Coney

The coney (Hebrew shāphān) is a small, gregarious mammal indigenous to Palestine and surrounding regions, most likely the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis), also called the dassie or rock badger. It is listed among the unclean animals in Leviticus 11:5 and Deuteronomy 14:7 because, though it appears to chew the cud (or makes a chewing motion), it does not have divided hooves. Modern zoology confirms that the hyrax is not a true ruminant, though it performs a similar digestive motion.

The Proverbs of Agur commend the coney as one of four creatures that are small but exceedingly wise: the coneys are a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks (Proverbs 30:26), illustrating the wisdom of building one's dwelling in secure, inaccessible places. Psalm 104:18 notes that the high mountains are for the wild goats, and the rocks are a refuge for the coneys — placing them in the context of God's providential care for all his creatures. The hyrax remains common in rocky terrain throughout the Middle East and Africa.