A small, wild, meat-eating, doglike mammal, several species of which existed in Palestine in the biblical period.
Types of Foxes
The red fox of the holy land (Vulpes palaetinae) looks like the North American fox but is smaller than a wolf. This nighttime creature hunts by itself. It has a long, bushy tail, about half its body length. It eats a wide range of foods, including:
However, it does not eat dead animals. Grapes are its favorite food, but its burrowing can damage vineyards (Song of Solomon 2:15). The fox is intelligent and known for its cunning (Luke 13:32). It has considerable endurance and can run at speeds up to 48 kilometers (30 miles) per hour. The Jews rebuilding Jerusalem's wall were insulted that a fox jumping on it would knock it down (Nehemiah 4:3).
The Egyptian fox (Vulpes niloticus) is found in the central and southern parts of the holy land. It is somewhat smaller than the common red fox. Its back is rust-colored and its belly light. The Syrian fox (Vulpes flavescens) that lives in the northern part of the holy land is shiny gold in color.
Some Old Testament references such as Psalm 63:10 and Lamentations 5:18 are translated as “fox” in the King James Version but probably refer to jackals. Jackals, not foxes, hunt in packs and tend to act as scavengers. See Jackals.