חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה chayat ha’sadeh (H2416 + H776) literally means “living ones of the field” where חַיַּת chayat is the construct form of the singular feminine noun חָי chay which means life or living. שָׂדֶה sadeh (H7704) means “field” and can refer to 1) a cultivated field for setting up tents or planting crops or 2) the home of wild beasts. The Greek usually translates חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה chayat ha’sadeh to θηρίον thērion (G2342) which means “beast” but usually refers to a wild animal or wild beast (cf. Mark 1:13; Act 10:12; Acts 28:4) and metaphorically refers to a brutal, bestial, savage, or ferocious person (cf. Titus 1:12).
חַיַּת chayat is often confused with the Hebrew word בְּהֵמָה behemah (H929) which is sometimes translated as “beast” in the King James Version (KJV) and other Bibles (cf. Genesis 6:7; Genesis 7:2; Genesis 8:20; Genesis 34:23; Genesis 36:6; Exodus 8:17-18; Exodus 9:9-10; Leviticus 7:21,25,26; Leviticus 11:2-3,26,39,46; Leviticus 18:23; Leviticus 20:16,25; Leviticus 24:18,21), but בְּהֵמָה behemah refers to both wild and domestic animals including cattle and livestock. בְּהֵמָה behemah is equivalent to the Greek word κτῆνος ktēnos (G2934) which is defined as a “beast of burden” mainly referring to cattle or livestock and often used to define four-legged animals as opposed to fish and birds.
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