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Mole
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
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mōl ((1) תּנשׁמת , tinshemeth , the King James Version "mole," the Revised Version (British and American) "chameleon"; Septuagint ἀσπάλαξ , aspálax = σπάλαξ , spálax , "mole," Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) talpa , "mole" ( Leviticus 11:30 ); (2) חלר , ḥōledh , English Versions of the Bible "weasel"; Septuagint γαλῆ , galḗ , "weasel" or "pole-cat"; compare Arabic khuld , "mole-rat" (Leviticus 11:29 ); (3) חפרפּרות , ḥāphar -pērōth , English Versions of the Bible "moles"; from חפר , ḥāphar , "to dig"; compare Arabic ḥafar , "to dig," and פּרה , pērāh , "mole" or "rat," for פּארה , pe'ērāh , from the root פּאר , pā'ar , "to dig"; compare Arabic fa'rat , or fârat , "rat," "mouse," from the root fa'ar , "to dig"; Septuagint τοῖς ματαίοις , toı́s mataı́ois , "vain, idle, or profane persons" (Isaiah 2:20 )): (1) Tinshemeth is the last of 8 unclean "creeping things" in Leviticus 11:29 , Leviticus 11:30 . The word occurs also in Leviticus 11:18 and Deuteronomy 14:16 , translated the King James Version "swan," the Revised Version (British and American) "horned owl," Septuagint πορφυρίων , porphurı́ōn , "coot" or "heron." See CHAMELEON . (2) Ḥōledh is the first in the same list. The word occurs nowhere else, and is translated "weasel" in English Versions of the Bible, but comparison with the Arabic khuld has led to the suggestion that "mole-rat" would be a better translation. See WEASEL . (3) In Isaiah 2:20 , "In that day men shall cast away their idols ... to the moles and to the bats," ḥăphar -pērōth , variously written as one word or two, is translated "moles" in English Versions of the Bible, but has given rise to much conjecture.
The European "mole," Talpa europea , is extensively distributed in the temperate parts of Europe and Asia, but is absent from Syria and Palestine, its place being taken by the mole-rat, Spalax typhlus . The true mole belongs to the Insectivora , and feeds on earth-worms and insect larvae, but in making its tunnels and nests, it incidentally injures gardens and lawns. The mole-rat belongs to the Rodentia , and has teeth of the same general type as those of a rat or squirrel, large, chisel-shaped incisors behind which is a large vacant space, no canines, and praemolars and molars with grinding surfaces. It is larger than the mole, but of the same color, and, like the mole, is blind. It makes tunnels much like those of the mole. It is herbivorous and has been observed to seize growing plants and draw them down into its hole. In one of its burrows a central chamber has been found filled with entire plants of the ḥummuṣ or chick-pea, and two side chambers containing pods plucked from the plants in the central chamber. While the mole digs with its powerful and peculiarly shaped front feet, the mole-rat digs with its nose, its feet being normal in shape. See LIZARD .
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Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Mole'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/m/mole.html. 1915.
