yoke of oxen). The Greek words are dzoo-gos' (fry6s, yoke), which has the usual meaning of yoke; and a'zyoo'grs (rEiryos, Luke xiv:19), meaning two draught cattle (horses, mules, or oxen) yoked together.
The yoke was much lighter than ours, and probably much larger, so that the cattle stood far ther apart and the plow could more easily be made to avoid obstructions. It was simply a stick laid upon the necks of the cattle, to which it was held by thongs instead of wooden bows, and in a similar manner it was attached to the plow beam. In modern Syria wooden pins are sometimes used instead of thongs, the lower ends of which are held by a parallel stick under the necks of the oxen.
Figurative. (I) The law of God is called a yoke, which galls the unregenerate man as it binds him to his duty : but as received in Christ, it is easy to be borne, for the disciple receives strength from Jesus: men with pleasure and comfort obey it ; and it is much easier than the service of sin, the slavery of the broken covenant, or the bond age of the ceremonial law, which is called a yoke, or yoke of bondage, as the service required by it was carnal and burdensome (Matt. xi :29, 3o;
Gal. v :1). (2) Bondage or slavery is called a yoke; in it men are obliged to suffer and labor in a most debased manner (Lev. xxvi :13; Is. ix: 4, and x :27) ; (3) and a yoke of iron, to express its hard and painful influence (Dcut. xxviii :48). (4) Affliction, whether penal or correctory, is caller; a yoke; it distresses men's persons, circum stances, and spirit ; and it is the yoke of trans gressions, because inflicted on their account (Lam. iii :27, and i :14). (5) Marriage is called a yoke, as person§ therein joined are bound to serve God, and assist one another ; and they are unequally yoked when they are different in their religion, and are much so in their tempers and circum stances (2 Cor. vi :14). (6) Paul calls his fel low preachers his true yokefellows, as they la bored in the same service of Christ as he did (Phil. iv:3).