Meaning of HORSE

Indo-European nomads domesticated the horse in the very remote past, in an area east of the Caspian Sea. Later, the Hittites and Kassites traded with them, introducing them to Western Asia.

Already at the beginning of the second millennium BC. Horses were used for military purposes, and war chariots. In Genesis the horseman is already mentioned (Gen. 49:17).

The mountainous area of Palestine was not suitable for the use of horses. There it began to be used in the plain of Jezreel. The Canaanite soldiers commanded by Sisera, general of the army of Jabin, king of Canaan, also used them (Judges 4:15; 5:22).

The Israelites used them only for war, either to draw chariots or for cavalry; However, its use betrayed a lack of trust in the Lord (cf. Hos. 14:3).

They had been forbidden to multiply their horses (Deut. 17:16) and, therefore, at first they hamstrung their enemies' horses and burned their chariots (Josh. 11:6-9). However, David, after the defeat of Hadadezer, reserved 100 horses for chariots (2 Sam. 8:4).

(See a description of the war horse at Jb. 39:19-25.)
Solomon had 40,000 stables for his chariot horses, and 12,000 horsemen (1 Kings 4:26). According to the original of the MS, this quote can be translated as "mangers." The V.M. translates: "And Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his [war] chariots, and 12,000 riding horses."