Did people ever have pets in the bible?

[zorgblar]

Did people ever have pets in the bible?

[simplejeff]

Similar questions have come up the last few years,  as people spend thousands on animals,  yet neglect their own family and neighbors .   This is quite widespread in the untied states.    Even killing animals is considered worse than killing babies,  and there are laws that make it seem so.   Animals in the BIBLE are those useful for life,  needed for producing food or being food ,

and YHWH gave instructions to care for the animals (even to feed them BEFORE feeding ones self, apparently).... 

But slaughtering animals from birds to oxen to LAMBS,  was very common and expected and required.

Like in america in the early years of white man's settling here,   any animal that was a nuisance was (or could be) dispatched .....  simple. 

Now,  animals are put on a pedestal ,  by society and governments (legally).....  

It is truly a joyful thing to see animals give birth, whether a cow, or a litter of kittens or puppies -  A WONDER TO BEHOLD ! 

Oh,   when did sheep dogs start being used ?    Perhaps those were some of the earliest pets.

Cats,  not so early on.   Having any animal inside a house is a relatively recent phenomena, 

and may be very difficult to have even a cat or  a dog inside a house and keep it clean.... (BIBLE "CLEAN")

They seem to make wonderful companions sometimes,   but sadly seems to take the place of "2 or 3 gathered together speaking of ME (YHWH/GOD) " ....     Broken, separated families everywhere today.... 

[Deborah_]

The only one that springs to mind is the pet lamb in Nathan's parable (II Samuel 12:1-4)

[Neighbor]

On 3/28/2017 at 0:54 PM, zorgblar said:

Did people ever have pets in the bible?

Seems to me ( also ) that it would be hard for King David to have understanding of Nathan's tale if there were not pets. Nathan's description of the animal killed is the description  of an animal treated as a  beloved pet, as family even.

..."And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, 'There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.' Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, 'As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,' " ...

 

 

[Dennis1209]

What about the 'lions' on each side of King David's throne. I'd consider them pets. Jonah had a pet also for a few days 

[HAZARD]

On ‎29‎/‎03‎/‎2017 at 3:54 AM, zorgblar said:

Did people ever have pets in the bible?

I would say yes. One could assume this ewe lamb was a pet loved by the poor man and his children.

2 Samuel. 12:3, But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.