Reference: Eagle
American
Job 39:27-30, a large and very powerful bird of prey, hence called the King of birds. There are several species of eagle described by naturalists, and it is probable that this word in the Bible comprehends more than one of these. The noble eastern species, called by Mr. Bruce "the golden eagle," measures eight feet four inches from wing to wing; and from the tip of his tail to the point of his beak, when dead, four feet seven inches. Of all known birds, the eagle flies not only the highest, Pr 23:5; Jer 49:16; Ob 1:4, but also with the greatest rapidity. To this circumstance there are several striking allusions in the sacred volume, 2Sa 1:23; Job 9:26; La 4:19. Among the evils threatened to the Israelites in case of their disobedience, the prophet names one in the following terms: "The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth," De 28:49. The march of Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem, is predicted in similar terms: "Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles," Jer 4:13; 48:40; 49:22; Ho 8:1. This bird was a national emblem on Persian and Roman standards, as it now is on United States' coins.
The eagle, it is said, lives to a great age; and like other birds of prey, sheds his feathers in the beginning of spring, after which his old age assumes the appearance of youth. To this David alludes, when gratefully reviewing the mercies of Jehovah: "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like eagle's," Ps 103:5; Isa 40:31. The careful pains of the eagle in teaching its young to fly, beautifully illustrate God's providential care over Israel, Ex 19:4; De 32:11-12.
The eagle is remarkable for its keen sight and scent. Its flesh, like that of all birds of prey, was unclean to the Jews; and is never eaten by any body, unless in cases of necessity, Mt 24:28; Lu 17:37.
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Ye, have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, - And how I bare you upon wings of eagles, And brought you in unto myself: -
Yahweh will bring against thee a nation from afar, from the end of the earth, as darteth a bird of prey, - a nation whose tongue thou canst not understand;
As, an eagle, stirreth up his nest, Over his young ones, fluttereth, Spreadeth abroad his wings, taketh one, Beareth it up on his pinions, Yahweh alone did lead him, - And there was with him no GOD of a stranger.
Saul and Jonathan, delightfully loving in their lives, even, in their death, were not divided, - Beyond eagles, were they swift, beyond lions, were they strong!
They have passed away with boats of paper-reed, like a vulture which rusheth upon food.
Or, at thy bidding, that the Eagle mounteth, and that he setteth on high his nest? The crag, he inhabiteth, and so lodgeth himself, on the tooth of the crag, and high fort; read more. From thence, he searcheth out food, far away, his eyes do pierce; And, his young brood, suck up blood, and, where the slain are, there, is he.
Who satisfieth, with good, thine age, Thy youth, reneweth itself like an eagle.
Wilt thou let thine eye fly thereupon, when it is nothing? for it will, surely make, itself wings, Like an eagle, will it wing its way across the heavens.
But, they who wait for Yahweh, shall renew their strength, They shall mount on strong pinion like eagles, - They shall run and not grew weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Lo! like clouds, shall he come up, Even as a storm-wind, his chariots, Swifter than eagles, his horses, - Woe to us for we are laid waste!
For, thus, saith Yahweh, Lo! as an eagle, shall one dart along, - And shall spread out his wings towards Moab.
Thy monstrous thing, hath deceived thee, The insolence of thy heart, O thou that inhabitest the hidden recesses of the cliff, That boldest fast the height of the hill, - Though thou set high as an eagle, thy nest, From thence, will I bring thee down, Declareth Yahweh;
Lo! as an eagle, he shall mount and dart, and spread his wings over Bozrah, - So shall the heart of the heroes of Edom, in that day, become as the heart of a woman in her pain.
Swifter are our pursuers, than the eagles of the heavens, - Over the mountains, have they come hotly after us, In the wilderness, have they lain in wait for us.
To thy mouth, with a horn! Like an eagle, on the house of Yahweh, - because they have violated my covenant, and, against my law, have they transgressed.
Though thou build high like an eagle, and though, among the stars, thou set thy nest, from thence, will I bring thee down, Declareth Yahweh.
Wheresoever, the corpse, shall be, there, shall be gathered, the vultures!
And, answering, they say unto him - Where, Lord? And, he, said unto them - Where the body is, there, the vultures also, will be gathered together.
Easton
(Heb. nesher; properly the griffon vulture or great vulture, so called from its tearing its prey with its beak), referred to for its swiftness of flight (De 28:49; 2Sa 1:23), its mounting high in the air (Job 39:27), its strength (Ps 103:5), its setting its nest in high places (Jer 49:16), and its power of vision (Job 39:27-30).
Illustration: Griffon Vulture
This "ravenous bird" is a symbol of those nations whom God employs and sends forth to do a work of destruction, sweeping away whatever is decaying and putrescent (Mt 24:28; Isa 46:11; Eze 39:4; De 28:49; Jer 4:13; 48:40). It is said that the eagle sheds his feathers in the beginning of spring, and with fresh plumage assumes the appearance of youth. To this, allusion is made in Ps 103:5; Isa 40:31. God's care over his people is likened to that of the eagle in training its young to fly (Ex 19:4; De 32:11-12). An interesting illustration is thus recorded by Sir Humphry Davy:, "I once saw a very interesting sight above the crags of Ben Nevis. Two parent eagles were teaching their offspring, two young birds, the maneuvers of flight. They began by rising from the top of the mountain in the eye of the sun. It was about mid-day, and bright for the climate. They at first made small circles, and the young birds imitated them. They paused on their wings, waiting till they had made their flight, and then took a second and larger gyration, always rising toward the sun, and enlarging their circle of flight so as to make a gradually ascending spiral. The young ones still and slowly followed, apparently flying better as they mounted; and they continued this sublime exercise, always rising till they became mere points in the air, and the young ones were lost, and afterwards their parents, to our aching sight." (See Isa 40:31.)
There have been observed in Palestine four distinct species of eagles, (1) the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos); (2) the spotted eagle (Aquila naevia); (3) the common species, the imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca); and (4) the Circaetos gallicus, which preys on reptiles. The eagle was unclean by the Levitical law (Le 11:13; De 14:12).
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Ye, have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, - And how I bare you upon wings of eagles, And brought you in unto myself: -
And, these, shall ye abhor of birds, they shall not be eaten, an abomination, they are, - the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey;
saving these, of which ye may not eat, - the eagle and the ossifrage and the osprey;
Yahweh will bring against thee a nation from afar, from the end of the earth, as darteth a bird of prey, - a nation whose tongue thou canst not understand;
Yahweh will bring against thee a nation from afar, from the end of the earth, as darteth a bird of prey, - a nation whose tongue thou canst not understand;
As, an eagle, stirreth up his nest, Over his young ones, fluttereth, Spreadeth abroad his wings, taketh one, Beareth it up on his pinions, Yahweh alone did lead him, - And there was with him no GOD of a stranger.
Or, at thy bidding, that the Eagle mounteth, and that he setteth on high his nest?
Or, at thy bidding, that the Eagle mounteth, and that he setteth on high his nest? The crag, he inhabiteth, and so lodgeth himself, on the tooth of the crag, and high fort; read more. From thence, he searcheth out food, far away, his eyes do pierce; And, his young brood, suck up blood, and, where the slain are, there, is he.
Who satisfieth, with good, thine age, Thy youth, reneweth itself like an eagle.
Who satisfieth, with good, thine age, Thy youth, reneweth itself like an eagle.
But, they who wait for Yahweh, shall renew their strength, They shall mount on strong pinion like eagles, - They shall run and not grew weary, They shall walk and not faint.
But, they who wait for Yahweh, shall renew their strength, They shall mount on strong pinion like eagles, - They shall run and not grew weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Calling, From the East, a Bird of Prey, From a far country, the Man I intended, - Yea I have spoken I will also bring it to pass, I have planned, I will also do it.
Lo! like clouds, shall he come up, Even as a storm-wind, his chariots, Swifter than eagles, his horses, - Woe to us for we are laid waste!
For, thus, saith Yahweh, Lo! as an eagle, shall one dart along, - And shall spread out his wings towards Moab.
Thy monstrous thing, hath deceived thee, The insolence of thy heart, O thou that inhabitest the hidden recesses of the cliff, That boldest fast the height of the hill, - Though thou set high as an eagle, thy nest, From thence, will I bring thee down, Declareth Yahweh;
Upon the mountains of Israel, shalt thou fall, Thou and all thy hordes, and the peoples who are with thee, - To birds of prey of every wing. and the wild beast of the field, will I give thee for food:
Wheresoever, the corpse, shall be, there, shall be gathered, the vultures!
Fausets
Nesher. Le 11:13. The golden eagle (W. Drake). The griffon vulture; the Arab nisr is plainly the Hebrew nesher. In Mic 1:16, "make thee bald (shaving the head betokening mourning) ... enlarge thy baldness as the nesher," the griffon vulture must be meant; for it is "bald," which the eagle is not. "A majestic and royal bird, the largest and most powerful seen in Palestine, far surpassing the eagle in size and power" (Tristram). The Egyptians ranked it as first among birds. The da'ah (Le 11:14) is not "the vulture" but the black kite. The Hebrew qaarach is to make bald the back of the head, very applicable to the griffon vulture's head and neck, which are destitute of true feathers. The golden eagle; the spotted, common in the rocky regions; the imperial; and the Circaeros gallicus (short-toed eagle), living on reptiles only: Palestine Exploration Quarterly Statement, October, 1876), are all found in Palestine.
Its swift flight is alluded to, and rapacious cruelty, representing prophetically (Hab 1:8; Jer 4:13) the Chaldean, and ultimately, the Roman, invaders of Israel (De 28:49; Eze 17:3-7). Compare Josephus, B. J., 6. Its soaring high and making its nest in the inaccessible rock, also its wonderful far-sightedness and strength (Job 39:27-30). Ps 103:5 says: "thy youth is renewed like the eagle's"; not as if the eagle renewed its youth in old age, but by the Lord's goodness "thy youth is renewed" so as to be as vigorous as the eagle. The eagle's vigor and longevity are illustrated by the Greek proverb, "the eagle's old age is as good as the lark's youth." Its preying on decomposing carcass symbolizes the divine retributive principle that, where corruption is, there vengeance shall follow. "Wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together," quoted by our Lord from Job 39:30; Mt 24:28 - the vulture chiefly feeds on carcass.
The eagle's forcibly training its young to fly pictures the Lord's power, combined with parental tenderness, in training and tending His people (De 32:11; Ex 19:4). In the law the fostering mother is the eagle, God manifesting His power and sternness mingled with tenderness in bringing His people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; in the gospel the fostering mother is the hen (Mt 23:37), Christ coming in grace, humility, and obedience unto death (Bochart). Subsequently, Christ rescues His people "from the face of the serpent" by giving His church the "two wings of a great eagle" (Re 12:14).
The eagle "hovers over her young" in teaching them their first flight, ready in a moment to save them when in danger of falling on the rocks below. Compare Isa 31:5. God stirred up Israel from the foul nest of Egypt, which of their own accord they would have never left, so satisfied were they with its fleshpots in spite of its corruptions. The "stirring up the nest" spiritually corresponds to the first awakening of the soul; the "fluttering over her young" to the brooding of the Holy Spirit over the awakened soul; the "taking and bearing on her wings" to His continuous teaching and guardian care. The eagle assists the young one's first effort by flying under to sustain it for a moment and encourage its efforts.
So the Spirit cooperates with us, after He has first given us the good will (Php 2:12-13). The eagle rouses from the nest, the hen gathers to herself; so the law and the gospel respectively. The Persians under Cyrus had a golden eagle on a spear as their standard (Isa 46:11). The eagle is represented in Assyrian sculptures as accompanying their armies; Nisroch, their god, had an eagle's head. The Romans had the eagle standard, hence, the appropriateness of their being compared to an eagle (De 28:49).
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Ye, have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, - And how I bare you upon wings of eagles, And brought you in unto myself: -
And, these, shall ye abhor of birds, they shall not be eaten, an abomination, they are, - the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey; and the vulture, and the falcon, after its kind;
Yahweh will bring against thee a nation from afar, from the end of the earth, as darteth a bird of prey, - a nation whose tongue thou canst not understand;
Yahweh will bring against thee a nation from afar, from the end of the earth, as darteth a bird of prey, - a nation whose tongue thou canst not understand;
As, an eagle, stirreth up his nest, Over his young ones, fluttereth, Spreadeth abroad his wings, taketh one, Beareth it up on his pinions,
Or, at thy bidding, that the Eagle mounteth, and that he setteth on high his nest? The crag, he inhabiteth, and so lodgeth himself, on the tooth of the crag, and high fort; read more. From thence, he searcheth out food, far away, his eyes do pierce; And, his young brood, suck up blood, and, where the slain are, there, is he.
And, his young brood, suck up blood, and, where the slain are, there, is he.
Who satisfieth, with good, thine age, Thy youth, reneweth itself like an eagle.
As little mother-birds hovering, so, will Yahweh of hosts throw a covering ever Jerusalem, - Covering, so will he rescue, Passing over, so will he deliver!
Calling, From the East, a Bird of Prey, From a far country, the Man I intended, - Yea I have spoken I will also bring it to pass, I have planned, I will also do it.
Lo! like clouds, shall he come up, Even as a storm-wind, his chariots, Swifter than eagles, his horses, - Woe to us for we are laid waste!
So then thou shalt say, Thus, saith My Lord. Yahweh, - A great eagle, with large wings of long pinion, full of plumage, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: The crown of its young twigs, plucked he off, and brought it into a land of traffic, :in a city of merchants, he t it. read more. So he took of the seed of the land, and planted it in a field for seed,- He took it near mighty waters, Like a willow-tree, he set it. And it shot forth, and became a spreading vine of lowly stature, Its branches turning towards him, And its roots under him spread,- So it became a vine, And brought forth shoots, And sent forth boughs. And it came to pass that there was another great eagle, with large wings, and abundant plumage,- And lo! this vine, stretched its roots hungry towards him. And its branches, sent it forth unto him, That he might cause it to drink out of the beds where it was planted:
Make thee bald, and cut off thy hair, for the children of thy pleasures, - enlarge thy baldness, like a vulture, for they are exiled from thee.
Then, swifter than leopards, are his horses, and, more sharply they attack, than evening wolves, and forward have leapt his chargers, - Yea, his chargers, from afar, will come in, they will fly as an eagle hath hastened to devour.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem! that slayeth the prophets, and stoneth them that have been sent unto her, - how often, would I have gathered thy children, like as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, - and ye would not!
So, then, my beloved - even as ye have always obeyed, not asin my presence only, but, now, much more, in my absence, with fear and trembling, your own salvation, be working out; For it is, God, who energiseth within you, both the desiring and the energising, in behalf of his good pleasure.
And there were given unto the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the desert, into her place, - where she is nourished, a season and seasons and half a season, from the face of the serpent.
Hastings
(1) nesher, De 32:11 etc., Le 11:13 Revised Version margin 'great vulture.' (2) r
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And, these, shall ye abhor of birds, they shall not be eaten, an abomination, they are, - the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey;
and the swan and the vomiting pelican and the little vulture;
Yahweh will bring against thee a nation from afar, from the end of the earth, as darteth a bird of prey, - a nation whose tongue thou canst not understand;
As, an eagle, stirreth up his nest, Over his young ones, fluttereth, Spreadeth abroad his wings, taketh one, Beareth it up on his pinions,
Or, at thy bidding, that the Eagle mounteth, and that he setteth on high his nest?
And, his young brood, suck up blood, and, where the slain are, there, is he.
But, they who wait for Yahweh, shall renew their strength, They shall mount on strong pinion like eagles, - They shall run and not grew weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Thy monstrous thing, hath deceived thee, The insolence of thy heart, O thou that inhabitest the hidden recesses of the cliff, That boldest fast the height of the hill, - Though thou set high as an eagle, thy nest, From thence, will I bring thee down, Declareth Yahweh;
Make thee bald, and cut off thy hair, for the children of thy pleasures, - enlarge thy baldness, like a vulture, for they are exiled from thee.
Then, swifter than leopards, are his horses, and, more sharply they attack, than evening wolves, and forward have leapt his chargers, - Yea, his chargers, from afar, will come in, they will fly as an eagle hath hastened to devour.
Wheresoever, the corpse, shall be, there, shall be gathered, the vultures!
And, answering, they say unto him - Where, Lord? And, he, said unto them - Where the body is, there, the vultures also, will be gathered together.
and, the first living creature, is like unto a lion, and, the second living creature, like unto a calf, and, the third living creature, hath the face as of a man, and, the fourth living creature, is like unto an eagle flying;
And there were given unto the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the desert, into her place, - where she is nourished, a season and seasons and half a season, from the face of the serpent.
Morish
nesher, ?????. This is supposed to be the bird known as the Griffon Vulture or Great Vulture
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Ye, have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, - And how I bare you upon wings of eagles, And brought you in unto myself: -
As, an eagle, stirreth up his nest, Over his young ones, fluttereth, Spreadeth abroad his wings, taketh one, Beareth it up on his pinions,
They have passed away with boats of paper-reed, like a vulture which rusheth upon food.
Or, at thy bidding, that the Eagle mounteth, and that he setteth on high his nest?
Thy monstrous thing, hath deceived thee, The insolence of thy heart, O thou that inhabitest the hidden recesses of the cliff, That boldest fast the height of the hill, - Though thou set high as an eagle, thy nest, From thence, will I bring thee down, Declareth Yahweh;
Swifter are our pursuers, than the eagles of the heavens, - Over the mountains, have they come hotly after us, In the wilderness, have they lain in wait for us.
and the likeness of their faces was the face of a man, with the face of a lion to the right of the four of them, and the face of an ox on the left, of the four of them, - the face of an eagle, also had they four;
And four faces had each one, - the first face, was the face of a cherub, and, the second face, was the face of a man and the third was the face of a lion. and the fourth, was the face of an eagle.
Make thee bald, and cut off thy hair, for the children of thy pleasures, - enlarge thy baldness, like a vulture, for they are exiled from thee.
Wheresoever, the corpse, shall be, there, shall be gathered, the vultures!
and, the first living creature, is like unto a lion, and, the second living creature, like unto a calf, and, the third living creature, hath the face as of a man, and, the fourth living creature, is like unto an eagle flying;
Smith
(Heb. nesher, i.e. a tearer with the beak). At least four distinct kinds of eagles have been observed in Palestine, viz., the golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos, the spotted eagle, Aquila naevia, the imperial eagle, Aquila heliaca, and the very common Circaetos gallicus. The Hebrew nesher may stand for any of these different species, though perhaps more particular reference to the golden and imperial eagles and the griffon vulture may be intended. The passage in Micah,
enlarge thy baldness as the eagle, may refer to the griffon vulture, Vultur fulvus, in which case the simile is peculiarly appropriate, for the whole head and neck of this bird are destitute of true feathers. The "eagles" of
Mt 24:28; Lu 17:37
may include the Vultur fulvus and Neophron percnopterus; though, as eagles frequently prey upon dead bodies, there is no necessity to restrict the Greek word to the Vulturidae. The figure of an eagle is now and has long been a favorite military ensign. The Persians so employed it; a fact which illustrates the passage in
The same bird was similarly employed by the Assyrians and the Romans.
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Calling, From the East, a Bird of Prey, From a far country, the Man I intended, - Yea I have spoken I will also bring it to pass, I have planned, I will also do it.
Make thee bald, and cut off thy hair, for the children of thy pleasures, - enlarge thy baldness, like a vulture, for they are exiled from thee.
And, answering, they say unto him - Where, Lord? And, he, said unto them - Where the body is, there, the vultures also, will be gathered together.
Watsons
EAGLE, ???, Ex 19:4; Le 11:13. The name is derived from a verb which signifies to lacerate, or tear in pieces. The eagle has always been considered as the king of birds, on account of its great strength, rapidity and elevation of flight, natural ferocity, and the terror it inspires into its fellows of the air. Its voracity is so great that a large extent of territory is requisite for the supply of proper sustenance; and Providence has therefore constituted it a solitary animal: two pair of eagles are never found in the same neighbourhood, though the genus is dispersed through every quarter of the world. Its sight is quick, strong, and piercing, to a proverb. In Job 39:27, the natural history of the eagle is finely drawn up:
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Ye, have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, - And how I bare you upon wings of eagles, And brought you in unto myself: -
Ye, have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, - And how I bare you upon wings of eagles, And brought you in unto myself: -
And, these, shall ye abhor of birds, they shall not be eaten, an abomination, they are, - the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey;
And when he saw the Kenite, he took up hi parable, and said, - Enduring thy dwelling-place, Set thou then in the crag, thy nest;
Yahweh will bring against thee a nation from afar, from the end of the earth, as darteth a bird of prey, - a nation whose tongue thou canst not understand;
Saul and Jonathan, delightfully loving in their lives, even, in their death, were not divided, - Beyond eagles, were they swift, beyond lions, were they strong!
They have passed away with boats of paper-reed, like a vulture which rusheth upon food.
Or, at thy bidding, that the Eagle mounteth, and that he setteth on high his nest?
Who satisfieth, with good, thine age, Thy youth, reneweth itself like an eagle.
Wilt thou let thine eye fly thereupon, when it is nothing? for it will, surely make, itself wings, Like an eagle, will it wing its way across the heavens.
and roll on throughout Judah - overflow and pass along, till unto the neck, he shall reach, - and it shall be, that, the stretching out of his wings, shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel!
But, they who wait for Yahweh, shall renew their strength, They shall mount on strong pinion like eagles, - They shall run and not grew weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Calling, From the East, a Bird of Prey, From a far country, the Man I intended, - Yea I have spoken I will also bring it to pass, I have planned, I will also do it.
Lo! like clouds, shall he come up, Even as a storm-wind, his chariots, Swifter than eagles, his horses, - Woe to us for we are laid waste!
For, thus, saith Yahweh, Lo! as an eagle, shall one dart along, - And shall spread out his wings towards Moab.
For, thus, saith Yahweh, Lo! as an eagle, shall one dart along, - And shall spread out his wings towards Moab.
Thy monstrous thing, hath deceived thee, The insolence of thy heart, O thou that inhabitest the hidden recesses of the cliff, That boldest fast the height of the hill, - Though thou set high as an eagle, thy nest, From thence, will I bring thee down, Declareth Yahweh;
Swifter are our pursuers, than the eagles of the heavens, - Over the mountains, have they come hotly after us, In the wilderness, have they lain in wait for us.
To thy mouth, with a horn! Like an eagle, on the house of Yahweh, - because they have violated my covenant, and, against my law, have they transgressed.
Though thou build high like an eagle, and though, among the stars, thou set thy nest, from thence, will I bring thee down, Declareth Yahweh.
Though thou build high like an eagle, and though, among the stars, thou set thy nest, from thence, will I bring thee down, Declareth Yahweh.
Alas! for him who extorteth an extortion of wrong for his own house, - that he may set on high his nest, that he may be delivered from the grasp of calamity.
Wheresoever, the corpse, shall be, there, shall be gathered, the vultures!
And, answering, they say unto him - Where, Lord? And, he, said unto them - Where the body is, there, the vultures also, will be gathered together.