זַרְזִיר

# Zarzir (זַרְזִיר): The Greyhound in Biblical Hebrew The Hebrew word *zarzir* appears only once in the biblical text, designating a greyhound—a specific breed of dog known for its slender build and speed. Based solely on its single occurrence and lexical definition, this term refers to a particular animal rather than conveying abstract or metaphorical meaning. The word's presence in biblical vocabulary indicates that greyhounds were part of the ancient Near Eastern world that the text's authors inhabited and could reference. Because *zarzir* occurs just once in the surviving biblical corpus, its usage range cannot be determined from biblical evidence alone. The lexicon provides no information about whether this term was common or rare in everyday Hebrew speech, or whether it carried any symbolic or cultural significance beyond its literal animal reference. Its limited attestation suggests either that greyhounds were uncommon in ancient Israelite experience, or that biblical authors rarely found occasion to mention them specifically by name.