Supposed to mean the hoopoe, a beautiful migratory bird of filthy habits and a loud, hoarse voice; pronounced unclean by Moses, Le 11:19. It is about the size of a thrush; its beak is long, black, thin and a little hooked; its legs gray and short. On its head is a tuft of feathers of different colors, which it raises or lowers as it pleases. Its neck and breast are somewhat reddish, and its wings and tail black, with white streaks.

the name of an unclean bird, mentioned only in Le 11:19 and De 14:18. The Hebrew name of this bird, dukiphath, has been generally regarded as denoting the hoope (Upupa epops), an onomatopoetic word derived from the cry of the bird, which resembles the word "hoop;" a bird not uncommon in Palestine. Others identify it with the English peewit.

dukiphath, related to the Coptic kukusha. Rather the hoopoe (Le 11:19; De 14:18). Its cry or whoop gives its name. The Arabs superstitiously reverence it, and call it "the doctor" as if possessing therapeutic qualities. Its head is used in magical spells. The Bedouins believe it to be inhabited by departed spirits. The Hebrew perhaps means double-crested; the hoopoe has two parallel rows of elevated feathers arranged laterally. Its imposing crest and beak, and its curious way of bending until the beak touches the ground, while it raises and depresses the crest, led to the Arab supposition of its power to point out hidden wells beneath; from whence arose its Greek name epops), "the inspector." Its unclean habits, searching for worms and insects in dunghills, and the superstition with which the pagan regarded it, led to the Mosaic ranking of it among unclean birds.

dukiphath. This is generally supposed to refer to the Hoopoe, which rendering the R.V. has adopted. It is judged to be the Upupa epops. It feeds upon all sorts of insects, and its nest has a very unpleasant smell, either of which facts would be a sufficient reason for its being classed among the unclean birds. Le 11:19; De 14:18. It has a conspicuous crest on its head, which it seems proud of displaying.

(Heb. duciphath) occurs only in

Le 11:19

and in the parallel passage of

De 14:18

amongst the list of those birds which were forbidden by the law of Moses to be eaten by the Israelites. Commentators generally agree that the hoopoe is the bird intended. The hoopoe is an occasional visitor to England, arriving for the most part in the autumn. Its crest is very elegant; each of the long feathers forming it is tipped with black.

LAPWING, ??????, Le 11:19; De 14:18. The bird intended by the Hebrew name in these places is undoubtedly the hoopoe; a very beautiful, but most unclean and filthy, species of birds. The Septuagint renders it ?????; and the Vulgate, upupa; which is the same with the Arabian interpreters. The Egyptian name of the bird is kukuphah; and the Syrian, kikuphah, which approach the Hebrew dukiphath, it may have its name from the noise or cry it makes, which is very remarkable, and may be heard a great way.