you.the Coney are not ruminants, but might be supposed
‘And the hare, because he chews the cud butto be from their habit of almost continuously moving
does not divide the hoof; he is unclean to you.’their jaws."
Deuteronomy 14:6-8:Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, 2000 edition, page
You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided552:
in two and that chews the cud."Because it "chews the cud" but "does not have
However, of those that chew the cud or that have adivided hoofs," the hare is classified as an unclean
split hoof completely divided you may not eat theanimal (Lev. 11:6; Deut. 14:7). Actually, it is not a
camel, the rabbit or the Coney. Although they chewruminant but may have appeared as such to ancient
the cud, they do not have a split hoof; they areobservers because of its constant chewing
ceremonially unclean for you.movements."
The pig is also unclean; although it has a split hoof, itA Biblical scholar said:
does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their"I don't believe the rabbit chews the cud in the
meat or touch their carcasses.modern technical sense. It simply makes a chewing
These verses made the digestive process of themotion that from an observational point of view can
rabbit an object of a hot theological discussion?be associated with other animals that do chew the
In Hebrew "arnebeth" means rabbitcud in the technical sense."
Also, in Arabic "arnab" means a male rabbit andAnother intellectual claims that "the Hebrew
"arnabat" means a female rabbit."arnebeth" means an unidentified animal which is
The Hebrew words are: 'ALEH GERAH, lit,rendered hare or rabbit, perhaps incorrectly". His
These Hebrew words mean 'Gerah the cud' andopinion is far beyond the reality!
translated to 'chew the cud'Other Biblical academic said:
The exact or the true translation should be: "raising"Does the rabbit ruminate? True ruminants normally
up what has been swallowed")? Or may behave four stomachs, and that which has been
translated to 'bring up the cud'worked over in these stomachs is regurgitated into
Rabbits do not bring up anything; they let it go all thethe mouth when it is ready to be chewed again. In
way through, and then eat it again. The descriptionthis technical sense neither the rabbit nor the hare
given in Leviticus is inaccurate. Rabbits do eat theircan be called ruminants, but they do give the
own dung; they do not bring anything up and chewappearance of chewing their cud in the same way
on it.ruminants do."
The Bible says that the hare chews the cud, but theHerein the conclusion of what the Biblical researchers
scientists claim that the Bible is in error on this point.say:
Furthermore, some skeptics claim that since the Bible The Rabbits do give the appearance of chewing
contains this error, it is not the Word of God andtheir cud in the same way ruminants do.
cannot be taken seriously on any other points either. The Rabbits are not ruminants, but might be
Animals that ‘chew the cud’ are calledsupposed to be from their habit of almost
ruminants. They hardly chew their food when firstcontinuously moving their jaws.
eaten, but swallow it into a special stomach where The Rabbits are not ruminants but may have
the food is partially digested. Then it is regurgitated,appeared as such to ancient observers because of
chewed again, and swallowed into a differenttheir constant chewing movements.
stomach. Animals which do this include cows, sheepNow the question is: what is the relation between the
and goats, and they all have four stomachs. ConeysWord of God and the ancient observers who
and rabbits are not ruminants.assumed that the Rabbits are cud-chewing due to its
Animals which do this include cows, sheep, goats,habit of continuously moving its jaws? And who
deer, and giraffes; they all have four stomachs andwrote the Bible those observers or the God?
chewing a cud consisting of regurgitated, partiallyThe Rabbit in the Quran:
digested food." Coneys and rabbits are not ruminants.The rabbit by name is not mentioned in the Quran.
The rabbit does not fit this definition, and trying toHowever, the Quran gives an Arabic word of four
classify it as a ruminant is not accepted.characters that can be applicable for man, animals,
Biblical scholars refuse to see this statement as abirds, plants and microbes.
biological error that incorrectly classifies the rabbit asYou will read about this comprehensive word very
a ruminant or cud-chewer.soon.