This name is put in Le 11:19; De 14:18, for a Hebrew word of very uncertain meaning. See BIRDS.

(Le 11:19; De 14:18), ranked among the unclean birds. The Hebrew name is 'anaphah, and indicates that the bird so named is remarkable for its angry disposition. "The herons are wading-birds, peculiarly irritable, remarkable for their voracity, frequenting marshes and oozy rivers, and spread over the regions of the East." The Ardea russeta, or little golden egret, is the commonest species in Asia.

Illustration: Common Heron

anaphah. An unclean bird (Le 11:19; De 14:18). Rather "the great plover," thick kneed, Charadrius oedicnemus, widely spread in Europe, Asia, and N. Africa. It lives on slugs, worms, frogs, and toads (Speaker's Commentary). But Gesenius derives it from anaph "to snort angrily," which applies well to the heron, an irritable, voracious, bird, frequenting marshes. The addition "after her kind" implies that a genus is meant.

The Heb. word 'an

He'ron

A bird that was unclean to the Israelites. The name anaphah cannot be identified, but several species of heron are found throughout Palestine, which are doubtless included because of the words 'after her kind.' The Ardea cinerea is a heron common in Palestine. They live upon fish, frogs, and reptiles. (R.V. margin has 'ibis.') Le 11:19; De 14:18.

H'eron,

Le 11:19; De 14:18

a common large, wading, unclean bird. Nearly all of the species known in English ornithology are found in the vicinity of Palestine. Canon Cook and others think the bird intended is the plover (Charadrius aedicnemus), a greedy, thick kneed, high-flying migratory bird, very common in the East, on the banks of rivers and shores of lakes. --ED.

HERON, ????, Le 11:19; De 14:18. This word has been variously understood. Some have rendered it the kite, others the woodcock, others the curlieu, some the peacock, others the parrot, and others the crane. The root, ???, signifies to breathe short through the nostrils, to snuff, as in anger; hence to be angry; and it is supposed that the word is sufficiently descriptive of the heron, from its very irritable disposition. Bochart, however, thinks it the mountain falcon; the same that the Greeks call ???????, mentioned by Homer; and this bears a strong resemblance to the Hebrew name.