Kine

Kine is the archaic plural of cow, used in the King James Version to render the Hebrew pārôt (cows, from pārâ, a fruitful cow). Cattle were central to the agricultural and sacrificial economy of ancient Israel, providing draft power, dairy products, leather, and sacrificial animals. The most famous occurrence of kine in Scripture is Pharaoh's dream in Genesis 41, where seven fat cows (pārôt) were devoured by seven lean cows emerging from the Nile—a vision interpreted by Joseph as seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine.

The fat and lean kine of Pharaoh's dream became proverbial images of prosperity and privation throughout Western culture. The image of cows emerging from the Nile reflects the Egyptian agricultural reality: the Nile's annual flooding determined the richness of the harvest, and cattle fattened on the lush riverside vegetation were a natural symbol of abundance. The Israelite context for kine extends from the red heifer of Numbers 19 (used in purification rites) to the nursing cows that miraculously carried the ark directly to Beth-shemesh despite the lowing for their calves (1 Samuel 6:7–12).