Badger
“Uncertain; possibly from a root meaning 'to penetrate' or related to Arabic terms for marine animals”
Summary
The translation 'badger skins' in older versions renders a Hebrew term whose precise meaning remains debated, likely referring to skins from a marine animal such as the dugong or seal.
☩The Translation Problem
The Hebrew word 'tachash' is rendered 'badger' in older English versions, but this translation is almost certainly incorrect since badgers are not found in southern Asia, Arabia, or Egypt. The Septuagint translates it as 'skins of a blue or purple color,' while the Vulgate has 'dyed skins.' Modern scholarship has proposed numerous alternatives including seals, porpoises, dugongs, and various antelope species.
☩Usage in the Tabernacle
Whatever creature is intended, its skins served as the outermost weatherproof covering of the tabernacle, providing protection against the elements. During wilderness travel, they also covered the ark of the covenant, the table of showbread, the golden candlestick, the golden altar, and the altar of burnt offering when these sacred items were transported. The material needed to be sturdy, waterproof, and available in sufficient quantity.
☩Used for Footwear
In Ezekiel's allegory of Jerusalem as a woman adorned by God, she is described as shod with 'tachash' leather, suggesting it was valuable material for shoes. The Arabic cognate 'tukhas' or 'dukhas' refers to dolphins and is sometimes applied to the dugong, whose thick skin is still used by Arabs of the Red Sea region for sandals. Robinson observed sandals made from the thick skin of a fish caught in the Red Sea.
☩Modern Identifications
The dugong (Halicore dugong), a marine mammal inhabiting the Red Sea, has gained favor among scholars as the most likely identification. This creature grows to eighteen feet, has thick durable skin, and was abundant in ancient times. Others suggest an antelope species based on African place names (pacasse, thacasse) resembling 'tachash.' Some propose 'tachash' simply means 'soft-dressed leather' rather than any specific animal.
Related Verses14 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Badger," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Badger," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.John Kitto, "Badger," in A Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, vol. I (Mark H. Newman, 1845).