Lexical Summary
athon: Donkey, specifically a female donkey
Original Word:אָתוֹן
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:athown
Pronunciation:ah-thone
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-thone')
KJV: (she) ass
NASB:donkey, donkeys, female donkeys, donkey's
Word Origin:[probably from the same asH386 (אֵיתָּן - enduring) (in the sense of patience)]
1. a female donkey (from its docility)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
she ass
Probably from the same as'eythan (in the sense of patience); a female donkey (from its docility) -- (she) ass.
see HEBREW'eythan
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitiona female donkey
NASB Translationdonkey (16), donkey's (1), donkeys (12), female donkeys (5).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Genesis 45:23 (Arabic
, Aramaic ,
, Assyrian
atânu) —
Numbers 22:23 10t.;
Numbers 22:30,32;
Genesis 49:11 2t.; plural absolute
Genesis 12:16 2t.;
Judges 5:10 12t.;
Job 1:3;
Job 42:12; — she-ass, as dam
Genesis 49:11;
Zechariah 9:9; as property (constituting wealth)
Genesis 12:16;
Genesis 32:16;
Job 1:3,14;
Job 42:12 compare
1 Chronicles 27:30; so of the asses of Kish 8 t.
1 Samuel 9:3 (twice in verse);
1 Samuel 9:5,20;
1 Samuel 10:2 (twice in verse);
1 Samuel 10:14,16; as beasts of burden
Genesis 45:23; for riding
Judges 5:10;
Numbers 22:21,22;
2 Kings 4:22,24; of Balaam's ass 14 t.
Numbers 22:21,22,23 (3 t. in verse);
Numbers 22:25,27 (twice in verse);
Numbers 22:28,29,30 (twice in verse);
Numbers 22:32,33.
, see below .
see .
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Range of Occurrencesאָתוֹן designates a female donkey. The term appears roughly thirty-four times, concentrated in the Pentateuch, Former Prophets, and Wisdom literature. It is found in patriarchal settings (Genesis 12:16), in Israel’s wilderness wanderings (Numbers 22), during the early monarchy (1 Samuel 9–12), in prophetic narrative (1 Kings 13), and in poetic reflection (Job 1:3;Job 42:12). The word always denotes a domesticated animal used for travel, burden-bearing, or agricultural support, never a wild ass (which is covered by other Hebrew terms).
Socio-Historical Background
In the Ancient Near East the she-donkey was indispensable to village and agrarian life. A single household might own several females for breeding, milk, and steady labor. Because the animal was hardy, sure-footed, and less costly than a horse or camel, it became the mount of choice for commoners, officials, and even prophets. Female donkeys could also be significant items of wealth, figuring prominently in dowries or royal gifts (Genesis 12:16;Genesis 45:23).
Key Narratives
1. Balaam’s Donkey (Numbers 22:21-34)
The most extended use of אָתוֹן occurs in Balaam’s encounter with the Angel of the LORD. Three times the animal sees what the prophet does not, turning aside to spare his life until “the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth” (Numbers 22:28). The episode elevates the humble beast as an instrument of divine revelation, exposing the spiritual blindness of a mercenary prophet.
2. Saul’s Search (1 Samuel 9:3-20;1 Samuel 10:2)
The lost she-donkeys of Kish become the providential catalyst that brings Saul to Samuel and sets in motion Israel’s transition to monarchy. Samuel assures Saul, “Now as for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not be concerned about them, for they have been found” (1 Samuel 9:20). The trivial concern of missing livestock becomes the hinge on which covenant history turns.
3. Jeroboam’s Prophet (1 Kings 13:11-30)
An unnamed old prophet saddles his אָתוֹן to pursue the man of God from Judah. After disobedience leads to judgment, the killed prophet is returned on the same animal for burial, underscoring the irony of entrusted transport versus failed obedience.
4. The Shunammite’s Journey (2 Kings 4:22-24)
Facing her child’s sudden death, the Shunammite woman commands, “Saddle a donkey for me, so I may go quickly to the man of God and return” (2 Kings 4:22). The she-donkey becomes the vehicle of desperate faith and eventual resurrection, linking humble conveyance to miraculous intervention.
5. Job’s Wealth and Restoration (Job 1:3;Job 42:12)
Job’s pre-trial prosperity lists “five hundred female donkeys,” doubled after his vindication. In a pastoral economy, multiplying she-donkeys signifies sustained productivity and divine favor.
Symbolic and Theological Themes
• Divine Sovereignty through Ordinary Means
Lost, talking, or merely burden-bearing, the she-donkey functions as an unobtrusive agent of God’s purposes, proving that the LORD governs even mundane details (Proverbs 16:9 principle).
• Revelation Versus Blindness
InNumbers 22 the animal perceives spiritual reality that the seer misses. The text rebukes proud human perception and honors humble receptivity (compareIsaiah 1:3, where an ox and donkey “know their master”).
• Humility and Peaceful Rule
WhileZechariah 9:9 employs a different Hebrew term, the broader donkey motif—peaceful transport rather than warhorse—anticipates Messiah’s lowliness. The female form highlights nurture and service.
Christological Overtones
Jesus’ triumphal entry on a donkey colt (Matthew 21:1-7;John 12:14-15) echoes Old Testament donkey imagery, reinforcing the messianic portrait of meekness. Though the Greek text uses ὄνος, the theological backdrop includes the humble she-donkey that once carried Balaam, the prophet-king Saul, and the burdens of the patriarchs. The consistency of God’s choice of a lowly beast magnifies the incarnate King’s humility.
Practical Ministry Applications
• God Speaks through the Humble
Teachers can draw on Balaam’s episode to remind congregations that the LORD can employ unexpected voices to correct His servants.
• Providence in the Ordinary
The search for Saul’s lost donkeys encourages believers to trust that routine frustrations may guide them into divine appointments.
• Servant Leadership
As donkeys bore loads for others, pastors and leaders are called to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) with steadfastness and patience.
• Faith in Crisis
The Shunammite’s swift journey on a she-donkey models decisive, believing action when confronted with tragedy.
Intertextual Echoes
•Isaiah 1:3 contrasts Israel’s ignorance with the donkey’s recognition of its master, paralleling Balaam’s animal.
•Zechariah 9:9 develops the donkey motif into explicit messianic prophecy.
• The Gospels unite these threads, interpreting Messiah’s advent through agrarian humility rather than martial display.
Summary
Across Scripture אָתוֹן embodies humble service, faithful perception, and God’s governance of the commonplace. Whether carrying prophets, kings-to-be, grieving mothers, or the daily provisions of patriarchs, the she-donkey consistently advances the redemptive storyline. By studying its appearances, believers discern a God who communicates through the lowly, directs through seeming detours, and crowns His purposes in the quiet obedience of both creatures and His people.
Forms and Transliterations
אֲתֹ֣נְךָ֔ אֲתֹֽנְךָ֜ אֲתֹנ֑וֹ אֲתֹנ֔וֹ אֲתֹנ֨וֹת אֲתֹנֹ֡ת אֲתֹנֹ֣ת אֲתֹנֽוֹת׃ אֲתוֹנ֔וֹת אֲתוֹנֽוֹת׃ אתונות אתונות׃ אתנו אתנות אתנות׃ אתנך אתנת הָ֣אֲתֹנ֔וֹת הָ֣אָת֔וֹן הָֽאָת֔וֹן הָֽאָתוֹן֙ הָאֲתֹנ֑וֹת הָאֲתֹנ֔וֹת הָאֲתֹנ֖וֹת הָאֲתֹנֹֽת׃ הָאֲתֹנוֹת֙ הָאָת֑וֹן הָאָת֖וֹן הָאָת֜וֹן הָאָתוֹן֩ האתון האתנות האתנת׃ וְהָאֲתֹנ֖וֹת וְלָאֲתֹנ֞וֹת וַאֲתֹנֹ֖ת ואתנת והאתנות ולאתנות לָֽאָת֔וֹן לאתון ’ă·ṯō·nə·ḵā ’ă·ṯō·nō·wṯ ’ă·ṯō·nōṯ ’ă·ṯō·nōw ’ă·ṯō·w·nō·wṯ ’ăṯōnəḵā ’ăṯōnōṯ ’ăṯōnōw ’ăṯōnōwṯ ’ăṯōwnōwṯ atoneCha atoNo atoNot hā’ăṯōnōṯ hā’ăṯōnōwṯ hā’āṯōwn hā·’ă·ṯō·nō·wṯ hā·’ă·ṯō·nōṯ hā·’ā·ṯō·wn haatOn haatoNot lā’āṯōwn lā·’ā·ṯō·wn laaTon vaatoNot vehaatoNot velaatoNot wa’ăṯōnōṯ wa·’ă·ṯō·nōṯ wə·hā·’ă·ṯō·nō·wṯ wə·lā·’ă·ṯō·nō·wṯ wəhā’ăṯōnōwṯ wəlā’ăṯōnōwṯ
Links
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Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
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