I thought it might be interesting to review all the occasions in the Bible where the image of a bird appeared, not in literal reality but as part of the many cases and types of figurative language in Scripture. But it turns out that the allusions to birds in general or specific species of birds are far too numerous to be easily canvassed in one or two posts. So what is below should only be treated as the tip of the iceberg.
“Palestine is a land very rich in birds. It has a great range of habitats, varying from semi-tropical to true desert; moreover, one of the main migration routes from Africa...runs through the whole length of Israel.” (Cansdale) Therefore it is no surprise that figures of speech and symbolic allusions to birds abound in the Bible. “By and large the similes constructed around birds refer to their characteristic habits.” (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery)
Some of the earliest references to birds in the Old Testament are decidedly negative in tone:
In Genesis 15:11 “Abram wards off the birds of prey while making a covenant with the Lord. It is generally understood that the sacrifices here represent Israel, while the birds of prey represent unclean nations, Gentiles, possibly Egypt. In other passages, 'ayit sometimes represents foreign invaders (Isa 46:11; Jer 12:9).” (Kiuchi)
We could also look at the symbolism found in the baker's dream in which the ravenous birds (oph) peck at his basket of bread and eventually at his dead body. (Genesis 40:17,19)
Jeremiah 5:27 utilizes birds collectively in the simile addressed against Judah: “Like a cage full of birds, their houses are filled with treachery.”
But before jumping to the conclusion that the presence of birds always connotes something sinister, consider first a pair of Jesus' kingdom parables:
Soils and the Seed (Matthew 13:3-23; Mark 4:3-20; Luke 8:4-15)
In this parable, the first seeds fall on the path and the birds eat it up. In his explanation, Jesus likens the birds to Satan who snatches the Word from people's heart before it has time to grow, a decidedly evil image.
Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-33; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18-19)
Based in part on the above example, some commentators interpret the birds roosting in the mustard tree (the church) in the same negative way. Those scholars feel the growth of the kingdom will become abnormally large so that it includes even the “birds of the air,” standing for evil influences, i.e., unsaved people in the visible church body. As a variation in this belief, James Boice feels that the “abnormal” growth of church structure is in mind.” By contrast, the majority of interpreters consider kingdom growth to be entirely positive. They rightly point out that each symbol in the Bible has to be taken on its individual basis in its own context since often the same symbol represents different spiritual realities.
The remaining examples below should serve as ample illustration of the wide variety of symbolic uses the same basic image possesses in the Bible. I would like to begin with some generic references to birds, with the caveat that it is not always possible to pin down whether a given passage is referring to birds in general or to one particular species of bird.
Wings and Flight
Of course, the most characteristic property of birds is their ability to fly. The fact that birds can fly about unobtrusively from place to place gives rise to the proverb in Ecclesiastes 10:20 that says you should be careful what you say about the rich and powerful since a bird may repeat your words to them. This proverb survives today in the expression: “A little bird told me.” On the converse side, wisdom is said to be hidden even from the birds of the air despite the fact that they can travel just about anywhere. (Job 28:21) Jeremiah 8:7 contrasts the birds knowing the time to migrate with the inability of the people to observe God's laws.
The ease of flying exhibited by birds is also alluded to in the prophecy “Ephraim's glory shall fly away like a bird.” (Hosea 9:11) And there are numerous references to the fact that birds are thus able to easily elude those who would harm them (Leviticus 14:52-53; Psalm 11:1; 55:4-7; 124:6-7;139:9; Proverbs 6:5).
Thus, there are times when both birds of prey and birds who are prey appear in the Bible. For the latter, see passages such as I Samuel 26:20 and Psalms 124:7. For example, Proverbs 7:23 compares a man who falls for a married woman to a bird rushing into a snare unawares. But Proverbs 1:10-19 makes the point that although a bird will not fly into a trap that it sees being set, evil men rush to their inevitable doom.
This image of birds being caught also appears in the rhetorical question of Amos 3:5: “Does a bird fall into a snare without there being a trap?” There are other questions in 3:2-8 which “build to an inescapable conclusion in v. 8b.” (Mobley) That passage reads, “The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?”
Proverbs 26:2 says that an undeserved curse is like a bird flitting around – it goes nowhere. Another association of birds with curses is found in an obscure ritual in Leviticus 14 for removing the curse of “leprosy” from a house. Two birds are taken, one for sacrifice to God and the other to symbolically carry the problem far away from the site. This is strikingly like the annual ritual on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) during which two goats are taken. “The first goat...symbolizes the divine side of atonement: God's holy justice is satisfied by the sprinkling of blood before him. The second goat represents the human side of atonement. The sins of the people are transferred to the goat by Aaron's hands. The goat is then escorted outside the camp to 'carry on itself all their sins.' By means of this transfer the people are cleansed of the defilement sin has brought on them...The symbolism of two goats on the Day of Atonement indicates that both concepts are essential in the OT imagery of atonement.” (DBI) Of course, the fulfillment of this ritual is Christ's atoning death and resurrection during which he literally flew away with our sins.
Wings become a powerful symbol in themselves. They usually are employed in the Bible as a metaphor for divine protection, especially in the Psalms (see 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 61:4; 63:7; and 91:4). Boaz prays in Ruth 2:12 that God will take her under His wings (kanap). Interestingly, later on in the story it is Boaz himself who takes her under his cloak (kanap), demonstrating that sometimes God chooses us to be the instruments by which He answers prayer.
God will protect Jerusalem like a bird hovering above (Isaiah 31:5) This image carries over into the New Testament when Jesus cries out over the doomed city of Jerusalem, “How often have I desired to gather your children as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37)
Nests
Another distinctive of birds is their unique nesting habits. “Conspicuous, yet inaccessible, nests stand as symbols of heaven-ordained security (Song 2:14; Jer. 48:28).” (DBI) And P.T. Davies adds: “Thus, birds' nests tend to typify “delight, contentment and protection in the presence of God.” The practice of sparrows and swallows nesting in various parts of the temple complex is compared to the blessing of those who spend their time in the temple singing God's praises. (Psalm 84:3-4) One could also cite Psalm 104:16-18 describing how God provides good nesting places for the birds.
By contrast, those without a nest present a totally different picture. The outcasts from Moab are compared to wandering birds kicked out of their secure nests. (Isaiah 16:2) And the wayward husband is characterized as “a bird that strays from its nest.” (Proverbs 27:8) Finally, look at Jesus' situation described in Luke 9:58: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Psalm 84:3-4) In that same way, His followers today are aliens here on earth since “this world is not my home; I'm just a-passing through.”
The imagery associated with particular avian species will be discussed in a subsequent post.
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