Original Word: שׁוּעָל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shuw`al
Pronunciation: shoo-ahl'
Phonetic Spelling: (shoo-awl')
KJV: fox
NASB: foxes, fox
Word Origin: [from the same as H8168 (שׁוֹעַל - handfuls)]

1. a jackal (as a burrower)

fox

Or shunal {shoo-awl'}; from the same as sho'al; a jackal (as a burrower) -- fox.

see HEBREW sho'al

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
fox, perhaps jackal
NASB Translation
fox (1), foxes (6).

I. שׁוּעָל noun masculine^{Song of Solomon 2:15} fox, perhaps also jackal; — absolute ׳שׁ Nehemiah 3:25; plural שׁוּעָלִים Judges 15:4 +, ׳שֻׁ Ezekiel 13:4; Songs 2:15 b; — fox (probably) Nehemiah 3:25; Songs 2:15 (twice in verse); perhaps (from large number) jackal Judges 15:4; as haunting ruins Ezekiel 13:4; Lamentations 5:18; eating offal Psalm 63:11.

Zoological Profile

The שׁוּעָל is the common fox of the Levant, probably the red fox (Vulpes vulpes palaestina) and its close relatives. Small, agile, nocturnal, and omnivorous, it thrives on rodents, insects, fruit, and carrion. Its stealth, habit of burrowing among ruins, and raids on vineyards made it a familiar nuisance to ancient farmers and shepherds.

Geographical Distribution in Biblical Lands

Foxes inhabited the coastal plain, Judean and Negev wilderness, the Shephelah, and the hills of Galilee and Samaria. Their presence even on Mount Zion after the Babylonian destruction (Lamentations 5:18) underscores their ability to colonize desolated sites.

Literal Occurrences and Narrative Contexts

1. Judges 15:4 records Samson’s dramatic use of three hundred foxes to ignite Philistine grain. The event demonstrates both the animal’s availability in pastoral regions and Samson’s creativity in asymmetric warfare.
2. Nehemiah 4:3 features Tobiah’s scorn: “Even if a fox climbs up on what they are building, it will break down their wall of stones!” The insult relies on the fox’s light weight yet persistent digging; Tobiah implies that the Jews’ work is so feeble that the slightest disturbance would topple it.
3. Psalm 63:10 portrays the fate of evildoers: “They will fall to the power of the sword; they will become a portion for foxes.” Corpses left unburied signify covenant curse (Deuteronomy 28:26) and military defeat.
4. Song of Songs 2:15 repeats the vineyard petition: “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” Here foxes represent subtle threats to burgeoning love.
5. Lamentations 5:18 laments Zion’s devastation: “Mount Zion… lies desolate, with foxes prowling on it.” The shift from festive pilgrimage to wild scavengers paints a stark picture of judgment.
6. Ezekiel 13:4 rebukes false prophets: “Your prophets, O Israel, are like foxes among the ruins.” Their behavior is likened to opportunistic animals exploiting a broken landscape.

Symbolic and Prophetic Imagery

Cunning and Destructive: Scripture frequently views foxes as smart yet destructive opportunists. Samson harnesses their craftiness; Ezekiel uses them to depict self-serving prophets who slip through breaches rather than repair them.

Small Compromises: In Song of Songs the “little foxes” symbolize minor attitudes or sins that, if unchecked, spoil the fruitfulness of covenant love. The vineyard motif echoes Israel as the vine (Isaiah 5:1-7), suggesting vigilance in discipleship.

Desolation and Judgment: Lamentations and Psalm 63 use foxes as scavengers of ruined places or unburied bodies, illustrating divine judgment and covenant curses. Their presence means that humans have abandoned their rightful dominion, and chaos now reigns.

Mockery of Weakness: Tobiah’s taunt shows how enemies belittle the work of God’s people, underestimating both the Lord’s sovereignty and the resolve of the builders. The fox becomes an image of ridicule turned on its head when the wall is completed in fifty-two days (Nehemiah 6:15).

Themes of Desolation and Ruin

Ruins invite foxes; likewise, spiritual collapse invites destructive influences. The prophetic literature employs the animal to personify those who profit from disaster instead of restoring holiness. The motif amplifies warnings against neglecting the covenant and tolerating false teaching.

Spiritual Lessons and Ministry Applications

• Vigilance in Building: When engaged in ministry or family responsibilities, believers must fortify their “walls” so that fox-like influences cannot breach them. Prayer, sound doctrine, and accountability are the mortar that deters mockery and sabotage.
• Discernment of False Prophets: As foxes slink through rubble, so counterfeit teachers exploit theological gaps. Wise shepherds test every spirit (1 John 4:1) and mend breaches with truth.
• Guarding the Vineyard of Love: Small sins, resentments, or neglect can erode relationships. Swift “trapping” of such foxes preserves the joy of covenant fidelity—whether marital (Song of Songs) or ecclesial (John 15:9-10).
• Hope after Ruin: Even when Zion is stalked by foxes, restoration is promised. The same Lord who allowed judgment also pledges renewal. Post-exilic Israel’s rebuilt walls silence Tobiah’s scorn; likewise, Christ rebuilds ruined lives.

Christological and Eschatological Connections

During His earthly ministry, Jesus alluded to Herod Antipas as “that fox” (Luke 13:32), echoing the Old Testament assessment of cunning rulers who impede God’s work yet cannot thwart His redemptive plan. In the consummation, the New Jerusalem will never host scavenging foxes; instead, “nothing unclean will ever enter it” (Revelation 21:27). The displacement of foxes from holy ground thus prefigures the ultimate triumph of righteousness.

כְּשֻׁעָלִ֖ים כשעלים שֻׁעָלִ֣ים שֽׁוּעָלִ֔ים שֽׁוּעָלִ֥ים שׁוּעָ֔ל שׁוּעָלִ֑ים שׁוּעָלִ֖ים שועל שועלים שעלים kə·šu·‘ā·lîm keshuaLim kəšu‘ālîm shuAl shuaLim šū‘āl šu‘ālîm šū‘ālîm šu·‘ā·lîm šū·‘ā·lîm šū·‘ālInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts