Beeves?

I was just reading from the King James Version of the Old Testament book Numbers, where Moses was talking about offerings made from the various tribes in which, along with sheep and other livestock, he mentions "beeves."  

I was tempted to make an assumption, that it was an archaic reference to goats as the list was "sheep, beeves and asses (donkeys), based on the fact that goats were very common among the Israelites and often used as offerings to the Lord.

However, it just didn't sound right and I didn't want to let an assumption determine my understanding of a passage of Scripture.  Not willing to let my assumption stand, I took the only reasonable next step - I GOOGLED it!

It turns out that "beeves" means beef or cattle.  Reading that "really got my goat."  Sorry for the pun, it is a sickness of mine.  As you groan over my pun, you may be wondering, "So what?"  What difference does it make whether it was goats or cattle?  The difference it makes is Biblical accuracy.  When we start allowing assumptions to determine our understanding of words or passages, how will we know when we misunderstand something of greater importance?

The biblical mandate is rather: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Tim 2:15).  And, doing our best includes taking the time to understand the minor things as well as the major ones as it sets a standard.  Consider what Jesus said in Luke 16:10 (NIV), “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

One more thought on small assumptions in biblical study or life in general: Even small steps in the wrong direction can set one on a long journey to the wrong destination.  Jus' Say'n.