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 shall not be able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass which he hath committed, two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, to the LORD; one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering. And he shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin-offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder: read more. And he shall sprinkle 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 manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.
And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, And the vultur, and the kite after his kind; read more. Every raven after his kind; And the owl, and the night-hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier-eagle, And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, 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 ye shall eat. But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray, read more. And the glede, and the kite, and the vultur after his kind, And every raven after his kind, And the owl, and the night-hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, The little owl, and the great owl, and the swan, And the pelican, and the gier-eagle, and the cormorant, And the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. And every creeping animal that flieth is unclean to you: they shall not be eaten. But of all clean fowls ye may eat.
If a bird's nest shall chance to be before thee in the way on any tree, or on the ground, whether with young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young: But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.
Till a dart striketh through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes 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 falleth suddenly upon them.
As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yes, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also perform it.
As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they have become great, and have grown rich.
My heritage is to me as a speckled bird, the birds around are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.
Then will I leave thee upon the land, and I will cast thee forth upon the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee.
And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtle-doves, 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 the midst of heaven, Come, and assemble yourselves to the supper of the great God; That ye 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 bond, both small and great. read more. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, assembled 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 of all manner of bake-meats for Pharaoh; and the birds ate them out of the basket upon my head.
And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them:
When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the way side.
Another parable he proposed to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like 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 becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge on its branches.
Smith
[SPARROW]
See Sparrow