The hybrid offspring of a donkey and a horse, normally a jackass and a mare. While its lack of understanding was proverbial (Ps 32:9), the mule’s strength, endurance, and docility made it ideal for transporting goods (2Kgs 5:17; 1Chr 12:40) and riding (Isa 66:20). From their earliest appearance in the OT (2Sam 13:29), mules are usually associated with royalty (2Sam 18:9; 1Kgs 1:33; 1Kgs 1:38; 1Kgs 1:44). Since the law prohibited the breeding of hybrids (Lev 19:19), it is likely that mules were imported into Israel (1Kgs 10:25; Ezra 2:66; Neh 7:38; Ezek 27:14). Mules are not mentioned in the NT.
