The Hebrew word behemah is the common term for domestic animals, livestock, or beasts — used broadly for any large quadruped. It appears over 180 times in the Old Testament, spanning creation accounts, dietary laws, property regulations, and poetry. Job 40:15 uses it for the mysterious creature Behemoth.
Animals in biblical thought are not incidental — they are part of God's creation entrusted to human stewardship (Genesis 1:24–28; 2:19–20). The law's concern for animals (Deuteronomy 25:4; Proverbs 12:10) reflects a creation ethic where all living things bear the mark of their Maker. In Job, Behemoth and Leviathan are presented as evidence of God's incomprehensible power — 'Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you' (Job 40:15). The behemah praises God in the Psalms (148:10) and will be restored in the new creation (Isaiah 11:6–8).