### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʼayâl**, represented by `{{H354}}`, refers to a **stag or male deer; hart**. It appears 11 times across 11 unique verses in the Bible. While it literally denotes a specific type of animal, it is also used symbolically to convey concepts of speed, grace, spiritual longing, and even desperation.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical law, `{{H354}}` is identified as a clean animal, permissible for consumption. The law states that both the unclean and the clean may eat it, just "as of the roebuck, and as of the hart" ([[Deuteronomy 12:15]], [[Deuteronomy 12:22]], [[Deuteronomy 15:22]]). It is also listed among the provisions for Solomon's royal household [[1 Kings 4:23]]. Figuratively, the hart is used to create powerful imagery. In Isaiah, the restoration of the lame is pictured as them leaping "as an hart" [[Isaiah 35:6]]. Conversely, the defeated princes of Zion are described "like harts that find no pasture" [[Lamentations 1:6]], illustrating their weakness and despair.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words are used in conjunction with the hart to build a broader picture of the natural world and its symbolism:
* `{{H6643}}` **tsᵉbîy** (a gazelle... roe(-buck)): This term is frequently paired with `ʼayâl` in lists of clean animals [[Deuteronomy 14:5]] and as a complementary image of grace and swiftness in the Song of Solomon [[Song of Solomon 2:9]].
* `{{H3180}}` **yachmûwr** (fallow deer): This word appears alongside `ʼayâl` in inventories of animals, both in dietary laws [[Deuteronomy 14:5]] and as part of the royal provisions [[1 Kings 4:23]].
* `{{H6165}}` **ʻârag** (to long for; cry, pant): This verb is famously associated with the hart, describing its deep thirst and creating a powerful metaphor for the soul's yearning for God [[Psalms 42:1]].
### Theological Significance
The symbolic weight of `{{H354}}` is significant, representing a range of human and spiritual conditions.
* **Spiritual Thirst:** The most iconic use is in Psalms, where the image of a hart panting for water brooks becomes the definitive biblical metaphor for a soul's intense longing for God's presence [[Psalms 42:1]].
* **Joyful Restoration:** The hart's agility symbolizes divine healing and freedom. Isaiah's prophecy that the lame man will "leap as an hart" points to a future of miraculous renewal and joy [[Isaiah 35:6]].
* **Swiftness and Grace:** In the Song of Solomon, the beloved is repeatedly compared to a "young hart upon the mountains," an image that conveys vitality, speed, and unbridled beauty ([[Song of Solomon 2:17]], [[Song of Solomon 8:14]]).
### Summary
In summary, `{{H354}}` is a term with rich dual meaning. Literally, it is a stag or hart, a clean animal permitted for food. Figuratively, it is a versatile and potent symbol used by biblical authors to articulate profound truths about the human condition, from the depths of desperation and spiritual longing to the heights of joyful, restored life and graceful vitality.
TRV