Hough (ִֵקּר, akker', Piel of עָקִר, to extirpatee), a method employed by the ancient Israelites to render useless the captured horses of an enemy (Jos 11:6; comp. Ge 49:6), as they were not allowed or able to use that animal (so also 2Sa 8:4; 1Ch 18:4). It consisted in hamstringing, i.e. severing "the tendon Achilles" of the hinder legs (Sept. νευροκοπεῖν; compare 'akar; Syr. the same, Barhebr. p. 220). The practice is still common in Arab warfare (Rosenmüller, Instituturis Moham. circa bellum, § 17). SEE HORSE.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More