Reference: Birds
American
Birds, like other animals, were divided by Moses into clean and unclean; the former might be eaten, the latter not. The general ground of distinction is, that those which feed on grain or seeds are clean; while those which devour flesh, fish, or carrion, are unclean. Turtledoves, young pigeons, and perhaps some other kinds of birds, were prescribed in the Mosaic law as offerings,
There is great difficulty in accurately determining the different species of birds prohibited in Le 11:13-19; De 14:11-20, and the proper version of the Hebrew names. The information we have respecting them may be found under the names by which they are translated in our Bible.
Moses, to inculcate humanity on the Israelites, ordered them, if they found a bird's nest, not to take the dam with the young, but to suffer the old one to fly away, and to take the young only, De 22:6-7.
Cages for singing birds are alluded to in Jer 5:27; and snares in Pr 7:23; Ec 9:12. Birds of prey are emblems of destroying hosts, Isa 46:11; Jer 12:9; Eze 32:4; Re 19:17-19; and the Lord comes to the defense of his people with the swiftness of the eagle, Isa 31:5.
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And if he is not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he has committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off its head from its neck, but shall not divide it asunder: read more. And he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering. And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he has sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.
And these are they which you shall hold in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the vulture, and the osprey, And the kite, and the falcon after its kind; read more. Every raven after its kind; And the ostrich, and the nighthawk, and the sea gull, and the hawk after its kind, And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, And the white owl, and the pelican, and the carrion vulture, And the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.
Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water: read more. As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.
Of all clean birds you shall eat. But these are they of which you shall not eat: the eagle, and the vulture, and the osprey, read more. And the buzzard, and the falcon, and the kite after their kinds, And every raven after its kind, And the ostrich, and the nighthawk, and the sea gull, and the hawk after their kinds, The little owl, and the great owl, and the water hen, And the pelican, and the carrion vulture, and the cormorant, And the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat. And every winged insect is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten. But of all clean fowls you may eat.
If a bird's nest happens to be before you in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they are young ones, or eggs, and the mother sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young: But you shall surely let the mother go, and take the young for yourself; that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days.
Till an arrow strikes through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, and knows not that it is for his life.
For man also knows not his time: as the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.
As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending, he will also deliver it; and passing over, he will preserve it.
Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executes my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they have become great, and grown rich.
My heritage is unto me like a speckled bird of prey, the birds round about are against her; come you, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.
Then will I leave you upon the land, I will cast you forth upon the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon you, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with you.
And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in midheaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great. read more. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Morish
These are employed as symbols of evil agents: as, in the dream of Pharaoh's baker, the birds ate the bakemeats he was carrying on his head, Ge 40:17; and in the parable of the Sower the fowls or birds which devoured the seed by the wayside are interpreted by Christ to signify 'the wicked one.' Mt 13:4,19. In the parable of the Mustard Seed the kingdom of heaven becomes a great system with roots in the earth, under the protection of which the birds of the air find shelter. Mt 13:31-32. The Greek is ????????, the same in the two parables.
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And in the uppermost basket there was all manner of baked food for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.
And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
When any one hears the word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then comes the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the way side.
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Smith
[SPARROW]
See Sparrow