Bible Dictionary
Muzzle
A muzzle was a guard placed over an animal’s mouth to prevent it from eating. God’s law forbade muzzling an ox while it threshed, teaching humane treatment and supporting the principle that laborers deserve provision.
Definition
A muzzle was a guard placed over an animal’s mouth to prevent it from biting or eating. In Israelite threshing, an ox was not to be muzzled while treading the grain, so that it could eat from the grain and straw.
Biblical Usage
The law forbidding the muzzling of the threshing ox expresses humane treatment of animals. Paul cites it to illustrate the principle that a laborer is worthy of his hire.
Historical Background
Grain was commonly threshed by spreading the sheaves on a floor and driving oxen over them until the grain was separated. This gave the animal opportunity to feed while working.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Grain in the East is usually thrashed by the sheaves being spread out on a floor, over which oxen and cattle are driven to and fro, till the grain is trodden out. Moses ordained that the ox was not to be muzzled while thrashing. It was to be allowed to eat both the grain and the straw (Deut. 25:4). (See AGRICULTURE.)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>muz'l (chacam; phimoo) According to the Deuteronomic injunction (De 25:4), the ox was not to be muzzled while treading the grain, i.e. threshing. The muzzle was a guard placed on the mouth of the oxen to prevent them from biting or eating. The threshing ox would have ample opportunity of feeding (compare Ho 10:11). The Deuteronomic injunction is quite in accordance with the humane spirit which inspires it all through. Paul quotes this law in two places (1Co 9:9; 1Ti 5:18) to illustrate his view that the "laborer is worthy of his hire."</p><p>T. Lewis</p>