Mica 1
1 Cuvântului Domnului, spus lui Mica, din Moreşet, pe vremea lui Iotam, Ahaz, Ezechia, împăraţii lui Iuda, proorocie asupra Samariei şi Ierusalimului.
2 Ascultaţi, voi popoare toate! Ia aminte, pământule, şi ce este pe el! Domnul Dumnezeu să fie martor împotriva voastră, Domnul care este în Templul Lui cel sfânt!
3 Căci iată că Domnul iese din locuinţa Lui, Se pogoară, şi umblă pe înălţimile pământului!
4 Supt El se topesc munţii, văile crapă, ca ceara înaintea focului, ca apa care curge prin râpi.
5 Şi toate acestea din pricina nelegiuirii lui Iacov, din pricina păcatelor casei lui Israel! Dar care este nelegiuirea lui Iacov? Nu este oare Samaria? Şi care este păcatul lui Iuda? Nu este oare Ierusalimul?...
6 De aceea, voi preface Samaria într-un morman de pietre pe câmp, într-un loc de sădit vie; îi voi prăvăli pietrele în vale, şi-i voi desgoli temeliile.
7 Toate chipurile ei cioplite vor fi sfărâmate, toate plăţile ei de curvă vor fi arse în foc, şi-i voi pustii toţi idolii: căci din plăţi de curvă i-a adunat, şi în plăţi de curvă se vor preface...
8 Deaceea plâng, mă bocesc, umblu desculţ şi gol, strig ca şacalul, şi gem ca struţul.
9 Căci rana ei este fără leac; se întinde până la Iuda, pătrunde până la poarta poporului meu, până la Ierusalim.
10 Nu spuneţi lucrul acesta în Gat, şi nu plângeţi în Aco; tăvăliţi-vă în ţărână la Bet-Leafra.
11 Treci, locuitoare din Şafir, cu ruşinea descoperită; locuitoarea din Ţaanan nu îndrăzneşte să iasă, jalea Bet-Haeţelului, vă ia gustul să vă opriţi în el.
12 Căci locuitoarea din Marot tremură pentru perderea fericirii ei, fiindcă s-a pogorât nenorocirea din partea Domnului până la poarta Ierusalimului.
13 Înhamă-ţi caii cei iuţi la car, locuitoare din Lachis; tu ai fost cea dintâi pricină de păcat pentru fiica Sionului, căci în tine s-au găsit nelegiuirile lui Israel.
14 Deaceea te vei despărţi de Moreşet-Gat, casele din Aczib vor fi o amăgire pentru împăraţii lui Israel.
15 Îţi voi aduce un nou stăpân, locuitoare din Mareşa; slava lui Israel va merge la Adulam.
16 Rade-ţi, taie-ţi părul, din pricina copiilor tăi iubiţi; lărgeşte-ţi pleşuvia ca vulturul, căci ei se duc în robie departe de tine!
{"verseMap":{"1":[{"id":25543,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Micah (Person)","title_en":"Micah (Person)","content_ro":"<h3>MICAH (P<span>erson<\/span>)<\/h3>\n<li>1. Ephraimite judge who had idols made and then hired a Levite to become his priest (Jgs 17–18).<\/li>\n<li>2. Shimei’s descendant from Reuben’s tribe (1 Chr 5:5).<\/li>\n<li>3. Alternate spelling of Mica, Mephibosheth’s son and the great-grandson of King Saul, in 1 Chronicles 8:34-35; 9:40-41. <em>See<\/em> Mica #1.<\/li>\n<li>4. KJV spelling of Mica, Zicri’s son, in 1 Chronicles 9:15. <em>See<\/em> Mica #2.<\/li>\n<li>5. Levite and Uzziel’s son from Kohath’s clan, whose temple responsibilities included care of the furniture and equipment (1 Chr 23:20; 24:24-25).<\/li>\n<li>6. Alternate spelling of Micaiah, Acbor’s father, in 2 Chronicles 34:20. <em>See<\/em> Micaiah #2.<\/li>\n<li>7. Prophet and author of the OT book that bears his name (Mi 1:1). A native of Moresheth, a town about 21 miles (33.8 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem, Micah prophesied to both northern and southern kingdoms during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>). According to Micah 1:9, he was still prophesying in 701 <span>BC<\/span> when the Assyrian armies under Sennacherib (cf. Is 36–37) besieged Jerusalem. About 100 years later, Micah is used as an example of an early prophet who predicted the destruction of Jerusalem (cf. Jer 26:16-19).<\/li>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Micah, Book of; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MICAH (P<span>erson<\/span>)<\/h3>\n<li>1. Ephraimite judge who had idols made and then hired a Levite to become his priest (Jgs 17–18).<\/li>\n<li>2. Shimei’s descendant from Reuben’s tribe (1 Chr 5:5).<\/li>\n<li>3. Alternate spelling of Mica, Mephibosheth’s son and the great-grandson of King Saul, in 1 Chronicles 8:34-35; 9:40-41. <em>See<\/em> Mica #1.<\/li>\n<li>4. KJV spelling of Mica, Zicri’s son, in 1 Chronicles 9:15. <em>See<\/em> Mica #2.<\/li>\n<li>5. Levite and Uzziel’s son from Kohath’s clan, whose temple responsibilities included care of the furniture and equipment (1 Chr 23:20; 24:24-25).<\/li>\n<li>6. Alternate spelling of Micaiah, Acbor’s father, in 2 Chronicles 34:20. <em>See<\/em> Micaiah #2.<\/li>\n<li>7. Prophet and author of the OT book that bears his name (Mi 1:1). A native of Moresheth, a town about 21 miles (33.8 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem, Micah prophesied to both northern and southern kingdoms during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>). According to Micah 1:9, he was still prophesying in 701 <span>BC<\/span> when the Assyrian armies under Sennacherib (cf. Is 36–37) besieged Jerusalem. About 100 years later, Micah is used as an example of an early prophet who predicted the destruction of Jerusalem (cf. Jer 26:16-19).<\/li>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Micah, Book of; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MICAH (Person) 1. Ephraimite judge who had idols made and then hired a Levite to become his priest (Jgs 17–18). 2. Shimei’s descendant from Reuben’s tribe (1 Chr 5:5). 3. Alternate spelling of Mica, Mephibosheth’s son and the great-grandson of King Saul, in 1 Chronicles 8:34-35; 9:40-41. See Mica #1. 4. KJV spelling of Mica, Zicri’s son, in 1 Chronicles 9:15. See Mica #2. 5. Levite and Uzziel’s son from Kohath’s clan, whose temple responsibilities included care of the furniture and equipment ...","summary_en":"MICAH (Person) 1. Ephraimite judge who had idols made and then hired a Levite to become his priest (Jgs 17–18). 2. Shimei’s descendant from Reuben’s tribe (1 Chr 5:5). 3. Alternate spelling of Mica, Mephibosheth’s son and the great-grandson of King Saul, in 1 Chronicles 8:34-35; 9:40-41. See Mica #1. 4. KJV spelling of Mica, Zicri’s son, in 1 Chronicles 9:15. See Mica #2. 5. Levite and Uzziel’s son from Kohath’s clan, whose temple responsibilities included care of the furniture and equipment ...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":25547,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Book of Micah","title_en":"Book of Micah","content_ro":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","summary_en":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":26277,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Morasthite*","title_en":"Morasthite*","content_ro":"<h3>MORASTHITE*<\/h3>\n<p>KJV designation for the prophet Micah, taken from the name of the town Moresheth (Jer 26:18; Mi 1:1). <em>See<\/em> Micah (Person) #7.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MORASTHITE*<\/h3>\n<p>KJV designation for the prophet Micah, taken from the name of the town Moresheth (Jer 26:18; Mi 1:1). <em>See<\/em> Micah (Person) #7.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MORASTHITE* KJV designation for the prophet Micah, taken from the name of the town Moresheth (Jer 26:18; Mi 1:1). See Micah (Person) #7.","summary_en":"MORASTHITE* KJV designation for the prophet Micah, taken from the name of the town Moresheth (Jer 26:18; Mi 1:1). See Micah (Person) #7.","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":26286,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Moresheth","title_en":"Moresheth","content_ro":"<h3>MORESHETH<\/h3>\n<p>Micah’s hometown (Jer 26:18; Mi 1:1). <em>See<\/em> Micah (Person) #7.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MORESHETH<\/h3>\n<p>Micah’s hometown (Jer 26:18; Mi 1:1). <em>See<\/em> Micah (Person) #7.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MORESHETH Micah’s hometown (Jer 26:18; Mi 1:1). See Micah (Person) #7.","summary_en":"MORESHETH Micah’s hometown (Jer 26:18; Mi 1:1). See Micah (Person) #7.","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54029,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:1","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:1<\/strong> <em>Micah<\/em> is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • <em>Moresheth<\/em> was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • <em>Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah<\/em> (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 <span>BC<\/span>). • God’s <em>message<\/em> came to Micah in <em>visions<\/em>. • <em>Samaria and Jerusalem<\/em> were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city names refer to their entire countries.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:1<\/strong> <em>Micah<\/em> is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • <em>Moresheth<\/em> was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • <em>Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah<\/em> (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 <span>BC<\/span>). • God’s <em>message<\/em> came to Micah in <em>visions<\/em>. • <em>Samaria and Jerusalem<\/em> were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city names refer to their entire countries.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:1 Micah is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • Moresheth was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 BC). • God’s message came to Micah in visions. • Samaria and Jerusalem were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city name...","summary_en":"1:1 Micah is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • Moresheth was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 BC). • God’s message came to Micah in visions. • Samaria and Jerusalem were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city name...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81655,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:1","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:1<\/strong> <em>Micah<\/em> is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • <em>Moresheth<\/em> was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • <em>Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah<\/em> (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 <span>BC<\/span>). • God’s <em>message<\/em> came to Micah in <em>visions<\/em>. • <em>Samaria and Jerusalem<\/em> were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city names refer to their entire countries.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:1<\/strong> <em>Micah<\/em> is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • <em>Moresheth<\/em> was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • <em>Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah<\/em> (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 <span>BC<\/span>). • God’s <em>message<\/em> came to Micah in <em>visions<\/em>. • <em>Samaria and Jerusalem<\/em> were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city names refer to their entire countries.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:1 Micah is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • Moresheth was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 BC). • God’s message came to Micah in visions. • Samaria and Jerusalem were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city name...","summary_en":"1:1 Micah is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • Moresheth was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 BC). • God’s message came to Micah in visions. • Samaria and Jerusalem were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city name...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109281,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:1","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:1<\/strong> <em>Micah<\/em> is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • <em>Moresheth<\/em> was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • <em>Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah<\/em> (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 <span>BC<\/span>). • God’s <em>message<\/em> came to Micah in <em>visions<\/em>. • <em>Samaria and Jerusalem<\/em> were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city names refer to their entire countries.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:1<\/strong> <em>Micah<\/em> is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • <em>Moresheth<\/em> was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • <em>Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah<\/em> (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 <span>BC<\/span>). • God’s <em>message<\/em> came to Micah in <em>visions<\/em>. • <em>Samaria and Jerusalem<\/em> were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city names refer to their entire countries.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:1 Micah is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • Moresheth was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 BC). • God’s message came to Micah in visions. • Samaria and Jerusalem were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city name...","summary_en":"1:1 Micah is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • Moresheth was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 BC). • God’s message came to Micah in visions. • Samaria and Jerusalem were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city name...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136907,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:1","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:1","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:1<\/strong> <em>Micah<\/em> is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • <em>Moresheth<\/em> was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • <em>Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah<\/em> (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 <span>BC<\/span>). • God’s <em>message<\/em> came to Micah in <em>visions<\/em>. • <em>Samaria and Jerusalem<\/em> were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city names refer to their entire countries.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:1<\/strong> <em>Micah<\/em> is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • <em>Moresheth<\/em> was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • <em>Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah<\/em> (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 <span>BC<\/span>). • God’s <em>message<\/em> came to Micah in <em>visions<\/em>. • <em>Samaria and Jerusalem<\/em> were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city names refer to their entire countries.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:1 Micah is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • Moresheth was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 BC). • God’s message came to Micah in visions. • Samaria and Jerusalem were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city name...","summary_en":"1:1 Micah is presumably a short form of Micaiah, which means “Who is like the Lord?” • Moresheth was a fortress city located a short distance southeast of Gath in the low-lying hills of southwestern Judah. • Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (see Micah Book Introduction, “Setting”): The reigns of these three kings covered about 65 years total (about 750–686 BC). • God’s message came to Micah in visions. • Samaria and Jerusalem were the capitals of northern Israel and Judah. Sometimes these city name...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"2":[{"id":25548,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Book of Micah","title_en":"Book of Micah","content_ro":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","summary_en":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54030,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:2","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:2–2:13<\/strong> This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:2–2:13<\/strong> This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:2–2:13 This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).","summary_en":"1:2–2:13 This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54031,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:2","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:2-7<\/strong> This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 <span>BC<\/span>, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. <em>The Sovereign<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> was coming to judge his people.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:2-7<\/strong> This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 <span>BC<\/span>, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. <em>The Sovereign<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> was coming to judge his people.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:2-7 This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 BC, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. The Sovereign Lord was coming to judge his people.","summary_en":"1:2-7 This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 BC, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. The Sovereign Lord was coming to judge his people.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54032,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:2","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:2<\/strong> <em>Attention!<\/em> translates the same word that introduces the <em>Shema<\/em> (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The <em>holy Temple<\/em> is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:2<\/strong> <em>Attention!<\/em> translates the same word that introduces the <em>Shema<\/em> (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The <em>holy Temple<\/em> is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:2 Attention! translates the same word that introduces the Shema (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The holy Temple is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).","summary_en":"1:2 Attention! translates the same word that introduces the Shema (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The holy Temple is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81656,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:2","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:2–2:13<\/strong> This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:2–2:13<\/strong> This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:2–2:13 This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).","summary_en":"1:2–2:13 This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81657,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:2","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:2-7<\/strong> This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 <span>BC<\/span>, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. <em>The Sovereign<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> was coming to judge his people.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:2-7<\/strong> This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 <span>BC<\/span>, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. <em>The Sovereign<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> was coming to judge his people.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:2-7 This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 BC, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. The Sovereign Lord was coming to judge his people.","summary_en":"1:2-7 This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 BC, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. The Sovereign Lord was coming to judge his people.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81658,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:2","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:2<\/strong> <em>Attention!<\/em> translates the same word that introduces the <em>Shema<\/em> (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The <em>holy Temple<\/em> is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:2<\/strong> <em>Attention!<\/em> translates the same word that introduces the <em>Shema<\/em> (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The <em>holy Temple<\/em> is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:2 Attention! translates the same word that introduces the Shema (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The holy Temple is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).","summary_en":"1:2 Attention! translates the same word that introduces the Shema (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The holy Temple is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109282,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:2","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:2–2:13<\/strong> This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:2–2:13<\/strong> This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:2–2:13 This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).","summary_en":"1:2–2:13 This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109283,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:2","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:2-7<\/strong> This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 <span>BC<\/span>, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. <em>The Sovereign<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> was coming to judge his people.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:2-7<\/strong> This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 <span>BC<\/span>, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. <em>The Sovereign<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> was coming to judge his people.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:2-7 This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 BC, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. The Sovereign Lord was coming to judge his people.","summary_en":"1:2-7 This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 BC, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. The Sovereign Lord was coming to judge his people.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109284,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:2","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:2<\/strong> <em>Attention!<\/em> translates the same word that introduces the <em>Shema<\/em> (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The <em>holy Temple<\/em> is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:2<\/strong> <em>Attention!<\/em> translates the same word that introduces the <em>Shema<\/em> (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The <em>holy Temple<\/em> is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:2 Attention! translates the same word that introduces the Shema (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The holy Temple is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).","summary_en":"1:2 Attention! translates the same word that introduces the Shema (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The holy Temple is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136908,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:2","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:2–2:13<\/strong> This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:2–2:13<\/strong> This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:2–2:13 This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).","summary_en":"1:2–2:13 This message of judgment introduces some of the major concerns of Micah’s prophecies and asserts God’s determination to judge his people and put them into exile (1:16; 2:4-5), but it concludes with the Lord’s assurance that he will rescue a remnant from exile (2:12-13).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136909,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:2","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:2-7<\/strong> This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 <span>BC<\/span>, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. <em>The Sovereign<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> was coming to judge his people.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:2-7<\/strong> This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 <span>BC<\/span>, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. <em>The Sovereign<\/em> <span>Lord<\/span> was coming to judge his people.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:2-7 This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 BC, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. The Sovereign Lord was coming to judge his people.","summary_en":"1:2-7 This oracle concerns Samaria prior to 722 BC, when Samaria was destroyed and its people were deported. The Sovereign Lord was coming to judge his people.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136910,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:2","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:2","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:2<\/strong> <em>Attention!<\/em> translates the same word that introduces the <em>Shema<\/em> (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The <em>holy Temple<\/em> is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:2<\/strong> <em>Attention!<\/em> translates the same word that introduces the <em>Shema<\/em> (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The <em>holy Temple<\/em> is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:2 Attention! translates the same word that introduces the Shema (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The holy Temple is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).","summary_en":"1:2 Attention! translates the same word that introduces the Shema (“Listen!”) in Deut 6:4. • The holy Temple is the Lord’s heavenly abode, not the corrupt Temple in Jerusalem (Mic 1:2-3).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"3":[{"id":21842,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Kingdom of Heaven Kingdom of God","title_en":"Kingdom of Heaven Kingdom of God","content_ro":"<h3>KINGDOM OF GOD, KINGDOM OF HEAVEN<\/h3>\n<p>The sovereign rule of God, initiated by Christ’s earthly ministry and consummated when the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ (Rv 11:15).<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Introduction<\/p>\n<p>• Old Testament Background<\/p>\n<p>• In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Introduction\">Introduction<\/p>\n<p>According to the testimony of the first three Gospels, the proclamation of the kingdom of God was Jesus’ central message. Matthew summarizes the Galilean ministry with the words “Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching everywhere the Good News about the Kingdom” (Mt 4:23, <span>nlt<\/span>). The Sermon on the Mount is concerned with the righteousness that qualifies people to enter the kingdom of God (5:20). The collection of parables in Matthew 13 and Mark 4 illustrate the “mystery” of the kingdom of God (Mt 13:11; Mk 4:11). The establishment of the Lord’s Supper looks forward to the establishment of the kingdom of God (Mt 26:29; Mk 14:25).<\/p>\n<p>The NT reports two different forms of the expression: “the kingdom of God” and “the kingdom of the heavens.” The latter is found only in Matthew, but Matthew also has “the kingdom of God” four times (Mt 12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43). “The kingdom of heaven” is a Semitic phrase that would have been meaningful to Jews but not to Greeks. The Jews, out of reverence for God, avoided uttering the divine name, and contemporary literature gives examples of substituting the word “heaven” for God (1 Macc 3:18, 50; 4:10; see Lk 15:18).<\/p>\n<p>The key to an understanding of the kingdom of God is that the basic meaning of the Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">basileia<\/span><em>,<\/em> as also of the Hebrew <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">malkut<\/span><em>,<\/em> is rule, reign, dominion. We frequently find in the OT the expression “in the year of the kingdom of . . . ,” meaning in the year of the reign of a given king (e.g., 1 Chr 26:31; 2 Chr 3:2; 15:10; Ezr 7:1; 8:1; Est 2:16; Jer 10:7; 52:31). When we read that Solomon’s kingdom was firmly established (1 Kgs 2:12), we are to understand that his authority to reign was settled. To “turn the kingdom of Saul over to [David]” (1 Chr 12:23, <span>kjv<\/span>) indicates that the authority that had been Saul’s was given to David. As a result of having received legal authority, David became king. This abstract idea of <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">malkut<\/span> is evident when it is found in parallelisms with such ideas as power, might, glory, and dominion (Dn 4:34; 7:14).<\/p>\n<p>When <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">malkut<\/span> is used of God, it almost always refers to his authority or to his rule as the heavenly King. “They will talk together about the glory of your kingdom; they will celebrate examples of your power. . . . For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule generation after generation” (Ps 145:11, 13, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Further, if a king rules, there must be a realm or sphere over which he reigns. This is also called <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">malkut<\/span><em>.<\/em> “So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest round about” (2 Chr 20:30, <span>rsv<\/span>; see Est 3:6; Jer 10:7; Dn 9:1; 11:9).<\/p>\n<p>This same twofold use of <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">basileia<\/span> is found in the NT. In fact, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">basileia<\/span> could be translated by the expression “kingly power” in Luke 23:42 (<span>niv<\/span> mg) and by “kingship” in John 18:36. When a nobleman went into a far country to get a “kingdom” (Luke 19:12, <span>nasb<\/span>) he went to the governing authority to get an appointment as king. When Jesus said, “My kingship is not of this world” (Jn 18:36, <span>rsv<\/span>), he did not mean to say that his rule has nothing to do with the world but rather that his kingship—his dominion—does not come from man but from God. Therefore, he rejects the use of worldly fighting to gain his ends.<\/p>\n<p>This central meaning of <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">basileia<\/span> makes it easy to understand many sayings in the Gospels. In the Lord’s Prayer the petition “Thy kingdom come” (Mt 6:10) is a prayer for God to manifest his reign so that his will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. When we read that we are to “receive the kingdom of God like a child” (Mk 10:15, <span>rsv<\/span>), we must open our hearts and lives to the rule of God.<\/p>\n<p>Also in the NT are sayings about being <em>in<\/em> the kingdom or of <em>entering<\/em> the kingdom (Mt 8:11; Mk 9:47; 10:23-25; Lk 13:28). There is no philological or theological objection to understanding “the kingdom of God” first as the divine reign or rule and second as the sphere of blessing in which that reign is experienced.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OldTestamentBackground\">Old Testament Background<\/p>\n<p>The expression “the kingdom of God” is not found in the OT, but the idea appears throughout the prophets. God is frequently spoken of as the King, both of Israel (Ex 15:18; Nm 23:21; Dt 33:5; Is 43:15) and of all the earth (2 Kgs 19:15; Pss 29:10; 47:2; 93:1-2; 96:10; 97:1-9; 99:1-4; 145:11-13; Is 6:5; Jer 46:18). Although God is not the earthly King of Israel, other references speak of a day when God shall become King and shall rule over his people (Is 24:23; 33:22; 52:7; Ob 1:21; Zep 3:15; Zec 14:9-11).<\/p>\n<p>This brief summary of God’s kingship provides the outline for the entire OT concept. While God is King over all the earth, he is in a special way King over his people, Israel. God’s rule is therefore something realized in Israel’s history. However, it is only partially and imperfectly realized. Israel again and again rebelled against the divine sovereignty. Furthermore, Israel was constantly plagued by wars with its pagan neighbors in which it was not always victorious. Again, there are evils in nature and the physical world that often bring suffering to God’s people. Therefore, the prophets look forward to a day when God’s rule will be fully experienced, not by Israel alone, but by all the world. The main emphasis of the prophets is on hope, the establishing of God’s perfect rule in the world.<\/p>\n<p>The prophets describe the final establishment of God’s kingdom in terms of a theophany—a divine visitation (Mi 1:3-4). Zechariah foresees a “Day of the Lord” when all nations will be gathered in battle against Jerusalem, when the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations (Zec 14:3, 5). Israel will be visited by the Lord (Is 29:6) and delivered from its enemies (35:4; 59:20). God’s coming will also mean judgment (2:21; 26:21). This final coming of God will mean the salvation of the Gentiles as well as of Israel (Zec 2:10-11; cf. Is 66:18-24).<\/p>\n<p>Behind this language is a distinct theology of “the God who comes.” It is a fact widely recognized in contemporary OT theology that the God of the OT is not a nature god, like the gods of other peoples, but a God of history—a God who visits his people in history to bless or to judge them. God visited Israel in Egypt to deliver them from bondage and to constitute them as his people. The rescue from Egypt was not merely an act of deliverance; it was an act through which God made himself known and through which Israel was to know and serve him.<\/p>\n<p>Because God has visited his people again and again in their history, he must finally come to them in the future to judge wickedness and to establish his kingdom. Israel’s hope is thus rooted in history, or rather in the God who works in history. God will finally break into history in a glorious theophany to establish his rule in all the earth. The source of the kingdom is not history itself but God.<\/p>\n<p>While the prophets visualize the kingdom as coming from God, the kingdom is always on earth. The divine irruption into the natural order is not designed to accomplish its destruction but to make way for a new, perfect order arising out of the old, imperfect one. The prophets do not present a single consistent picture of the new order. Sometimes the new order is described very much in this-worldly terms. “The terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine” (Am 9:13, <span>nlt<\/span>). On the other hand, God will create new heavens and a new earth (Is 65:17; 66:22), where there will be untroubled joy, prosperity, peace, and righteousness. The final visitation of God will mean the redemption of the world, for a redeemed earth is the scene of the kingdom of God. The prophets look forward again and again to the deliverance of creation “from the bondage to decay.” The description is often couched in simple physical terms. The wilderness will become fruitful (32:15); the desert will blossom (35:2); sorrow and sighing will flee away (v 10). The burning sands will be cooled and the dry places become springs of water (v 7); peace will return to the animal world so that all injury and destruction are done away with (11:6). All this results because the earth becomes full of the knowledge of God (v 9).<\/p>\n<p>Such language is not mere poetry but reflects a profound theology of creation. Humans as creatures were made to dwell on the earth, and the earth shares in human destiny. The main point is that creation as such is good and not a hindrance to true spirituality, as was often true in Greek thought. Redemption always includes redemption of the earth, which then becomes the blessed environment God intended it to be. Salvation does not mean deliverance from creaturehood, for this is not an evil thing but an essential and permanent element of true, human existence. Salvation does not mean escape from bodily creaturely existence, as in some Greek thought. On the contrary, ultimate redemption will mean the redemption of the whole person. The emergence of the doctrine of bodily resurrection is a reflection of this theology of creaturehood. The corollary of this is that creation in its entirety must share in the blessing of redemption.<\/p>\n<p>A distinctive element in prophetic eschatology is the tension between history and eschatology. That is, as the prophets looked into the future, they saw an immediate historical judgment as well as a more remote eschatological visitation. For Amos, the Day of the Lord is both the immediate judgment of Israel by the Assyrians and a final eschatological salvation. Joel sees an imminent historical visitation of drought and locusts, but beyond this he sees the eschatological Day of the Lord. Zephaniah sees an imminent Day of the Lord in some undesignated historical visitation (Zep 1:2-18), but beyond it he sees the salvation of the Gentiles (3:9). The same God who acts in history to bless and judge his people will act at the end of history in an eschatological act of judgment and salvation. The prophets do not sharply distinguish between these two days, for it is one and the same God who is concerned to judge and save his people.<\/p>\n<p>The eschatological hope of the prophets is always an ethical hope. That is to say, the prophets are not interested in the future for its own sake but for the impact of the future on the present. The prophetic predictions were given that, in light of future judgment and salvation, Israel might be confronted in the present by the will of God. “Prepare to meet your God as he comes in judgment, you people of Israel” (Am 4:12, <span>nlt<\/span>) might well be taken as the keynote of all the prophets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<h5>The Synoptic Gospels<\/h5>\n<p>Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom of God embodied the same contrast between the present order and the future age as that of the prophets, and he expressed it in the idiom “this age and the age to come.” This fact is obscured in the <span>kjv<\/span>, which translates the word for “age” by “world.” These are, however, two different concepts. A rich man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life (Mk 10:17). The context makes it clear that he was asking about eschatological life—the life of the resurrection (Dn 12:2). Jesus speaks of the difficulty of entering the kingdom of God. (The parallel passage in Matthew 19:23-24 has both “kingdom of God” and “kingdom of heaven,” proving that they are interchangeable terms.) In their reaction the disciples ask, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus’ answer contrasts the lot of his disciples “in this time” with the “age to come” (Mk 10:29-30) when they would inherit eternal life. It is clear from this passage that in some sense the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, salvation, and eternal life all belong to the age to come. So far as this saying is concerned, God’s people will not experience eternal life until they do so in the new age.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew alone records the expression “the close of the age.” This age will be terminated by the coming of the Son of Man (Mt 24:3) and by the judgment of humanity (13:39-42). Then the righteous will be separated from the wicked (v 49). The same expression occurs in the promise of the risen Jesus assuring his disciples of his presence until the consummation of the age (28:20). It follows that if this age is to come to its consummation, it must be followed by another age—the age to come.<\/p>\n<p>The eschatological kingdom will be inaugurated by an apocalyptic event—the glorious coming of the Son of Man. This is made clear by two of the parables about the kingdom of God. In the parable of the tares, “the Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire” (Mt 13:41-42, <span>rsv<\/span>). The parable of the sheep and goats reflects the same eschatology. When the Son of Man comes in his glory, he will sit on his glorious throne to judge the nations, separating the sheep from the goats. The righteous—the sheep—are to “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”; and entrance into the kingdom is synonymous with entrance into life (25:31-46, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The eschatological character of the kingdom of God is seen also in the other two parables of Matthew 25. “The kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom” (v 1, <span>rsv<\/span>). However, five of them were foolish and did not provide an adequate supply of oil for their lamps. Thus they were late for the wedding and were excluded from the wedding feast—a symbol of the eschatological kingdom—while those properly prepared entered the kingdom. In the same way the two faithful servants who had been “faithful over a little” were granted to “enter into the joy of your master” (vv 21, 23), while the unfaithful servant was excluded from the kingdom and cast into outer darkness.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus almost never showed any interest in descriptions of the eschatological kingdom, but it is clear that its coming was constantly in his thoughts. The pure in heart will see God (Mt 5:8). The harvest will take place and the grain will be gathered into the barn (13:30, 39; Mk 4:29). Jesus frequently used the metaphor of a feast or table fellowship to describe life in the eschatological kingdom. He will drink wine again with his disciples in the kingdom of God. They will eat and drink at Jesus’ table in the kingdom (Lk 22:30). People will be gathered from all corners of the earth to sit at a table with the OT saints (Mt 8:11-12; Lk 13:29). The consummation is likened to a wedding feast (Mt 22:1-14) and a banquet (Lk 14:16-24). All of these metaphors picture the restoration of communion between God and people, a union that had been broken by sin.<\/p>\n<p>In most of the sayings cited to illustrate the future character of the kingdom, “kingdom” refers to the eschatological order—the eschaton, the age to come. However, when Jesus taught his disciples to pray “Thy kingdom come” (Mt 6:10), he was not referring to the new eschatological order; he was referring to the kingdom as God’s kingly rule, his reign. It is a prayer that God will effectively establish his sovereign rule in the world.<\/p>\n<p>In his teaching about the kingdom of God as the apocalyptic consummation, Jesus does not differ essentially from the OT prophets. The most distinctive element in Jesus’ teaching—indeed, the fact that characterizes his entire mission and message—is the fact that in some real sense of the word, the kingdom of God has come in history in an utterly unexpected way. This sets Jesus’ teaching apart from all contemporary Jewish thought.<\/p>\n<p>This is seen first of all in his repeated teaching that his mission is a fulfillment of the OT messianic prophets. Mark summarizes Jesus’ message with the words “The Kingdom of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this Good News!” (Mk 1:15, <span>nlt<\/span>). This saying can have one of two meanings. It may refer to the imminent coming of the apocalyptic kingdom. Matthew summarizes the message of John the Baptist with nearly the same words: “Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Mt 3:2, <span>nlt<\/span>). The Baptist expounds what he means by the approach of the kingdom of God: “He is ready to separate the chaff from the grain with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, storing the grain in his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire” (v 12, <span>nlt<\/span>). John proclaimed an apocalyptic act; “unquenchable fire” can mean no strictly historical event but only an apocalyptic judgment. John expected Jesus to be the one in whom the cosmic event expected by the prophets would be carried out.<\/p>\n<p>It is possible that this was also Jesus’ meaning. However, another interpretation is possible that is better supported by the actual course of his mission: “The time is fulfilled.” The messianic promises of the prophets were not only about to be fulfilled; they were actually in process of fulfillment in his mission. In Jesus, God was visiting his people. The hope of the prophets in some real sense was being realized.<\/p>\n<p>The meaning of this can be seen in Luke’s introduction of Jesus’ ministry. Luke selects an event that occurred in Nazareth later in Jesus’ ministry (Lk 4:16-21) and places it at the beginning of his Gospel in order to sound this note of fulfillment. Jesus read from Isaiah a promise that looked forward to the messianic salvation: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come” (vv 18-19, <span>nlt<\/span>). Then Jesus astonished his audience by the assertion “This Scripture has come true today before your very eyes!” (v 21, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Here was an amazing claim. John the Baptist had announced an apocalyptic visitation of God that would mean the fulfillment of the eschatological hope and the consummation of the messianic age. Jesus proclaimed that the messianic promise was actually being fulfilled in his person. This is no apocalyptic kingdom but a present salvation. In these words Jesus did not proclaim the imminence of the apocalyptic kingdom. Rather, he boldly announced that the kingdom of God had come. The presence of the kingdom was a happening, an event, the gracious action of God. This was no new theology or new idea or new promise; it was a new event in history.<\/p>\n<p>The note of fulfillment is again sounded in Jesus’ answer to the question about fasting. “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while they are with the groom” (Mk 2:19, <span>nlt<\/span>). The marriage feast had become a metaphor in Judaism for the messianic consummation. In these words Jesus announced the presence of the messianic time of salvation. It would be a contradiction in terms for the disciples to fast when they were enjoying the blessings of the messianic age. The time of fulfillment had come.<\/p>\n<p>A saying found in different contexts in Matthew and Luke touches this central note of the fulfillment in history of the OT hope: “Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Lk 10:23-24, <span>rsv<\/span>; cf. Mt 13:16-17). Both Matthew and Luke associate this saying with the kingdom of God, and both agree that the hope of former generations has become an object of experience. Many prophets and kings looked forward to something, but they looked in vain, for it did not come to them. What they longed for has now come, and this can be nothing less than the promised messianic salvation.<\/p>\n<p>Fulfillment in history is again asserted in Jesus’ answer to John’s question about the one who is to come (Mt 11:2-3). “The deeds of the Christ” (Messiah) were not the deeds John had announced. Wicked rulers like Herod were not being judged in fire. Instead, Jesus was helping people, not bringing an apocalyptic kingdom. Jesus replied in words that echo the promise of the messianic salvation in Isaiah 35:5-6: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Mt 11:4-5, <span>rsv<\/span>). In these words Jesus claimed that the blessings of the messianic salvation are present. There was indeed reason for John’s perplexity, for the fulfillment was not taking place along expected lines. The apocalyptic consummation did not appear to be on the horizon. The point of Jesus’ answer was that fulfillment was taking place without the eschatological consummation. Therefore, Jesus pronounced a special blessing upon those who were not offended by the character of the messianic fulfillment (v 6). The fulfillment was indeed taking place, but not the apocalyptic consummation.<\/p>\n<p>The most unambiguous statement of the presence of the kingdom is found in the words about the binding of Satan. One of Jesus’ most characteristic acts was the exorcism of demons—deliverance from satanic power. The Pharisees admitted his power but attributed it to Satan. Jesus replied, “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? . . . But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God is come upon you” (Mt 12:26, 28, <span>rsv<\/span>). Here the verb has the clear meaning “to come, to arrive” (cf. Rom 9:30; 2 Cor 10:14; Phil 3:16). Here is a clear affirmation that the kingdom of God has come among men.<\/p>\n<p>In explanation Jesus said, “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house” (Mt 12:29, <span>rsv<\/span>). The strong man is Satan; this “present evil age” (Gal 1:4) is his “house”; his “goods” are demon-possessed men and women. Jesus has invaded the strong man’s house to snatch away from him men and women whom he has in his power, and this is the work of the kingdom of God. The kingly reign of God has come into history in the person of Jesus before the apocalyptic consummation when Satan will be destroyed, to render Satan a preliminary defeat. Jesus has already “bound” Satan (i.e., curbed his power). This has been accomplished by the presence of the kingdom of God in the mission of Jesus.<\/p>\n<p>A similar saying is found in Luke 10:18. Jesus had sent a band of his disciples on a preaching mission. Like Jesus, they were to proclaim the nearness of the kingdom of God (Lk 10:9). They, too, were to exorcize demons. When they returned to Jesus to report their success, Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (v 18, <span>rsv<\/span>). This again is metaphorical language that asserts that in the mission of Jesus’ disciples, as well as in Jesus himself, Satan has fallen from his place of power. Both “binding” and “falling” are metaphors that describe the same truth: the victory of the kingdom of God over Satan.<\/p>\n<p>Here is the element that sets Jesus apart from the OT and from all of contemporary Judaism. The prophets conceived of the kingdom being established by a heavenly supernatural being (Dn 7) or ruled by a powerful Davidic messianic king (Is 9, 11). The fulfillment of the messianic hope is everywhere in the prophets an eschatological hope. The same is true of the Jewish writers who despaired of history and cast all hope into the future.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to all that had gone before him, Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God as an event taking place in his own person and mission. God had again assumed the initiative; God was acting. No first-century Jew had any idea of the kingdom of God coming into history in the person of an ordinary man—a teacher who was meek and lowly.<\/p>\n<p>The presence of the kingdom is further seen in the fact that the rule of God, present in Jesus, is a gift to be received. This is also true of the kingdom in its eschatological consummation, where the kingdom is freely inherited by the righteous (Mt 25:34). In answer to the young man’s question about inheriting eternal life (Mk 10:17), Jesus spoke of entering the kingdom (vv 23-24) and receiving the gift of eternal life (v 30) as though they were synonymous. The kingdom is a gift that the Father is pleased to bestow upon the little flock of Jesus’ disciples (Lk 12:32).<\/p>\n<p>If God’s eschatological rule brings to his people the blessings of that kingdom, and if God’s kingdom is his rule invading history before the eschatological consummation, then we may expect God’s rule in the present to bring a preliminary blessing to his people. This fact is reflected in numerous sayings. The kingdom is something to be sought here and now (Mt 6:33) and to be received as children receive a gift (Mk 10:15; Lk 18:16-17). Although it is present in an unexpected form, the kingdom of God in Jesus’ person is like a hidden treasure or a pearl of great price whose possession outranks all other goods (Mt 13:44-46). The gift of the kingdom is also seen in that the deaf hear, the blind see, lepers are cleansed, and the poor have good news preached to them (11:5).<\/p>\n<h5>John’s Gospel<\/h5>\n<p>In the Gospel of John the concept of eternal life takes the place of the kingdom of God in Jesus’ teaching. The kingdom of God is mentioned twice (Jn 3:3, 5), and it is placed in connection with eternal life. The kingdom of God is here the eschatological kingdom, and eternal life is the life of the kingdom. Thus, as the kingdom of God in the synoptic Gospels is both future and present, so eternal life is both the life of the age to come (12:25) and also a present blessing (3:16, etc.).<\/p>\n<h5>Acts<\/h5>\n<p>In Acts it seems the earliest disciples generally failed to understand Jesus’ message about the kingdom of God as a present spiritual blessing. They gathered together to await the coming of the eschatological kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6). Acts relates that the disciples continued to preach the kingdom of God, but usually it is an eschatological blessing (8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31). However, the last two references make the kingdom of God synonymous with the gospel about Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n<p>One important theme in Acts is linked to that of the kingdom of God. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter announces that God has seated Jesus at his right hand in fulfillment of Psalm 110:1 (Acts 2:33-35). In the Psalms this is a prophecy of the enthronement of the Davidic king in Jerusalem. Peter asserts that this prophecy is now fulfilled in the heavenly reign of Jesus. Therefore, he has been made both Lord and Christ (Messiah). These are interchangeable terms, “Lord” meaning absolute sovereign, “Christ” meaning the messianic king.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul’s Writings<\/h5>\n<p>Paul carried further this theme of the heavenly rule of Christ, the anointed King. The kingdom is both an eschatological inheritance (1 Cor 6:9; 15:50; Gal 5:21; Eph 5:5; 1 Thes 2:12; 2 Thes 1:5; 2 Tm 4:1, 18) and a present blessing into which believers now enter (Rom 14:17; Col 1:13). The key to this is the interchangeable character of lordship and messianic kingship. Jesus is now exalted as Lord over all (Phil 2:11), and even as his lordship is invisible, it will become manifest to all at his second coming. In the same way, he has been enthroned as messianic King by virtue of his resurrection and heavenly session, and he must reign as King until he has put all his enemies under his feet (1 Cor 15:25; Eph 1:22). The last enemy to be destroyed is death.<\/p>\n<h5>Revelation<\/h5>\n<p>The central message of the Revelation to John is the consummation of God’s redemptive purpose, when the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ (Rv 11:15). Revelation pictures the plight of a persecuted church in a hostile world, but it assures the church that Christ has already won a victory over the powers of evil (5:5), by virtue of which he can finally destroy them (19:11–20:14). Again, the last enemy to be destroyed is death (20:13-14). Revelation closes with a highly symbolic picture of the kingdom of God (chs 21–22) when God comes to dwell among his people, and “they shall see his face” (22:4). Thus the NT ends: divine order is restored to a disordered world. This is the kingdom of God.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Jesus Christ, Teachings of; King; Parable.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>KINGDOM OF GOD, KINGDOM OF HEAVEN<\/h3>\n<p>The sovereign rule of God, initiated by Christ’s earthly ministry and consummated when the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ (Rv 11:15).<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Introduction<\/p>\n<p>• Old Testament Background<\/p>\n<p>• In the New Testament<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Introduction\">Introduction<\/p>\n<p>According to the testimony of the first three Gospels, the proclamation of the kingdom of God was Jesus’ central message. Matthew summarizes the Galilean ministry with the words “Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching everywhere the Good News about the Kingdom” (Mt 4:23, <span>nlt<\/span>). The Sermon on the Mount is concerned with the righteousness that qualifies people to enter the kingdom of God (5:20). The collection of parables in Matthew 13 and Mark 4 illustrate the “mystery” of the kingdom of God (Mt 13:11; Mk 4:11). The establishment of the Lord’s Supper looks forward to the establishment of the kingdom of God (Mt 26:29; Mk 14:25).<\/p>\n<p>The NT reports two different forms of the expression: “the kingdom of God” and “the kingdom of the heavens.” The latter is found only in Matthew, but Matthew also has “the kingdom of God” four times (Mt 12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43). “The kingdom of heaven” is a Semitic phrase that would have been meaningful to Jews but not to Greeks. The Jews, out of reverence for God, avoided uttering the divine name, and contemporary literature gives examples of substituting the word “heaven” for God (1 Macc 3:18, 50; 4:10; see Lk 15:18).<\/p>\n<p>The key to an understanding of the kingdom of God is that the basic meaning of the Greek word <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">basileia<\/span><em>,<\/em> as also of the Hebrew <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">malkut<\/span><em>,<\/em> is rule, reign, dominion. We frequently find in the OT the expression “in the year of the kingdom of . . . ,” meaning in the year of the reign of a given king (e.g., 1 Chr 26:31; 2 Chr 3:2; 15:10; Ezr 7:1; 8:1; Est 2:16; Jer 10:7; 52:31). When we read that Solomon’s kingdom was firmly established (1 Kgs 2:12), we are to understand that his authority to reign was settled. To “turn the kingdom of Saul over to [David]” (1 Chr 12:23, <span>kjv<\/span>) indicates that the authority that had been Saul’s was given to David. As a result of having received legal authority, David became king. This abstract idea of <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">malkut<\/span> is evident when it is found in parallelisms with such ideas as power, might, glory, and dominion (Dn 4:34; 7:14).<\/p>\n<p>When <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">malkut<\/span> is used of God, it almost always refers to his authority or to his rule as the heavenly King. “They will talk together about the glory of your kingdom; they will celebrate examples of your power. . . . For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule generation after generation” (Ps 145:11, 13, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Further, if a king rules, there must be a realm or sphere over which he reigns. This is also called <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">malkut<\/span><em>.<\/em> “So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest round about” (2 Chr 20:30, <span>rsv<\/span>; see Est 3:6; Jer 10:7; Dn 9:1; 11:9).<\/p>\n<p>This same twofold use of <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">basileia<\/span> is found in the NT. In fact, <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">basileia<\/span> could be translated by the expression “kingly power” in Luke 23:42 (<span>niv<\/span> mg) and by “kingship” in John 18:36. When a nobleman went into a far country to get a “kingdom” (Luke 19:12, <span>nasb<\/span>) he went to the governing authority to get an appointment as king. When Jesus said, “My kingship is not of this world” (Jn 18:36, <span>rsv<\/span>), he did not mean to say that his rule has nothing to do with the world but rather that his kingship—his dominion—does not come from man but from God. Therefore, he rejects the use of worldly fighting to gain his ends.<\/p>\n<p>This central meaning of <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">basileia<\/span> makes it easy to understand many sayings in the Gospels. In the Lord’s Prayer the petition “Thy kingdom come” (Mt 6:10) is a prayer for God to manifest his reign so that his will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. When we read that we are to “receive the kingdom of God like a child” (Mk 10:15, <span>rsv<\/span>), we must open our hearts and lives to the rule of God.<\/p>\n<p>Also in the NT are sayings about being <em>in<\/em> the kingdom or of <em>entering<\/em> the kingdom (Mt 8:11; Mk 9:47; 10:23-25; Lk 13:28). There is no philological or theological objection to understanding “the kingdom of God” first as the divine reign or rule and second as the sphere of blessing in which that reign is experienced.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"OldTestamentBackground\">Old Testament Background<\/p>\n<p>The expression “the kingdom of God” is not found in the OT, but the idea appears throughout the prophets. God is frequently spoken of as the King, both of Israel (Ex 15:18; Nm 23:21; Dt 33:5; Is 43:15) and of all the earth (2 Kgs 19:15; Pss 29:10; 47:2; 93:1-2; 96:10; 97:1-9; 99:1-4; 145:11-13; Is 6:5; Jer 46:18). Although God is not the earthly King of Israel, other references speak of a day when God shall become King and shall rule over his people (Is 24:23; 33:22; 52:7; Ob 1:21; Zep 3:15; Zec 14:9-11).<\/p>\n<p>This brief summary of God’s kingship provides the outline for the entire OT concept. While God is King over all the earth, he is in a special way King over his people, Israel. God’s rule is therefore something realized in Israel’s history. However, it is only partially and imperfectly realized. Israel again and again rebelled against the divine sovereignty. Furthermore, Israel was constantly plagued by wars with its pagan neighbors in which it was not always victorious. Again, there are evils in nature and the physical world that often bring suffering to God’s people. Therefore, the prophets look forward to a day when God’s rule will be fully experienced, not by Israel alone, but by all the world. The main emphasis of the prophets is on hope, the establishing of God’s perfect rule in the world.<\/p>\n<p>The prophets describe the final establishment of God’s kingdom in terms of a theophany—a divine visitation (Mi 1:3-4). Zechariah foresees a “Day of the Lord” when all nations will be gathered in battle against Jerusalem, when the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations (Zec 14:3, 5). Israel will be visited by the Lord (Is 29:6) and delivered from its enemies (35:4; 59:20). God’s coming will also mean judgment (2:21; 26:21). This final coming of God will mean the salvation of the Gentiles as well as of Israel (Zec 2:10-11; cf. Is 66:18-24).<\/p>\n<p>Behind this language is a distinct theology of “the God who comes.” It is a fact widely recognized in contemporary OT theology that the God of the OT is not a nature god, like the gods of other peoples, but a God of history—a God who visits his people in history to bless or to judge them. God visited Israel in Egypt to deliver them from bondage and to constitute them as his people. The rescue from Egypt was not merely an act of deliverance; it was an act through which God made himself known and through which Israel was to know and serve him.<\/p>\n<p>Because God has visited his people again and again in their history, he must finally come to them in the future to judge wickedness and to establish his kingdom. Israel’s hope is thus rooted in history, or rather in the God who works in history. God will finally break into history in a glorious theophany to establish his rule in all the earth. The source of the kingdom is not history itself but God.<\/p>\n<p>While the prophets visualize the kingdom as coming from God, the kingdom is always on earth. The divine irruption into the natural order is not designed to accomplish its destruction but to make way for a new, perfect order arising out of the old, imperfect one. The prophets do not present a single consistent picture of the new order. Sometimes the new order is described very much in this-worldly terms. “The terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine” (Am 9:13, <span>nlt<\/span>). On the other hand, God will create new heavens and a new earth (Is 65:17; 66:22), where there will be untroubled joy, prosperity, peace, and righteousness. The final visitation of God will mean the redemption of the world, for a redeemed earth is the scene of the kingdom of God. The prophets look forward again and again to the deliverance of creation “from the bondage to decay.” The description is often couched in simple physical terms. The wilderness will become fruitful (32:15); the desert will blossom (35:2); sorrow and sighing will flee away (v 10). The burning sands will be cooled and the dry places become springs of water (v 7); peace will return to the animal world so that all injury and destruction are done away with (11:6). All this results because the earth becomes full of the knowledge of God (v 9).<\/p>\n<p>Such language is not mere poetry but reflects a profound theology of creation. Humans as creatures were made to dwell on the earth, and the earth shares in human destiny. The main point is that creation as such is good and not a hindrance to true spirituality, as was often true in Greek thought. Redemption always includes redemption of the earth, which then becomes the blessed environment God intended it to be. Salvation does not mean deliverance from creaturehood, for this is not an evil thing but an essential and permanent element of true, human existence. Salvation does not mean escape from bodily creaturely existence, as in some Greek thought. On the contrary, ultimate redemption will mean the redemption of the whole person. The emergence of the doctrine of bodily resurrection is a reflection of this theology of creaturehood. The corollary of this is that creation in its entirety must share in the blessing of redemption.<\/p>\n<p>A distinctive element in prophetic eschatology is the tension between history and eschatology. That is, as the prophets looked into the future, they saw an immediate historical judgment as well as a more remote eschatological visitation. For Amos, the Day of the Lord is both the immediate judgment of Israel by the Assyrians and a final eschatological salvation. Joel sees an imminent historical visitation of drought and locusts, but beyond this he sees the eschatological Day of the Lord. Zephaniah sees an imminent Day of the Lord in some undesignated historical visitation (Zep 1:2-18), but beyond it he sees the salvation of the Gentiles (3:9). The same God who acts in history to bless and judge his people will act at the end of history in an eschatological act of judgment and salvation. The prophets do not sharply distinguish between these two days, for it is one and the same God who is concerned to judge and save his people.<\/p>\n<p>The eschatological hope of the prophets is always an ethical hope. That is to say, the prophets are not interested in the future for its own sake but for the impact of the future on the present. The prophetic predictions were given that, in light of future judgment and salvation, Israel might be confronted in the present by the will of God. “Prepare to meet your God as he comes in judgment, you people of Israel” (Am 4:12, <span>nlt<\/span>) might well be taken as the keynote of all the prophets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IntheNewTestament\">In the New Testament<\/p>\n<h5>The Synoptic Gospels<\/h5>\n<p>Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom of God embodied the same contrast between the present order and the future age as that of the prophets, and he expressed it in the idiom “this age and the age to come.” This fact is obscured in the <span>kjv<\/span>, which translates the word for “age” by “world.” These are, however, two different concepts. A rich man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life (Mk 10:17). The context makes it clear that he was asking about eschatological life—the life of the resurrection (Dn 12:2). Jesus speaks of the difficulty of entering the kingdom of God. (The parallel passage in Matthew 19:23-24 has both “kingdom of God” and “kingdom of heaven,” proving that they are interchangeable terms.) In their reaction the disciples ask, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus’ answer contrasts the lot of his disciples “in this time” with the “age to come” (Mk 10:29-30) when they would inherit eternal life. It is clear from this passage that in some sense the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, salvation, and eternal life all belong to the age to come. So far as this saying is concerned, God’s people will not experience eternal life until they do so in the new age.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew alone records the expression “the close of the age.” This age will be terminated by the coming of the Son of Man (Mt 24:3) and by the judgment of humanity (13:39-42). Then the righteous will be separated from the wicked (v 49). The same expression occurs in the promise of the risen Jesus assuring his disciples of his presence until the consummation of the age (28:20). It follows that if this age is to come to its consummation, it must be followed by another age—the age to come.<\/p>\n<p>The eschatological kingdom will be inaugurated by an apocalyptic event—the glorious coming of the Son of Man. This is made clear by two of the parables about the kingdom of God. In the parable of the tares, “the Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire” (Mt 13:41-42, <span>rsv<\/span>). The parable of the sheep and goats reflects the same eschatology. When the Son of Man comes in his glory, he will sit on his glorious throne to judge the nations, separating the sheep from the goats. The righteous—the sheep—are to “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”; and entrance into the kingdom is synonymous with entrance into life (25:31-46, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The eschatological character of the kingdom of God is seen also in the other two parables of Matthew 25. “The kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom” (v 1, <span>rsv<\/span>). However, five of them were foolish and did not provide an adequate supply of oil for their lamps. Thus they were late for the wedding and were excluded from the wedding feast—a symbol of the eschatological kingdom—while those properly prepared entered the kingdom. In the same way the two faithful servants who had been “faithful over a little” were granted to “enter into the joy of your master” (vv 21, 23), while the unfaithful servant was excluded from the kingdom and cast into outer darkness.<\/p>\n<p>Jesus almost never showed any interest in descriptions of the eschatological kingdom, but it is clear that its coming was constantly in his thoughts. The pure in heart will see God (Mt 5:8). The harvest will take place and the grain will be gathered into the barn (13:30, 39; Mk 4:29). Jesus frequently used the metaphor of a feast or table fellowship to describe life in the eschatological kingdom. He will drink wine again with his disciples in the kingdom of God. They will eat and drink at Jesus’ table in the kingdom (Lk 22:30). People will be gathered from all corners of the earth to sit at a table with the OT saints (Mt 8:11-12; Lk 13:29). The consummation is likened to a wedding feast (Mt 22:1-14) and a banquet (Lk 14:16-24). All of these metaphors picture the restoration of communion between God and people, a union that had been broken by sin.<\/p>\n<p>In most of the sayings cited to illustrate the future character of the kingdom, “kingdom” refers to the eschatological order—the eschaton, the age to come. However, when Jesus taught his disciples to pray “Thy kingdom come” (Mt 6:10), he was not referring to the new eschatological order; he was referring to the kingdom as God’s kingly rule, his reign. It is a prayer that God will effectively establish his sovereign rule in the world.<\/p>\n<p>In his teaching about the kingdom of God as the apocalyptic consummation, Jesus does not differ essentially from the OT prophets. The most distinctive element in Jesus’ teaching—indeed, the fact that characterizes his entire mission and message—is the fact that in some real sense of the word, the kingdom of God has come in history in an utterly unexpected way. This sets Jesus’ teaching apart from all contemporary Jewish thought.<\/p>\n<p>This is seen first of all in his repeated teaching that his mission is a fulfillment of the OT messianic prophets. Mark summarizes Jesus’ message with the words “The Kingdom of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this Good News!” (Mk 1:15, <span>nlt<\/span>). This saying can have one of two meanings. It may refer to the imminent coming of the apocalyptic kingdom. Matthew summarizes the message of John the Baptist with nearly the same words: “Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Mt 3:2, <span>nlt<\/span>). The Baptist expounds what he means by the approach of the kingdom of God: “He is ready to separate the chaff from the grain with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, storing the grain in his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire” (v 12, <span>nlt<\/span>). John proclaimed an apocalyptic act; “unquenchable fire” can mean no strictly historical event but only an apocalyptic judgment. John expected Jesus to be the one in whom the cosmic event expected by the prophets would be carried out.<\/p>\n<p>It is possible that this was also Jesus’ meaning. However, another interpretation is possible that is better supported by the actual course of his mission: “The time is fulfilled.” The messianic promises of the prophets were not only about to be fulfilled; they were actually in process of fulfillment in his mission. In Jesus, God was visiting his people. The hope of the prophets in some real sense was being realized.<\/p>\n<p>The meaning of this can be seen in Luke’s introduction of Jesus’ ministry. Luke selects an event that occurred in Nazareth later in Jesus’ ministry (Lk 4:16-21) and places it at the beginning of his Gospel in order to sound this note of fulfillment. Jesus read from Isaiah a promise that looked forward to the messianic salvation: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come” (vv 18-19, <span>nlt<\/span>). Then Jesus astonished his audience by the assertion “This Scripture has come true today before your very eyes!” (v 21, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Here was an amazing claim. John the Baptist had announced an apocalyptic visitation of God that would mean the fulfillment of the eschatological hope and the consummation of the messianic age. Jesus proclaimed that the messianic promise was actually being fulfilled in his person. This is no apocalyptic kingdom but a present salvation. In these words Jesus did not proclaim the imminence of the apocalyptic kingdom. Rather, he boldly announced that the kingdom of God had come. The presence of the kingdom was a happening, an event, the gracious action of God. This was no new theology or new idea or new promise; it was a new event in history.<\/p>\n<p>The note of fulfillment is again sounded in Jesus’ answer to the question about fasting. “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while they are with the groom” (Mk 2:19, <span>nlt<\/span>). The marriage feast had become a metaphor in Judaism for the messianic consummation. In these words Jesus announced the presence of the messianic time of salvation. It would be a contradiction in terms for the disciples to fast when they were enjoying the blessings of the messianic age. The time of fulfillment had come.<\/p>\n<p>A saying found in different contexts in Matthew and Luke touches this central note of the fulfillment in history of the OT hope: “Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Lk 10:23-24, <span>rsv<\/span>; cf. Mt 13:16-17). Both Matthew and Luke associate this saying with the kingdom of God, and both agree that the hope of former generations has become an object of experience. Many prophets and kings looked forward to something, but they looked in vain, for it did not come to them. What they longed for has now come, and this can be nothing less than the promised messianic salvation.<\/p>\n<p>Fulfillment in history is again asserted in Jesus’ answer to John’s question about the one who is to come (Mt 11:2-3). “The deeds of the Christ” (Messiah) were not the deeds John had announced. Wicked rulers like Herod were not being judged in fire. Instead, Jesus was helping people, not bringing an apocalyptic kingdom. Jesus replied in words that echo the promise of the messianic salvation in Isaiah 35:5-6: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Mt 11:4-5, <span>rsv<\/span>). In these words Jesus claimed that the blessings of the messianic salvation are present. There was indeed reason for John’s perplexity, for the fulfillment was not taking place along expected lines. The apocalyptic consummation did not appear to be on the horizon. The point of Jesus’ answer was that fulfillment was taking place without the eschatological consummation. Therefore, Jesus pronounced a special blessing upon those who were not offended by the character of the messianic fulfillment (v 6). The fulfillment was indeed taking place, but not the apocalyptic consummation.<\/p>\n<p>The most unambiguous statement of the presence of the kingdom is found in the words about the binding of Satan. One of Jesus’ most characteristic acts was the exorcism of demons—deliverance from satanic power. The Pharisees admitted his power but attributed it to Satan. Jesus replied, “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? . . . But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God is come upon you” (Mt 12:26, 28, <span>rsv<\/span>). Here the verb has the clear meaning “to come, to arrive” (cf. Rom 9:30; 2 Cor 10:14; Phil 3:16). Here is a clear affirmation that the kingdom of God has come among men.<\/p>\n<p>In explanation Jesus said, “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house” (Mt 12:29, <span>rsv<\/span>). The strong man is Satan; this “present evil age” (Gal 1:4) is his “house”; his “goods” are demon-possessed men and women. Jesus has invaded the strong man’s house to snatch away from him men and women whom he has in his power, and this is the work of the kingdom of God. The kingly reign of God has come into history in the person of Jesus before the apocalyptic consummation when Satan will be destroyed, to render Satan a preliminary defeat. Jesus has already “bound” Satan (i.e., curbed his power). This has been accomplished by the presence of the kingdom of God in the mission of Jesus.<\/p>\n<p>A similar saying is found in Luke 10:18. Jesus had sent a band of his disciples on a preaching mission. Like Jesus, they were to proclaim the nearness of the kingdom of God (Lk 10:9). They, too, were to exorcize demons. When they returned to Jesus to report their success, Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (v 18, <span>rsv<\/span>). This again is metaphorical language that asserts that in the mission of Jesus’ disciples, as well as in Jesus himself, Satan has fallen from his place of power. Both “binding” and “falling” are metaphors that describe the same truth: the victory of the kingdom of God over Satan.<\/p>\n<p>Here is the element that sets Jesus apart from the OT and from all of contemporary Judaism. The prophets conceived of the kingdom being established by a heavenly supernatural being (Dn 7) or ruled by a powerful Davidic messianic king (Is 9, 11). The fulfillment of the messianic hope is everywhere in the prophets an eschatological hope. The same is true of the Jewish writers who despaired of history and cast all hope into the future.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to all that had gone before him, Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God as an event taking place in his own person and mission. God had again assumed the initiative; God was acting. No first-century Jew had any idea of the kingdom of God coming into history in the person of an ordinary man—a teacher who was meek and lowly.<\/p>\n<p>The presence of the kingdom is further seen in the fact that the rule of God, present in Jesus, is a gift to be received. This is also true of the kingdom in its eschatological consummation, where the kingdom is freely inherited by the righteous (Mt 25:34). In answer to the young man’s question about inheriting eternal life (Mk 10:17), Jesus spoke of entering the kingdom (vv 23-24) and receiving the gift of eternal life (v 30) as though they were synonymous. The kingdom is a gift that the Father is pleased to bestow upon the little flock of Jesus’ disciples (Lk 12:32).<\/p>\n<p>If God’s eschatological rule brings to his people the blessings of that kingdom, and if God’s kingdom is his rule invading history before the eschatological consummation, then we may expect God’s rule in the present to bring a preliminary blessing to his people. This fact is reflected in numerous sayings. The kingdom is something to be sought here and now (Mt 6:33) and to be received as children receive a gift (Mk 10:15; Lk 18:16-17). Although it is present in an unexpected form, the kingdom of God in Jesus’ person is like a hidden treasure or a pearl of great price whose possession outranks all other goods (Mt 13:44-46). The gift of the kingdom is also seen in that the deaf hear, the blind see, lepers are cleansed, and the poor have good news preached to them (11:5).<\/p>\n<h5>John’s Gospel<\/h5>\n<p>In the Gospel of John the concept of eternal life takes the place of the kingdom of God in Jesus’ teaching. The kingdom of God is mentioned twice (Jn 3:3, 5), and it is placed in connection with eternal life. The kingdom of God is here the eschatological kingdom, and eternal life is the life of the kingdom. Thus, as the kingdom of God in the synoptic Gospels is both future and present, so eternal life is both the life of the age to come (12:25) and also a present blessing (3:16, etc.).<\/p>\n<h5>Acts<\/h5>\n<p>In Acts it seems the earliest disciples generally failed to understand Jesus’ message about the kingdom of God as a present spiritual blessing. They gathered together to await the coming of the eschatological kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6). Acts relates that the disciples continued to preach the kingdom of God, but usually it is an eschatological blessing (8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31). However, the last two references make the kingdom of God synonymous with the gospel about Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n<p>One important theme in Acts is linked to that of the kingdom of God. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter announces that God has seated Jesus at his right hand in fulfillment of Psalm 110:1 (Acts 2:33-35). In the Psalms this is a prophecy of the enthronement of the Davidic king in Jerusalem. Peter asserts that this prophecy is now fulfilled in the heavenly reign of Jesus. Therefore, he has been made both Lord and Christ (Messiah). These are interchangeable terms, “Lord” meaning absolute sovereign, “Christ” meaning the messianic king.<\/p>\n<h5>Paul’s Writings<\/h5>\n<p>Paul carried further this theme of the heavenly rule of Christ, the anointed King. The kingdom is both an eschatological inheritance (1 Cor 6:9; 15:50; Gal 5:21; Eph 5:5; 1 Thes 2:12; 2 Thes 1:5; 2 Tm 4:1, 18) and a present blessing into which believers now enter (Rom 14:17; Col 1:13). The key to this is the interchangeable character of lordship and messianic kingship. Jesus is now exalted as Lord over all (Phil 2:11), and even as his lordship is invisible, it will become manifest to all at his second coming. In the same way, he has been enthroned as messianic King by virtue of his resurrection and heavenly session, and he must reign as King until he has put all his enemies under his feet (1 Cor 15:25; Eph 1:22). The last enemy to be destroyed is death.<\/p>\n<h5>Revelation<\/h5>\n<p>The central message of the Revelation to John is the consummation of God’s redemptive purpose, when the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ (Rv 11:15). Revelation pictures the plight of a persecuted church in a hostile world, but it assures the church that Christ has already won a victory over the powers of evil (5:5), by virtue of which he can finally destroy them (19:11–20:14). Again, the last enemy to be destroyed is death (20:13-14). Revelation closes with a highly symbolic picture of the kingdom of God (chs 21–22) when God comes to dwell among his people, and “they shall see his face” (22:4). Thus the NT ends: divine order is restored to a disordered world. This is the kingdom of God.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Jesus Christ, Teachings of; King; Parable.<\/p>","summary_ro":"KINGDOM OF GOD, KINGDOM OF HEAVEN The sovereign rule of God, initiated by Christ’s earthly ministry and consummated when the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ (Rv 11:15). Preview • Introduction • Old Testament Background • In the New Testament Introduction According to the testimony of the first three Gospels, the proclamation of the kingdom of God was Jesus’ central message. Matthew summarizes the Galilean ministry with the words “Jesus traveled throughou...","summary_en":"KINGDOM OF GOD, KINGDOM OF HEAVEN The sovereign rule of God, initiated by Christ’s earthly ministry and consummated when the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ (Rv 11:15). Preview • Introduction • Old Testament Background • In the New Testament Introduction According to the testimony of the first three Gospels, the proclamation of the kingdom of God was Jesus’ central message. Matthew summarizes the Galilean ministry with the words “Jesus traveled throughou...","source":"Articles\/K.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54033,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:3","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:3","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:3<\/strong> <em>Tramples the heights<\/em> implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:3<\/strong> <em>Tramples the heights<\/em> implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:3 Tramples the heights implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.","summary_en":"1:3 Tramples the heights implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81659,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:3","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:3","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:3<\/strong> <em>Tramples the heights<\/em> implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:3<\/strong> <em>Tramples the heights<\/em> implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:3 Tramples the heights implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.","summary_en":"1:3 Tramples the heights implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109285,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:3","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:3","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:3<\/strong> <em>Tramples the heights<\/em> implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:3<\/strong> <em>Tramples the heights<\/em> implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:3 Tramples the heights implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.","summary_en":"1:3 Tramples the heights implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136911,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:3","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:3","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:3<\/strong> <em>Tramples the heights<\/em> implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:3<\/strong> <em>Tramples the heights<\/em> implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:3 Tramples the heights implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.","summary_en":"1:3 Tramples the heights implies a theophany, an appearance of the God who is behind the historical convulsions about to afflict Samaria (cp. Deut 33:29; Ps 108:13; Amos 4:13). God is sovereign over nations and nature. The Canaanite god Baal was also thought to be active in this manner—descriptions of God like this one emphasize that the Lord, not Baal, is truly sovereign.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":67774,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge","title_en":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge","content_ro":"<h3>The Coming of the Lord as Judge<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Christ neglect to show mercy (2:13), befriend the world (4:4), sin through speech (4:11; 5:9), or live to satisfy evil desires (4:1, 16), they, too, will be judged by the law that was intended to set them free (2:12).<\/p>\n<p>The Lord’s future coming influences present realities. God already honors the faithful poor and humiliates the exploitative rich (1:9-10; 5:2-3). Christ’s followers have already become God’s prized possession as God is restoring all things (1:18). James declares that we should obey the royal law of the messianic kingdom (2:8), of which followers of Christ have become heirs (2:5).<\/p>\n<p>The coming of the Lord may not be immediate, so James exhorts Christians to endure (1:3-4) and wait patiently for Christ’s return (5:7-8). They will receive the crown of eternal life (1:12) and reap the harvest of righteousness sown by a life of faithfulness to God (3:18).<\/p>\n<p>In view of impending judgment, James exhorts Christ’s followers to resist the devil and to humble themselves before God (4:7). We must grieve over sin, live with pure intentions and behavior (4:8-9), and rescue any Christian brother or sister who is headed toward death (5:19-20). Like Elijah, we must practice faith, prayer, and confession (5:13-18). Like Job, we must endure suffering, discovering in the end the scope of God’s kindness and mercy (4:10; 5:11).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Sam 2:10; Pss 2:7-12; 96:11-13; Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3; Matt 16:27; Luke 12:35-48; 18:8; John 5:22-30; Acts 10:42; 1 Cor 4:5; Jas 5:7-9; 1 Jn 2:28<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Coming of the Lord as Judge<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Christ neglect to show mercy (2:13), befriend the world (4:4), sin through speech (4:11; 5:9), or live to satisfy evil desires (4:1, 16), they, too, will be judged by the law that was intended to set them free (2:12).<\/p>\n<p>The Lord’s future coming influences present realities. God already honors the faithful poor and humiliates the exploitative rich (1:9-10; 5:2-3). Christ’s followers have already become God’s prized possession as God is restoring all things (1:18). James declares that we should obey the royal law of the messianic kingdom (2:8), of which followers of Christ have become heirs (2:5).<\/p>\n<p>The coming of the Lord may not be immediate, so James exhorts Christians to endure (1:3-4) and wait patiently for Christ’s return (5:7-8). They will receive the crown of eternal life (1:12) and reap the harvest of righteousness sown by a life of faithfulness to God (3:18).<\/p>\n<p>In view of impending judgment, James exhorts Christ’s followers to resist the devil and to humble themselves before God (4:7). We must grieve over sin, live with pure intentions and behavior (4:8-9), and rescue any Christian brother or sister who is headed toward death (5:19-20). Like Elijah, we must practice faith, prayer, and confession (5:13-18). Like Job, we must endure suffering, discovering in the end the scope of God’s kindness and mercy (4:10; 5:11).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Sam 2:10; Pss 2:7-12; 96:11-13; Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3; Matt 16:27; Luke 12:35-48; 18:8; John 5:22-30; Acts 10:42; 1 Cor 4:5; Jas 5:7-9; 1 Jn 2:28<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Ch...","summary_en":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Ch...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":95400,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge","title_en":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge","content_ro":"<h3>The Coming of the Lord as Judge<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Christ neglect to show mercy (2:13), befriend the world (4:4), sin through speech (4:11; 5:9), or live to satisfy evil desires (4:1, 16), they, too, will be judged by the law that was intended to set them free (2:12).<\/p>\n<p>The Lord’s future coming influences present realities. God already honors the faithful poor and humiliates the exploitative rich (1:9-10; 5:2-3). Christ’s followers have already become God’s prized possession as God is restoring all things (1:18). James declares that we should obey the royal law of the messianic kingdom (2:8), of which followers of Christ have become heirs (2:5).<\/p>\n<p>The coming of the Lord may not be immediate, so James exhorts Christians to endure (1:3-4) and wait patiently for Christ’s return (5:7-8). They will receive the crown of eternal life (1:12) and reap the harvest of righteousness sown by a life of faithfulness to God (3:18).<\/p>\n<p>In view of impending judgment, James exhorts Christ’s followers to resist the devil and to humble themselves before God (4:7). We must grieve over sin, live with pure intentions and behavior (4:8-9), and rescue any Christian brother or sister who is headed toward death (5:19-20). Like Elijah, we must practice faith, prayer, and confession (5:13-18). Like Job, we must endure suffering, discovering in the end the scope of God’s kindness and mercy (4:10; 5:11).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Sam 2:10; Pss 2:7-12; 96:11-13; Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3; Matt 16:27; Luke 12:35-48; 18:8; John 5:22-30; Acts 10:42; 1 Cor 4:5; Jas 5:7-9; 1 Jn 2:28<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Coming of the Lord as Judge<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Christ neglect to show mercy (2:13), befriend the world (4:4), sin through speech (4:11; 5:9), or live to satisfy evil desires (4:1, 16), they, too, will be judged by the law that was intended to set them free (2:12).<\/p>\n<p>The Lord’s future coming influences present realities. God already honors the faithful poor and humiliates the exploitative rich (1:9-10; 5:2-3). Christ’s followers have already become God’s prized possession as God is restoring all things (1:18). James declares that we should obey the royal law of the messianic kingdom (2:8), of which followers of Christ have become heirs (2:5).<\/p>\n<p>The coming of the Lord may not be immediate, so James exhorts Christians to endure (1:3-4) and wait patiently for Christ’s return (5:7-8). They will receive the crown of eternal life (1:12) and reap the harvest of righteousness sown by a life of faithfulness to God (3:18).<\/p>\n<p>In view of impending judgment, James exhorts Christ’s followers to resist the devil and to humble themselves before God (4:7). We must grieve over sin, live with pure intentions and behavior (4:8-9), and rescue any Christian brother or sister who is headed toward death (5:19-20). Like Elijah, we must practice faith, prayer, and confession (5:13-18). Like Job, we must endure suffering, discovering in the end the scope of God’s kindness and mercy (4:10; 5:11).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Sam 2:10; Pss 2:7-12; 96:11-13; Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3; Matt 16:27; Luke 12:35-48; 18:8; John 5:22-30; Acts 10:42; 1 Cor 4:5; Jas 5:7-9; 1 Jn 2:28<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Ch...","summary_en":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Ch...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":123026,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge","title_en":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge","content_ro":"<h3>The Coming of the Lord as Judge<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Christ neglect to show mercy (2:13), befriend the world (4:4), sin through speech (4:11; 5:9), or live to satisfy evil desires (4:1, 16), they, too, will be judged by the law that was intended to set them free (2:12).<\/p>\n<p>The Lord’s future coming influences present realities. God already honors the faithful poor and humiliates the exploitative rich (1:9-10; 5:2-3). Christ’s followers have already become God’s prized possession as God is restoring all things (1:18). James declares that we should obey the royal law of the messianic kingdom (2:8), of which followers of Christ have become heirs (2:5).<\/p>\n<p>The coming of the Lord may not be immediate, so James exhorts Christians to endure (1:3-4) and wait patiently for Christ’s return (5:7-8). They will receive the crown of eternal life (1:12) and reap the harvest of righteousness sown by a life of faithfulness to God (3:18).<\/p>\n<p>In view of impending judgment, James exhorts Christ’s followers to resist the devil and to humble themselves before God (4:7). We must grieve over sin, live with pure intentions and behavior (4:8-9), and rescue any Christian brother or sister who is headed toward death (5:19-20). Like Elijah, we must practice faith, prayer, and confession (5:13-18). Like Job, we must endure suffering, discovering in the end the scope of God’s kindness and mercy (4:10; 5:11).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Sam 2:10; Pss 2:7-12; 96:11-13; Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3; Matt 16:27; Luke 12:35-48; 18:8; John 5:22-30; Acts 10:42; 1 Cor 4:5; Jas 5:7-9; 1 Jn 2:28<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Coming of the Lord as Judge<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Christ neglect to show mercy (2:13), befriend the world (4:4), sin through speech (4:11; 5:9), or live to satisfy evil desires (4:1, 16), they, too, will be judged by the law that was intended to set them free (2:12).<\/p>\n<p>The Lord’s future coming influences present realities. God already honors the faithful poor and humiliates the exploitative rich (1:9-10; 5:2-3). Christ’s followers have already become God’s prized possession as God is restoring all things (1:18). James declares that we should obey the royal law of the messianic kingdom (2:8), of which followers of Christ have become heirs (2:5).<\/p>\n<p>The coming of the Lord may not be immediate, so James exhorts Christians to endure (1:3-4) and wait patiently for Christ’s return (5:7-8). They will receive the crown of eternal life (1:12) and reap the harvest of righteousness sown by a life of faithfulness to God (3:18).<\/p>\n<p>In view of impending judgment, James exhorts Christ’s followers to resist the devil and to humble themselves before God (4:7). We must grieve over sin, live with pure intentions and behavior (4:8-9), and rescue any Christian brother or sister who is headed toward death (5:19-20). Like Elijah, we must practice faith, prayer, and confession (5:13-18). Like Job, we must endure suffering, discovering in the end the scope of God’s kindness and mercy (4:10; 5:11).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Sam 2:10; Pss 2:7-12; 96:11-13; Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3; Matt 16:27; Luke 12:35-48; 18:8; John 5:22-30; Acts 10:42; 1 Cor 4:5; Jas 5:7-9; 1 Jn 2:28<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Ch...","summary_en":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Ch...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":150652,"type":"theme_note","type_label":"Temă biblică","type_icon":"🎯","type_color":"#ef4444","title_ro":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge","title_en":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge","content_ro":"<h3>The Coming of the Lord as Judge<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Christ neglect to show mercy (2:13), befriend the world (4:4), sin through speech (4:11; 5:9), or live to satisfy evil desires (4:1, 16), they, too, will be judged by the law that was intended to set them free (2:12).<\/p>\n<p>The Lord’s future coming influences present realities. God already honors the faithful poor and humiliates the exploitative rich (1:9-10; 5:2-3). Christ’s followers have already become God’s prized possession as God is restoring all things (1:18). James declares that we should obey the royal law of the messianic kingdom (2:8), of which followers of Christ have become heirs (2:5).<\/p>\n<p>The coming of the Lord may not be immediate, so James exhorts Christians to endure (1:3-4) and wait patiently for Christ’s return (5:7-8). They will receive the crown of eternal life (1:12) and reap the harvest of righteousness sown by a life of faithfulness to God (3:18).<\/p>\n<p>In view of impending judgment, James exhorts Christ’s followers to resist the devil and to humble themselves before God (4:7). We must grieve over sin, live with pure intentions and behavior (4:8-9), and rescue any Christian brother or sister who is headed toward death (5:19-20). Like Elijah, we must practice faith, prayer, and confession (5:13-18). Like Job, we must endure suffering, discovering in the end the scope of God’s kindness and mercy (4:10; 5:11).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Sam 2:10; Pss 2:7-12; 96:11-13; Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3; Matt 16:27; Luke 12:35-48; 18:8; John 5:22-30; Acts 10:42; 1 Cor 4:5; Jas 5:7-9; 1 Jn 2:28<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>The Coming of the Lord as Judge<\/h3>\n<p>The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Christ neglect to show mercy (2:13), befriend the world (4:4), sin through speech (4:11; 5:9), or live to satisfy evil desires (4:1, 16), they, too, will be judged by the law that was intended to set them free (2:12).<\/p>\n<p>The Lord’s future coming influences present realities. God already honors the faithful poor and humiliates the exploitative rich (1:9-10; 5:2-3). Christ’s followers have already become God’s prized possession as God is restoring all things (1:18). James declares that we should obey the royal law of the messianic kingdom (2:8), of which followers of Christ have become heirs (2:5).<\/p>\n<p>The coming of the Lord may not be immediate, so James exhorts Christians to endure (1:3-4) and wait patiently for Christ’s return (5:7-8). They will receive the crown of eternal life (1:12) and reap the harvest of righteousness sown by a life of faithfulness to God (3:18).<\/p>\n<p>In view of impending judgment, James exhorts Christ’s followers to resist the devil and to humble themselves before God (4:7). We must grieve over sin, live with pure intentions and behavior (4:8-9), and rescue any Christian brother or sister who is headed toward death (5:19-20). Like Elijah, we must practice faith, prayer, and confession (5:13-18). Like Job, we must endure suffering, discovering in the end the scope of God’s kindness and mercy (4:10; 5:11).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Passages for Further Study<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1 Sam 2:10; Pss 2:7-12; 96:11-13; Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3; Matt 16:27; Luke 12:35-48; 18:8; John 5:22-30; Acts 10:42; 1 Cor 4:5; Jas 5:7-9; 1 Jn 2:28<\/p>","summary_ro":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Ch...","summary_en":"The Coming of the Lord as Judge The Bible is clear that there will be a day of judgment (Jas 5:3), and the book of James provides followers of Christ with both a warning and a promise regarding that day. James announces the future coming of the Lord as Judge (Jas 5:7-9; cp. Isa 26:21; Mic 1:3). God, who gave the law, is the Judge who has the power to save and destroy (4:12). Those who slander Jesus Christ and oppress his followers will be slaughtered (see 2:6-7; 5:5-6). If those who follow Ch...","source":"ThemeNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"4":[{"id":54034,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:4","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:4<\/strong> The strong and apparently immovable <em>mountains<\/em> will <em>melt<\/em> at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:4<\/strong> The strong and apparently immovable <em>mountains<\/em> will <em>melt<\/em> at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:4 The strong and apparently immovable mountains will melt at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.","summary_en":"1:4 The strong and apparently immovable mountains will melt at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81660,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:4","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:4<\/strong> The strong and apparently immovable <em>mountains<\/em> will <em>melt<\/em> at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:4<\/strong> The strong and apparently immovable <em>mountains<\/em> will <em>melt<\/em> at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:4 The strong and apparently immovable mountains will melt at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.","summary_en":"1:4 The strong and apparently immovable mountains will melt at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109286,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:4","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:4<\/strong> The strong and apparently immovable <em>mountains<\/em> will <em>melt<\/em> at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:4<\/strong> The strong and apparently immovable <em>mountains<\/em> will <em>melt<\/em> at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:4 The strong and apparently immovable mountains will melt at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.","summary_en":"1:4 The strong and apparently immovable mountains will melt at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136912,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:4","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:4","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:4<\/strong> The strong and apparently immovable <em>mountains<\/em> will <em>melt<\/em> at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:4<\/strong> The strong and apparently immovable <em>mountains<\/em> will <em>melt<\/em> at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:4 The strong and apparently immovable mountains will melt at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.","summary_en":"1:4 The strong and apparently immovable mountains will melt at the Lord’s presence (see Ps 97:5). Nothing can stand against him.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"5":[{"id":25561,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Book of Micah","title_en":"Book of Micah","content_ro":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","summary_en":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54035,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:5","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:5","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:5<\/strong> <em>Rebellion<\/em> is parallel to <em>sins<\/em><em>;<\/em> these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • <em>Who? . . . Where?<\/em> The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. <em>Samaria<\/em><em>,<\/em> capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 <span>BC<\/span>) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • <em>Jerusalem:<\/em> The prophet would not allow the people of Judah to be smug about the northern kingdom’s imminent destruction. Judah’s beautiful Temple was no different from a Canaanite <em>center of idolatry<\/em> (literally <em>high place<\/em>).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:5<\/strong> <em>Rebellion<\/em> is parallel to <em>sins<\/em><em>;<\/em> these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • <em>Who? . . . Where?<\/em> The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. <em>Samaria<\/em><em>,<\/em> capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 <span>BC<\/span>) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • <em>Jerusalem:<\/em> The prophet would not allow the people of Judah to be smug about the northern kingdom’s imminent destruction. Judah’s beautiful Temple was no different from a Canaanite <em>center of idolatry<\/em> (literally <em>high place<\/em>).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:5 Rebellion is parallel to sins; these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • Who? . . . Where? The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 BC) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • Jerusalem: T...","summary_en":"1:5 Rebellion is parallel to sins; these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • Who? . . . Where? The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 BC) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • Jerusalem: T...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81661,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:5","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:5","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:5<\/strong> <em>Rebellion<\/em> is parallel to <em>sins<\/em><em>;<\/em> these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • <em>Who? . . . Where?<\/em> The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. <em>Samaria<\/em><em>,<\/em> capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 <span>BC<\/span>) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • <em>Jerusalem:<\/em> The prophet would not allow the people of Judah to be smug about the northern kingdom’s imminent destruction. Judah’s beautiful Temple was no different from a Canaanite <em>center of idolatry<\/em> (literally <em>high place<\/em>).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:5<\/strong> <em>Rebellion<\/em> is parallel to <em>sins<\/em><em>;<\/em> these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • <em>Who? . . . Where?<\/em> The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. <em>Samaria<\/em><em>,<\/em> capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 <span>BC<\/span>) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • <em>Jerusalem:<\/em> The prophet would not allow the people of Judah to be smug about the northern kingdom’s imminent destruction. Judah’s beautiful Temple was no different from a Canaanite <em>center of idolatry<\/em> (literally <em>high place<\/em>).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:5 Rebellion is parallel to sins; these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • Who? . . . Where? The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 BC) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • Jerusalem: T...","summary_en":"1:5 Rebellion is parallel to sins; these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • Who? . . . Where? The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 BC) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • Jerusalem: T...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109287,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:5","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:5","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:5<\/strong> <em>Rebellion<\/em> is parallel to <em>sins<\/em><em>;<\/em> these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • <em>Who? . . . Where?<\/em> The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. <em>Samaria<\/em><em>,<\/em> capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 <span>BC<\/span>) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • <em>Jerusalem:<\/em> The prophet would not allow the people of Judah to be smug about the northern kingdom’s imminent destruction. Judah’s beautiful Temple was no different from a Canaanite <em>center of idolatry<\/em> (literally <em>high place<\/em>).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:5<\/strong> <em>Rebellion<\/em> is parallel to <em>sins<\/em><em>;<\/em> these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • <em>Who? . . . Where?<\/em> The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. <em>Samaria<\/em><em>,<\/em> capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 <span>BC<\/span>) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • <em>Jerusalem:<\/em> The prophet would not allow the people of Judah to be smug about the northern kingdom’s imminent destruction. Judah’s beautiful Temple was no different from a Canaanite <em>center of idolatry<\/em> (literally <em>high place<\/em>).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:5 Rebellion is parallel to sins; these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • Who? . . . Where? The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 BC) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • Jerusalem: T...","summary_en":"1:5 Rebellion is parallel to sins; these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • Who? . . . Where? The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 BC) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • Jerusalem: T...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136913,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:5","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:5","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:5<\/strong> <em>Rebellion<\/em> is parallel to <em>sins<\/em><em>;<\/em> these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • <em>Who? . . . Where?<\/em> The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. <em>Samaria<\/em><em>,<\/em> capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 <span>BC<\/span>) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • <em>Jerusalem:<\/em> The prophet would not allow the people of Judah to be smug about the northern kingdom’s imminent destruction. Judah’s beautiful Temple was no different from a Canaanite <em>center of idolatry<\/em> (literally <em>high place<\/em>).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:5<\/strong> <em>Rebellion<\/em> is parallel to <em>sins<\/em><em>;<\/em> these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • <em>Who? . . . Where?<\/em> The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. <em>Samaria<\/em><em>,<\/em> capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 <span>BC<\/span>) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • <em>Jerusalem:<\/em> The prophet would not allow the people of Judah to be smug about the northern kingdom’s imminent destruction. Judah’s beautiful Temple was no different from a Canaanite <em>center of idolatry<\/em> (literally <em>high place<\/em>).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:5 Rebellion is parallel to sins; these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • Who? . . . Where? The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 BC) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • Jerusalem: T...","summary_en":"1:5 Rebellion is parallel to sins; these two key words describe Israel’s failure in the Old Testament. • Who? . . . Where? The capital cities of God’s people should have been holy places, but they were sources of corruption instead. Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built by Omri (885–874 BC) as a political, military, and economic crossroads of the ancient Near East (1 Kgs 16:24). Omri was an evil king, and so his city was evil (cp. Mic 6:16, 1 Kgs 16:25). • Jerusalem: T...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"6":[{"id":54036,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:6","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:6","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:6-7<\/strong> <em>a heap of ruins:<\/em> The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated <em>Samaria<\/em> in 724–722 <span>BC<\/span> in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, <em>the stones of her walls<\/em> crash <em>into the valley below<\/em> as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with <em>carved images<\/em> and <em>sacred treasures<\/em> put there by worshipers or taken as war booty. • <em>Prostitution<\/em> pictures Israel’s persistent spiritual and physical waywardness. This metaphor was regularly used by the Israelite prophets to express Israel’s abandonment of the Lord, her true husband, in order to obtain the blessings promised by the pagan gods. In addition, the worship of those gods often in fact involved sexual activity. • <em>Elsewhere<\/em> refers to the exile of Samaria into Assyria and its various provinces and conquered vassal states (722 <span>BC<\/span>). The same outcome was forecast for Jerusalem (3:12; Jer 26:18).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:6-7<\/strong> <em>a heap of ruins:<\/em> The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated <em>Samaria<\/em> in 724–722 <span>BC<\/span> in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, <em>the stones of her walls<\/em> crash <em>into the valley below<\/em> as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with <em>carved images<\/em> and <em>sacred treasures<\/em> put there by worshipers or taken as war booty. • <em>Prostitution<\/em> pictures Israel’s persistent spiritual and physical waywardness. This metaphor was regularly used by the Israelite prophets to express Israel’s abandonment of the Lord, her true husband, in order to obtain the blessings promised by the pagan gods. In addition, the worship of those gods often in fact involved sexual activity. • <em>Elsewhere<\/em> refers to the exile of Samaria into Assyria and its various provinces and conquered vassal states (722 <span>BC<\/span>). The same outcome was forecast for Jerusalem (3:12; Jer 26:18).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:6-7 a heap of ruins: The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated Samaria in 724–722 BC in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, the stones of her walls crash into the valley below as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with carved images and sacred treasures put there by worshipers or ...","summary_en":"1:6-7 a heap of ruins: The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated Samaria in 724–722 BC in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, the stones of her walls crash into the valley below as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with carved images and sacred treasures put there by worshipers or ...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81662,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:6","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:6","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:6-7<\/strong> <em>a heap of ruins:<\/em> The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated <em>Samaria<\/em> in 724–722 <span>BC<\/span> in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, <em>the stones of her walls<\/em> crash <em>into the valley below<\/em> as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with <em>carved images<\/em> and <em>sacred treasures<\/em> put there by worshipers or taken as war booty. • <em>Prostitution<\/em> pictures Israel’s persistent spiritual and physical waywardness. This metaphor was regularly used by the Israelite prophets to express Israel’s abandonment of the Lord, her true husband, in order to obtain the blessings promised by the pagan gods. In addition, the worship of those gods often in fact involved sexual activity. • <em>Elsewhere<\/em> refers to the exile of Samaria into Assyria and its various provinces and conquered vassal states (722 <span>BC<\/span>). The same outcome was forecast for Jerusalem (3:12; Jer 26:18).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:6-7<\/strong> <em>a heap of ruins:<\/em> The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated <em>Samaria<\/em> in 724–722 <span>BC<\/span> in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, <em>the stones of her walls<\/em> crash <em>into the valley below<\/em> as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with <em>carved images<\/em> and <em>sacred treasures<\/em> put there by worshipers or taken as war booty. • <em>Prostitution<\/em> pictures Israel’s persistent spiritual and physical waywardness. This metaphor was regularly used by the Israelite prophets to express Israel’s abandonment of the Lord, her true husband, in order to obtain the blessings promised by the pagan gods. In addition, the worship of those gods often in fact involved sexual activity. • <em>Elsewhere<\/em> refers to the exile of Samaria into Assyria and its various provinces and conquered vassal states (722 <span>BC<\/span>). The same outcome was forecast for Jerusalem (3:12; Jer 26:18).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:6-7 a heap of ruins: The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated Samaria in 724–722 BC in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, the stones of her walls crash into the valley below as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with carved images and sacred treasures put there by worshipers or ...","summary_en":"1:6-7 a heap of ruins: The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated Samaria in 724–722 BC in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, the stones of her walls crash into the valley below as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with carved images and sacred treasures put there by worshipers or ...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109288,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:6","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:6","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:6-7<\/strong> <em>a heap of ruins:<\/em> The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated <em>Samaria<\/em> in 724–722 <span>BC<\/span> in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, <em>the stones of her walls<\/em> crash <em>into the valley below<\/em> as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with <em>carved images<\/em> and <em>sacred treasures<\/em> put there by worshipers or taken as war booty. • <em>Prostitution<\/em> pictures Israel’s persistent spiritual and physical waywardness. This metaphor was regularly used by the Israelite prophets to express Israel’s abandonment of the Lord, her true husband, in order to obtain the blessings promised by the pagan gods. In addition, the worship of those gods often in fact involved sexual activity. • <em>Elsewhere<\/em> refers to the exile of Samaria into Assyria and its various provinces and conquered vassal states (722 <span>BC<\/span>). The same outcome was forecast for Jerusalem (3:12; Jer 26:18).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:6-7<\/strong> <em>a heap of ruins:<\/em> The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated <em>Samaria<\/em> in 724–722 <span>BC<\/span> in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, <em>the stones of her walls<\/em> crash <em>into the valley below<\/em> as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with <em>carved images<\/em> and <em>sacred treasures<\/em> put there by worshipers or taken as war booty. • <em>Prostitution<\/em> pictures Israel’s persistent spiritual and physical waywardness. This metaphor was regularly used by the Israelite prophets to express Israel’s abandonment of the Lord, her true husband, in order to obtain the blessings promised by the pagan gods. In addition, the worship of those gods often in fact involved sexual activity. • <em>Elsewhere<\/em> refers to the exile of Samaria into Assyria and its various provinces and conquered vassal states (722 <span>BC<\/span>). The same outcome was forecast for Jerusalem (3:12; Jer 26:18).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:6-7 a heap of ruins: The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated Samaria in 724–722 BC in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, the stones of her walls crash into the valley below as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with carved images and sacred treasures put there by worshipers or ...","summary_en":"1:6-7 a heap of ruins: The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated Samaria in 724–722 BC in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, the stones of her walls crash into the valley below as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with carved images and sacred treasures put there by worshipers or ...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136914,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:6","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:6","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:6-7<\/strong> <em>a heap of ruins:<\/em> The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated <em>Samaria<\/em> in 724–722 <span>BC<\/span> in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, <em>the stones of her walls<\/em> crash <em>into the valley below<\/em> as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with <em>carved images<\/em> and <em>sacred treasures<\/em> put there by worshipers or taken as war booty. • <em>Prostitution<\/em> pictures Israel’s persistent spiritual and physical waywardness. This metaphor was regularly used by the Israelite prophets to express Israel’s abandonment of the Lord, her true husband, in order to obtain the blessings promised by the pagan gods. In addition, the worship of those gods often in fact involved sexual activity. • <em>Elsewhere<\/em> refers to the exile of Samaria into Assyria and its various provinces and conquered vassal states (722 <span>BC<\/span>). The same outcome was forecast for Jerusalem (3:12; Jer 26:18).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:6-7<\/strong> <em>a heap of ruins:<\/em> The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated <em>Samaria<\/em> in 724–722 <span>BC<\/span> in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, <em>the stones of her walls<\/em> crash <em>into the valley below<\/em> as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with <em>carved images<\/em> and <em>sacred treasures<\/em> put there by worshipers or taken as war booty. • <em>Prostitution<\/em> pictures Israel’s persistent spiritual and physical waywardness. This metaphor was regularly used by the Israelite prophets to express Israel’s abandonment of the Lord, her true husband, in order to obtain the blessings promised by the pagan gods. In addition, the worship of those gods often in fact involved sexual activity. • <em>Elsewhere<\/em> refers to the exile of Samaria into Assyria and its various provinces and conquered vassal states (722 <span>BC<\/span>). The same outcome was forecast for Jerusalem (3:12; Jer 26:18).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:6-7 a heap of ruins: The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated Samaria in 724–722 BC in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, the stones of her walls crash into the valley below as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with carved images and sacred treasures put there by worshipers or ...","summary_en":"1:6-7 a heap of ruins: The Lord threatened to devastate his treasured cities. Assyria virtually annihilated Samaria in 724–722 BC in a horrendous three-year siege. • Samaria, like most cities, was built on a hill. Here, the stones of her walls crash into the valley below as they are violently dismantled. Ancient armies would systematically shatter city walls down to their foundation stones. • Samaria and Jerusalem were filled with carved images and sacred treasures put there by worshipers or ...","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"7":[{"id":25578,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Book of Micah","title_en":"Book of Micah","content_ro":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","summary_en":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"8":[{"id":1968,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Animals","title_en":"Animals","content_ro":"<h3>ANIMALS<\/h3>\n<p>In biblical usage, all members of the animal kingdom. Animals are mentioned throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Animals figured in many important biblical events, including the Creation, the fall of man, the Flood, the ten plagues in Egypt, the Hebrew worship system, and the life of Jesus Christ. The people of both OT and NT times lived close to the land and were well acquainted with various animals so that the scriptural writers and Jesus himself frequently used animals as object lessons.<\/p>\n<p>The biblical approach to classification of animals is somewhat different from the system of classification used by biologists today. The present system of classification, which traces back to Carolus Linnaeus (an 18th-century Swedish botanist), is based on structure, both internal and external. The biblical basis of classification is habitat. Thus Genesis 1 speaks of aquatic organisms (v 20); aerial organisms (v 21); animals that crawl on the ground (v 24); cattle or domesticated animals (animals that live in association with humans) (v 24); and wild animals (v 24). The same system of classification is followed in Leviticus 11 and throughout Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Because of the divergence between systems of classification, the various animals of the Bible will be listed here in alphabetical order—including reptiles, fish, and even invertebrates such as insects, spiders, worms, and sponges. Birds are discussed in a separate article.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Adder<\/p>\n<p>• Ant<\/p>\n<p>• Antelope<\/p>\n<p>• Ape<\/p>\n<p>• Asp<\/p>\n<p>• Ass<\/p>\n<p>• Badger<\/p>\n<p>• Bat<\/p>\n<p>• Bear<\/p>\n<p>• Bee<\/p>\n<p>• Behemoth<\/p>\n<p>• Camel<\/p>\n<p>• Caterpillar<\/p>\n<p>• Cattle<\/p>\n<p>• Chameleon<\/p>\n<p>• Coral<\/p>\n<p>• Cricket<\/p>\n<p>• Crocodile<\/p>\n<p>• Deer<\/p>\n<p>• Dog<\/p>\n<p>• Donkey<\/p>\n<p>• Dragon<\/p>\n<p>• Fish<\/p>\n<p>• Flea<\/p>\n<p>• Fly<\/p>\n<p>• Fox<\/p>\n<p>• Frog<\/p>\n<p>• Gazelle<\/p>\n<p>• Gecko<\/p>\n<p>• Gnat<\/p>\n<p>• Goat<\/p>\n<p>• Grasshopper<\/p>\n<p>• Hare<\/p>\n<p>• Hippopotamus<\/p>\n<p>• Horse<\/p>\n<p>• Hyena<\/p>\n<p>• Jackal<\/p>\n<p>• Leech<\/p>\n<p>• Leopard<\/p>\n<p>• Leviathan<\/p>\n<p>• Lion<\/p>\n<p>• Lizard<\/p>\n<p>• Locust<\/p>\n<p>• Mole<\/p>\n<p>• Moth<\/p>\n<p>• Mouse<\/p>\n<p>• Mule<\/p>\n<p>• Pig<\/p>\n<p>• Porcupine<\/p>\n<p>• Scorpion<\/p>\n<p>• Sheep<\/p>\n<p>• Snail<\/p>\n<p>• Snake<\/p>\n<p>• Spider<\/p>\n<p>• Sponge<\/p>\n<p>• Unicorn<\/p>\n<p>• Wasp<\/p>\n<p>• Whale<\/p>\n<p>• Wild Ox<\/p>\n<p>• Wolf<\/p>\n<p>• Worm<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Adder\">Adder<\/p>\n<p>One of the 20 poisonous snakes found in Israel and surrounding countries, also referred to as cockatrice and viper. True vipers (genus <em>Cerastes, Echis colorata,<\/em> and <em>Vipera palestina<\/em>) also exist there, poisonous snakes with curved fangs that spring into position when the snake strikes. The horned viper <em>(Cerastes hasselquistii)<\/em> may attack horses. It is 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 centimeters) long and often lies in ambush in the sand with only its eyes and the hornlike protrusions on its head visible.<\/p>\n<p>Both Jesus and John the Baptist referred to the viper several times (Mt 3:7; 12:34; 23:33). The reference in Acts 28:3 is probably to a small viper <em>(Vipera aspis)<\/em> that strikes rapidly and is very pugnacious. It is found in southern Europe and hisses each time it inhales and exhales. The poison of vipers attacks the respiratory system and disintegrates red blood cells.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Snake (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Ant\">Ant<\/p>\n<p>Mentioned only twice in the Bible, both times in the book of Proverbs. For many years Solomon was charged with a biological error when he referred to the ant as providing her meat in the summer and gathering her food in the harvest (Prv 6:8). Critics of the Bible were quick to point out that, so far as was then known, ants do not store up food. They assumed that Solomon had probably kicked open an ant hill and mistaken the pupal cases (pods in which immature ants grow to maturity) for grain or had observed ants carrying bits of grain, leaves, and other matter to their nests.<\/p>\n<p>At least three species of grain-storing ants are now known—two occur in Israel and the other in Mediterranean countries. The particular species referred to by Solomon (Prv 6:6-8; 30:24-25) is probably the harvester ant <em>(Messor semirufus).<\/em> Its granaries are flat chambers connected by galleries irregularly scattered over an area about six feet (1.8 meters) in diameter and about a foot (.3 meter) deep in the ground. Seeds are collected from the ground or picked from plants. The head, or radicle, which is the softest part of the kernel, is bitten off to prevent germination, and the chaff and empty capsules are discarded on kitchen middens (refuse piles) outside the nest. Individual granaries may be 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) in diameter and a half inch (1.2 centimeters) high. Some nests are known to be 40 feet (12 meters) in diameter and 6 to 7 feet (approx. 2 meters) deep with several entrances.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Antelope\">Antelope<\/p>\n<p>Several antelope-like creatures are referred to in the Scriptures. One seems to be the white oryx <em>(Oryx leucoryx),<\/em> referred to in Deuteronomy 14:5 (<span>kjv<\/span> “wild ox”; <span>rsv<\/span> “antelope”) and Isaiah 51:20 (<span>kjv<\/span> “wild bull”; <span>RSV <\/span>“antelope”). The oryx was probably the antelope, commonly used for food because its long horns made it relatively easy to catch.<\/p>\n<p>Another antelope mentioned in the Bible is the addax <em>(Addax nasomaculatus),<\/em> probably the “pygarg” of Deuteronomy 14:5 (<span>kjv<\/span>). It is a native of North Africa with grayish white hinder parts, a white patch on the forehead, and twisted and ringed horns. The word “pygarg” comes from a Greek word meaning “white rump.” The addax is about the size of a donkey. Its body is closely covered with short hair. It has a short mane on the underside of its neck that makes the head look somewhat like that of a goat. The hooves are broad and flat, and the tail resembles that of a donkey. It is common in Africa and in Arabia, where Arabs hunt it with falcons and dogs.<\/p>\n<p>Antelopes are very graceful and run with their heads held high. Both sexes have long, permanent, hollow horns. With the oryx the horns go straight back; addax horns are twisted and ringed. Antelope are alert, wary, and keen sighted. They are usually found in herds of from two to a dozen. If injured or brought to bay, an antelope attacks with its head lowered so that the sharp horns point forward. Antelopes feed on grasses and shrubs, drinking from streams and water holes. When water is scarce, they eat melons and succulent bulbs. Both addax and oryx were ceremonially clean in Jewish law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Ape\">Ape<\/p>\n<p>Primate not native to Palestine. The two references to apes in the OT (1 Kgs 10:22; 2 Chr 9:21) refer to their importation by King Solomon with other treasures on board the ships of his mercantile fleet. There is some question concerning the origin of those primates. Some believe that the mention of “ivory” in the same verses suggests they came from East Africa and that they were indeed apes, that is, tailless primates. Others, believing they came from India or Ceylon, suggest that they were actually monkeys. There the baboon (genus Papeio), a large monkey, was considered sacred to the god Thoth. Males of that genus were kept in temples, and the more docile females were often kept as house pets. Such baboons frequently had some of their teeth removed or ground down to lessen the danger of their biting. A number of mummified baboons have been found in Egypt, indicating the high regard in which they were held.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Asp\">Asp<\/p>\n<p>Poisonous snake. Most biblical references to the asp (Dt 32:33) seem to be to the Egyptian cobra <em>(Naja haje),<\/em> which conceals itself in holes, walls, and rocks and has the ability to expand its neck by raising its anterior ribs so as to enlarge the front of its breast into the shape of a flat disc. Its potent poison can cause death in 30 minutes. It attains a length of about 80 inches (2 meters). The fangs are permanently erect, not movable as in the vipers (the common poisonous snakes of North America; only the coral snake in America has permanently erect fangs). Cobra poison attacks the nervous system, causing muscular paralysis. The Egyptians looked upon it as a sacred creature; they regarded it as a protector since it fed on the rodents that ate their crops. The “fiery serpents” (Nm 21:6; Dt 8:15, both <span>rsv<\/span>) may have been cobras; “fiery” probably refers to the burning fever caused by their venom. Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6 (“flying serpent”) may refer to the hood of the cobra.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Snake (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Ass\">Ass<\/p>\n<p><em>See<\/em> Donkey (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Badger\">Badger<\/p>\n<p>Small hoofed mammal. What the <span>kjv<\/span> calls a “coney,” modern translations name “rock badger” (Lv 11:5; Dt 14:7; Ps 104:18; Prv 30:26). The rock badger spoken of in the Bible is probably the Syrian rock hyrax <em>(Hyrax syriaca),<\/em> the only species of hyrax found outside Africa. This small ungulate (having hooflike toenails) lives among rocks from the Dead Sea valley to Mt Hermon. It is strictly a herbivorous (plant-eating) animal about the size of a rabbit. It resembles a guinea pig more than a rabbit, having quite inconspicuous ears and a very small tail. It has broad nails with four toes on its forelegs and three on its hind legs, the toes being connected with skin almost like a web. Pads acting as sucking discs under its feet enable it to keep its footing on slippery rocks. With its yellow and brown fur, it is sometimes called the bear rat because of its resemblance to a tailless rat. It is also equipped with black whiskers that may be seven inches (17.8 centimeters) long.<\/p>\n<p>These rock badgers, or hyraxes, live together in colonies of from 6 to 50 animals, often sunning themselves on rocks. They are difficult to catch. Guards are posted, and if approaching danger is sighted, the whole group will scurry for cover, warned by the sharp whistles of the guards. Thus they are commended for taking refuge in the rocks (Ps 104:18) and are called wise for making “their houses in the rocks” (Prv 30:24, 26, <span>kjv<\/span>). The badger is not a ruminant (does not chew its cud), but the motion of its jaws may suggest that it chews its cud. That is probably why it was included with other cud-chewing animals in the Jewish food laws (Lv 11:5; Dt 14:7). It was forbidden to the Jews as food because it did not have cloven hooves. Some Arabs eat and even prize its meat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Bat\">Bat<\/p>\n<p>Flying mammals according to modern classification. They have hair and provide milk for their young. The Bible classifies them with other aerial creatures. Bats take shelter in caves, crevices, tree cavities, buildings, and also in exposed places on trees. In colder areas they hibernate or migrate. The normal resting position for a bat is hanging head downward. Bats “swim” through the air rather than fly because they move with their legs as well as with their wings.<\/p>\n<p>The bat’s thumb is free and terminates in a single hook claw used for climbing and hanging. The hind feet have five toes, all pointing the same way. The large chest accommodates the powerful muscles needed for flying. Because they orient themselves by echo location, the sense of hearing is very well developed.<\/p>\n<p>Most bats are insect eaters, seizing insects in flight. Many insectivorous bats also eat some fruit. Other bats feed exclusively, usually in groups, on fruit and green vegetation. Fruit-eating bats generally live in the tropics where fruit is constantly ripening, although some have been found in the Holy Land. These bats tend to be larger than the insectivores, having a wingspread of up to five feet (1.5 meters).<\/p>\n<p>A third group includes flower-eating bats that feed on pollen and nectar. These small bats with long pointed heads and long tongues are found only in tropical and semitropical regions. Three species of vampire bats, which do not occur in the Holy Land, eat blood by making a small incision and lapping it up. Carnivorous (meat-eating) bats prey on birds, lizards, and frogs. Fish-eating bats catch fish at or near the water surface.<\/p>\n<p>Eight varieties of bats are known in the Holy Land. One of them, the little brown bat (genus <em>Myotis<\/em>), is worldwide in its distribution. It is insectivorous and probably has the widest distribution of any nonhuman terrestrial mammal. Brown bats are mostly cave dwellers. The females form maternity colonies that may number in the tens of thousands.<\/p>\n<p>Two species of mouse-tailed bats (genus <em>Rhinopoma<\/em>) are found in the Holy Land. Their tails are nearly as long as the head and body combined. They are colonial, roosting in caves, rock clefts, wells, pyramids, palaces, and houses. Like the brown bat, they are insectivorous. The slit-faced or hollow-faced bats (genus <em>Nycteris<\/em>) are also found in the Holy Land. They are insectivorous and roost in groups from 6 to 20.<\/p>\n<p>The bats found in the Holy Land vary in size from that of a mouse to the size of a rat; the largest species measures more than 20 inches (51 centimeters) across the wings. The bat was unclean to the Jews (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Bear\">Bear<\/p>\n<p>Large, heavy, big-headed mammal with short, powerful limbs, a short tail, and small eyes and ears. Bears have a “plantigrade” walk: they walk on both the sole and heel as humans do. The Palestinian bear is a Syrian version of the brown bear <em>(Ursus arctos syriacus).<\/em> It can grow to a height of 6 feet (1.8 meters) and may weigh as much as 500 pounds (227 kilograms).<\/p>\n<p>Bears have an excellent sense of smell but less developed senses of sight and hearing. They are omnivorous (eating any kind of food); they subsist largely on vegetation, fruits, insects, and fish.<\/p>\n<p>Bears are usually peaceful and inoffensive, but if they think they must defend themselves (Lam 3:10) or their young (2 Sm 17:8; Prv 17:12; Hos 13:8), they may be formidable and dangerous adversaries. David boasted of his role as a bear killer (1 Sm 17:34-37). Since a blow from a bear’s paw can be fatal, David’s courage and strength as a young shepherd in running after a bear and wrenching one of his father’s sheep from its jaws were noteworthy.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical passages seem to imply that bears attacked for no apparent reason (e.g., Prv 28:15; Am 5:19). At other times they were God’s instruments of punishment, as in the story of Elisha and the two she-bears (2 Kgs 2:24). The bear and the lion, often mentioned together in the Bible (1 Sm 17:37), were the two largest and strongest beasts of prey in the Holy Land. Thus they symbolized both strength and terror (Am 5:19).<\/p>\n<p>In biblical times bears seem to have roamed all over Palestine. Today they are found only in the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains, and even there they are rare.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Bee\">Bee<\/p>\n<p>One of two domesticated insects <em>(Apis mellifica),<\/em> the other being the silkworm. Bees gather nectar from flowers, transferring pollen from one flower to another in the process. It is believed that they convey the location of sources of nectar to other bees through a bee “dance,” which may indicate both distance and direction. Bees are sensitive to four colors: blue-green, yellow-green, blue-violet, and ultra-violet (invisible to humans).<\/p>\n<p>The wild bees of the Holy Land are especially noted for their ferocity in attack. Only the female “worker” bees sting people and animals, the virulence of their venom increasing in warm weather. A number of biblical passages allude to the irritable, vindictive nature of bees and to the painful stings they inflict (Dt 1:44; Ps 118:12; Is 7:18).<\/p>\n<p>One reference calls attention to the fact that in semidesert regions a dead animal’s carcass, stripped to the bone by jackals or vultures and dried in the sun, can provide wild bees an excellent place to start a new colony (Jgs 14:5-9).<\/p>\n<p>The Egyptians considered the bee sacred. In ancient Greece candles were made from beeswax. In the Holy Land, beekeeping was probably not practiced until the Hellenistic period (second century <span>BC<\/span>), although Ezekiel 27:17 suggests that it may have been practiced earlier. If domestic honey was not available to the Hebrews, wild honey certainly was, and travelers would be on the lookout for caches of honey in rocky clefts and other likely places. The Philistines and the Hittites practiced beekeeping in their cities.<\/p>\n<p>The Bible contains many references to bees and bee products. A bee swarm was a valuable asset, though the price of honey itself was low. Honey was sometimes eaten with the honeycomb (Sg 5:1). Honey also had uses other than food, e.g., in embalming.<\/p>\n<p>The land of Israel was described as a land flowing with milk and honey. Honey was a major source of sweetening in the ancient Near East—hence, its importance (cf. Jgs 14:8-9). Actually the Hebrew word for “honey” may include not only bee honey but also the sweet syrup extracted from such fruits as figs, dates, and grapes. Thus “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex 3:8, <span>rsv<\/span>) does not necessarily stand for a land of bees but for a land rich in sweetness.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Food and Food Preparation; Honey.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Behemoth\">Behemoth<\/p>\n<p><em>See<\/em> Hippopotamus (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Camel\">Camel<\/p>\n<p>Large beast of burden. Unintelligent, ill-natured, and quarrelsome, the camel <em>(Camelus dromedarius)<\/em> is nevertheless a blessing to people living in the desert and on its borders because it is especially adapted to that habitat. It has been called the ship of the desert. Having thick elastic pads of fibrous tissue on its feet, it can walk on hot desert sands. It can go without water for long periods and can subsist on vegetation growing on the saline soils. The camel’s nostrils are pinched together and can be closed at will to prevent penetration of sand during violent sandstorms.<\/p>\n<p>Camels are used for transporting both goods and people. A person riding a camel can cover from 60 to 75 miles (96.5 to 121 kilometers) in a day. A camel can carry a load weighing 600 pounds (272 kilograms) or more. Camels were used heavily in the spice trade (Gn 37:25) and traveled regularly in camel trains between Arabia, Egypt, and Assyria. They were also ridden in time of war (Jgs 6:5). A camel can even be hitched to a plow in areas where the land is cultivated.<\/p>\n<p>The hair shed by camels during the early spring is preserved and used in weaving cloth and making tents. As much as 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) of hair can be obtained from one camel. A rough cloak of camel’s hair, as worn by John the Baptist (Mt 3:4), is still worn by Bedouins today. A camel’s hair garment was also the sign of the prophetic office (Zec 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>Two varieties of camel occur within the one-humped species, the slow burden-bearing camel referred to in Genesis 37:25 and the fast dromedary of 1 Samuel 30:17. The dromedary can stand seven feet (2.1 meters) tall and measure as much as nine feet (2.7 meters) from the muzzle to the tip of the tail. With its three-chambered stomach, which can hold from 15 to 30 quarts (14.2 to 28.4 liters) of liquid, it can go for as long as 5 days during the summer or 25 days in winter without drinking. The camel’s hump is a reserve store of fat, making it possible for the animal to subsist on very little food during a desert journey.<\/p>\n<p>Another species of camel, the Bactrian camel <em>(Camelus bactrianus),<\/em> is also resident in the Holy Land. It has two humps. It is heavier, bigger, and has longer hair than the one-humped camel and is slower than the swift dromedary. Isaiah 21:7 may refer to the Bactrian camel; both kinds of camel are referred to in Esther 8:10 (<span>kjv<\/span>). Camels ranked in importance with sheep, cattle, and asses in OT times. A third of the 66 biblical references to the camel lists it with other animals.<\/p>\n<p>Camels are ruminants (cud-chewing mammals) but do not have cloven hooves. Thus, they were included in the list of unclean beasts, forbidden by the Israelites as food (Lv 11:4; Dt 14:7). They are eaten by Arabs, however, who also drink their milk (cf. Gn 32:15).<\/p>\n<p>Abraham had camels in Egypt (Gn 12:16). At first Job had 3,000 camels (Jb 1:3) and after his recovery, 6,000 (Jb 42:12). Although wide use of camels does not seem to have begun until shortly before 1000 <span>BC<\/span> (Jgs 6:5), Sumerian texts from the Old Babylonian period list camels and indicate that they had been domesticated. Camel bones and figurines have been found at various eastern archaeological sites dating from well before 1200 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Travel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Caterpillar\">Caterpillar<\/p>\n<p>Larval stage of insects characterized by complete metamorphosis. Such insects pass through four stages: egg, larva or caterpillar, pupa, and adult. Bees, flies, moths, and butterflies all pass through a larval or caterpillar stage.<\/p>\n<p>The word “caterpillar” occurs three times in the <span>nlt<\/span> (1 Kgs 8:37; 2 Chr 6:28; Ps 78:46). In the book of Joel that same Hebrew word is translated “locust” (1:4; 2:25, <span>nlt<\/span>). The locust and grasshopper to which the Hebrew word refers have an incomplete type of metamorphosis with only three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. The nymph is a miniature adult in which the wings are not fully developed, though their outline may be present. There are several nymph stages known as instars. The reference is to one of the last instars, in which the wing structures are still folded together and enclosed in a sac but are nevertheless clearly recognizable. That form of the insect is about an inch (2.5 centimeters) long.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Locust (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Cattle\">Cattle<\/p>\n<p>Domestic animals of the bovine species <em>(Bos primigenius).<\/em> The OT often emphasized the beauty of cattle. Egypt was rich in cattle, especially in the Nile River delta area (Goshen), where the Hebrews settled under Joseph.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars believe that milk rather than meat was the foremost consideration in the domestication of cattle and that in early civilizations meat supplies came chiefly from wild game. Cattle also supplied strong hides that supplanted wood in the manufacture of shields. Their dung was a source of fuel when wood was scarce (Ez 4:15). They were used as beasts of burden and for plowing. Development of wheeled transportation was associated more closely with cattle than with any other animal.<\/p>\n<p>The biblical term “cattle” often refers to all domesticated animals or livestock (Gn 1:24; 2:20; 7:23; 47:6, 16-17; Ex 9:3-7; Nm 3:41, 45). Occasionally, the term was used to refer to all large domestic animals (Nm 31:9; 32:26), although sometimes the word as used in the <span>kjv<\/span> refers only to sheep and goats (Gn 30:32, 39, 43; 31:8, 10; Is 7:25; 43:23).<\/p>\n<p>Probably several kinds of cattle were domesticated in the Holy Land. Small, short-legged, black or brown shorthorn cattle were found in the southern part of Judah; that type submitted easily to the yoke and was prominent in agricultural operations. Along the coast a larger variety was found, and the wild districts east of the Jordan River were populated with a breed of huge black cattle.<\/p>\n<p>Cattle breeding was widely practiced by the patriarchs (cf. Gn 32:15; Jb 21:10). Strict laws in Mesopotamia, as well as in Israel, penalized the owner of a bull that gored a man or other cattle (Ex 21:28-36). Bulls were sometimes employed figuratively as pictures of strength or violence (Dt 33:17; Pss 22:12; 68:30; Is 10:13). For breeding purposes one bull is normally adequate for about 30 cows, but many more were kept since bulls were widely used in Israel for sacrifices. They might be used as a general sacrifice (Lv 22:23; Nm 23:1) or for special sacrifices (Jgs 6:25; 1 Sm 1:24). Particular sacrifices were offered at the consecration of priests (Ex 29:1), consecration of an altar (Nm 7), purification of the Levites (Nm 8), sin offerings (Lv 16), day of the new moon (Nm 28:11-14), Passover (Nm 28:19), Feast of Weeks (Nm 28:27), Feast of Trumpets (Nm 29:1-2), Day of Atonement (Nm 29:7-9), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Nm 29:12-38). The Feast of Tabernacles required the largest number of bulls for burnt offerings of all the annual feasts, with a total of 71 being slaughtered during the course of eight days.<\/p>\n<p>Calves were sometimes referred to as “sons of the herd” in the original Hebrew (Gn 18:8; 1 Sm 6:7; 14:32). The calf, a symbol of peacefulness (Is 11:6), was also used figuratively to refer to the weak (Ps 68:30). A calf’s head decorated the back of Solomon’s throne (1 Kgs 10:19). Calves were sometimes fattened in stalls to keep them from running off weight in the field (Am 6:4; Mal 4:2; Lk 15:23) or were kept around the house; the witch of Endor kept a calf in her house that she killed and served to Saul and his men (1 Sm 28:24-25). Calves supplied veal (Gn 18:7), considered a delicacy by the wealthy; Amos referred to stall-fattened calves in a denunciation of luxurious and careless living (Am 6:4). Calves also supplied meat for all Saul’s armies at the great slaughter of the Philistines (1 Sm 14:32). The “fatted calf” served roasted or boiled was gourmet fare, suitable for the finest banquet (Gn 18:7; Mt 22:4; Lk 15:23).<\/p>\n<p>Cattle were subject to the law of firstlings (Ex 13:12). They were a mark of wealth (Gn 13:2) and were considered proper booty of war (Jos 8:2). Aaron, the first high priest, made a golden calf as a rival to the ark of the covenant (Ex 32; Dt 9:16, 21). Even though he represented the calf as an image of the invisible God, it was especially offensive because the calf was a fertility symbol related to Egyptian and Canaanite practices. Two calves were later made by Jeroboam I of Israel (930–909 <span>BC<\/span>) for his shrines at Bethel and Dan (1 Kgs 12:28-33). Hosea’s prophetic denunciations of calf worship were directed at those shrines (Hos 8:5-6; 13:2).<\/p>\n<p>An ox is an adult castrated bull. A steer is a young ox. Oxen were used to do work (Nm 7:3; Dt 22:10; 25:4), though for moving heavy objects, cows were typically favored over bulls because of their more docile nature. Oxen were also used as pack animals (1 Chr 12:40, although they did not have the endurance of the ass, camel, or mule. They usually fed on grass (Nm 22:4; Ps 106:20), but they also ate straw (Is 11:7) and salted fodder (Is 30:24) and could be kept in a stable (Lk 13:15). Oxen could not be offered as sacrifices because they had been castrated (Lv 22:24). They could be used for food but were rarely eaten. Possession of an ox and an ass was regarded as the bare minimum for existence in the ancient Palestinian agriculture economy (Jb 24:3; cf. Ex 20:17).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Agriculture; Food and Food Preparation; Offerings and Sacrifices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Chameleon\">Chameleon<\/p>\n<p>Lizard characterized by its ability to change color according to its surroundings <em>(Chameleon vulgaris).<\/em> To the Israelites the chameleon was ritually unclean (Lv 11:30). The Hebrew word for chameleon is derived from a word meaning “to pant.” A lizard’s lungs are very large, and in ancient times lizards were believed to live on air. A chameleon’s eyes move independently of each other; so at times one eye may be turned upward and the other downward. Chameleons live in trees and bushes, clinging to branches with their long tails.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Lizard (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Coral\">Coral<\/p>\n<p>Calcareous (lime-containing) skeletons of relatively simple marine organisms <em>(Corallium rubrum).<\/em> Red coral from the Mediterranean and Red Seas is widely used for jewelry and for medicinal purposes. While the animal is alive, the coral is green in color and shrublike in appearance, looking rather like an underwater plant since the coral animals are immobil. When the coral is removed from the water, it becomes hard and red in color.<\/p>\n<p>In ancient times coral was sometimes used as money, along with precious stones, pearls, and gold. Some believe the biblical reference in Lamentations 4:7 (<span>rsv<\/span>) is to pearls rather than to coral, but it is probable that the references in Job 28:18 and Ezekiel 27:16 are to the red coral (see <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Cricket\">Cricket<\/p>\n<p>Insect of the order Orthptera related to grasshoppers and locusts. According to Leviticus 11:22, the cricket was edible. The reference may be to one of the growth stages of the locust.<\/p>\n<p>The <span>kjv<\/span> translates the Hebrew word as “beetle.” Beetles are insects with chewing mouth parts and two pairs of wings, the fore pair being hard and sheathlike and the hind pair being membranous and folded under the fore pair. Some beetles are carnivorous, others are chiefly herbivorous. Some are aquatic, some produce a secretion that blisters the skin, some damage fabrics, some damage crops, and some feed on other insects that are harmful to humans. In ancient Egypt the beetle, or sacred scarab, was a symbol of the sun god Ra. Scarab seals and amulets were extremely popular in Egypt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Crocodile\">Crocodile<\/p>\n<p>Largest of all existing reptiles <em>(Crocodilus vulgaris),<\/em> attaining a length of well over 20 feet (6 meters). Crocodiles are characterized by large lizardlike bodies supported by short legs. The head terminates in a flattened snout armed with strong conical teeth, each of which is implanted in a distinct socket. New teeth growing from beneath continually replace those in use. The toes are webbed. The back and tail are protected by quadrangular horny shields of varying sizes arranged in regular rows and in contact with one another at the edges. The eyes are covered with movable lids that can be closed when the animal enters the water.<\/p>\n<p>The crocodile spends most of its time in the water where it feeds mainly on fish but also on aquatic birds and even small animals that come down to the water’s edge to drink. It is surprisingly fast and agile on dry land, even though its legs are so short that its belly and tail drag across the earth leaving a distinct path.<\/p>\n<p>Until the beginning of the 20th century, the crocodile was found in the marshes and small coastal rivers of western Palestine. A first-century Roman writer, Pliny, referred to a place in the Holy Land called Crocodeilopolis (“crocodile city”) to the south of Mt Carmel, and visitors to the Holy Land as late as the 19th century reported seeing crocodiles in that general region.<\/p>\n<p>The description of “Leviathan” in Job 41 seems to be based on the crocodile (thus the translation of the <span>nlt<\/span>). The “dragon” of Ezekiel 29:3, used figuratively of the Egyptian pharaoh, may be a reference to the crocodile.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deer\">Deer<\/p>\n<p>Large ruminant (cud-chewing) animals. Only the males have antlers (branching horns). Deer antlers grow annually and are solid, in contrast to those of the antelope and the gazelle. Fully developed antlers are devoid of any covering of skin or horn and, for all practical purposes, may be regarded as a mass of dead bone carried for a certain time by the living animal.<\/p>\n<p>The end of the deer’s muzzle is naked in all species. The stomach is divided into a series of compartments, some of which are used to store partly chewed food. The food is later regurgitated, rechewed, and finally swallowed into a section of the stomach where true digestion takes place.<\/p>\n<p>Three species of deer were known in Palestine: the red deer <em>(Cervus elaphus),<\/em> the Persian fallow deer <em>(Dama mesopotamica),<\/em> and the roe deer <em>(Capreolus capreolus).<\/em> All are now extinct there. The last deer were hunted in the Holy Land in 1914. The red deer referred to in the Bible as “hart” (male), “stag” (male), or “hind” (female) stood about four feet (1.2 meters) high at the shoulder. It was gregarious (living in herds or flocks), each group remaining in a definite territory. Red deer grazed and browsed during the morning and late afternoon (Lam 1:6). The sexes remained in separate herds. The red deer was known for its leaping (Is 35:6) and sure-footedness in the mountains (Ps 18:33; Sg 2:8-9, 17; 8:14; Hb 3:19).<\/p>\n<p>The antlers of the Persian fallow deer (1 Kgs 4:23) were large, flattened, and palmated (shaped like an open palm with fingers extended), and its coat was a yellowbrown. It traveled in small groups, feeding mainly on grass in the morning and evening.<\/p>\n<p>The roe deer (Dt 14:5; 1 Kgs 4:23) was a small, graceful animal, dark reddish brown in summer and yellowish gray in winter. Its antlers were about a foot (30.5 centimeters) long and had three points. The roe deer preferred sparsely wooded valleys and the lower slopes of mountains, grazing in open grasslands. It usually associated in family groups made up of the doe and her offspring. They were shy, yet very curious. The roe deer barked like a dog when disturbed, and they were excellent swimmers.<\/p>\n<p>There is some question as to whether the roe deer is actually referred to in such passages as 1 Kings 4:23; references may be to the fallow deer, although that animal does not seem to have lived in the southern part of Palestine around the Sinai Desert because of its need for ample amounts of food and water. Fallow deer were found in northern Palestine.<\/p>\n<p>The hart (the male red deer) was listed among the clean beasts that Jewish law permitted as food (Dt 12:15, 22; 14:5), but deer were not listed among the animals appropriate for sacrifice. The hind (female red deer) normally gave birth to one calf at a time, though twins were born with some degree of regularity (Jb 39:1; Ps 29:9, <span>kjv<\/span>; Jer 14:5). The gestation period was about 40 weeks. When it was about to give birth, the hind looked for a secure hiding place, preferably in the dense undergrowth of the forest where it could find natural protection for the tiny calf. During the first few days after birth, the mother never went far from her young. The fawn was able to stand on its own legs a few hours after birth. The solicitous care by the hind for her calf during the first days of its life is hinted at in a touching way in Jeremiah 14:4-5, where only a severe drought is said to drive the hind from her calf. Job 39:1-4 describes the calving of the hinds. The hind illustrated grace and charm (Gn 49:21; Prv 5:19), and its dark, gentle eyes and graceful limbs were used to describe the beauty of a woman (Prv 5:18-19).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Dog\">Dog<\/p>\n<p>Probably the earliest domesticated animal <em>(Canis familiaris),<\/em> used very early in hunting. The modern dog is believed to have come from the Indian wolf <em>(Canis lupus pallipes).<\/em> The dogs of biblical times probably looked like a modern German shepherd, with short pointed ears, a pointed nose, and a long tail.<\/p>\n<p>The dog was generally looked down upon in biblical times (Prv 26:11; 2 Pt 2:22). The biblical writers did not share modern sentiments about dogs being man’s best friends. The dog was pictured as a scavenger, haunting streets and dumps (Ex 22:31; 1 Kgs 22:38; Mt 15:26; Lk 16:21). Human corpses could become the spoil of dogs (2 Kgs 9:35-36). In general, dogs served the same function as vultures and other birds of prey. Most of the 41 references in the Scriptures to dogs show strong disfavor. Dogs were considered cowardly, filthy creatures.<\/p>\n<p>Dogs used in hunting occur in paintings in Egyptian tombs, and there is a reference to dogs herding sheep in Job 30:1. One good quality of dogs highly esteemed by the Israelites was watchfulness (Is 56:10). In general, however, in biblical times “dog” was a term of contempt (1 Sm 17:43; 2 Sm 16:9) and was used of overly submissive persons (2 Sm 9:8; 2 Kgs 8:13) and of evil persons (Is 56:10-11; Mt 7:6; Phil 3:2; Rv 22:15).<\/p>\n<p>Dogs, like pigs, were voracious and omnivorous (eating any kind of food). In response to a Gentile woman’s request that he heal her daughter, Jesus used the metaphor of throwing household food scraps to dogs (Mt 15:22-28; Mk 7:25-30). At the time of Jesus, the word “dog” was a standard Jewish term of contempt for Gentiles who, like dogs, were considered unclean, although the diminutive form of the word, used by Jesus, softened this considerably. Seeing her faith, Jesus granted the woman’s request, giving a non-Jew some of “the children’s bread.”<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Donkey\">Donkey<\/p>\n<p>Beast of burden. The donkey of the Holy Land <em>(Equus asinus)<\/em> was quite different from the European donkey of today, which is usually a small, stubborn animal. In biblical times the donkey was a beautiful, stately, friendly animal. Its color was usually reddish brown. Three wild races have been described, all from Africa. The race from northwest Africa is extinct; the one from northeast Africa, if not extinct, is close to extinction; the Somalian race, which survives, did not play an important part in domestication. The northeast African race, the Nubian donkey, was evidently domesticated in the Nile River region in early historic times. The donkey was used as a mount from the time of domestication on. It is first mentioned in the Bible among the animals that Abraham acquired in Egypt (Gn 12:16). The donkey was primarily a beast of burden, driven but not bridled. From the time of the Middle Kingdom on (c. 2040 <span>BC<\/span>), it was used for riding in Egypt, but only the Jews and Nubians rode donkeys regularly. The donkey was also used for threshing grain and for pulling the plow. In Arab countries today peasants plow with a donkey and a cow or camel hitched together. In Israel the law forbade plowing with a donkey and an ox hitched together (Dt 22:10). Until the time of Solomon (960 <span>BC<\/span>), horses were not used in Palestine. From that time on, the horse was ridden by warriors; the donkey was used by those who were traveling peaceably.<\/p>\n<p>The donkey was held in high regard by the Jews and was considered an economic asset. An individual had to have a donkey for minimum existence (Jb 24:3), and wealth was frequently counted by the number of donkeys one possessed (Gn 12:16; 24:35). The donkey was considered an acceptable gift (Gn 32:13-15). It was allowed to rest on the Sabbath (Dt 5:14). Women in biblical times often used the donkey as a riding animal (Jos 15:18; 1 Sm 25:23; 2 Kgs 4:24); often a special driver would help a woman guide the animal, running along at its side. If a married couple possessed only one donkey, the husband usually walked alongside while the wife rode (Ex 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>The people of Israel returning from Babylon had ten times as many donkeys as horses and camels (Ezr 2:66-67; Neh 7:68-69). Job’s wealth was indicated by the fact that he had 500 she-donkeys before catastrophe hit him (Jb 1:3); after his recovery he had 1,000 donkeys (Jb 42:12). Joseph’s brothers used donkeys to transport the grain they purchased in Egypt (Gn 42:26; 43:24). Abigail transported food on donkeys to David and his troops during their conflict with Saul (1 Sm 25:18). David assigned one of the 12 managers of his royal estates to look after his donkeys exclusively (1 Chr 27:30).<\/p>\n<p>The onager, or Syrian wild donkey <em>(Equus hemionus hemihippus)<\/em>, is an intermediate between the true horse and the true donkey. Its ears are longer than those of a horse but shorter than those of a donkey. The front hooves are narrow; there are chestnuts (callouslike spots on the inside of the knees) on the front legs only, and the tail is short haired for a long distance from its root so that it appears to be tufted.<\/p>\n<p>The Sumerians (ancient Mesopotamians) were able to domesticate the onager, which was eventually replaced by the horse. It was used to draw chariots in Ur; a number of onagers were buried with their vehicles in a royal grave that dates from about 2500 <span>BC<\/span>. Later the wild onager was a favorite hunter’s prize for Babylonian and Assyrian kings.<\/p>\n<p>The onager was very common in the steppe lands near Israel, where it was described as a freedom-loving desert animal (Jb 24:5; 39:5-8; Ps 104:11; Is 32:14; Jer 2:24; Hos 8:9). Ishmael was described as “free and untamed as a wild donkey” (Gn 16:12, <span>nlt<\/span>)—that is, one who could not adjust to domestic life. Drought seems to have been responsible for the population decline of the onager in biblical times (Jer 14:6). The modern onager <em>(Equus hemionus onager)<\/em> is slightly larger than the Syrian wild donkey that is extinct.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Travel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Dragon\">Dragon<\/p>\n<p>Any one of a number of monstrous land and sea creatures. In biblical usage, “dragon” does not refer to the huge, fire-breathing, winged reptile of European folklore. The translators of the <span>kjv<\/span> used the term to translate two Hebrew words that are usually rendered more precisely in modern translations. One word referred to desert animals; most scholars agree with the <span>niv<\/span> that “jackals” is its proper meaning (Ps 44:19; Is 13:22; Jer 9:11; Mal 1:3). <em>See<\/em> Jackal (below).<\/p>\n<p>The other Hebrew word translated “dragon” is harder to define. It was frequently used in reference to serpents (so translated in the <span>rsv<\/span>: Ex 7:9-12; Dt 32:33; Ps 91:13). In other <span>rsv<\/span> passages it is translated “sea monster” (Gn 1:21; Jb 7:12; Ps 148:7). The exact identity of such sea monsters is not known. Several <span>rsv<\/span> passages retain the English “dragon.” In two of them (Ps 74:13; Is 27:1), the context indicates that sea monsters are meant. In three others (Is 51:9; Ez 29:3; 32:2) “dragon” seems to refer to the crocodile, a figurative reference to the Egyptian pharaoh at the time of the exodus. Jeremiah 51:34 (translated “monster” in the <span>rsv<\/span>) may also refer to a voracious creature such as a crocodile. <em>See<\/em> Crocodile (above).<\/p>\n<p>Babylonian myths described monsters and dragons in primordial conflict with the god Marduk; they represented the principle of evil. In its figurative usages in Scripture, “dragon” has a similar significance, especially in the prophetic books. In the book of Revelation it is a symbol of Satan, the archenemy of God and his people (Rv 12:3-17; 13:2, 4, 11; 16:13; 20:2).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Fish\">Fish<\/p>\n<p>Aquatic animals frequently mentioned in the Bible without names or descriptions that enable us to identify the particular species. Since time immemorial, fish have constituted one of the staple foods of humanity, and they still serve as the chief source of protein in many parts of the world. The trade in fish was highly developed in biblical times. For example, one of the gates in Jerusalem was called the Fish Gate (Neh 3:3; Zep 1:10). The law in Leviticus 11:9-12 permitted the Jews to eat fish, but only those having both fins and scales. Scaleless fish such as catfish were forbidden, even though they had fins.<\/p>\n<p>Egyptian paintings depict various methods of fishing, and the Philistines fished in the Mediterranean Sea. Since the people of Israel were not a seafaring nation, it is safe to assume that most of their fish came from freshwater lakes and rivers, especially the Sea of Galilee. Some 36 species of fish have been identified in that lake, including varieties of perch, carp, barbel, “sardine,” and catfish.<\/p>\n<p>The method of fishing characteristic of NT times was the dragnet. After a boat had put out into the deep (Lk 5:4), a large net would be thrown out from it and then dragged toward shore by the rowers in the boat, possibly with the help of a crew in another boat. The catch was sorted out on shore (Mt 13:47-48). Fishing was usually carried out at night when the coolness of the water brought fish closer to the surface and when they could not see the approaching nets.<\/p>\n<p>The Jews also fished by hook and line (Mt 17:27), a few by spear (Jb 41:7), and some by the throw net (Ez 47:10). Habakkuk refers to hook-and-line fishing, netting, and seining (1:15).<\/p>\n<p>Very early in the history of the Christian church the fish became a symbol for Christ and the faith. It was scratched on the walls of Roman catacombs and may be seen today decorating walls, altars, pews, and vestments. The symbol came into use because the Greek word for “fish” <em>(<\/em><span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">ichthus<\/span><em>)<\/em> is composed of the first letter of each word in the Greek phrase “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.” <em>See<\/em> Whale (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Flea\">Flea<\/p>\n<p>Tiny, irritating insect (1 Sm 24:14; 26:20, <span>nlt<\/span>). Many species of fleas occur in Palestine, the most common being <em>Pulex irritans.<\/em> About a thousand species are known around the world. Fleas are wingless parasites that have sharp jaws and suck out blood from the bodies of humans and animals. The body is wedge shaped, enabling the flea to burrow into folds of skin and hide there. The eggs, laid by the female in dust heaps in the corners of rooms, hatch into small, white larvae that pupate (a nonfeeding stage) in a cocoon. Soon adult fleas appear that immediately attach themselves to the body of a host. The female requires blood for the development of her eggs.<\/p>\n<p>A flea bite is painful and causes some swelling and itching. Fleas are attracted by warmth. With favorable moisture and temperature, adult fleas can live a year or longer without food, but they are voracious feeders. The most dangerous fleas are those of the rat that transmit the organism responsible for bubonic plague. There were 41 recorded epidemics of bubonic plague before the Christian era.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Fly\">Fly<\/p>\n<p>Insects of the order Diptera, which have one pair of wings. Many winged insects of other orders, however, are also called flies, such as the dragonfly or butterfly.<\/p>\n<p>As in almost all parts of the world, flies are abundant in Palestine. One of the most numerous is the common housefly <em>(Musca domestica),<\/em> found chiefly around dung heaps and garbage. The female lays her eggs, out of which emerge white maggots that feed on refuse. After a few days the maggot develops into a cocoon out of which emerges the adult housefly. In the summer the whole cycle lasts about 12 days, so that a fly can breed about 20 generations a year.<\/p>\n<p>Another fly common to Palestine is the botfly (family Oestridae). It causes much discomfort among livestock by irritating them and spreading diseases. Tabanid flies (family Tabanidae), including the horsefly (genus <em>Tabanus<\/em>) and related species, are also found in Palestine. Both the botfly and horsefly are known as gadflies because of the persistent distress they inflict. Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar is spoken of as a gadfly in view of his invasion of Egypt (Jer 46:20).<\/p>\n<p>The fourth plague in Egypt just before the exodus featured “swarms of flies” (Ex 8:21-31, <span>nlt<\/span>; cf. Pss 78:45; 105:31). Those swarms may have been made up of any or all the flies mentioned above. The maggots mentioned in Job 25:6 and Isaiah 14:11 and the worms in Exodus 16:24 and Job 7:5 and 17:14 were probably fly larvae.<\/p>\n<p>A proverb quoted in Ecclesiastes 10:1 probably refers to the housefly, which would be attracted to an open, perfumed ointment bottle. Once inside it would drown and eventually decay, causing the ointment to spoil and stink. The fly is also referred to in Isaiah 7:18 where it symbolizes Egypt. Isaiah may have had in mind a horsefly <em>(Tabanus arenivagus)<\/em> that attacks both humans and animals.<\/p>\n<p>Philistine inhabitants of the city of Ekron worshiped a god named Baal-zebul, meaning “Lord of the high places.” The Hebrews mockingly spoke of Baal-zebub, meaning “Lord of the flies” (2 Kgs 1:2). The NT form is Beelzebub (e.g., Mt 10:25; 12:24, 27).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Fox\">Fox<\/p>\n<p>Small, doglike carnivore with a bushy tail that is about half its body length. The red fox of the Holy Land <em>(Vulpes palaetinae)<\/em> is similar to the North American red fox; it is smaller than a wolf and is normally a nocturnal solitary animal. The omnivorous fox eats almost any kind of food—fruits, plants, mice, beetles, and birds—but seldom touches carrion. It loves the sweet juice of grapes, but it also burrows underground tunnels that can destroy the vines (Sg 2:15). The fox is intelligent and known for its slyness (Lk 13:32). It has considerable endurance and can run at speeds up to 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour. The Jews rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall were taunted by the wisecrack that even a fox jumping on their wall would knock it over (Neh 4:3).<\/p>\n<p>The Egyptian fox <em>(Vulpes niloticus)<\/em> is found in the central and southern parts of the Holy Land. It is somewhat smaller than the common red fox. Its back is rust colored and its belly light. The Syrian fox <em>(Vulpes flavescens)<\/em> that lives in the northern part of the Holy Land is shiny gold in color.<\/p>\n<p>Some OT references such as Psalm 63:10 and Lamentations 5:18 are translated “fox” in the <span>kjv<\/span> but probably refer to jackals. Jackals, not foxes, hunt in packs and tend to act as scavengers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Frog\">Frog<\/p>\n<p>Amphibian (genus <em>Rana<\/em>), living part of its life in the water and part on land.<\/p>\n<p>Frogs and toads are covered with soft, hairless skin and lack a tail in the adult stage. The hind legs are much longer and more powerfully developed than the forelegs so that the animals are able to jump large distances. It has been suggested that the frog referred to in Scripture is an edible one, <em>Rana ridibunda,<\/em> one of the aquatic frogs found in Egypt and in the stagnant waters of the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>The female frog lays her eggs in the water; after about a week the eggs hatch into tadpoles. Gradually through metamorphosis the tail is lost and limbs are acquired. Frogs must maintain a moist skin since they take oxygen through the skin as well as through their lungs; thus they must always remain close to water. They feed on insects and worms.<\/p>\n<p>Frogs are found throughout the Palestinian lowlands, where their croaking is heard in the spring and on summer evenings. The Israelites seem to have associated frogs primarily with sliminess and foulness. They fell into the category of creeping or swarming creatures, which in general were ritually unclean (Lv 11:29-31). Since the frog was not specifically listed, however, rabbis did not consider it one of the animals that defiled human beings through contact.<\/p>\n<p>In Revelation 16:13 certain foul spirits are said to look like frogs. The ancient Egyptians made the frog a symbol of life and birth and an image of Heqet, the patron goddess of birth. She is depicted with a frog’s head giving life to the newborn. Thus that deity was discredited when the power of God afflicted Egypt in the second of the ten plagues on the Egyptians with the very animal that was her symbol (Ex 8:1-14; Pss 78:45; 105:30). The frog in question may have been the spotted frog of Egypt <em>(Rana punctata,<\/em> or <em>Rana ridibunda).<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Plagues upon Egypt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Gazelle\">Gazelle<\/p>\n<p>Small, dainty, graceful antelope with hollow recurved horns on both sexes. Two varieties exist in the Holy Land, the dorcas gazelle <em>(Gazella dorcas),<\/em> which is pale fawn in color and up to 22 inches (56 centimeters) tall, and the Arabian gazelle <em>(Gazella arabica),<\/em> which is a dark smoky color and up to 25 inches (63.5 centimeters) tall.<\/p>\n<p>Gazelles are still quite common throughout the desert and steppe areas of the Holy Land, especially in the Negev Desert. Herds usually consist of from 5 to 10 animals, but some varieties assemble in large migratory herds in the fall to relocate to lower elevations and new feeding grounds. Gazelles are herbivorous (plant eating). They are very shy and post guards to warn the herd of approaching danger.<\/p>\n<p>In biblical times the gazelle was probably the game animal most hunted by the Jews (Prv 6:5; Is 13:14). Pharaoh Tutankhamen hunted gazelles and ostriches. The gazelle is said to have graced Solomon’s table (1 Kgs 4:23). Gazelles were not easy to catch because of their great speed (2 Sm 2:18; 1 Chr 12:8; Prv 6:5); they surpass the deer in swiftness. They were trapped in various ways—encircled with nets, driven into enclosures with pitfalls, or forced into narrow valleys and shot with arrows. The Bedouin hunt gazelle with falcons and dogs; the falcon annoys the gazelle, striking it on the head and injuring it so that the dogs can overtake it.<\/p>\n<p>The gazelle is referred to in Song of Songs 2:9, 17; 4:5; 7:3; 8:14, where it is an image of feminine beauty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Gecko\">Gecko<\/p>\n<p>Reptile of the family Gekkonidae, referred to in Leviticus 11:30. In Jewish food law it was a ritually unclean lizard. There are seven species of geckos in the Holy Land (including <em>Hemidactylus turcicus<\/em> and <em>Ptyodactylus hasselquistii,<\/em> all insectivorous—insect eating). The gecko makes a low mourning sound by vibrating its tongue rapidly against the roof of its mouth. In legend the gecko was said to cause leprosy by crawling across a person’s body.<\/p>\n<p>Another name for the gecko is the wall lizard, so named because it can walk upside down on ceilings with the aid of the suction discs on its toes—but it often plops down into the middle of the home. Since it was considered unclean, such an intrusion would have been a disgusting nuisance to Jewish households (Lv 11:31-38).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Lizard (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Gnat\">Gnat<\/p>\n<p>Any very small fly, in common and biblical usage. According to the <span>nlt<\/span>, the third plague in Egypt before the exodus consisted of gnats (Ex 8:16-18; Ps 105:31). The <span>kjv<\/span> translates the Hebrew word there as “lice,” but the breeding pattern described in Exodus 8—insects rising from the dust—seems to fit gnats better than lice. Since “gnat” is a general term, the small flies of that plague may have included several small species such as mosquitos, harvester gnats, midges, or sand flies.<\/p>\n<p>The sand fly inflicts a far more painful bite than the mosquito. Further, it does not betray itself by a buzzing noise in flight and is so small that it penetrates most mosquito netting.<\/p>\n<p>Gnats were drawn to wine while it was fermenting. The Pharisees in particular would strain their wine to avoid consuming unclean insects (Mt 23:24).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Goat\">Goat<\/p>\n<p>Cloven-hooved mammals (genus <em>Capra<\/em>) with large eyes and big, floppy ears that constantly twitch. Both males and females have backward arching horns. The Palestinian goat is a ruminant (cud-chewing animal) of lighter build than the sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The goat was probably the earliest ruminant to be domesticated. Its wild ancestor seems to have been the Gezoar goat <em>(Capra aegagrus).<\/em> Wild goats are believed to have been domesticated very early in Palestine. The goat of Bible times was probably the Syrian or Mamber variety <em>(Capra hircus mambrica).<\/em> Domesticated goats may have as many as four kids in a litter, whereas wild goats bear only one or two.<\/p>\n<p>The Palestinian goat was commonly black. Speckled and spotted goats were a rarity, and for that reason Jacob’s request for those goats in Genesis 30:32 appeared very modest. There may also have been red goats (cf. 1 Sm 16:12; 19:13, where goat’s hair was used to imitate David’s hair, which was “ruddy” or auburn).<\/p>\n<p>Almost every part of the goat was used by the Israelites. The whole goat was used for sacrifice. Its flesh served as meat (Lv 7:23; Dt 14:4), and it was the principal source of milk (Prv 27:27). Goats were sheared in the late spring, and the goat hair was used for weaving tent cloth and for various domestic purposes (Ex 36:14; 1 Sm 19:13, 16). The tabernacle at Mt Sinai was made of goat’s hair blankets (Ex 26:7).<\/p>\n<p>Adult male goats were generally not eaten because of their strong flavor and toughness and also because they were necessary to insure the flock’s increase. Young kids, however, were usually the chief meat for a feast and were offered to visitors as a symbol of hospitality. Goat milk is richer than the milk of cows and sheep and evidently had broader uses. A good goat gives three quarts of milk a day, from which a rich butter and buttermilk can be made. The average Hebrew family could have lived almost entirely on a single goat’s production.<\/p>\n<p>Goatskin was tanned as leather, and the whole hide was turned into a skin bottle by sewing shut leg and neck apertures (Gn 21:14; Jos 9:4). Goatskin had many uses, including the construction of Hebrew musical instruments. The nebal, a large harp, was made with goatskin for its base sound. Drums had goatskin coverings.<\/p>\n<p>Goats were herded with sheep in biblical times, but each group remained separate following its own bell-laden leader. Jesus was evidently referring to their common herding in his description of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46).<\/p>\n<p>Because of their wool, sheep are valued more than goats. However, where pasture and water are scarce and thorny shrubs dominate over grass, sheep are difficult to keep and goats become important. They can live under conditions that suit neither cows nor sheep, producing large quantities of milk. The goat does not supply fat as the sheep does, and since its hair is coarse its wool is rather scarce. Goat-hair cloth called cilicium was used to make tents.<\/p>\n<p>Goats have voracious appetites. They also were responsible for much damage done to the land of Palestine, breaking down terraces, destroying forests, and bringing about soil erosion by eating off all cover.<\/p>\n<p>The goat was recognized as a form of wealth, subject to the law of firstlings (Nm 18:17). It had to be eight days old before it could be offered as a sacrifice. A year-old male goat was one of the animals offered at the Passover (28:22), and two goats were offered on the Day of Atonement (Lv 16:7-10). The goat was also used for other specific sacrifices.<\/p>\n<p>The ibex, a type of wild goat <em>(Capra ibex nubiana),<\/em> still lives in small numbers on the cliffs close to the Dead Sea. That it was known in ancient times is evident from rock carvings. It is distinguished from the true wild goat by having a more compact rump and horns that are slender and curved back. Its slender legs and sharp cloven hooves enable it to cling to narrow rock ledges, to jump between them, and to climb steep cliffs.<\/p>\n<p>Usually the ibex is found in rugged mountain country among rocky crags and meadows just below the snow line (Ps 104:18). In Job 39:1 they are referred to as “mountain goats.” They frequently gather in herds of 5 to 20. They graze and browse, being active in the afternoon and sometimes feeding through the night. The large horn of the ibex was at one period made into the shofar that was blown in the second Jerusalem temple to announce the new year and the jubilee year.<\/p>\n<p>The goat was often used in a figurative and symbolic sense by the writers of the Bible: in Song of Songs 4:1 and 6:5 for the bride’s black hair; in Matthew 25:31-46 for the wicked; and in Ezekiel 34:17 and Daniel 8:5-8 for various human leaders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Grasshopper\">Grasshopper<\/p>\n<p>Large insects of the Orthoptera order. They have chewing or biting mouth parts and two pairs of wings, the front pair of which is narrow and somewhat thickened and the hind pair membranous and used for flying. When not in use the flight wings are folded beneath the protective front wings like a fan against the body. By rubbing their wings together, male grasshoppers produce sounds that both males and females can detect. Grasshoppers pass through a partial metamorphosis; the egg hatches into a juvenile nymph that looks like an adult except for its smaller size and undeveloped wings. After several months the nymph becomes a winged adult.<\/p>\n<p>The terms “grasshopper” and “locust” are often used interchangeably. Actually the locust is a kind of grasshopper. Also confusing is the fact that other insects such as cicadas are sometimes called locusts. The difference between grasshoppers and locusts depends more on behavior than appearance. Grasshoppers are individual insects that lead solitary lives and do not migrate. The same insects when migrating in a swarm are called migratory grasshoppers or locusts. Elimination of their food supply by drought, flood, or fire may lead to migration. Climatic factors such as a warm dry winter also stimulate migrations.<\/p>\n<p>Grasshoppers and locusts have been a staple food in the Middle East and also among the Indians of the American Southwest. To the Israelites the grasshopper was considered ritually clean and could be eaten (Lv 11:22).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Locust (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Hare\">Hare<\/p>\n<p>Animal of the genus and species <em>Lepus europaeus judaeus, Lepus capensis,<\/em> and <em>Lepus arabicus.<\/em> It is found in open country, often near or on cultivated lands, and in woods, usually deciduous rather than evergreen. It is an herbivorous rodent and is different from the rabbit, which is not found in Palestine. Although it is not a true ruminant according to modern classification (because it does not have a four-chambered stomach), the hare does rechew its food. It has a process of partial regurgitation of material too hard for the cells in the stomach to absorb initially; thus, the hare actually chews food previously swallowed.<\/p>\n<p>Near Eastern hares have very long ears and large hind feet; their feet are well furred. They are similar to American jackrabbits, which are true hares. Hares do not dig or occupy burrows the way rabbits do. Hares are mainly nocturnal and spend their inactive hours hiding in vegetation. They eat grasses and herbaceous matter as well as twigs and young bark of woody plants. Hares breed with great rapidity—the young attaining sexual maturity at six months after birth.<\/p>\n<p>The hare was ceremonially unclean (Lv 11:6; Dt 14:7), evidently because although it appeared to chew its cud, it did not have cloven hooves. Consumption of hares has also been forbidden among the Arabs, Chinese, and Lapps, but the hare was widely hunted by other people in ancient and modern times. Its great speed, prolific breeding, timidity, and caution have saved it from extermination by its many enemies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Hippopotamus\">Hippopotamus<\/p>\n<p>Large beast of problematic interpretation. Some early interpreters thought it referred to the elephant, others to the wild ox, the mammoth, or any large animal. It was called “behemoth” by the <span>kjv<\/span> translators. Today it is generally agreed that the reference is to the hippopotamus <em>(Hippopotamus amphibius),<\/em> a large, thick-skinned, amphibious mammal, an ungulate (having hooflike toenails) with a large head, a bulky, hairless body, and short legs.<\/p>\n<p>The description in Job 40:15-24 fits closely the modern hippopotamus (see <span>nlt<\/span>), except for the depiction of the tail. At present the hippopotamus is found only in the rivers of Africa, but there is fossil evidence that it has existed in the Holy Land, perhaps in the swamps of northern Galilee and the Jordan Valley.<\/p>\n<p>The hippopotamus has highly developed sense organs, placed in such a way that it can see, hear, and smell almost without being seen; its eyes, ears, and nostrils can reach above water while the rest of the animal lies submerged. It has a large mouth, large tusks, and a short, heavy throat. The strong legs are so short that the belly almost reaches the ground when the animal is on the land. The hippopotamus lives on plants and herbs growing in rivers, but if food is scarce there, it forages on land, usually at night. In spite of its heavy body it is surprisingly agile on land.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Horse\">Horse<\/p>\n<p>Przewalski’s horse (<em>Equus przewalskii,<\/em> an eastern race that roamed about Mongolia until modern firearms destroyed most of them after World War I) and the tarpan (a western race of southern Russia that became extinct in the Ukraine in 1851). The domesticated horse <em>(Equus caballus)<\/em> seems to have been derived from the tarpan. The original site of domestication is believed to have been Turkestan, a region north of Afghanistan and India, now in Russia. The horse differs from the donkey in that it has shorter ears, a longer mane with a forelock, a long hairy tail, and a soft, sensitive muzzle.<\/p>\n<p>Horses were used in war not only for riding but also for pulling the heavy, springless war chariots. Two kinds of horses were needed for these different purposes, and the Hebrews distinguished between chariot horses and cavalry horses.<\/p>\n\n<p>The Lord warned the early Israelites against unnecessarily amassing military strength in the form of horses and thereby following the oppressive tactics of the powerful Egyptians (Dt 17:14-16), but the demands of war caused both David and Solomon to import horses from Egypt into their kingdoms and to breed them. Solomon greatly increased the number of horses in the Jewish kingdom and maintained large stables at various cities (1 Kgs 10:26) such as the regional defense centers of Megiddo, Hazor, and Gezer (1 Kgs 9:15-19). Ahab’s horses are mentioned in 1 Kings 18:5, and records of Shalmaneser III state that Ahab furnished 2,000 chariots to a coalition against Assyria.<\/p>\n<p>In early Israel, the horse was opposed as a symbol of pagan luxury and of dependence on physical power for defense (Dt 17:16; 1 Sm 8:11; Ps 20:7; Is 31:1). Horse trading, mentioned as early as Genesis 47:17, was carried on by Solomon between Egypt and the Syro-Hittite principalities (1 Kgs 10:28-29). Most biblical references to horses refer to their use in war, but horses were also used for transportation. Riding seems to have been less popular than the use of chariots. Cavalry units were not introduced until the 12th century <span>BC<\/span> by the Medes. Joseph rode in Pharaoh’s second horse-drawn chariot (Gn 41:43), and Absalom made a display by riding a horse-drawn chariot (2 Sm 15:1). Naaman traveled by horse and chariot (2 Kgs 5:9). Later, horses were so common in Jerusalem that the royal palace had a special horse gate (2 Chr 23:15), and a gate of the city itself was known as the Horse Gate (Neh 3:28; Jer 31:40). Mordecai rode a royal horse of King Xerxes as a sign of honor (Est 6:8-11). Horses are often spoken of figuratively (Ps 32:9; “mare,” Sg 1:9; “stallions,” Jer 5:8; 12:5), especially in the context of judgment (Hb 3:8; Zec 1:8; 6:1-8; Rv 6:2-8; 9:17; 19:11-16).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Warfare; Travel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Hyena\">Hyena<\/p>\n<p>Stocky carnivore <em>(Hyaena hyaena)<\/em> with coarse hair, an erect mane, and long hairs along the neck and back. Hyenas live in holes among rocks and banks. They are mainly nocturnal but are ordinarily neither noisy nor aggressive. Their cry, however, is a disagreeable, unearthly sound. Hyenas usually feed on carrion, crushing bones with their powerful jaws. If the carrion supply is inadequate, they will kill sheep, goats, or other small animals. When threatened, hyenas growl and erect their mane, but they rarely fight. They are massively built with forelegs longer than the hind legs.<\/p>\n<p>Known as scavengers in Africa, hyenas eat domestic refuse in the villages. In Palestine the striped hyena is a common predator, preferring rocky territory and even rock tombs. Since hyenas were notorious for raiding the graves of the dead, all Israelites who could afford it arranged for burial in tombs protected by massive stone doors. Absalom, King David’s son who was killed by Joab in the wild, was buried under a huge pile of stones to protect his corpse from molestation by hyenas (2 Sm 18:17).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Jackal\">Jackal<\/p>\n<p>Carnivore <em>(Canis aureus)<\/em> smaller than the true wolf and with a shorter tail. It is similar to the fox but has a broader head, shorter ears, and longer legs. The fox is solitary; the jackal tends to be gregarious. Its tail can be drooping or erect, compared with the long horizontal tail of the fox. Jackals usually prowl at night, either singly, in pairs, or in packs through open savannah country. They eat small mammals, poultry, fruit, vegetables, and carrion. They spend their days in thickets and clumps of vegetation. Often they obtain scraps from kills by larger carnivores. Jackals can run at speeds of about 33 miles (53 kilometers) per hour.<\/p>\n<p>The jackal can reach a height of about 20 inches (51 centimeters), roughly the size of a German shepherd dog. Its back is pale yellow with dark, almost black, flanks. Its lips are black and its ears white on the inside. The howl of the jackal sounds like the crying of a child or the heartrending wail of the bereaved (Mi 1:8; cf. Jb 30:29). To other jackals the howl is merely an invitation calling the pack together for its nocturnal hunting.<\/p>\n<p>OT references are chiefly to jackals prowling around ruined cities and wilderness areas (Neh 2:13; Ps 44:19; Is 13:22; 34:13; 35:7; Jer 9:11; 14:6; 49:33; 51:37; Lam 4:3; 5:18; Mal 1:3). Many such references are translated “dragon” in the <span>kjv<\/span>, but “jackal” is more appropriate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Leech\">Leech<\/p>\n<p>Segmented worm (class Hirundinea) up to five inches (12.7 centimeters) long with a flat body equipped with suction pads at each end. The mouth, located at the bottom of the front suction pad, has three teeth that the leech uses to pierce the skin of its host. The leech feeds on blood, and its glands secrete an anticoagulant to prevent the blood from clotting. The ordinary medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) is abundant in springs and ponds from the Negev Desert to Galilee. It adheres to the bodies of human beings and animals that submerge themselves in water, injects its anticoagulant, and sucks their blood.<\/p>\n<p>The reference in Proverbs 30:15 is uncertain (see <span>nlt<\/span>) but may be to the parasitic and greedy nature of the horse leech (genus <em>Haemopis<\/em>). The small horse leech enters its host’s mouth and nostrils from water while the animal is drinking. A leech weighing one-half ounce (14.2 grams) has been known to gorge itself with two and a half ounces (71 grams) of concentrated blood and then to exist for 15 months with no more to eat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Leopard\">Leopard<\/p>\n<p>Called <em>Panthera pardus tulliana,<\/em> it is the most widespread of all the large wildcats. In rocky areas it lives in caves, but in forested regions it lives in thick vegetation. In OT times many lived in the vicinity of Mt Hermon (Sg 4:8).<\/p>\n<p>The leopard is somewhat smaller than the tiger, measuring up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length with a tail of about 30 inches (.8 meter). Its body is better proportioned than that of the tiger. The leopard takes its victim by surprise from a silent ambush, often concealing itself near villages or watering places and waiting for its prey, remaining in one spot for long spans of time. The leopard is swift on the ground (Hb 1:8), agile in trees, and very graceful in its movements. Its color is yellowish speckled with black spots (Jer 13:23). Daniel and John saw visions in which leopards were symbols of world powers (Dn 7:6; Rv 13:2).<\/p>\n<p>The leopard is a wary and cunning animal, formidable and ferocious (Jer 5:6; Hos 13:7; cf. Is 11:6). The leopard is dangerous not only to domestic animals but also to humans. With its natural camouflage it can hide on the forest floor, blending into the changing light and shadows. The Israelites were terrified of the leopard because it constantly ravaged their sheep and goats. Several biblical place names suggest that they were known for the leopards in their vicinity: Nimrah, Beth-nimrah, and Nimrim, a district northeast of the Dead Sea. It has survived in the Holy Land into the present century; a few leopards still exist in remote areas near Mt Tabor and Mt Carmel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Leviathan\">Leviathan<\/p>\n<p>Sea monster mentioned several times in the Bible (Pss 74:14; 104:26; Is 27:1, <span>nlt<\/span>). It may refer to any of the larger marine animals such as large jellyfish, whales, or sharks, or to a large reptile like the crocodile. Some scholars think “Leviathan” may refer to animals now extinct, such as ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs (marine reptiles similar to dinosaurs). The scriptural term might also refer to certain dinosaurs that spent part of their lives half-submerged in shallow lakes and oceans. Other scholars believe that most of the references are to the crocodile.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Crocodile (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Lion\">Lion<\/p>\n<p>Large, tawny-colored carnivore <em>(Panthera leo)<\/em> that preys chiefly on hoofed mammals and charges by a series of leaps and bounds. Within historic times the lion ranged in Africa, Europe, and the Holy Land. In ancient times the territories of the African and Persian lions met in the Middle East. The lion of the Holy Land was the Asiatic or Persian lion <em>(Panthera leo persica).<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The males have heavy manes that stop at the shoulders but cover much of the chest. The Persian lion cannot climb and is mainly nocturnal, returning to its lair or a thicket by day (Jer 4:7; 25:38; Na 2:11-12). This lion is about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long with a tasseled tail 30 inches (.8 meter) or so long; its shoulders may reach a height of 35 inches (.9 meter). It is one of the smallest of the lion breeds.<\/p>\n<p>Lions are usually found in pairs, though sometimes in larger numbers. A small group is known as a pride. They generally prefer open country but in Palestine evidently prowled the subtropical vegetation of the Jordan River valley. Lions, which usually hunt at dusk, kill smaller animals by a blow of the paw, larger ones by a bite in the throat. A lion does not remain in the same place for more than a few days. The animal is in its prime at about seven years of age, when it weighs from 400 to 600 pounds (181.6 to 272.4 kilograms).<\/p>\n<p>The lion does not characteristically attack humans, though like other great cats it may become a man-eater (1 Kgs 13:24-28; 20:36; 2 Kgs 17:25-26; Ps 57:4; Dn 6:7-27). Ordinarily, it attacks only out of great hunger or in self-defense. A very young lion that attacks humans can become dangerous if it develops a taste for human flesh. A very old lion, expelled from the pride because it can no longer keep up in the pursuit of antelope or gazelles, may choose humans as a relatively slow-moving prey.<\/p>\n<p>A lion generally roars only on a full stomach—that is, after it has consumed its prey (Ps 22:13; Ez 22:25; Am 3:4). Nevertheless, its roaring arouses fear (Am 3:8; 1 Pt 5:8). The lion is a bold (2 Sm 17:10; Prv 28:1), destructive animal (Ps 7:2; Jer 2:30; Hos 5:14; Mi 5:8), and the enemy of flocks (Am 3:12).<\/p>\n<p>Lions were common in biblical times in all parts of the Holy Land. Hebrew has at least seven words for lion and young lion. The lion is referred to about 130 times in the OT—more than any other wild animal. Lions were evidently much less common in NT times. After gradually declining, they became extinct in Palestine shortly after <span>AD<\/span> 1300. The lion was present in Mesopotamia, however, until the end of the 19th century.<\/p>\n<p>Lions played an important part in the political and religious symbolism of the Near East (1 Kgs 10:19-20). In Assyria and Babylonia the lion was regarded as a royal beast (Dn 7:4). Oriental monarchs maintained artificial lion pits as places of execution (Ez 19:1-9; Dn 6:7-16). Animals for these were captured in camouflaged nets or pits. To the Jews, the lion was the mightiest of beasts (Prv 30:29-31). Thus, it symbolized leadership (Gn 49:9-10; Nm 24:9) and hence eventually became a title for Christ (Rv 5:5). It was also the ensign of Judah’s tribe and was used by King Solomon in the decoration of his house and the temple.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Lizard\">Lizard<\/p>\n<p>Reptiles of the suborder Lacertilia. Their skin is covered with scales. The lizard is a useful creature because it captures harmful insects and worms. Like other reptiles, it lays eggs with shells softer than those of a bird and with no clear division between the yolk and the white. Lizards are “cold-blooded” organisms without a temperature-maintenance mechanism; hence, they become inactive in cold weather.<\/p>\n<p>Lizards can survive in barren parched countryside. In the Near East they are encountered in great numbers in the Arabian Desert, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Judean wilderness. There may be as many as 44 different species of lizards in the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>The Dabb lizard (genus <em>Uromastyx<\/em>), which attains a length of about 24 inches (61 centimeters), is found in the Negev Desert. It is omnivorous, an unusual trait since most lizards are insectivorous. It has a hard, rough skin, green with brown spots; a short, rounded head; and a powerful tail encircled with a row of strong spines that it uses as a weapon of defense.<\/p>\n<p>Lizards are listed as ceremonially unclean in Jewish law (Lv 11:29-31). The fact that lizards crawl on their bellies made them unclean. Contact with a lizard’s carcass defiled a law-abiding Jew (Lv 11:32-36). The <span>nlt<\/span> translates the “lizards” of Leviticus 11 as “great lizard,” “gecko,” “monitor lizard,” “sand lizard,” and “chameleon.” The monitor lizard is a large lizard that lives in the deserts of southern Palestine, Sinai, and Egypt. It is up to 55 inches (1.4 meters) long with a long snout and sharp teeth. Other translators and commentators render the original Hebrew in a wide variety of ways, including “tortoise,” “ferret,” “lizard,” “snail,” “mole,” and even “water hen.” The fact that most of the original Hebrew words occur only once in Scripture makes it very difficult to be certain about their appropriate translation.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Gecko (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Locust\">Locust<\/p>\n<p>An insect of the family <em>Acridiidae.<\/em> It is referred to by at least 12 different names in Scripture. The various Hebrew words may refer to different stages of its development from larva to adult or to the type of damage that it causes. Locusts are characterized by swarming and mass migration. In modern times they have caused extensive and disastrous destruction to vegetation. Grasshoppers do not swarm or migrate en masse, differentiating them from the true locusts.<\/p>\n<p>The OT mentions several different species of locusts. Leviticus 11:22 seems to refer to the slant-faced (bald) locust and also to the katydid, or long-horned grasshopper. The reference in Deuteronomy 28:42 may be to the mole cricket. In Joel 1:4 and 2:25 and in Nahum 3:16-17, successive stages of the insect’s development are described. The cutting locust (<span>kjv<\/span> “palmerworm”) of Joel is probably the first instar (stage of development), the swarming locusts (<span>kjv<\/span> “locust”) are middle stages, and the hopping locusts (<span>kjv<\/span> “cankerworm”) later instars but not yet fully matured insects. In the adult stage, called destroying locusts (<span>kjv<\/span> “caterpillar”), the color of the locust is reddish brown, which turns to yellow with a brownish network on the wings.<\/p>\n<p>Only three of the hundreds of varieties of locusts found in Bible lands are capable of multiplying into great swarms, and only the desert locust <em>(Schistocerca gergaria)<\/em> can be considered widespread in all the Bible lands. The desert locust is native to the Sudan (Africa). It is a little over two inches (5 centimeters) long and has a wingspread of some five inches (12.7 centimeters). It shows two phases, a solitary phase and a gregarious phase, with a possible third phase known as transiens. There are differences in the immature and adult forms of the phases in color and physiology.<\/p>\n<p>The quantity and distribution of rains are important factors in the extent of swarming. Moist soil is needed for depositing the eggs and permitting them to develop. Each female deposits from one to six egg pods, containing 28 to 146 eggs each. The larvae emerge in 15 to 43 days.<\/p>\n<p>In the gregarious phase (from the second stage of metamorphosis onward), the locust is driven by a strong wandering instinct. Masses of them form a random procession of overflowing locust bodies that ignore any obstruction. They swarm over everything (Jl 2:4-9). The only regulator of their activities is temperature; they are immobilized by high or low temperatures. Taking to wing they may move 1,200 miles (1,930.8 kilometers) from their native home. They fly in compact formations large enough to blot out the light of the sun. Their movement seems to be controlled by hormones, but the direction is influenced by the wind. The swarms consume almost every plant in their path, sparing only the carob, sycamore, castor tree, and oleander bush.<\/p>\n<p>A locust plague was one of the most severe evils to come upon the ancient world (Dt 28:38). Joel 2:1-11 describes a locust plague in graphic terms, using it as a symbol of God’s destroying judgment. Special days of prayer, fasting, and trumpet blowing were prescribed to remove locust plagues (1 Kgs 8:37-38; 2 Chr 6:28-29; Jl 2:12-17). Locusts symbolized powerful and merciless enemies that completely destroyed the earnings of human toil (Jgs 6:5; Is 33:4; Jer 46:23; 51:27; Na 3:15).<\/p>\n<p>Bedouins eat locusts raw, roasted, or boiled, preserving them by drying and threading. They are also crushed and ground, and the grist used in cooking or eaten with bread, sometimes mixed with honey and dates. Such was the diet of John the Baptist (Mk 1:6). The Greeks ground locusts in stone mortars to make flour of them.<\/p>\n<p>The ancients considered the two large hind legs, or jumping legs, as separate limbs and had a special name for them. Hence locusts were described as having four legs, a reference to the four smaller walking legs. “Going on all fours” thus referred to creeping or walking as opposed to jumping and did not mean that the unclean insects had only four legs in all. Because of its two hind jumping legs, the locust was exempted from the prohibition against unclean insects (Lv 11:20-23).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Plagues upon Egypt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Mole\">Mole<\/p>\n<p>Rodent <em>(Spalax ehrenbergi)<\/em> from six to nine inches (15 to 23 centimeters) long, which burrows in any area where the soil is suitable for digging; it should be called a mole rat. Common in the Holy Land, large numbers are found in the vicinity of Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:20 refers to the mole, as does Leviticus 11:29-30 (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The mole rat has no tail and is molelike in appearance, but neither true moles nor shrews have ever been found in the Holy Land. The mole rat’s teeth are strong and protruding like those of a squirrel. The neck is short and thick with a plump body shaped like a sausage. The short legs have broad paws with claws adapted for burrowing. The fur is soft, thick, and ashen gray. Its ears and almost sightless eyes, which are no larger than poppyseeds, are hidden in the fur. Folklore taught that touching a mole rat would result in blindness.<\/p>\n<p>In the wet winter season the mole rat builds breeding mounds resembling those of pocket gophers. It builds less complex resting mounds in the summer, although both have rather elaborate tunnel systems. The mole rat feeds on roots, bulbs, tubers, and various other subterranean plant parts, often doing extensive damage to agriculture.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Moth\">Moth<\/p>\n<p>Insect of the genus <em>Tineola<\/em> that lays its eggs on wool or furs, its larvae feeding on those materials. The destructive qualities of moths are referred to in several biblical passages (Jb 13:28; Ps 39:11; Is 50:9; Hos 5:12; Mt 6:19-20; Lk 12:33; Jas 5:2). In Isaiah 51:8 “worm” (<span>nlt<\/span>) refers specifically to the larva of the clothes moth. The moth symbolizes disintegration, decay, and weakening. It is only the larvae that do the damage. The adult is quite harmless and feeds mainly on the nectar of flowers. It is easily crushed (Jb 4:19). The clothes moth reproduces in May or June. It enters human dwellings in the evening. A week after the eggs are laid the larvae appear and immediately begin their work of destruction, eating anything within reach made of animal fibers.<\/p>\n<p>The moth’s destructive activity is done in secret without any sound and without any dramatic appearance, such as a swarm that blots out the sun. In an age when wealth was counted more in possessions than in money, and when among those possessions wool clothing was highly valued, moths could literally cause economic disaster; hence the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 6:19-20).<\/p>\n<p>There are hundreds of species of moths other than the clothes moth in the Holy Land; they are harmless to leaves, flowers, fruit, trees, and seeds. As with the clothes moth, the larvae inflict the damage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Mouse\">Mouse<\/p>\n<p>Rodent of the family Muridae, especially genus <em>Mus.<\/em> The mouse was regarded as unclean because, being short legged, it was considered one of the creeping creatures (Lv 11:29). Mice known as commensals live in dwellings and tend to have longer tails and to be darker in color than wild mice, which are active chiefly at night. Mice are good climbers and even good swimmers. Wild mice eat many kinds of vegetation, including seeds, fleshy roots, leaves, and stems. At times they store food.<\/p>\n<p>The Hebrew word for “mouse” (Lv 11:29; 1 Sm 6:4-5; Is 66:17) is probably a general term for various rats and mice. The root meaning of the Hebrew word “mouse” is “destruction of corn,” a reference to the damage mice do to field crops. At least 23 varieties of mouselike rodents are known in the Holy Land. They cause food spoilage, damage household articles, and transport the host fleas that spread typhus, spotted fever, and bubonic plague. Plague bacteria may have caused the tumors or swellings among the Philistines (1 Sm 6:5). Isaiah 66:17 refers to a pre-exilic Canaanite cultic practice in which mice were eaten; the reference may actually be to the hamster. A number of rodents are eaten by Arabs of the Near East; the gerbil is considered a special delicacy. <em>See<\/em> Mole (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Mule\">Mule<\/p>\n<p>Hybrid offspring of a male ass and a female horse <em>(Equus asinus mulus),<\/em> ordinarily sterile. The offspring of a female donkey and a stallion (male horse) is known as a hinny and is of little value because of its inferior size.<\/p>\n<p>Because crossbreeding was forbidden in the law (Lv 19:19), the Israelites procured mules from the Gentiles, perhaps from the Phoenicians, since Tyre (a Phoenician seaport in what is now southern Lebanon) imported horses and mules (Ez 27:14). Mules did not appear in Israel until David’s reign (2 Sm 13:29), possibly because of the rarity of horses among the Hebrews. Mules were used chiefly by members of the royal court and by other nobles. King David rode on a mule, and Solomon rode to his inaugaration on King David’s mule (1 Kgs 1:33). Absalom met his death riding on a mule (2 Sm 18:9). Mules were less common than horses, camels, and asses in the postexilic community (Ezr 2:66). In antiquity Asia Minor was especially noted for breeding fine mules.<\/p>\n<p>Mules have long enjoyed a reputation for obstinacy, but that trait is not mentioned in the Bible. The mule is prized for riding and for carrying heavy burdens, especially in warm mountainous regions. They are sure-footed and thrive best in hot, dry climates. The mule has the frugality, endurance, and steady gait of an ass along with the size, strength, swiftness, and courage of a horse. Mules are almost never sick. They live longer than horses. They can carry a load of up to 300 pounds (136 kilograms) as far as 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) a day.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Travel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Pig\">Pig<\/p>\n<p>Most properly, newborn swine. “Swine” is technically the better name for the species, but it is rarely used in common speech today. The domestic pigs of the Middle East derived from the wild pig <em>(Sus scrofa).<\/em> The pig is the most prolific and abundant supplier of meat and fat for food. A thick layer of fat just under the skin is especially pronounced in domestic breeds. Pigs cannot be driven, so they are of value only to the settled farmer. The Hebrews were originally a nomadic people; therefore, they had little use for an animal closely associated with settled life. An Egyptian prince of about 1500 <span>BC<\/span>, however, is recorded as owning a herd of 1,500 swine.<\/p>\n<p>The pig is clumsily built, yet lively and able to move with agility and speed. The most conspicuous characteristic of the pig is a truncated, mobile snout terminating in a disc-shaped surface on which the nostrils are located. Most pigs have large tusks in both jaws which grow continuously in life. The tusks of the upper jaw are unique in that they curve upward instead of pointing downward as in most animals. The excrement of a pig has an almost unbearable odor, which clings not only to the pig itself but also to swineherds, who can be identified a long way off.<\/p>\n<p>Pigs were never raised in the Holy Land by Jews. The great herd into which Jesus drove the unclean spirits was encountered in the land of the Gadarenes, a non-Jewish area east of the Jordan. The Gadarene demons took refuge in a herd of pigs feeding on a bluff overlooking the Sea of Galilee (Mt 8:28-32).<\/p>\n<p>Wild pigs were found in the Holy Land as in many countries today. Psalm 80:13 refers to the destructiveness of a wild boar (the male, or hog) attacking growing crops. A party of wild boars can destroy an entire vineyard or a field of crops in a single night. They devour, trample, and ravage everything within reach.<\/p>\n<p>Boar hunts were common in ancient Mesopotamia. Wild boars do not attack unless molested, but they are dangerous when aroused. They travel in bands of from 6 to 50 and are most active in the evening and early morning hours. The body is covered with stiff bristles and usually some finer hair, but the body covering is often quite scanty. Wild pigs are mainly vegetarian, feeding on roots, nuts, grains, and plant stems. Wild boars were particularly abundant in the mountainous regions of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, in the Jordan River valley, and in wooded sections such as Mt Tabor.<\/p>\n<p>Strict Jews would not even mention swine by name but would always substitute the term “the abomination.” Israelites considered themselves polluted if they were even touched by a swine’s bristle. To the Jews, the pig symbolized filth and ugliness. Pigs will eat fecal material, vermin, rodents, carrion, and the like (2 Pt 2:22). Proverbs 11:22 refers to the incongruity of a golden ring in the nose of an animal showing such characteristics. A similar metaphor occurs in Jesus’ statement about casting pearls before swine (Mt 7:6). The prodigal son’s degeneration was shown by his being forced in his poverty to feed pigs and eat their food (Lk 15:15-16).<\/p>\n<p>Eating the flesh of pigs was forbidden to the Jews (Lv 11:7; Dt 14:8). The Canaanites in the Holy Land killed and ate pigs freely. In intertestamental times Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), a Syrian king whose territories included Israel, used the pig to “Hellenize” the Jews. He first tested their loyalty to the Jewish faith by requiring the consumption of pork, considered a delicacy by the Greeks (2 Macc 6:18). The act of desecration that drove the Jews to rebellion, however, was the sprinkling of pig blood on the temple altar in a sacrifice to Zeus (1 Macc 1:47).<\/p>\n<p>Pigs were frequently used in pagan worship (Is 65:4; 66:3, 17), which may account for their being forbidden to the Jews as food. Evidence in the Holy Land shows that pigs were sacrificed long before Hellenistic times. Pig bones were found in a grotto below the rock-cut place of sacrifice at Gezer. A similar underground chamber with vessels containing piglet bones at Tirzah dates to the middle Bronze Age (about 2000 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Alabaster fragments of a statuette of a pig ready to be sacrificed have been unearthed. Swine were sacrificed to Aphrodite (Venus) in Greece and Asia Minor. In addition, pigs were sacrificed in connection with oaths and treaties; in the <em>Iliad,<\/em> Agamemnon sacrificed a boar to Zeus and Helios. So it is not surprising that among the Jews the pig became a symbol of filthiness and paganism.<\/p>\n<p>It is possible that eating pork was forbidden primarily because the pig may carry many worm parasites such as trichina, though that is also true of some “clean” animals. Another reason for forbidding their consumption may have been that pigs eat carrion. Some people are allergic to pork in hot weather—another suggested reason behind the Jewish taboo. The same taboo exists among the Muslims and existed in certain social strata in Egypt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Porcupine\">Porcupine<\/p>\n<p>Rodent, <em>Hystrix cristata,<\/em> which lives in forested areas, rocky hills, ravines, and valleys. The porcupine is still found in the Holy Land today. It has long quills that can be raised to give the appearance of a crest. It is almost entirely nocturnal. It burrows by day into a natural cavity or crevice. The Old World porcupine rarely climbed trees, although the New World porcupine frequently does. A porcupine may weigh as much as 60 pounds (27.2 kilograms). It eats fruit, bark, roots, and other vegetation, and carrion as well. Although its flesh is edible, the porcupine was not classed among the clean animals for the Israelites. The reference in Isaiah 34:11 (<span>rsv<\/span>) is probably to the porcupine, as is Isaiah 14:23 in the <span>nlt<\/span>. <em>See<\/em> Hedgehog.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Scorpion\">Scorpion<\/p>\n<p>Arthropod of the same group as spiders (arachnids). A dozen species of scorpions (order Scorpionida) are found in the Holy Land, but 90 percent of the scorpions are yellow scorpions, usually three to five inches (7.6 to 12.7 centimeters) long. The rock scorpion, also common to the Holy Land, is as thick as a man’s finger and from five to seven inches (12.7 to 17.8 centimeters) in length. Scorpions are slow, nocturnal invertebrates that rest beneath stones by day and prey on insects and other arachnids by night. At the end of its long tail the scorpion carries a poisonous sting that is fatal to most prey and extremely painful to humans (Rv 9:3, 5, 10; cf. 1 Kgs 12:11, 14). Scorpions symbolize Ezekiel’s evil countrymen (Ez 2:6) and the demonic forces of Satan (Lk 10:19). The scorpion is referred to as frequenting the Sinai Desert (Dt 8:15).<\/p>\n<p>A scorpion has from six to eight eyes. It has eight legs like a spider and two lobsterlike claws with which it catches and holds its prey. It feeds particularly on locusts and beetles. In many species the female scorpion eats the male after mating. Scorpions lay eggs that hatch very shortly after laying. Scorpions prefer warmer climates, and because of their desire for warmth, enter houses, especially at night, hiding in beds, blankets, footwear, and clothing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Sheep\">Sheep<\/p>\n<p>Domestic animal, <em>Ovis orientalis,<\/em> referred to directly or by some term such as ewe, lamb, ram, or by some fact concerning them over 700 times in Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Sheep represented the chief wealth and total livelihood of pastoral peoples, providing food to eat, milk to drink, wool for the making of cloth, and hides and bones for other uses. In addition, the sheep was a medium of exchange and a sacrificial animal. The number of sheep raised in ancient times was prodigious. Mesha, king of Moab, paid a tribute annually of 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams (2 Kgs 3:4). The Israelites took 250,000 sheep from the Hagrites (1 Chr 5:21).<\/p>\n<p>Sheep shearing was often done for festivals (2 Sm 13:23). The sheep was held down on its side and its legs were tied together; then it lay docilely while its wool was clipped (Is 53:7). Sheep reserved for burnt offerings were not shorn; nothing could be held back from a sacrifice to the Lord.<\/p>\n<p>Wool had to be processed before it could be used for clothing. First it was washed, sometimes while still on the sheep, then carded and perhaps weighed for the market. The spinning of wool was regarded as a woman’s work (Prv 31:19), but weaving the spun thread into cloth on a loom was primarily a man’s occupation.<\/p>\n<p>The Bible reports that Abel kept sheep (Gn 4:2). The first sheep to be domesticated was probably the argali <em>(Ovis ammon),<\/em> a variety of the urial <em>(Ovis vignei),<\/em> a mountainous species still existing in Turkestan and Mongolia. Five breeds had reached Mesopotamia by 2000 <span>BC<\/span>; all were of the urial stock.<\/p>\n<p>The sheep known in Israel was the broad-tailed sheep <em>(Ovis orientalis vignei<\/em> or <em>laticaudata),<\/em> of which the tail weighs from 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8 kilograms) and has always been considered a delicacy. Thus the Lord asked for this choice part as a sacrifice (Ex 29:22-25).<\/p>\n<p>Only the ram of the broad-tailed sheep has horns, but in other varieties of sheep in the Holy Land the ewe also has horns. The horns, two to three inches (5 to 8 centimeters) in diameter, can be potent weapons. Rams’ horns could be used as trumpets (Jos 6:4) or as oil containers (1 Sm 16:1).<\/p>\n<p>Although the sheep is very similar to the goat, it is differentiated by a lower forehead, its angulated spiral horns marked with transverse wrinkles and curved slightly outward, its covering of wool, and its lack of a “goatee.” Most sheep are white (Ps 147:16; Is 1:18; Dn 7:9; Rv 1:14).<\/p>\n<p>The flesh of sheep was a luxury in the biblical culture. King Solomon required a daily provision of 100 sheep for his table (1 Kgs 4:23), but the common people ate lamb or mutton only on festive occasions. A young ram was usually chosen because the ewes were more important to the future prospects of the herd. The meat was boiled in large caldrons. The milk of the sheep is extremely rich; in biblical times it was usually allowed to curdle before drinking. Possibly some Israelites kept lambs in their houses as pets (2 Sm 12:3-4).<\/p>\n<p>To protect the flock at night against predatory attacks, the shepherd tried to provide a fold. In meadows near villages, folds were built and watchmen were hired to relieve the shepherds. The shepherds of the nativity story were out in the field (Lk 2:8); they had no fold but probably had set up a tent for shelter, consisting simply of goat-hair blankets spread across sapling supports. The scarcity of springs in the Holy Land made the watering of the flock a crucial problem for the shepherd (Gn 13:8-11).<\/p>\n<p>Wild mountain sheep, varieties of <em>Ovis orientalis,<\/em> are known in the Mediterranean area (Dt 14:5). The Deuteronomy passage (<span>kjv<\/span> “chamois”) might also refer to <em>Ovis traelaphus,<\/em> a sheep about five feet high (1.5 meters) with long, curved horns. Another possibility is the Barbary sheep that lives in small flocks in rugged mountain areas in Barbary, Egypt, and Mt Sinai. The true chamois is unknown in Palestine.<\/p>\n<p>The sheep is also used figuratively in Scripture. The ram represented great strength and fittingly symbolized Medo-Persia in Daniel’s vision (Dn 8:3). It is the nature of sheep to be gentle and submissive (Is 53:7; Jer 11:19), defenseless (Mi 5:8; Mt 10:16), and in constant need of guidance and care (Nm 27:17; Mt 9:36). Such qualities are regarded as desirable in the lives of believers in Christ; hence the many figurative references to sheep in the NT and to Jesus as shepherd (Mk 6:34; Jn 10:1-30; Rom 8:35-37; Heb 13:20-21; 1 Pt 2:25). The resurrected Christ told the apostle Peter to “feed my lambs” and “tend my sheep” (Jn 21:15-17).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Offerings and Sacrifices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Snail\">Snail<\/p>\n<p>Invertebrate gastropods (mollusks). Land snails are very numerous in the Near East. Some freshwater forms serve as hosts for the schistosome worm, the fluke parasite causing the dread disease bilharzia (schistosomiasis).<\/p>\n<p>Purple dyes of all shades were highly valued in the ancient world. A royal purple dye was obtained from secretions of a sea snail <em>(Murex trunculus<\/em> and <em>Murex brandaris).<\/em> Evidently, that process was developed by Phoenicians, Egyptians, and Assyrians as early as 1500 <span>BC<\/span>. The “purple” fishermen had their own guild during the time of the Roman Empire. The snails were harvested during the fall and winter seasons; in the spring, when egg laying took place, little dye was available. The snails tended to remain concealed in the summer. They inhabited the waters off Crete and Phoenicia. Tyrian purple, produced in the Phoenician city of Tyre, the center of the purple-dye industry, was obtained by a double dyeing. Large deposits of murex shells from dyeing operations have been found along the Mediterranean shoreline. The Israelites had to import purple goods (Ez 27:16). Lydia was a “seller of purple” or of cloth so dyed (Acts 16:14). Purple was a sign of distinction, royalty, and wealth (cf. Ex 25:4; 28:5-6, 15; Nm 15:38; 2 Chr 2:7; Est 8:15; Prv 31:22; Sg 3:10; Ez 27:7; Dn 5:7).<\/p>\n<p>Exodus 30:34-35 refers to “onycha,” which was an important ingredient of incense. Onycha is the horny, clawlike operculum (the plate that closes off the opening of its shell when a snail is retracted) of a Near Eastern member of the molluskan family Strombidae. The operculum is sometimes used for offense or locomotion as well as for defense. When burned, the operculum gives off a sharp, strong scent, and when mixed with more fragrant but less powerful substances is even more potent. The name “onycha” is derived from a Greek word <em>(onyx)<\/em> for a fingernail or a claw.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Dye, Dyeing, Dyer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Snake\">Snake<\/p>\n<p>Various species of snake, suborder Ophidia (Serpentes). In the Bible nine Hebrew words and four Greek ones refer to snakes. The most common Hebrew word is onomatopoeic—that is, it is an imitation of a snake hissing or of the sound it produces as it scrapes its scales along the ground (cf. Jer 46:22). Many types of snakes lay eggs (Is 59:5), although some retain the eggs in the body until ready to hatch.<\/p>\n<p>Snakes are among the most widespread reptiles and are found on all continents except Antarctica; they decrease in numbers and species toward the poles but increase as one approaches the equator. Thirty-three species of snakes are known in Palestine and neighboring countries, 20 of which are poisonous. Two dangerous characteristics of the snake noted by biblical writers are its inconspicuous way of moving and the ease with which it hides itself.<\/p>\n<p>Many snakes are able to swallow animals several times their own diameter because of their unusually flexible jaw mechanism. They lack not only legs but also movable eyelids. Snakes periodically shed their skins. The tongue is actually a hearing apparatus sensitive to airborne vibrations and probably to heat waves.<\/p>\n<p>The venom of poisonous species is a clear, thin secretion, transmitted to the victim’s bloodstream by means of fangs. Two types of venom are known: that of the vipers, which affects respiration and disintegrates red blood cells, and that of the cobras, which paralyzes the nervous system.<\/p>\n<p>The “asp” referred to in the Bible is probably the cobra; the “adder” is the viper. The “cockatrice” (<span>kjv<\/span>) is probably the adder. Serpents were associated with worship in Canaanite religion and symbolized evil deities among many other peoples. Steles (upright stones bearing inscriptions) have been unearthed at several sites in the Holy Land and Syria depicting a god or worshiper with a snake winding about the legs or body. Because the Israelites were burning incense in pagan worship of Moses’ bronze serpent (Nm 21:8-9), King Hezekiah destroyed it in his religious reform (2 Kgs 18:4).<\/p>\n<p>Although snakes have been an object of veneration in some religions, in the Judeo-Christian tradition snakes represent evil and, more specifically, the devil. That association began in the Garden of Eden (Gn 3:1-15) and is also found in the book of Revelation (12:9; 20:2-3).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Adder (above); Asp (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Spider\">Spider<\/p>\n<p>Animal of the order Araneida. Between 600 and 700 different species inhabit the Holy Land. Spiders are different from insects in that, like scorpions, they have four pairs of legs instead of three. Spiders are equipped with poison glands—the effectiveness varying from species to species. A few can kill only insects, but others can also kill birds and mice.<\/p>\n<p>Most spiders have a pair of spinnerets attached to silk glands on the underside of the abdomen; from them a web is extruded. In the Bible the spider’s web is referred to as a symbol of frailty and insecurity (Jb 8:14; Is 59:5-6).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Sponge\">Sponge<\/p>\n<p>Simple marine animals, phylum Porifera. The term “sponge” also refers to those animals’ skeletal remains. The sponge has a porous body composed of tubules and cells.<\/p>\n<p>Sponge fishing was well known in the Mediterranean area in ancient times. It was practiced particularly along the Anatolian and Syrian coasts. Sponges were harvested by divers. The use of sponges in absorbing liquids is referred to in the Bible (Mt 27:48; Mk 15:36).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Unicorn\">Unicorn<\/p>\n<p><em>See<\/em> Wild Ox (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Wasp\">Wasp<\/p>\n<p>Insects of the family Vespidae. Hornets are social wasps that build large aerial apartment houses in which 1,000 or more individuals may live. In the Bible the hornet is used as a metaphor for God’s use of military forces (Ex 23:28; Dt 7:20; Jos 24:12).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Whale\">Whale<\/p>\n<p>Largest of all living creatures, including those that have become extinct. Whales are air-breathing mammals of the order Cetacea.<\/p>\n<p>Two varieties of whales visit the shores of the Holy Land at times. The finback whale <em>(Balaenoptera physalus)<\/em> weighs about 200 tons (181 metric tons) and lives mainly in the Arctic region but sometimes passes through the Straits of Gibraltar to reach the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It feeds on small marine organisms that it strains through its whale bone; it does not have teeth. The finback whale’s esophagus is narrow.<\/p>\n<p>The sperm whale <em>(Physeter catodon),<\/em> about 60 feet (18.3 meters) long, has a curiously shaped head that looks like a battering ram. The teeth in the lower jaw of the male sperm whale are about seven inches (17.8 centimeters) long. It feeds on big fish, even on sharks. It has a large throat opening.<\/p>\n<p>Whales are referred to in Genesis 1:21 and Job 7:12 (<span>kjv<\/span> only). The “great fish” of Jonah 2:1 need not have been a whale but could have been a large shark, such as the whale shark <em>(Rhineodon),<\/em> which grows 70 feet (21.3 meters) long and lacks the terrible teeth of other sharks. Whatever the actual marine organism, Jonah’s deliverance was miraculous. The Greek word for “whale” is sometimes used as a general term for “sea monster” or huge fish and may be used in that sense in Matthew 12:40.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"WildOx\">Wild Ox<\/p>\n<p>Large, fierce, fleet, intractable animal <em>(Bos primigenius).<\/em> It had a long, lean rump with a straight back and a long, narrow head. The animal described in Job 39:9-12 is clearly the wild ox. The two horns (Dt 33:17), its outstanding characteristic, were straight and as long as the head (Nm 23:22; 24:8; Ps 22:21). Kings often symbolized their dominion by wearing a helmet with two wild ox horns (cf. Pss 92:10; 132:17-18). The horns were often used as drinking vessels by the Israelites; some were large enough to hold four gallons (15 liters).<\/p>\n<p>Hunting the wild ox was a favorite sport of Assyrian kings. Tiglath-pileser I hunted it in the Lebanon Mountains about 1100 <span>BC<\/span> (cf. Ps 29:6). At one time the animal referred to in Job 39:9-12 was thought to be the oryx or antelope because of the similarity between the Hebrew word in Job and the Arabian name for oryx. The translators of the <span>kjv<\/span> called the wild ox a “unicorn” because of representations found on Babylonian mosaics and Egyptian drawings. Those representations showed it in strict profile, showing only one horn—hence, “unicorn.” Jerome’s Vulgate, a Latin Bible translation (fourth century <span>AD<\/span>) and Martin Luther’s German version translated it similarly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Wolf\">Wolf<\/p>\n<p>Large doglike mammal <em>(Canis lupus)<\/em> that travels in bands of up to 30 animals. From the nose to the rump, the wolf measures about 3 feet (.9 meter); its drooping tail is about 18 inches (.5 meter) long. It looks much like a skinny German shepherd dog. The grayish yellow pelt is coarse and short haired.<\/p>\n<p>Wolves hunt singly or in relays, usually at night (Jer 5:6). Wolves have acute hearing and sight but rely chiefly on scent and usually catch their prey in a swift, open chase. The wolf has a reputation for boldness, fierceness, and voracity (Gn 49:27; Hb 1:8). It commonly kills more than it can eat or drag away and thus is known for its greediness.<\/p>\n<p>The wolf is a restless animal, always on the move; hunger drives it from one place to another in constant search of new hunting grounds. During spring and fall, wolves usually roam singly or in pairs, whereas in summer they may travel in family groups. In winter, several such groups may join to form a large pack. Wolves are intelligent, social creatures, faithful to their own kind. They mate for life. Individually, the wolf is a rather timid animal; it would much rather avoid human beings. But collectively wolves can be among the most dangerous animals alive.<\/p>\n<p>In Egypt, Rome, and Greece the wolf was considered sacred. Wolves were well known in the Holy Land and are still found there and also in many places in Asia Minor. Shepherds continually battled with wolves that plundered their flocks (Jn 10:12).<\/p>\n<p>The Bible refers to wolves in a literal sense in only three places (Is 11:6; 65:25; Jn 10:12), all other references being figurative. Usually the wolf is a symbol of enemies or the wicked (e.g., Ez 22:27; Zep 3:3; Acts 20:29). Both the wolf’s courage and its cruelty were probably in the mind of the patriarch Jacob when he predicted the fate of Benjamin’s tribe (Gn 49:27).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Worm\">Worm<\/p>\n<p>Actually insect larvae in most biblical references, usually maggots, the larvae of flies (see Fly, above). For example, maggots are evidently referred to in accounts of worms feeding on spoiled manna (Ex 16:19-20), corpses (Jb 21:26; Is 14:11), or open wounds (Jb 7:5). Mark 9:48 refers to a maggot that eats dead flesh. In Acts 12:23 a fatal, worm-induced abdominal disease of King Herod is mentioned. In other cases, the reference is to the larvae of other insects (Is 51:8). In Deuteronomy 28:39 and Jonah 4:7 the vine weevil <em>(Cochylis ambiguella)<\/em> is probably referred to; it destroys vines by boring into their stems. Comparing a man to a worm is a metaphor for abasement (Jb 25:6; Ps 22:6).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>ANIMALS<\/h3>\n<p>In biblical usage, all members of the animal kingdom. Animals are mentioned throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Animals figured in many important biblical events, including the Creation, the fall of man, the Flood, the ten plagues in Egypt, the Hebrew worship system, and the life of Jesus Christ. The people of both OT and NT times lived close to the land and were well acquainted with various animals so that the scriptural writers and Jesus himself frequently used animals as object lessons.<\/p>\n<p>The biblical approach to classification of animals is somewhat different from the system of classification used by biologists today. The present system of classification, which traces back to Carolus Linnaeus (an 18th-century Swedish botanist), is based on structure, both internal and external. The biblical basis of classification is habitat. Thus Genesis 1 speaks of aquatic organisms (v 20); aerial organisms (v 21); animals that crawl on the ground (v 24); cattle or domesticated animals (animals that live in association with humans) (v 24); and wild animals (v 24). The same system of classification is followed in Leviticus 11 and throughout Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Because of the divergence between systems of classification, the various animals of the Bible will be listed here in alphabetical order—including reptiles, fish, and even invertebrates such as insects, spiders, worms, and sponges. Birds are discussed in a separate article.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Adder<\/p>\n<p>• Ant<\/p>\n<p>• Antelope<\/p>\n<p>• Ape<\/p>\n<p>• Asp<\/p>\n<p>• Ass<\/p>\n<p>• Badger<\/p>\n<p>• Bat<\/p>\n<p>• Bear<\/p>\n<p>• Bee<\/p>\n<p>• Behemoth<\/p>\n<p>• Camel<\/p>\n<p>• Caterpillar<\/p>\n<p>• Cattle<\/p>\n<p>• Chameleon<\/p>\n<p>• Coral<\/p>\n<p>• Cricket<\/p>\n<p>• Crocodile<\/p>\n<p>• Deer<\/p>\n<p>• Dog<\/p>\n<p>• Donkey<\/p>\n<p>• Dragon<\/p>\n<p>• Fish<\/p>\n<p>• Flea<\/p>\n<p>• Fly<\/p>\n<p>• Fox<\/p>\n<p>• Frog<\/p>\n<p>• Gazelle<\/p>\n<p>• Gecko<\/p>\n<p>• Gnat<\/p>\n<p>• Goat<\/p>\n<p>• Grasshopper<\/p>\n<p>• Hare<\/p>\n<p>• Hippopotamus<\/p>\n<p>• Horse<\/p>\n<p>• Hyena<\/p>\n<p>• Jackal<\/p>\n<p>• Leech<\/p>\n<p>• Leopard<\/p>\n<p>• Leviathan<\/p>\n<p>• Lion<\/p>\n<p>• Lizard<\/p>\n<p>• Locust<\/p>\n<p>• Mole<\/p>\n<p>• Moth<\/p>\n<p>• Mouse<\/p>\n<p>• Mule<\/p>\n<p>• Pig<\/p>\n<p>• Porcupine<\/p>\n<p>• Scorpion<\/p>\n<p>• Sheep<\/p>\n<p>• Snail<\/p>\n<p>• Snake<\/p>\n<p>• Spider<\/p>\n<p>• Sponge<\/p>\n<p>• Unicorn<\/p>\n<p>• Wasp<\/p>\n<p>• Whale<\/p>\n<p>• Wild Ox<\/p>\n<p>• Wolf<\/p>\n<p>• Worm<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Adder\">Adder<\/p>\n<p>One of the 20 poisonous snakes found in Israel and surrounding countries, also referred to as cockatrice and viper. True vipers (genus <em>Cerastes, Echis colorata,<\/em> and <em>Vipera palestina<\/em>) also exist there, poisonous snakes with curved fangs that spring into position when the snake strikes. The horned viper <em>(Cerastes hasselquistii)<\/em> may attack horses. It is 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 centimeters) long and often lies in ambush in the sand with only its eyes and the hornlike protrusions on its head visible.<\/p>\n<p>Both Jesus and John the Baptist referred to the viper several times (Mt 3:7; 12:34; 23:33). The reference in Acts 28:3 is probably to a small viper <em>(Vipera aspis)<\/em> that strikes rapidly and is very pugnacious. It is found in southern Europe and hisses each time it inhales and exhales. The poison of vipers attacks the respiratory system and disintegrates red blood cells.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Snake (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Ant\">Ant<\/p>\n<p>Mentioned only twice in the Bible, both times in the book of Proverbs. For many years Solomon was charged with a biological error when he referred to the ant as providing her meat in the summer and gathering her food in the harvest (Prv 6:8). Critics of the Bible were quick to point out that, so far as was then known, ants do not store up food. They assumed that Solomon had probably kicked open an ant hill and mistaken the pupal cases (pods in which immature ants grow to maturity) for grain or had observed ants carrying bits of grain, leaves, and other matter to their nests.<\/p>\n<p>At least three species of grain-storing ants are now known—two occur in Israel and the other in Mediterranean countries. The particular species referred to by Solomon (Prv 6:6-8; 30:24-25) is probably the harvester ant <em>(Messor semirufus).<\/em> Its granaries are flat chambers connected by galleries irregularly scattered over an area about six feet (1.8 meters) in diameter and about a foot (.3 meter) deep in the ground. Seeds are collected from the ground or picked from plants. The head, or radicle, which is the softest part of the kernel, is bitten off to prevent germination, and the chaff and empty capsules are discarded on kitchen middens (refuse piles) outside the nest. Individual granaries may be 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) in diameter and a half inch (1.2 centimeters) high. Some nests are known to be 40 feet (12 meters) in diameter and 6 to 7 feet (approx. 2 meters) deep with several entrances.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Antelope\">Antelope<\/p>\n<p>Several antelope-like creatures are referred to in the Scriptures. One seems to be the white oryx <em>(Oryx leucoryx),<\/em> referred to in Deuteronomy 14:5 (<span>kjv<\/span> “wild ox”; <span>rsv<\/span> “antelope”) and Isaiah 51:20 (<span>kjv<\/span> “wild bull”; <span>RSV <\/span>“antelope”). The oryx was probably the antelope, commonly used for food because its long horns made it relatively easy to catch.<\/p>\n<p>Another antelope mentioned in the Bible is the addax <em>(Addax nasomaculatus),<\/em> probably the “pygarg” of Deuteronomy 14:5 (<span>kjv<\/span>). It is a native of North Africa with grayish white hinder parts, a white patch on the forehead, and twisted and ringed horns. The word “pygarg” comes from a Greek word meaning “white rump.” The addax is about the size of a donkey. Its body is closely covered with short hair. It has a short mane on the underside of its neck that makes the head look somewhat like that of a goat. The hooves are broad and flat, and the tail resembles that of a donkey. It is common in Africa and in Arabia, where Arabs hunt it with falcons and dogs.<\/p>\n<p>Antelopes are very graceful and run with their heads held high. Both sexes have long, permanent, hollow horns. With the oryx the horns go straight back; addax horns are twisted and ringed. Antelope are alert, wary, and keen sighted. They are usually found in herds of from two to a dozen. If injured or brought to bay, an antelope attacks with its head lowered so that the sharp horns point forward. Antelopes feed on grasses and shrubs, drinking from streams and water holes. When water is scarce, they eat melons and succulent bulbs. Both addax and oryx were ceremonially clean in Jewish law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Ape\">Ape<\/p>\n<p>Primate not native to Palestine. The two references to apes in the OT (1 Kgs 10:22; 2 Chr 9:21) refer to their importation by King Solomon with other treasures on board the ships of his mercantile fleet. There is some question concerning the origin of those primates. Some believe that the mention of “ivory” in the same verses suggests they came from East Africa and that they were indeed apes, that is, tailless primates. Others, believing they came from India or Ceylon, suggest that they were actually monkeys. There the baboon (genus Papeio), a large monkey, was considered sacred to the god Thoth. Males of that genus were kept in temples, and the more docile females were often kept as house pets. Such baboons frequently had some of their teeth removed or ground down to lessen the danger of their biting. A number of mummified baboons have been found in Egypt, indicating the high regard in which they were held.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Asp\">Asp<\/p>\n<p>Poisonous snake. Most biblical references to the asp (Dt 32:33) seem to be to the Egyptian cobra <em>(Naja haje),<\/em> which conceals itself in holes, walls, and rocks and has the ability to expand its neck by raising its anterior ribs so as to enlarge the front of its breast into the shape of a flat disc. Its potent poison can cause death in 30 minutes. It attains a length of about 80 inches (2 meters). The fangs are permanently erect, not movable as in the vipers (the common poisonous snakes of North America; only the coral snake in America has permanently erect fangs). Cobra poison attacks the nervous system, causing muscular paralysis. The Egyptians looked upon it as a sacred creature; they regarded it as a protector since it fed on the rodents that ate their crops. The “fiery serpents” (Nm 21:6; Dt 8:15, both <span>rsv<\/span>) may have been cobras; “fiery” probably refers to the burning fever caused by their venom. Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6 (“flying serpent”) may refer to the hood of the cobra.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Snake (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Ass\">Ass<\/p>\n<p><em>See<\/em> Donkey (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Badger\">Badger<\/p>\n<p>Small hoofed mammal. What the <span>kjv<\/span> calls a “coney,” modern translations name “rock badger” (Lv 11:5; Dt 14:7; Ps 104:18; Prv 30:26). The rock badger spoken of in the Bible is probably the Syrian rock hyrax <em>(Hyrax syriaca),<\/em> the only species of hyrax found outside Africa. This small ungulate (having hooflike toenails) lives among rocks from the Dead Sea valley to Mt Hermon. It is strictly a herbivorous (plant-eating) animal about the size of a rabbit. It resembles a guinea pig more than a rabbit, having quite inconspicuous ears and a very small tail. It has broad nails with four toes on its forelegs and three on its hind legs, the toes being connected with skin almost like a web. Pads acting as sucking discs under its feet enable it to keep its footing on slippery rocks. With its yellow and brown fur, it is sometimes called the bear rat because of its resemblance to a tailless rat. It is also equipped with black whiskers that may be seven inches (17.8 centimeters) long.<\/p>\n<p>These rock badgers, or hyraxes, live together in colonies of from 6 to 50 animals, often sunning themselves on rocks. They are difficult to catch. Guards are posted, and if approaching danger is sighted, the whole group will scurry for cover, warned by the sharp whistles of the guards. Thus they are commended for taking refuge in the rocks (Ps 104:18) and are called wise for making “their houses in the rocks” (Prv 30:24, 26, <span>kjv<\/span>). The badger is not a ruminant (does not chew its cud), but the motion of its jaws may suggest that it chews its cud. That is probably why it was included with other cud-chewing animals in the Jewish food laws (Lv 11:5; Dt 14:7). It was forbidden to the Jews as food because it did not have cloven hooves. Some Arabs eat and even prize its meat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Bat\">Bat<\/p>\n<p>Flying mammals according to modern classification. They have hair and provide milk for their young. The Bible classifies them with other aerial creatures. Bats take shelter in caves, crevices, tree cavities, buildings, and also in exposed places on trees. In colder areas they hibernate or migrate. The normal resting position for a bat is hanging head downward. Bats “swim” through the air rather than fly because they move with their legs as well as with their wings.<\/p>\n<p>The bat’s thumb is free and terminates in a single hook claw used for climbing and hanging. The hind feet have five toes, all pointing the same way. The large chest accommodates the powerful muscles needed for flying. Because they orient themselves by echo location, the sense of hearing is very well developed.<\/p>\n<p>Most bats are insect eaters, seizing insects in flight. Many insectivorous bats also eat some fruit. Other bats feed exclusively, usually in groups, on fruit and green vegetation. Fruit-eating bats generally live in the tropics where fruit is constantly ripening, although some have been found in the Holy Land. These bats tend to be larger than the insectivores, having a wingspread of up to five feet (1.5 meters).<\/p>\n<p>A third group includes flower-eating bats that feed on pollen and nectar. These small bats with long pointed heads and long tongues are found only in tropical and semitropical regions. Three species of vampire bats, which do not occur in the Holy Land, eat blood by making a small incision and lapping it up. Carnivorous (meat-eating) bats prey on birds, lizards, and frogs. Fish-eating bats catch fish at or near the water surface.<\/p>\n<p>Eight varieties of bats are known in the Holy Land. One of them, the little brown bat (genus <em>Myotis<\/em>), is worldwide in its distribution. It is insectivorous and probably has the widest distribution of any nonhuman terrestrial mammal. Brown bats are mostly cave dwellers. The females form maternity colonies that may number in the tens of thousands.<\/p>\n<p>Two species of mouse-tailed bats (genus <em>Rhinopoma<\/em>) are found in the Holy Land. Their tails are nearly as long as the head and body combined. They are colonial, roosting in caves, rock clefts, wells, pyramids, palaces, and houses. Like the brown bat, they are insectivorous. The slit-faced or hollow-faced bats (genus <em>Nycteris<\/em>) are also found in the Holy Land. They are insectivorous and roost in groups from 6 to 20.<\/p>\n<p>The bats found in the Holy Land vary in size from that of a mouse to the size of a rat; the largest species measures more than 20 inches (51 centimeters) across the wings. The bat was unclean to the Jews (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Bear\">Bear<\/p>\n<p>Large, heavy, big-headed mammal with short, powerful limbs, a short tail, and small eyes and ears. Bears have a “plantigrade” walk: they walk on both the sole and heel as humans do. The Palestinian bear is a Syrian version of the brown bear <em>(Ursus arctos syriacus).<\/em> It can grow to a height of 6 feet (1.8 meters) and may weigh as much as 500 pounds (227 kilograms).<\/p>\n<p>Bears have an excellent sense of smell but less developed senses of sight and hearing. They are omnivorous (eating any kind of food); they subsist largely on vegetation, fruits, insects, and fish.<\/p>\n<p>Bears are usually peaceful and inoffensive, but if they think they must defend themselves (Lam 3:10) or their young (2 Sm 17:8; Prv 17:12; Hos 13:8), they may be formidable and dangerous adversaries. David boasted of his role as a bear killer (1 Sm 17:34-37). Since a blow from a bear’s paw can be fatal, David’s courage and strength as a young shepherd in running after a bear and wrenching one of his father’s sheep from its jaws were noteworthy.<\/p>\n<p>Some biblical passages seem to imply that bears attacked for no apparent reason (e.g., Prv 28:15; Am 5:19). At other times they were God’s instruments of punishment, as in the story of Elisha and the two she-bears (2 Kgs 2:24). The bear and the lion, often mentioned together in the Bible (1 Sm 17:37), were the two largest and strongest beasts of prey in the Holy Land. Thus they symbolized both strength and terror (Am 5:19).<\/p>\n<p>In biblical times bears seem to have roamed all over Palestine. Today they are found only in the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains, and even there they are rare.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Bee\">Bee<\/p>\n<p>One of two domesticated insects <em>(Apis mellifica),<\/em> the other being the silkworm. Bees gather nectar from flowers, transferring pollen from one flower to another in the process. It is believed that they convey the location of sources of nectar to other bees through a bee “dance,” which may indicate both distance and direction. Bees are sensitive to four colors: blue-green, yellow-green, blue-violet, and ultra-violet (invisible to humans).<\/p>\n<p>The wild bees of the Holy Land are especially noted for their ferocity in attack. Only the female “worker” bees sting people and animals, the virulence of their venom increasing in warm weather. A number of biblical passages allude to the irritable, vindictive nature of bees and to the painful stings they inflict (Dt 1:44; Ps 118:12; Is 7:18).<\/p>\n<p>One reference calls attention to the fact that in semidesert regions a dead animal’s carcass, stripped to the bone by jackals or vultures and dried in the sun, can provide wild bees an excellent place to start a new colony (Jgs 14:5-9).<\/p>\n<p>The Egyptians considered the bee sacred. In ancient Greece candles were made from beeswax. In the Holy Land, beekeeping was probably not practiced until the Hellenistic period (second century <span>BC<\/span>), although Ezekiel 27:17 suggests that it may have been practiced earlier. If domestic honey was not available to the Hebrews, wild honey certainly was, and travelers would be on the lookout for caches of honey in rocky clefts and other likely places. The Philistines and the Hittites practiced beekeeping in their cities.<\/p>\n<p>The Bible contains many references to bees and bee products. A bee swarm was a valuable asset, though the price of honey itself was low. Honey was sometimes eaten with the honeycomb (Sg 5:1). Honey also had uses other than food, e.g., in embalming.<\/p>\n<p>The land of Israel was described as a land flowing with milk and honey. Honey was a major source of sweetening in the ancient Near East—hence, its importance (cf. Jgs 14:8-9). Actually the Hebrew word for “honey” may include not only bee honey but also the sweet syrup extracted from such fruits as figs, dates, and grapes. Thus “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex 3:8, <span>rsv<\/span>) does not necessarily stand for a land of bees but for a land rich in sweetness.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Food and Food Preparation; Honey.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Behemoth\">Behemoth<\/p>\n<p><em>See<\/em> Hippopotamus (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Camel\">Camel<\/p>\n<p>Large beast of burden. Unintelligent, ill-natured, and quarrelsome, the camel <em>(Camelus dromedarius)<\/em> is nevertheless a blessing to people living in the desert and on its borders because it is especially adapted to that habitat. It has been called the ship of the desert. Having thick elastic pads of fibrous tissue on its feet, it can walk on hot desert sands. It can go without water for long periods and can subsist on vegetation growing on the saline soils. The camel’s nostrils are pinched together and can be closed at will to prevent penetration of sand during violent sandstorms.<\/p>\n<p>Camels are used for transporting both goods and people. A person riding a camel can cover from 60 to 75 miles (96.5 to 121 kilometers) in a day. A camel can carry a load weighing 600 pounds (272 kilograms) or more. Camels were used heavily in the spice trade (Gn 37:25) and traveled regularly in camel trains between Arabia, Egypt, and Assyria. They were also ridden in time of war (Jgs 6:5). A camel can even be hitched to a plow in areas where the land is cultivated.<\/p>\n<p>The hair shed by camels during the early spring is preserved and used in weaving cloth and making tents. As much as 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) of hair can be obtained from one camel. A rough cloak of camel’s hair, as worn by John the Baptist (Mt 3:4), is still worn by Bedouins today. A camel’s hair garment was also the sign of the prophetic office (Zec 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>Two varieties of camel occur within the one-humped species, the slow burden-bearing camel referred to in Genesis 37:25 and the fast dromedary of 1 Samuel 30:17. The dromedary can stand seven feet (2.1 meters) tall and measure as much as nine feet (2.7 meters) from the muzzle to the tip of the tail. With its three-chambered stomach, which can hold from 15 to 30 quarts (14.2 to 28.4 liters) of liquid, it can go for as long as 5 days during the summer or 25 days in winter without drinking. The camel’s hump is a reserve store of fat, making it possible for the animal to subsist on very little food during a desert journey.<\/p>\n<p>Another species of camel, the Bactrian camel <em>(Camelus bactrianus),<\/em> is also resident in the Holy Land. It has two humps. It is heavier, bigger, and has longer hair than the one-humped camel and is slower than the swift dromedary. Isaiah 21:7 may refer to the Bactrian camel; both kinds of camel are referred to in Esther 8:10 (<span>kjv<\/span>). Camels ranked in importance with sheep, cattle, and asses in OT times. A third of the 66 biblical references to the camel lists it with other animals.<\/p>\n<p>Camels are ruminants (cud-chewing mammals) but do not have cloven hooves. Thus, they were included in the list of unclean beasts, forbidden by the Israelites as food (Lv 11:4; Dt 14:7). They are eaten by Arabs, however, who also drink their milk (cf. Gn 32:15).<\/p>\n<p>Abraham had camels in Egypt (Gn 12:16). At first Job had 3,000 camels (Jb 1:3) and after his recovery, 6,000 (Jb 42:12). Although wide use of camels does not seem to have begun until shortly before 1000 <span>BC<\/span> (Jgs 6:5), Sumerian texts from the Old Babylonian period list camels and indicate that they had been domesticated. Camel bones and figurines have been found at various eastern archaeological sites dating from well before 1200 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Travel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Caterpillar\">Caterpillar<\/p>\n<p>Larval stage of insects characterized by complete metamorphosis. Such insects pass through four stages: egg, larva or caterpillar, pupa, and adult. Bees, flies, moths, and butterflies all pass through a larval or caterpillar stage.<\/p>\n<p>The word “caterpillar” occurs three times in the <span>nlt<\/span> (1 Kgs 8:37; 2 Chr 6:28; Ps 78:46). In the book of Joel that same Hebrew word is translated “locust” (1:4; 2:25, <span>nlt<\/span>). The locust and grasshopper to which the Hebrew word refers have an incomplete type of metamorphosis with only three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. The nymph is a miniature adult in which the wings are not fully developed, though their outline may be present. There are several nymph stages known as instars. The reference is to one of the last instars, in which the wing structures are still folded together and enclosed in a sac but are nevertheless clearly recognizable. That form of the insect is about an inch (2.5 centimeters) long.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Locust (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Cattle\">Cattle<\/p>\n<p>Domestic animals of the bovine species <em>(Bos primigenius).<\/em> The OT often emphasized the beauty of cattle. Egypt was rich in cattle, especially in the Nile River delta area (Goshen), where the Hebrews settled under Joseph.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars believe that milk rather than meat was the foremost consideration in the domestication of cattle and that in early civilizations meat supplies came chiefly from wild game. Cattle also supplied strong hides that supplanted wood in the manufacture of shields. Their dung was a source of fuel when wood was scarce (Ez 4:15). They were used as beasts of burden and for plowing. Development of wheeled transportation was associated more closely with cattle than with any other animal.<\/p>\n<p>The biblical term “cattle” often refers to all domesticated animals or livestock (Gn 1:24; 2:20; 7:23; 47:6, 16-17; Ex 9:3-7; Nm 3:41, 45). Occasionally, the term was used to refer to all large domestic animals (Nm 31:9; 32:26), although sometimes the word as used in the <span>kjv<\/span> refers only to sheep and goats (Gn 30:32, 39, 43; 31:8, 10; Is 7:25; 43:23).<\/p>\n<p>Probably several kinds of cattle were domesticated in the Holy Land. Small, short-legged, black or brown shorthorn cattle were found in the southern part of Judah; that type submitted easily to the yoke and was prominent in agricultural operations. Along the coast a larger variety was found, and the wild districts east of the Jordan River were populated with a breed of huge black cattle.<\/p>\n<p>Cattle breeding was widely practiced by the patriarchs (cf. Gn 32:15; Jb 21:10). Strict laws in Mesopotamia, as well as in Israel, penalized the owner of a bull that gored a man or other cattle (Ex 21:28-36). Bulls were sometimes employed figuratively as pictures of strength or violence (Dt 33:17; Pss 22:12; 68:30; Is 10:13). For breeding purposes one bull is normally adequate for about 30 cows, but many more were kept since bulls were widely used in Israel for sacrifices. They might be used as a general sacrifice (Lv 22:23; Nm 23:1) or for special sacrifices (Jgs 6:25; 1 Sm 1:24). Particular sacrifices were offered at the consecration of priests (Ex 29:1), consecration of an altar (Nm 7), purification of the Levites (Nm 8), sin offerings (Lv 16), day of the new moon (Nm 28:11-14), Passover (Nm 28:19), Feast of Weeks (Nm 28:27), Feast of Trumpets (Nm 29:1-2), Day of Atonement (Nm 29:7-9), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Nm 29:12-38). The Feast of Tabernacles required the largest number of bulls for burnt offerings of all the annual feasts, with a total of 71 being slaughtered during the course of eight days.<\/p>\n<p>Calves were sometimes referred to as “sons of the herd” in the original Hebrew (Gn 18:8; 1 Sm 6:7; 14:32). The calf, a symbol of peacefulness (Is 11:6), was also used figuratively to refer to the weak (Ps 68:30). A calf’s head decorated the back of Solomon’s throne (1 Kgs 10:19). Calves were sometimes fattened in stalls to keep them from running off weight in the field (Am 6:4; Mal 4:2; Lk 15:23) or were kept around the house; the witch of Endor kept a calf in her house that she killed and served to Saul and his men (1 Sm 28:24-25). Calves supplied veal (Gn 18:7), considered a delicacy by the wealthy; Amos referred to stall-fattened calves in a denunciation of luxurious and careless living (Am 6:4). Calves also supplied meat for all Saul’s armies at the great slaughter of the Philistines (1 Sm 14:32). The “fatted calf” served roasted or boiled was gourmet fare, suitable for the finest banquet (Gn 18:7; Mt 22:4; Lk 15:23).<\/p>\n<p>Cattle were subject to the law of firstlings (Ex 13:12). They were a mark of wealth (Gn 13:2) and were considered proper booty of war (Jos 8:2). Aaron, the first high priest, made a golden calf as a rival to the ark of the covenant (Ex 32; Dt 9:16, 21). Even though he represented the calf as an image of the invisible God, it was especially offensive because the calf was a fertility symbol related to Egyptian and Canaanite practices. Two calves were later made by Jeroboam I of Israel (930–909 <span>BC<\/span>) for his shrines at Bethel and Dan (1 Kgs 12:28-33). Hosea’s prophetic denunciations of calf worship were directed at those shrines (Hos 8:5-6; 13:2).<\/p>\n<p>An ox is an adult castrated bull. A steer is a young ox. Oxen were used to do work (Nm 7:3; Dt 22:10; 25:4), though for moving heavy objects, cows were typically favored over bulls because of their more docile nature. Oxen were also used as pack animals (1 Chr 12:40, although they did not have the endurance of the ass, camel, or mule. They usually fed on grass (Nm 22:4; Ps 106:20), but they also ate straw (Is 11:7) and salted fodder (Is 30:24) and could be kept in a stable (Lk 13:15). Oxen could not be offered as sacrifices because they had been castrated (Lv 22:24). They could be used for food but were rarely eaten. Possession of an ox and an ass was regarded as the bare minimum for existence in the ancient Palestinian agriculture economy (Jb 24:3; cf. Ex 20:17).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Agriculture; Food and Food Preparation; Offerings and Sacrifices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Chameleon\">Chameleon<\/p>\n<p>Lizard characterized by its ability to change color according to its surroundings <em>(Chameleon vulgaris).<\/em> To the Israelites the chameleon was ritually unclean (Lv 11:30). The Hebrew word for chameleon is derived from a word meaning “to pant.” A lizard’s lungs are very large, and in ancient times lizards were believed to live on air. A chameleon’s eyes move independently of each other; so at times one eye may be turned upward and the other downward. Chameleons live in trees and bushes, clinging to branches with their long tails.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Lizard (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Coral\">Coral<\/p>\n<p>Calcareous (lime-containing) skeletons of relatively simple marine organisms <em>(Corallium rubrum).<\/em> Red coral from the Mediterranean and Red Seas is widely used for jewelry and for medicinal purposes. While the animal is alive, the coral is green in color and shrublike in appearance, looking rather like an underwater plant since the coral animals are immobil. When the coral is removed from the water, it becomes hard and red in color.<\/p>\n<p>In ancient times coral was sometimes used as money, along with precious stones, pearls, and gold. Some believe the biblical reference in Lamentations 4:7 (<span>rsv<\/span>) is to pearls rather than to coral, but it is probable that the references in Job 28:18 and Ezekiel 27:16 are to the red coral (see <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Cricket\">Cricket<\/p>\n<p>Insect of the order Orthptera related to grasshoppers and locusts. According to Leviticus 11:22, the cricket was edible. The reference may be to one of the growth stages of the locust.<\/p>\n<p>The <span>kjv<\/span> translates the Hebrew word as “beetle.” Beetles are insects with chewing mouth parts and two pairs of wings, the fore pair being hard and sheathlike and the hind pair being membranous and folded under the fore pair. Some beetles are carnivorous, others are chiefly herbivorous. Some are aquatic, some produce a secretion that blisters the skin, some damage fabrics, some damage crops, and some feed on other insects that are harmful to humans. In ancient Egypt the beetle, or sacred scarab, was a symbol of the sun god Ra. Scarab seals and amulets were extremely popular in Egypt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Crocodile\">Crocodile<\/p>\n<p>Largest of all existing reptiles <em>(Crocodilus vulgaris),<\/em> attaining a length of well over 20 feet (6 meters). Crocodiles are characterized by large lizardlike bodies supported by short legs. The head terminates in a flattened snout armed with strong conical teeth, each of which is implanted in a distinct socket. New teeth growing from beneath continually replace those in use. The toes are webbed. The back and tail are protected by quadrangular horny shields of varying sizes arranged in regular rows and in contact with one another at the edges. The eyes are covered with movable lids that can be closed when the animal enters the water.<\/p>\n<p>The crocodile spends most of its time in the water where it feeds mainly on fish but also on aquatic birds and even small animals that come down to the water’s edge to drink. It is surprisingly fast and agile on dry land, even though its legs are so short that its belly and tail drag across the earth leaving a distinct path.<\/p>\n<p>Until the beginning of the 20th century, the crocodile was found in the marshes and small coastal rivers of western Palestine. A first-century Roman writer, Pliny, referred to a place in the Holy Land called Crocodeilopolis (“crocodile city”) to the south of Mt Carmel, and visitors to the Holy Land as late as the 19th century reported seeing crocodiles in that general region.<\/p>\n<p>The description of “Leviathan” in Job 41 seems to be based on the crocodile (thus the translation of the <span>nlt<\/span>). The “dragon” of Ezekiel 29:3, used figuratively of the Egyptian pharaoh, may be a reference to the crocodile.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Deer\">Deer<\/p>\n<p>Large ruminant (cud-chewing) animals. Only the males have antlers (branching horns). Deer antlers grow annually and are solid, in contrast to those of the antelope and the gazelle. Fully developed antlers are devoid of any covering of skin or horn and, for all practical purposes, may be regarded as a mass of dead bone carried for a certain time by the living animal.<\/p>\n<p>The end of the deer’s muzzle is naked in all species. The stomach is divided into a series of compartments, some of which are used to store partly chewed food. The food is later regurgitated, rechewed, and finally swallowed into a section of the stomach where true digestion takes place.<\/p>\n<p>Three species of deer were known in Palestine: the red deer <em>(Cervus elaphus),<\/em> the Persian fallow deer <em>(Dama mesopotamica),<\/em> and the roe deer <em>(Capreolus capreolus).<\/em> All are now extinct there. The last deer were hunted in the Holy Land in 1914. The red deer referred to in the Bible as “hart” (male), “stag” (male), or “hind” (female) stood about four feet (1.2 meters) high at the shoulder. It was gregarious (living in herds or flocks), each group remaining in a definite territory. Red deer grazed and browsed during the morning and late afternoon (Lam 1:6). The sexes remained in separate herds. The red deer was known for its leaping (Is 35:6) and sure-footedness in the mountains (Ps 18:33; Sg 2:8-9, 17; 8:14; Hb 3:19).<\/p>\n<p>The antlers of the Persian fallow deer (1 Kgs 4:23) were large, flattened, and palmated (shaped like an open palm with fingers extended), and its coat was a yellowbrown. It traveled in small groups, feeding mainly on grass in the morning and evening.<\/p>\n<p>The roe deer (Dt 14:5; 1 Kgs 4:23) was a small, graceful animal, dark reddish brown in summer and yellowish gray in winter. Its antlers were about a foot (30.5 centimeters) long and had three points. The roe deer preferred sparsely wooded valleys and the lower slopes of mountains, grazing in open grasslands. It usually associated in family groups made up of the doe and her offspring. They were shy, yet very curious. The roe deer barked like a dog when disturbed, and they were excellent swimmers.<\/p>\n<p>There is some question as to whether the roe deer is actually referred to in such passages as 1 Kings 4:23; references may be to the fallow deer, although that animal does not seem to have lived in the southern part of Palestine around the Sinai Desert because of its need for ample amounts of food and water. Fallow deer were found in northern Palestine.<\/p>\n<p>The hart (the male red deer) was listed among the clean beasts that Jewish law permitted as food (Dt 12:15, 22; 14:5), but deer were not listed among the animals appropriate for sacrifice. The hind (female red deer) normally gave birth to one calf at a time, though twins were born with some degree of regularity (Jb 39:1; Ps 29:9, <span>kjv<\/span>; Jer 14:5). The gestation period was about 40 weeks. When it was about to give birth, the hind looked for a secure hiding place, preferably in the dense undergrowth of the forest where it could find natural protection for the tiny calf. During the first few days after birth, the mother never went far from her young. The fawn was able to stand on its own legs a few hours after birth. The solicitous care by the hind for her calf during the first days of its life is hinted at in a touching way in Jeremiah 14:4-5, where only a severe drought is said to drive the hind from her calf. Job 39:1-4 describes the calving of the hinds. The hind illustrated grace and charm (Gn 49:21; Prv 5:19), and its dark, gentle eyes and graceful limbs were used to describe the beauty of a woman (Prv 5:18-19).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Dog\">Dog<\/p>\n<p>Probably the earliest domesticated animal <em>(Canis familiaris),<\/em> used very early in hunting. The modern dog is believed to have come from the Indian wolf <em>(Canis lupus pallipes).<\/em> The dogs of biblical times probably looked like a modern German shepherd, with short pointed ears, a pointed nose, and a long tail.<\/p>\n<p>The dog was generally looked down upon in biblical times (Prv 26:11; 2 Pt 2:22). The biblical writers did not share modern sentiments about dogs being man’s best friends. The dog was pictured as a scavenger, haunting streets and dumps (Ex 22:31; 1 Kgs 22:38; Mt 15:26; Lk 16:21). Human corpses could become the spoil of dogs (2 Kgs 9:35-36). In general, dogs served the same function as vultures and other birds of prey. Most of the 41 references in the Scriptures to dogs show strong disfavor. Dogs were considered cowardly, filthy creatures.<\/p>\n<p>Dogs used in hunting occur in paintings in Egyptian tombs, and there is a reference to dogs herding sheep in Job 30:1. One good quality of dogs highly esteemed by the Israelites was watchfulness (Is 56:10). In general, however, in biblical times “dog” was a term of contempt (1 Sm 17:43; 2 Sm 16:9) and was used of overly submissive persons (2 Sm 9:8; 2 Kgs 8:13) and of evil persons (Is 56:10-11; Mt 7:6; Phil 3:2; Rv 22:15).<\/p>\n<p>Dogs, like pigs, were voracious and omnivorous (eating any kind of food). In response to a Gentile woman’s request that he heal her daughter, Jesus used the metaphor of throwing household food scraps to dogs (Mt 15:22-28; Mk 7:25-30). At the time of Jesus, the word “dog” was a standard Jewish term of contempt for Gentiles who, like dogs, were considered unclean, although the diminutive form of the word, used by Jesus, softened this considerably. Seeing her faith, Jesus granted the woman’s request, giving a non-Jew some of “the children’s bread.”<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Donkey\">Donkey<\/p>\n<p>Beast of burden. The donkey of the Holy Land <em>(Equus asinus)<\/em> was quite different from the European donkey of today, which is usually a small, stubborn animal. In biblical times the donkey was a beautiful, stately, friendly animal. Its color was usually reddish brown. Three wild races have been described, all from Africa. The race from northwest Africa is extinct; the one from northeast Africa, if not extinct, is close to extinction; the Somalian race, which survives, did not play an important part in domestication. The northeast African race, the Nubian donkey, was evidently domesticated in the Nile River region in early historic times. The donkey was used as a mount from the time of domestication on. It is first mentioned in the Bible among the animals that Abraham acquired in Egypt (Gn 12:16). The donkey was primarily a beast of burden, driven but not bridled. From the time of the Middle Kingdom on (c. 2040 <span>BC<\/span>), it was used for riding in Egypt, but only the Jews and Nubians rode donkeys regularly. The donkey was also used for threshing grain and for pulling the plow. In Arab countries today peasants plow with a donkey and a cow or camel hitched together. In Israel the law forbade plowing with a donkey and an ox hitched together (Dt 22:10). Until the time of Solomon (960 <span>BC<\/span>), horses were not used in Palestine. From that time on, the horse was ridden by warriors; the donkey was used by those who were traveling peaceably.<\/p>\n<p>The donkey was held in high regard by the Jews and was considered an economic asset. An individual had to have a donkey for minimum existence (Jb 24:3), and wealth was frequently counted by the number of donkeys one possessed (Gn 12:16; 24:35). The donkey was considered an acceptable gift (Gn 32:13-15). It was allowed to rest on the Sabbath (Dt 5:14). Women in biblical times often used the donkey as a riding animal (Jos 15:18; 1 Sm 25:23; 2 Kgs 4:24); often a special driver would help a woman guide the animal, running along at its side. If a married couple possessed only one donkey, the husband usually walked alongside while the wife rode (Ex 4:20).<\/p>\n<p>The people of Israel returning from Babylon had ten times as many donkeys as horses and camels (Ezr 2:66-67; Neh 7:68-69). Job’s wealth was indicated by the fact that he had 500 she-donkeys before catastrophe hit him (Jb 1:3); after his recovery he had 1,000 donkeys (Jb 42:12). Joseph’s brothers used donkeys to transport the grain they purchased in Egypt (Gn 42:26; 43:24). Abigail transported food on donkeys to David and his troops during their conflict with Saul (1 Sm 25:18). David assigned one of the 12 managers of his royal estates to look after his donkeys exclusively (1 Chr 27:30).<\/p>\n<p>The onager, or Syrian wild donkey <em>(Equus hemionus hemihippus)<\/em>, is an intermediate between the true horse and the true donkey. Its ears are longer than those of a horse but shorter than those of a donkey. The front hooves are narrow; there are chestnuts (callouslike spots on the inside of the knees) on the front legs only, and the tail is short haired for a long distance from its root so that it appears to be tufted.<\/p>\n<p>The Sumerians (ancient Mesopotamians) were able to domesticate the onager, which was eventually replaced by the horse. It was used to draw chariots in Ur; a number of onagers were buried with their vehicles in a royal grave that dates from about 2500 <span>BC<\/span>. Later the wild onager was a favorite hunter’s prize for Babylonian and Assyrian kings.<\/p>\n<p>The onager was very common in the steppe lands near Israel, where it was described as a freedom-loving desert animal (Jb 24:5; 39:5-8; Ps 104:11; Is 32:14; Jer 2:24; Hos 8:9). Ishmael was described as “free and untamed as a wild donkey” (Gn 16:12, <span>nlt<\/span>)—that is, one who could not adjust to domestic life. Drought seems to have been responsible for the population decline of the onager in biblical times (Jer 14:6). The modern onager <em>(Equus hemionus onager)<\/em> is slightly larger than the Syrian wild donkey that is extinct.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Travel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Dragon\">Dragon<\/p>\n<p>Any one of a number of monstrous land and sea creatures. In biblical usage, “dragon” does not refer to the huge, fire-breathing, winged reptile of European folklore. The translators of the <span>kjv<\/span> used the term to translate two Hebrew words that are usually rendered more precisely in modern translations. One word referred to desert animals; most scholars agree with the <span>niv<\/span> that “jackals” is its proper meaning (Ps 44:19; Is 13:22; Jer 9:11; Mal 1:3). <em>See<\/em> Jackal (below).<\/p>\n<p>The other Hebrew word translated “dragon” is harder to define. It was frequently used in reference to serpents (so translated in the <span>rsv<\/span>: Ex 7:9-12; Dt 32:33; Ps 91:13). In other <span>rsv<\/span> passages it is translated “sea monster” (Gn 1:21; Jb 7:12; Ps 148:7). The exact identity of such sea monsters is not known. Several <span>rsv<\/span> passages retain the English “dragon.” In two of them (Ps 74:13; Is 27:1), the context indicates that sea monsters are meant. In three others (Is 51:9; Ez 29:3; 32:2) “dragon” seems to refer to the crocodile, a figurative reference to the Egyptian pharaoh at the time of the exodus. Jeremiah 51:34 (translated “monster” in the <span>rsv<\/span>) may also refer to a voracious creature such as a crocodile. <em>See<\/em> Crocodile (above).<\/p>\n<p>Babylonian myths described monsters and dragons in primordial conflict with the god Marduk; they represented the principle of evil. In its figurative usages in Scripture, “dragon” has a similar significance, especially in the prophetic books. In the book of Revelation it is a symbol of Satan, the archenemy of God and his people (Rv 12:3-17; 13:2, 4, 11; 16:13; 20:2).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Fish\">Fish<\/p>\n<p>Aquatic animals frequently mentioned in the Bible without names or descriptions that enable us to identify the particular species. Since time immemorial, fish have constituted one of the staple foods of humanity, and they still serve as the chief source of protein in many parts of the world. The trade in fish was highly developed in biblical times. For example, one of the gates in Jerusalem was called the Fish Gate (Neh 3:3; Zep 1:10). The law in Leviticus 11:9-12 permitted the Jews to eat fish, but only those having both fins and scales. Scaleless fish such as catfish were forbidden, even though they had fins.<\/p>\n<p>Egyptian paintings depict various methods of fishing, and the Philistines fished in the Mediterranean Sea. Since the people of Israel were not a seafaring nation, it is safe to assume that most of their fish came from freshwater lakes and rivers, especially the Sea of Galilee. Some 36 species of fish have been identified in that lake, including varieties of perch, carp, barbel, “sardine,” and catfish.<\/p>\n<p>The method of fishing characteristic of NT times was the dragnet. After a boat had put out into the deep (Lk 5:4), a large net would be thrown out from it and then dragged toward shore by the rowers in the boat, possibly with the help of a crew in another boat. The catch was sorted out on shore (Mt 13:47-48). Fishing was usually carried out at night when the coolness of the water brought fish closer to the surface and when they could not see the approaching nets.<\/p>\n<p>The Jews also fished by hook and line (Mt 17:27), a few by spear (Jb 41:7), and some by the throw net (Ez 47:10). Habakkuk refers to hook-and-line fishing, netting, and seining (1:15).<\/p>\n<p>Very early in the history of the Christian church the fish became a symbol for Christ and the faith. It was scratched on the walls of Roman catacombs and may be seen today decorating walls, altars, pews, and vestments. The symbol came into use because the Greek word for “fish” <em>(<\/em><span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">ichthus<\/span><em>)<\/em> is composed of the first letter of each word in the Greek phrase “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.” <em>See<\/em> Whale (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Flea\">Flea<\/p>\n<p>Tiny, irritating insect (1 Sm 24:14; 26:20, <span>nlt<\/span>). Many species of fleas occur in Palestine, the most common being <em>Pulex irritans.<\/em> About a thousand species are known around the world. Fleas are wingless parasites that have sharp jaws and suck out blood from the bodies of humans and animals. The body is wedge shaped, enabling the flea to burrow into folds of skin and hide there. The eggs, laid by the female in dust heaps in the corners of rooms, hatch into small, white larvae that pupate (a nonfeeding stage) in a cocoon. Soon adult fleas appear that immediately attach themselves to the body of a host. The female requires blood for the development of her eggs.<\/p>\n<p>A flea bite is painful and causes some swelling and itching. Fleas are attracted by warmth. With favorable moisture and temperature, adult fleas can live a year or longer without food, but they are voracious feeders. The most dangerous fleas are those of the rat that transmit the organism responsible for bubonic plague. There were 41 recorded epidemics of bubonic plague before the Christian era.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Fly\">Fly<\/p>\n<p>Insects of the order Diptera, which have one pair of wings. Many winged insects of other orders, however, are also called flies, such as the dragonfly or butterfly.<\/p>\n<p>As in almost all parts of the world, flies are abundant in Palestine. One of the most numerous is the common housefly <em>(Musca domestica),<\/em> found chiefly around dung heaps and garbage. The female lays her eggs, out of which emerge white maggots that feed on refuse. After a few days the maggot develops into a cocoon out of which emerges the adult housefly. In the summer the whole cycle lasts about 12 days, so that a fly can breed about 20 generations a year.<\/p>\n<p>Another fly common to Palestine is the botfly (family Oestridae). It causes much discomfort among livestock by irritating them and spreading diseases. Tabanid flies (family Tabanidae), including the horsefly (genus <em>Tabanus<\/em>) and related species, are also found in Palestine. Both the botfly and horsefly are known as gadflies because of the persistent distress they inflict. Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar is spoken of as a gadfly in view of his invasion of Egypt (Jer 46:20).<\/p>\n<p>The fourth plague in Egypt just before the exodus featured “swarms of flies” (Ex 8:21-31, <span>nlt<\/span>; cf. Pss 78:45; 105:31). Those swarms may have been made up of any or all the flies mentioned above. The maggots mentioned in Job 25:6 and Isaiah 14:11 and the worms in Exodus 16:24 and Job 7:5 and 17:14 were probably fly larvae.<\/p>\n<p>A proverb quoted in Ecclesiastes 10:1 probably refers to the housefly, which would be attracted to an open, perfumed ointment bottle. Once inside it would drown and eventually decay, causing the ointment to spoil and stink. The fly is also referred to in Isaiah 7:18 where it symbolizes Egypt. Isaiah may have had in mind a horsefly <em>(Tabanus arenivagus)<\/em> that attacks both humans and animals.<\/p>\n<p>Philistine inhabitants of the city of Ekron worshiped a god named Baal-zebul, meaning “Lord of the high places.” The Hebrews mockingly spoke of Baal-zebub, meaning “Lord of the flies” (2 Kgs 1:2). The NT form is Beelzebub (e.g., Mt 10:25; 12:24, 27).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Fox\">Fox<\/p>\n<p>Small, doglike carnivore with a bushy tail that is about half its body length. The red fox of the Holy Land <em>(Vulpes palaetinae)<\/em> is similar to the North American red fox; it is smaller than a wolf and is normally a nocturnal solitary animal. The omnivorous fox eats almost any kind of food—fruits, plants, mice, beetles, and birds—but seldom touches carrion. It loves the sweet juice of grapes, but it also burrows underground tunnels that can destroy the vines (Sg 2:15). The fox is intelligent and known for its slyness (Lk 13:32). It has considerable endurance and can run at speeds up to 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour. The Jews rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall were taunted by the wisecrack that even a fox jumping on their wall would knock it over (Neh 4:3).<\/p>\n<p>The Egyptian fox <em>(Vulpes niloticus)<\/em> is found in the central and southern parts of the Holy Land. It is somewhat smaller than the common red fox. Its back is rust colored and its belly light. The Syrian fox <em>(Vulpes flavescens)<\/em> that lives in the northern part of the Holy Land is shiny gold in color.<\/p>\n<p>Some OT references such as Psalm 63:10 and Lamentations 5:18 are translated “fox” in the <span>kjv<\/span> but probably refer to jackals. Jackals, not foxes, hunt in packs and tend to act as scavengers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Frog\">Frog<\/p>\n<p>Amphibian (genus <em>Rana<\/em>), living part of its life in the water and part on land.<\/p>\n<p>Frogs and toads are covered with soft, hairless skin and lack a tail in the adult stage. The hind legs are much longer and more powerfully developed than the forelegs so that the animals are able to jump large distances. It has been suggested that the frog referred to in Scripture is an edible one, <em>Rana ridibunda,<\/em> one of the aquatic frogs found in Egypt and in the stagnant waters of the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>The female frog lays her eggs in the water; after about a week the eggs hatch into tadpoles. Gradually through metamorphosis the tail is lost and limbs are acquired. Frogs must maintain a moist skin since they take oxygen through the skin as well as through their lungs; thus they must always remain close to water. They feed on insects and worms.<\/p>\n<p>Frogs are found throughout the Palestinian lowlands, where their croaking is heard in the spring and on summer evenings. The Israelites seem to have associated frogs primarily with sliminess and foulness. They fell into the category of creeping or swarming creatures, which in general were ritually unclean (Lv 11:29-31). Since the frog was not specifically listed, however, rabbis did not consider it one of the animals that defiled human beings through contact.<\/p>\n<p>In Revelation 16:13 certain foul spirits are said to look like frogs. The ancient Egyptians made the frog a symbol of life and birth and an image of Heqet, the patron goddess of birth. She is depicted with a frog’s head giving life to the newborn. Thus that deity was discredited when the power of God afflicted Egypt in the second of the ten plagues on the Egyptians with the very animal that was her symbol (Ex 8:1-14; Pss 78:45; 105:30). The frog in question may have been the spotted frog of Egypt <em>(Rana punctata,<\/em> or <em>Rana ridibunda).<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Plagues upon Egypt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Gazelle\">Gazelle<\/p>\n<p>Small, dainty, graceful antelope with hollow recurved horns on both sexes. Two varieties exist in the Holy Land, the dorcas gazelle <em>(Gazella dorcas),<\/em> which is pale fawn in color and up to 22 inches (56 centimeters) tall, and the Arabian gazelle <em>(Gazella arabica),<\/em> which is a dark smoky color and up to 25 inches (63.5 centimeters) tall.<\/p>\n<p>Gazelles are still quite common throughout the desert and steppe areas of the Holy Land, especially in the Negev Desert. Herds usually consist of from 5 to 10 animals, but some varieties assemble in large migratory herds in the fall to relocate to lower elevations and new feeding grounds. Gazelles are herbivorous (plant eating). They are very shy and post guards to warn the herd of approaching danger.<\/p>\n<p>In biblical times the gazelle was probably the game animal most hunted by the Jews (Prv 6:5; Is 13:14). Pharaoh Tutankhamen hunted gazelles and ostriches. The gazelle is said to have graced Solomon’s table (1 Kgs 4:23). Gazelles were not easy to catch because of their great speed (2 Sm 2:18; 1 Chr 12:8; Prv 6:5); they surpass the deer in swiftness. They were trapped in various ways—encircled with nets, driven into enclosures with pitfalls, or forced into narrow valleys and shot with arrows. The Bedouin hunt gazelle with falcons and dogs; the falcon annoys the gazelle, striking it on the head and injuring it so that the dogs can overtake it.<\/p>\n<p>The gazelle is referred to in Song of Songs 2:9, 17; 4:5; 7:3; 8:14, where it is an image of feminine beauty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Gecko\">Gecko<\/p>\n<p>Reptile of the family Gekkonidae, referred to in Leviticus 11:30. In Jewish food law it was a ritually unclean lizard. There are seven species of geckos in the Holy Land (including <em>Hemidactylus turcicus<\/em> and <em>Ptyodactylus hasselquistii,<\/em> all insectivorous—insect eating). The gecko makes a low mourning sound by vibrating its tongue rapidly against the roof of its mouth. In legend the gecko was said to cause leprosy by crawling across a person’s body.<\/p>\n<p>Another name for the gecko is the wall lizard, so named because it can walk upside down on ceilings with the aid of the suction discs on its toes—but it often plops down into the middle of the home. Since it was considered unclean, such an intrusion would have been a disgusting nuisance to Jewish households (Lv 11:31-38).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Lizard (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Gnat\">Gnat<\/p>\n<p>Any very small fly, in common and biblical usage. According to the <span>nlt<\/span>, the third plague in Egypt before the exodus consisted of gnats (Ex 8:16-18; Ps 105:31). The <span>kjv<\/span> translates the Hebrew word there as “lice,” but the breeding pattern described in Exodus 8—insects rising from the dust—seems to fit gnats better than lice. Since “gnat” is a general term, the small flies of that plague may have included several small species such as mosquitos, harvester gnats, midges, or sand flies.<\/p>\n<p>The sand fly inflicts a far more painful bite than the mosquito. Further, it does not betray itself by a buzzing noise in flight and is so small that it penetrates most mosquito netting.<\/p>\n<p>Gnats were drawn to wine while it was fermenting. The Pharisees in particular would strain their wine to avoid consuming unclean insects (Mt 23:24).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Goat\">Goat<\/p>\n<p>Cloven-hooved mammals (genus <em>Capra<\/em>) with large eyes and big, floppy ears that constantly twitch. Both males and females have backward arching horns. The Palestinian goat is a ruminant (cud-chewing animal) of lighter build than the sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The goat was probably the earliest ruminant to be domesticated. Its wild ancestor seems to have been the Gezoar goat <em>(Capra aegagrus).<\/em> Wild goats are believed to have been domesticated very early in Palestine. The goat of Bible times was probably the Syrian or Mamber variety <em>(Capra hircus mambrica).<\/em> Domesticated goats may have as many as four kids in a litter, whereas wild goats bear only one or two.<\/p>\n<p>The Palestinian goat was commonly black. Speckled and spotted goats were a rarity, and for that reason Jacob’s request for those goats in Genesis 30:32 appeared very modest. There may also have been red goats (cf. 1 Sm 16:12; 19:13, where goat’s hair was used to imitate David’s hair, which was “ruddy” or auburn).<\/p>\n<p>Almost every part of the goat was used by the Israelites. The whole goat was used for sacrifice. Its flesh served as meat (Lv 7:23; Dt 14:4), and it was the principal source of milk (Prv 27:27). Goats were sheared in the late spring, and the goat hair was used for weaving tent cloth and for various domestic purposes (Ex 36:14; 1 Sm 19:13, 16). The tabernacle at Mt Sinai was made of goat’s hair blankets (Ex 26:7).<\/p>\n<p>Adult male goats were generally not eaten because of their strong flavor and toughness and also because they were necessary to insure the flock’s increase. Young kids, however, were usually the chief meat for a feast and were offered to visitors as a symbol of hospitality. Goat milk is richer than the milk of cows and sheep and evidently had broader uses. A good goat gives three quarts of milk a day, from which a rich butter and buttermilk can be made. The average Hebrew family could have lived almost entirely on a single goat’s production.<\/p>\n<p>Goatskin was tanned as leather, and the whole hide was turned into a skin bottle by sewing shut leg and neck apertures (Gn 21:14; Jos 9:4). Goatskin had many uses, including the construction of Hebrew musical instruments. The nebal, a large harp, was made with goatskin for its base sound. Drums had goatskin coverings.<\/p>\n<p>Goats were herded with sheep in biblical times, but each group remained separate following its own bell-laden leader. Jesus was evidently referring to their common herding in his description of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46).<\/p>\n<p>Because of their wool, sheep are valued more than goats. However, where pasture and water are scarce and thorny shrubs dominate over grass, sheep are difficult to keep and goats become important. They can live under conditions that suit neither cows nor sheep, producing large quantities of milk. The goat does not supply fat as the sheep does, and since its hair is coarse its wool is rather scarce. Goat-hair cloth called cilicium was used to make tents.<\/p>\n<p>Goats have voracious appetites. They also were responsible for much damage done to the land of Palestine, breaking down terraces, destroying forests, and bringing about soil erosion by eating off all cover.<\/p>\n<p>The goat was recognized as a form of wealth, subject to the law of firstlings (Nm 18:17). It had to be eight days old before it could be offered as a sacrifice. A year-old male goat was one of the animals offered at the Passover (28:22), and two goats were offered on the Day of Atonement (Lv 16:7-10). The goat was also used for other specific sacrifices.<\/p>\n<p>The ibex, a type of wild goat <em>(Capra ibex nubiana),<\/em> still lives in small numbers on the cliffs close to the Dead Sea. That it was known in ancient times is evident from rock carvings. It is distinguished from the true wild goat by having a more compact rump and horns that are slender and curved back. Its slender legs and sharp cloven hooves enable it to cling to narrow rock ledges, to jump between them, and to climb steep cliffs.<\/p>\n<p>Usually the ibex is found in rugged mountain country among rocky crags and meadows just below the snow line (Ps 104:18). In Job 39:1 they are referred to as “mountain goats.” They frequently gather in herds of 5 to 20. They graze and browse, being active in the afternoon and sometimes feeding through the night. The large horn of the ibex was at one period made into the shofar that was blown in the second Jerusalem temple to announce the new year and the jubilee year.<\/p>\n<p>The goat was often used in a figurative and symbolic sense by the writers of the Bible: in Song of Songs 4:1 and 6:5 for the bride’s black hair; in Matthew 25:31-46 for the wicked; and in Ezekiel 34:17 and Daniel 8:5-8 for various human leaders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Grasshopper\">Grasshopper<\/p>\n<p>Large insects of the Orthoptera order. They have chewing or biting mouth parts and two pairs of wings, the front pair of which is narrow and somewhat thickened and the hind pair membranous and used for flying. When not in use the flight wings are folded beneath the protective front wings like a fan against the body. By rubbing their wings together, male grasshoppers produce sounds that both males and females can detect. Grasshoppers pass through a partial metamorphosis; the egg hatches into a juvenile nymph that looks like an adult except for its smaller size and undeveloped wings. After several months the nymph becomes a winged adult.<\/p>\n<p>The terms “grasshopper” and “locust” are often used interchangeably. Actually the locust is a kind of grasshopper. Also confusing is the fact that other insects such as cicadas are sometimes called locusts. The difference between grasshoppers and locusts depends more on behavior than appearance. Grasshoppers are individual insects that lead solitary lives and do not migrate. The same insects when migrating in a swarm are called migratory grasshoppers or locusts. Elimination of their food supply by drought, flood, or fire may lead to migration. Climatic factors such as a warm dry winter also stimulate migrations.<\/p>\n<p>Grasshoppers and locusts have been a staple food in the Middle East and also among the Indians of the American Southwest. To the Israelites the grasshopper was considered ritually clean and could be eaten (Lv 11:22).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Locust (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Hare\">Hare<\/p>\n<p>Animal of the genus and species <em>Lepus europaeus judaeus, Lepus capensis,<\/em> and <em>Lepus arabicus.<\/em> It is found in open country, often near or on cultivated lands, and in woods, usually deciduous rather than evergreen. It is an herbivorous rodent and is different from the rabbit, which is not found in Palestine. Although it is not a true ruminant according to modern classification (because it does not have a four-chambered stomach), the hare does rechew its food. It has a process of partial regurgitation of material too hard for the cells in the stomach to absorb initially; thus, the hare actually chews food previously swallowed.<\/p>\n<p>Near Eastern hares have very long ears and large hind feet; their feet are well furred. They are similar to American jackrabbits, which are true hares. Hares do not dig or occupy burrows the way rabbits do. Hares are mainly nocturnal and spend their inactive hours hiding in vegetation. They eat grasses and herbaceous matter as well as twigs and young bark of woody plants. Hares breed with great rapidity—the young attaining sexual maturity at six months after birth.<\/p>\n<p>The hare was ceremonially unclean (Lv 11:6; Dt 14:7), evidently because although it appeared to chew its cud, it did not have cloven hooves. Consumption of hares has also been forbidden among the Arabs, Chinese, and Lapps, but the hare was widely hunted by other people in ancient and modern times. Its great speed, prolific breeding, timidity, and caution have saved it from extermination by its many enemies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Hippopotamus\">Hippopotamus<\/p>\n<p>Large beast of problematic interpretation. Some early interpreters thought it referred to the elephant, others to the wild ox, the mammoth, or any large animal. It was called “behemoth” by the <span>kjv<\/span> translators. Today it is generally agreed that the reference is to the hippopotamus <em>(Hippopotamus amphibius),<\/em> a large, thick-skinned, amphibious mammal, an ungulate (having hooflike toenails) with a large head, a bulky, hairless body, and short legs.<\/p>\n<p>The description in Job 40:15-24 fits closely the modern hippopotamus (see <span>nlt<\/span>), except for the depiction of the tail. At present the hippopotamus is found only in the rivers of Africa, but there is fossil evidence that it has existed in the Holy Land, perhaps in the swamps of northern Galilee and the Jordan Valley.<\/p>\n<p>The hippopotamus has highly developed sense organs, placed in such a way that it can see, hear, and smell almost without being seen; its eyes, ears, and nostrils can reach above water while the rest of the animal lies submerged. It has a large mouth, large tusks, and a short, heavy throat. The strong legs are so short that the belly almost reaches the ground when the animal is on the land. The hippopotamus lives on plants and herbs growing in rivers, but if food is scarce there, it forages on land, usually at night. In spite of its heavy body it is surprisingly agile on land.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Horse\">Horse<\/p>\n<p>Przewalski’s horse (<em>Equus przewalskii,<\/em> an eastern race that roamed about Mongolia until modern firearms destroyed most of them after World War I) and the tarpan (a western race of southern Russia that became extinct in the Ukraine in 1851). The domesticated horse <em>(Equus caballus)<\/em> seems to have been derived from the tarpan. The original site of domestication is believed to have been Turkestan, a region north of Afghanistan and India, now in Russia. The horse differs from the donkey in that it has shorter ears, a longer mane with a forelock, a long hairy tail, and a soft, sensitive muzzle.<\/p>\n<p>Horses were used in war not only for riding but also for pulling the heavy, springless war chariots. Two kinds of horses were needed for these different purposes, and the Hebrews distinguished between chariot horses and cavalry horses.<\/p>\n\n<p>The Lord warned the early Israelites against unnecessarily amassing military strength in the form of horses and thereby following the oppressive tactics of the powerful Egyptians (Dt 17:14-16), but the demands of war caused both David and Solomon to import horses from Egypt into their kingdoms and to breed them. Solomon greatly increased the number of horses in the Jewish kingdom and maintained large stables at various cities (1 Kgs 10:26) such as the regional defense centers of Megiddo, Hazor, and Gezer (1 Kgs 9:15-19). Ahab’s horses are mentioned in 1 Kings 18:5, and records of Shalmaneser III state that Ahab furnished 2,000 chariots to a coalition against Assyria.<\/p>\n<p>In early Israel, the horse was opposed as a symbol of pagan luxury and of dependence on physical power for defense (Dt 17:16; 1 Sm 8:11; Ps 20:7; Is 31:1). Horse trading, mentioned as early as Genesis 47:17, was carried on by Solomon between Egypt and the Syro-Hittite principalities (1 Kgs 10:28-29). Most biblical references to horses refer to their use in war, but horses were also used for transportation. Riding seems to have been less popular than the use of chariots. Cavalry units were not introduced until the 12th century <span>BC<\/span> by the Medes. Joseph rode in Pharaoh’s second horse-drawn chariot (Gn 41:43), and Absalom made a display by riding a horse-drawn chariot (2 Sm 15:1). Naaman traveled by horse and chariot (2 Kgs 5:9). Later, horses were so common in Jerusalem that the royal palace had a special horse gate (2 Chr 23:15), and a gate of the city itself was known as the Horse Gate (Neh 3:28; Jer 31:40). Mordecai rode a royal horse of King Xerxes as a sign of honor (Est 6:8-11). Horses are often spoken of figuratively (Ps 32:9; “mare,” Sg 1:9; “stallions,” Jer 5:8; 12:5), especially in the context of judgment (Hb 3:8; Zec 1:8; 6:1-8; Rv 6:2-8; 9:17; 19:11-16).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Warfare; Travel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Hyena\">Hyena<\/p>\n<p>Stocky carnivore <em>(Hyaena hyaena)<\/em> with coarse hair, an erect mane, and long hairs along the neck and back. Hyenas live in holes among rocks and banks. They are mainly nocturnal but are ordinarily neither noisy nor aggressive. Their cry, however, is a disagreeable, unearthly sound. Hyenas usually feed on carrion, crushing bones with their powerful jaws. If the carrion supply is inadequate, they will kill sheep, goats, or other small animals. When threatened, hyenas growl and erect their mane, but they rarely fight. They are massively built with forelegs longer than the hind legs.<\/p>\n<p>Known as scavengers in Africa, hyenas eat domestic refuse in the villages. In Palestine the striped hyena is a common predator, preferring rocky territory and even rock tombs. Since hyenas were notorious for raiding the graves of the dead, all Israelites who could afford it arranged for burial in tombs protected by massive stone doors. Absalom, King David’s son who was killed by Joab in the wild, was buried under a huge pile of stones to protect his corpse from molestation by hyenas (2 Sm 18:17).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Jackal\">Jackal<\/p>\n<p>Carnivore <em>(Canis aureus)<\/em> smaller than the true wolf and with a shorter tail. It is similar to the fox but has a broader head, shorter ears, and longer legs. The fox is solitary; the jackal tends to be gregarious. Its tail can be drooping or erect, compared with the long horizontal tail of the fox. Jackals usually prowl at night, either singly, in pairs, or in packs through open savannah country. They eat small mammals, poultry, fruit, vegetables, and carrion. They spend their days in thickets and clumps of vegetation. Often they obtain scraps from kills by larger carnivores. Jackals can run at speeds of about 33 miles (53 kilometers) per hour.<\/p>\n<p>The jackal can reach a height of about 20 inches (51 centimeters), roughly the size of a German shepherd dog. Its back is pale yellow with dark, almost black, flanks. Its lips are black and its ears white on the inside. The howl of the jackal sounds like the crying of a child or the heartrending wail of the bereaved (Mi 1:8; cf. Jb 30:29). To other jackals the howl is merely an invitation calling the pack together for its nocturnal hunting.<\/p>\n<p>OT references are chiefly to jackals prowling around ruined cities and wilderness areas (Neh 2:13; Ps 44:19; Is 13:22; 34:13; 35:7; Jer 9:11; 14:6; 49:33; 51:37; Lam 4:3; 5:18; Mal 1:3). Many such references are translated “dragon” in the <span>kjv<\/span>, but “jackal” is more appropriate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Leech\">Leech<\/p>\n<p>Segmented worm (class Hirundinea) up to five inches (12.7 centimeters) long with a flat body equipped with suction pads at each end. The mouth, located at the bottom of the front suction pad, has three teeth that the leech uses to pierce the skin of its host. The leech feeds on blood, and its glands secrete an anticoagulant to prevent the blood from clotting. The ordinary medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) is abundant in springs and ponds from the Negev Desert to Galilee. It adheres to the bodies of human beings and animals that submerge themselves in water, injects its anticoagulant, and sucks their blood.<\/p>\n<p>The reference in Proverbs 30:15 is uncertain (see <span>nlt<\/span>) but may be to the parasitic and greedy nature of the horse leech (genus <em>Haemopis<\/em>). The small horse leech enters its host’s mouth and nostrils from water while the animal is drinking. A leech weighing one-half ounce (14.2 grams) has been known to gorge itself with two and a half ounces (71 grams) of concentrated blood and then to exist for 15 months with no more to eat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Leopard\">Leopard<\/p>\n<p>Called <em>Panthera pardus tulliana,<\/em> it is the most widespread of all the large wildcats. In rocky areas it lives in caves, but in forested regions it lives in thick vegetation. In OT times many lived in the vicinity of Mt Hermon (Sg 4:8).<\/p>\n<p>The leopard is somewhat smaller than the tiger, measuring up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length with a tail of about 30 inches (.8 meter). Its body is better proportioned than that of the tiger. The leopard takes its victim by surprise from a silent ambush, often concealing itself near villages or watering places and waiting for its prey, remaining in one spot for long spans of time. The leopard is swift on the ground (Hb 1:8), agile in trees, and very graceful in its movements. Its color is yellowish speckled with black spots (Jer 13:23). Daniel and John saw visions in which leopards were symbols of world powers (Dn 7:6; Rv 13:2).<\/p>\n<p>The leopard is a wary and cunning animal, formidable and ferocious (Jer 5:6; Hos 13:7; cf. Is 11:6). The leopard is dangerous not only to domestic animals but also to humans. With its natural camouflage it can hide on the forest floor, blending into the changing light and shadows. The Israelites were terrified of the leopard because it constantly ravaged their sheep and goats. Several biblical place names suggest that they were known for the leopards in their vicinity: Nimrah, Beth-nimrah, and Nimrim, a district northeast of the Dead Sea. It has survived in the Holy Land into the present century; a few leopards still exist in remote areas near Mt Tabor and Mt Carmel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Leviathan\">Leviathan<\/p>\n<p>Sea monster mentioned several times in the Bible (Pss 74:14; 104:26; Is 27:1, <span>nlt<\/span>). It may refer to any of the larger marine animals such as large jellyfish, whales, or sharks, or to a large reptile like the crocodile. Some scholars think “Leviathan” may refer to animals now extinct, such as ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs (marine reptiles similar to dinosaurs). The scriptural term might also refer to certain dinosaurs that spent part of their lives half-submerged in shallow lakes and oceans. Other scholars believe that most of the references are to the crocodile.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Crocodile (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Lion\">Lion<\/p>\n<p>Large, tawny-colored carnivore <em>(Panthera leo)<\/em> that preys chiefly on hoofed mammals and charges by a series of leaps and bounds. Within historic times the lion ranged in Africa, Europe, and the Holy Land. In ancient times the territories of the African and Persian lions met in the Middle East. The lion of the Holy Land was the Asiatic or Persian lion <em>(Panthera leo persica).<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The males have heavy manes that stop at the shoulders but cover much of the chest. The Persian lion cannot climb and is mainly nocturnal, returning to its lair or a thicket by day (Jer 4:7; 25:38; Na 2:11-12). This lion is about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long with a tasseled tail 30 inches (.8 meter) or so long; its shoulders may reach a height of 35 inches (.9 meter). It is one of the smallest of the lion breeds.<\/p>\n<p>Lions are usually found in pairs, though sometimes in larger numbers. A small group is known as a pride. They generally prefer open country but in Palestine evidently prowled the subtropical vegetation of the Jordan River valley. Lions, which usually hunt at dusk, kill smaller animals by a blow of the paw, larger ones by a bite in the throat. A lion does not remain in the same place for more than a few days. The animal is in its prime at about seven years of age, when it weighs from 400 to 600 pounds (181.6 to 272.4 kilograms).<\/p>\n<p>The lion does not characteristically attack humans, though like other great cats it may become a man-eater (1 Kgs 13:24-28; 20:36; 2 Kgs 17:25-26; Ps 57:4; Dn 6:7-27). Ordinarily, it attacks only out of great hunger or in self-defense. A very young lion that attacks humans can become dangerous if it develops a taste for human flesh. A very old lion, expelled from the pride because it can no longer keep up in the pursuit of antelope or gazelles, may choose humans as a relatively slow-moving prey.<\/p>\n<p>A lion generally roars only on a full stomach—that is, after it has consumed its prey (Ps 22:13; Ez 22:25; Am 3:4). Nevertheless, its roaring arouses fear (Am 3:8; 1 Pt 5:8). The lion is a bold (2 Sm 17:10; Prv 28:1), destructive animal (Ps 7:2; Jer 2:30; Hos 5:14; Mi 5:8), and the enemy of flocks (Am 3:12).<\/p>\n<p>Lions were common in biblical times in all parts of the Holy Land. Hebrew has at least seven words for lion and young lion. The lion is referred to about 130 times in the OT—more than any other wild animal. Lions were evidently much less common in NT times. After gradually declining, they became extinct in Palestine shortly after <span>AD<\/span> 1300. The lion was present in Mesopotamia, however, until the end of the 19th century.<\/p>\n<p>Lions played an important part in the political and religious symbolism of the Near East (1 Kgs 10:19-20). In Assyria and Babylonia the lion was regarded as a royal beast (Dn 7:4). Oriental monarchs maintained artificial lion pits as places of execution (Ez 19:1-9; Dn 6:7-16). Animals for these were captured in camouflaged nets or pits. To the Jews, the lion was the mightiest of beasts (Prv 30:29-31). Thus, it symbolized leadership (Gn 49:9-10; Nm 24:9) and hence eventually became a title for Christ (Rv 5:5). It was also the ensign of Judah’s tribe and was used by King Solomon in the decoration of his house and the temple.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Lizard\">Lizard<\/p>\n<p>Reptiles of the suborder Lacertilia. Their skin is covered with scales. The lizard is a useful creature because it captures harmful insects and worms. Like other reptiles, it lays eggs with shells softer than those of a bird and with no clear division between the yolk and the white. Lizards are “cold-blooded” organisms without a temperature-maintenance mechanism; hence, they become inactive in cold weather.<\/p>\n<p>Lizards can survive in barren parched countryside. In the Near East they are encountered in great numbers in the Arabian Desert, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Judean wilderness. There may be as many as 44 different species of lizards in the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>The Dabb lizard (genus <em>Uromastyx<\/em>), which attains a length of about 24 inches (61 centimeters), is found in the Negev Desert. It is omnivorous, an unusual trait since most lizards are insectivorous. It has a hard, rough skin, green with brown spots; a short, rounded head; and a powerful tail encircled with a row of strong spines that it uses as a weapon of defense.<\/p>\n<p>Lizards are listed as ceremonially unclean in Jewish law (Lv 11:29-31). The fact that lizards crawl on their bellies made them unclean. Contact with a lizard’s carcass defiled a law-abiding Jew (Lv 11:32-36). The <span>nlt<\/span> translates the “lizards” of Leviticus 11 as “great lizard,” “gecko,” “monitor lizard,” “sand lizard,” and “chameleon.” The monitor lizard is a large lizard that lives in the deserts of southern Palestine, Sinai, and Egypt. It is up to 55 inches (1.4 meters) long with a long snout and sharp teeth. Other translators and commentators render the original Hebrew in a wide variety of ways, including “tortoise,” “ferret,” “lizard,” “snail,” “mole,” and even “water hen.” The fact that most of the original Hebrew words occur only once in Scripture makes it very difficult to be certain about their appropriate translation.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Gecko (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Locust\">Locust<\/p>\n<p>An insect of the family <em>Acridiidae.<\/em> It is referred to by at least 12 different names in Scripture. The various Hebrew words may refer to different stages of its development from larva to adult or to the type of damage that it causes. Locusts are characterized by swarming and mass migration. In modern times they have caused extensive and disastrous destruction to vegetation. Grasshoppers do not swarm or migrate en masse, differentiating them from the true locusts.<\/p>\n<p>The OT mentions several different species of locusts. Leviticus 11:22 seems to refer to the slant-faced (bald) locust and also to the katydid, or long-horned grasshopper. The reference in Deuteronomy 28:42 may be to the mole cricket. In Joel 1:4 and 2:25 and in Nahum 3:16-17, successive stages of the insect’s development are described. The cutting locust (<span>kjv<\/span> “palmerworm”) of Joel is probably the first instar (stage of development), the swarming locusts (<span>kjv<\/span> “locust”) are middle stages, and the hopping locusts (<span>kjv<\/span> “cankerworm”) later instars but not yet fully matured insects. In the adult stage, called destroying locusts (<span>kjv<\/span> “caterpillar”), the color of the locust is reddish brown, which turns to yellow with a brownish network on the wings.<\/p>\n<p>Only three of the hundreds of varieties of locusts found in Bible lands are capable of multiplying into great swarms, and only the desert locust <em>(Schistocerca gergaria)<\/em> can be considered widespread in all the Bible lands. The desert locust is native to the Sudan (Africa). It is a little over two inches (5 centimeters) long and has a wingspread of some five inches (12.7 centimeters). It shows two phases, a solitary phase and a gregarious phase, with a possible third phase known as transiens. There are differences in the immature and adult forms of the phases in color and physiology.<\/p>\n<p>The quantity and distribution of rains are important factors in the extent of swarming. Moist soil is needed for depositing the eggs and permitting them to develop. Each female deposits from one to six egg pods, containing 28 to 146 eggs each. The larvae emerge in 15 to 43 days.<\/p>\n<p>In the gregarious phase (from the second stage of metamorphosis onward), the locust is driven by a strong wandering instinct. Masses of them form a random procession of overflowing locust bodies that ignore any obstruction. They swarm over everything (Jl 2:4-9). The only regulator of their activities is temperature; they are immobilized by high or low temperatures. Taking to wing they may move 1,200 miles (1,930.8 kilometers) from their native home. They fly in compact formations large enough to blot out the light of the sun. Their movement seems to be controlled by hormones, but the direction is influenced by the wind. The swarms consume almost every plant in their path, sparing only the carob, sycamore, castor tree, and oleander bush.<\/p>\n<p>A locust plague was one of the most severe evils to come upon the ancient world (Dt 28:38). Joel 2:1-11 describes a locust plague in graphic terms, using it as a symbol of God’s destroying judgment. Special days of prayer, fasting, and trumpet blowing were prescribed to remove locust plagues (1 Kgs 8:37-38; 2 Chr 6:28-29; Jl 2:12-17). Locusts symbolized powerful and merciless enemies that completely destroyed the earnings of human toil (Jgs 6:5; Is 33:4; Jer 46:23; 51:27; Na 3:15).<\/p>\n<p>Bedouins eat locusts raw, roasted, or boiled, preserving them by drying and threading. They are also crushed and ground, and the grist used in cooking or eaten with bread, sometimes mixed with honey and dates. Such was the diet of John the Baptist (Mk 1:6). The Greeks ground locusts in stone mortars to make flour of them.<\/p>\n<p>The ancients considered the two large hind legs, or jumping legs, as separate limbs and had a special name for them. Hence locusts were described as having four legs, a reference to the four smaller walking legs. “Going on all fours” thus referred to creeping or walking as opposed to jumping and did not mean that the unclean insects had only four legs in all. Because of its two hind jumping legs, the locust was exempted from the prohibition against unclean insects (Lv 11:20-23).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Plagues upon Egypt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Mole\">Mole<\/p>\n<p>Rodent <em>(Spalax ehrenbergi)<\/em> from six to nine inches (15 to 23 centimeters) long, which burrows in any area where the soil is suitable for digging; it should be called a mole rat. Common in the Holy Land, large numbers are found in the vicinity of Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:20 refers to the mole, as does Leviticus 11:29-30 (<span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The mole rat has no tail and is molelike in appearance, but neither true moles nor shrews have ever been found in the Holy Land. The mole rat’s teeth are strong and protruding like those of a squirrel. The neck is short and thick with a plump body shaped like a sausage. The short legs have broad paws with claws adapted for burrowing. The fur is soft, thick, and ashen gray. Its ears and almost sightless eyes, which are no larger than poppyseeds, are hidden in the fur. Folklore taught that touching a mole rat would result in blindness.<\/p>\n<p>In the wet winter season the mole rat builds breeding mounds resembling those of pocket gophers. It builds less complex resting mounds in the summer, although both have rather elaborate tunnel systems. The mole rat feeds on roots, bulbs, tubers, and various other subterranean plant parts, often doing extensive damage to agriculture.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Moth\">Moth<\/p>\n<p>Insect of the genus <em>Tineola<\/em> that lays its eggs on wool or furs, its larvae feeding on those materials. The destructive qualities of moths are referred to in several biblical passages (Jb 13:28; Ps 39:11; Is 50:9; Hos 5:12; Mt 6:19-20; Lk 12:33; Jas 5:2). In Isaiah 51:8 “worm” (<span>nlt<\/span>) refers specifically to the larva of the clothes moth. The moth symbolizes disintegration, decay, and weakening. It is only the larvae that do the damage. The adult is quite harmless and feeds mainly on the nectar of flowers. It is easily crushed (Jb 4:19). The clothes moth reproduces in May or June. It enters human dwellings in the evening. A week after the eggs are laid the larvae appear and immediately begin their work of destruction, eating anything within reach made of animal fibers.<\/p>\n<p>The moth’s destructive activity is done in secret without any sound and without any dramatic appearance, such as a swarm that blots out the sun. In an age when wealth was counted more in possessions than in money, and when among those possessions wool clothing was highly valued, moths could literally cause economic disaster; hence the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 6:19-20).<\/p>\n<p>There are hundreds of species of moths other than the clothes moth in the Holy Land; they are harmless to leaves, flowers, fruit, trees, and seeds. As with the clothes moth, the larvae inflict the damage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Mouse\">Mouse<\/p>\n<p>Rodent of the family Muridae, especially genus <em>Mus.<\/em> The mouse was regarded as unclean because, being short legged, it was considered one of the creeping creatures (Lv 11:29). Mice known as commensals live in dwellings and tend to have longer tails and to be darker in color than wild mice, which are active chiefly at night. Mice are good climbers and even good swimmers. Wild mice eat many kinds of vegetation, including seeds, fleshy roots, leaves, and stems. At times they store food.<\/p>\n<p>The Hebrew word for “mouse” (Lv 11:29; 1 Sm 6:4-5; Is 66:17) is probably a general term for various rats and mice. The root meaning of the Hebrew word “mouse” is “destruction of corn,” a reference to the damage mice do to field crops. At least 23 varieties of mouselike rodents are known in the Holy Land. They cause food spoilage, damage household articles, and transport the host fleas that spread typhus, spotted fever, and bubonic plague. Plague bacteria may have caused the tumors or swellings among the Philistines (1 Sm 6:5). Isaiah 66:17 refers to a pre-exilic Canaanite cultic practice in which mice were eaten; the reference may actually be to the hamster. A number of rodents are eaten by Arabs of the Near East; the gerbil is considered a special delicacy. <em>See<\/em> Mole (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Mule\">Mule<\/p>\n<p>Hybrid offspring of a male ass and a female horse <em>(Equus asinus mulus),<\/em> ordinarily sterile. The offspring of a female donkey and a stallion (male horse) is known as a hinny and is of little value because of its inferior size.<\/p>\n<p>Because crossbreeding was forbidden in the law (Lv 19:19), the Israelites procured mules from the Gentiles, perhaps from the Phoenicians, since Tyre (a Phoenician seaport in what is now southern Lebanon) imported horses and mules (Ez 27:14). Mules did not appear in Israel until David’s reign (2 Sm 13:29), possibly because of the rarity of horses among the Hebrews. Mules were used chiefly by members of the royal court and by other nobles. King David rode on a mule, and Solomon rode to his inaugaration on King David’s mule (1 Kgs 1:33). Absalom met his death riding on a mule (2 Sm 18:9). Mules were less common than horses, camels, and asses in the postexilic community (Ezr 2:66). In antiquity Asia Minor was especially noted for breeding fine mules.<\/p>\n<p>Mules have long enjoyed a reputation for obstinacy, but that trait is not mentioned in the Bible. The mule is prized for riding and for carrying heavy burdens, especially in warm mountainous regions. They are sure-footed and thrive best in hot, dry climates. The mule has the frugality, endurance, and steady gait of an ass along with the size, strength, swiftness, and courage of a horse. Mules are almost never sick. They live longer than horses. They can carry a load of up to 300 pounds (136 kilograms) as far as 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) a day.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Travel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Pig\">Pig<\/p>\n<p>Most properly, newborn swine. “Swine” is technically the better name for the species, but it is rarely used in common speech today. The domestic pigs of the Middle East derived from the wild pig <em>(Sus scrofa).<\/em> The pig is the most prolific and abundant supplier of meat and fat for food. A thick layer of fat just under the skin is especially pronounced in domestic breeds. Pigs cannot be driven, so they are of value only to the settled farmer. The Hebrews were originally a nomadic people; therefore, they had little use for an animal closely associated with settled life. An Egyptian prince of about 1500 <span>BC<\/span>, however, is recorded as owning a herd of 1,500 swine.<\/p>\n<p>The pig is clumsily built, yet lively and able to move with agility and speed. The most conspicuous characteristic of the pig is a truncated, mobile snout terminating in a disc-shaped surface on which the nostrils are located. Most pigs have large tusks in both jaws which grow continuously in life. The tusks of the upper jaw are unique in that they curve upward instead of pointing downward as in most animals. The excrement of a pig has an almost unbearable odor, which clings not only to the pig itself but also to swineherds, who can be identified a long way off.<\/p>\n<p>Pigs were never raised in the Holy Land by Jews. The great herd into which Jesus drove the unclean spirits was encountered in the land of the Gadarenes, a non-Jewish area east of the Jordan. The Gadarene demons took refuge in a herd of pigs feeding on a bluff overlooking the Sea of Galilee (Mt 8:28-32).<\/p>\n<p>Wild pigs were found in the Holy Land as in many countries today. Psalm 80:13 refers to the destructiveness of a wild boar (the male, or hog) attacking growing crops. A party of wild boars can destroy an entire vineyard or a field of crops in a single night. They devour, trample, and ravage everything within reach.<\/p>\n<p>Boar hunts were common in ancient Mesopotamia. Wild boars do not attack unless molested, but they are dangerous when aroused. They travel in bands of from 6 to 50 and are most active in the evening and early morning hours. The body is covered with stiff bristles and usually some finer hair, but the body covering is often quite scanty. Wild pigs are mainly vegetarian, feeding on roots, nuts, grains, and plant stems. Wild boars were particularly abundant in the mountainous regions of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, in the Jordan River valley, and in wooded sections such as Mt Tabor.<\/p>\n<p>Strict Jews would not even mention swine by name but would always substitute the term “the abomination.” Israelites considered themselves polluted if they were even touched by a swine’s bristle. To the Jews, the pig symbolized filth and ugliness. Pigs will eat fecal material, vermin, rodents, carrion, and the like (2 Pt 2:22). Proverbs 11:22 refers to the incongruity of a golden ring in the nose of an animal showing such characteristics. A similar metaphor occurs in Jesus’ statement about casting pearls before swine (Mt 7:6). The prodigal son’s degeneration was shown by his being forced in his poverty to feed pigs and eat their food (Lk 15:15-16).<\/p>\n<p>Eating the flesh of pigs was forbidden to the Jews (Lv 11:7; Dt 14:8). The Canaanites in the Holy Land killed and ate pigs freely. In intertestamental times Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), a Syrian king whose territories included Israel, used the pig to “Hellenize” the Jews. He first tested their loyalty to the Jewish faith by requiring the consumption of pork, considered a delicacy by the Greeks (2 Macc 6:18). The act of desecration that drove the Jews to rebellion, however, was the sprinkling of pig blood on the temple altar in a sacrifice to Zeus (1 Macc 1:47).<\/p>\n<p>Pigs were frequently used in pagan worship (Is 65:4; 66:3, 17), which may account for their being forbidden to the Jews as food. Evidence in the Holy Land shows that pigs were sacrificed long before Hellenistic times. Pig bones were found in a grotto below the rock-cut place of sacrifice at Gezer. A similar underground chamber with vessels containing piglet bones at Tirzah dates to the middle Bronze Age (about 2000 <span>BC<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Alabaster fragments of a statuette of a pig ready to be sacrificed have been unearthed. Swine were sacrificed to Aphrodite (Venus) in Greece and Asia Minor. In addition, pigs were sacrificed in connection with oaths and treaties; in the <em>Iliad,<\/em> Agamemnon sacrificed a boar to Zeus and Helios. So it is not surprising that among the Jews the pig became a symbol of filthiness and paganism.<\/p>\n<p>It is possible that eating pork was forbidden primarily because the pig may carry many worm parasites such as trichina, though that is also true of some “clean” animals. Another reason for forbidding their consumption may have been that pigs eat carrion. Some people are allergic to pork in hot weather—another suggested reason behind the Jewish taboo. The same taboo exists among the Muslims and existed in certain social strata in Egypt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Porcupine\">Porcupine<\/p>\n<p>Rodent, <em>Hystrix cristata,<\/em> which lives in forested areas, rocky hills, ravines, and valleys. The porcupine is still found in the Holy Land today. It has long quills that can be raised to give the appearance of a crest. It is almost entirely nocturnal. It burrows by day into a natural cavity or crevice. The Old World porcupine rarely climbed trees, although the New World porcupine frequently does. A porcupine may weigh as much as 60 pounds (27.2 kilograms). It eats fruit, bark, roots, and other vegetation, and carrion as well. Although its flesh is edible, the porcupine was not classed among the clean animals for the Israelites. The reference in Isaiah 34:11 (<span>rsv<\/span>) is probably to the porcupine, as is Isaiah 14:23 in the <span>nlt<\/span>. <em>See<\/em> Hedgehog.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Scorpion\">Scorpion<\/p>\n<p>Arthropod of the same group as spiders (arachnids). A dozen species of scorpions (order Scorpionida) are found in the Holy Land, but 90 percent of the scorpions are yellow scorpions, usually three to five inches (7.6 to 12.7 centimeters) long. The rock scorpion, also common to the Holy Land, is as thick as a man’s finger and from five to seven inches (12.7 to 17.8 centimeters) in length. Scorpions are slow, nocturnal invertebrates that rest beneath stones by day and prey on insects and other arachnids by night. At the end of its long tail the scorpion carries a poisonous sting that is fatal to most prey and extremely painful to humans (Rv 9:3, 5, 10; cf. 1 Kgs 12:11, 14). Scorpions symbolize Ezekiel’s evil countrymen (Ez 2:6) and the demonic forces of Satan (Lk 10:19). The scorpion is referred to as frequenting the Sinai Desert (Dt 8:15).<\/p>\n<p>A scorpion has from six to eight eyes. It has eight legs like a spider and two lobsterlike claws with which it catches and holds its prey. It feeds particularly on locusts and beetles. In many species the female scorpion eats the male after mating. Scorpions lay eggs that hatch very shortly after laying. Scorpions prefer warmer climates, and because of their desire for warmth, enter houses, especially at night, hiding in beds, blankets, footwear, and clothing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Sheep\">Sheep<\/p>\n<p>Domestic animal, <em>Ovis orientalis,<\/em> referred to directly or by some term such as ewe, lamb, ram, or by some fact concerning them over 700 times in Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Sheep represented the chief wealth and total livelihood of pastoral peoples, providing food to eat, milk to drink, wool for the making of cloth, and hides and bones for other uses. In addition, the sheep was a medium of exchange and a sacrificial animal. The number of sheep raised in ancient times was prodigious. Mesha, king of Moab, paid a tribute annually of 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams (2 Kgs 3:4). The Israelites took 250,000 sheep from the Hagrites (1 Chr 5:21).<\/p>\n<p>Sheep shearing was often done for festivals (2 Sm 13:23). The sheep was held down on its side and its legs were tied together; then it lay docilely while its wool was clipped (Is 53:7). Sheep reserved for burnt offerings were not shorn; nothing could be held back from a sacrifice to the Lord.<\/p>\n<p>Wool had to be processed before it could be used for clothing. First it was washed, sometimes while still on the sheep, then carded and perhaps weighed for the market. The spinning of wool was regarded as a woman’s work (Prv 31:19), but weaving the spun thread into cloth on a loom was primarily a man’s occupation.<\/p>\n<p>The Bible reports that Abel kept sheep (Gn 4:2). The first sheep to be domesticated was probably the argali <em>(Ovis ammon),<\/em> a variety of the urial <em>(Ovis vignei),<\/em> a mountainous species still existing in Turkestan and Mongolia. Five breeds had reached Mesopotamia by 2000 <span>BC<\/span>; all were of the urial stock.<\/p>\n<p>The sheep known in Israel was the broad-tailed sheep <em>(Ovis orientalis vignei<\/em> or <em>laticaudata),<\/em> of which the tail weighs from 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8 kilograms) and has always been considered a delicacy. Thus the Lord asked for this choice part as a sacrifice (Ex 29:22-25).<\/p>\n<p>Only the ram of the broad-tailed sheep has horns, but in other varieties of sheep in the Holy Land the ewe also has horns. The horns, two to three inches (5 to 8 centimeters) in diameter, can be potent weapons. Rams’ horns could be used as trumpets (Jos 6:4) or as oil containers (1 Sm 16:1).<\/p>\n<p>Although the sheep is very similar to the goat, it is differentiated by a lower forehead, its angulated spiral horns marked with transverse wrinkles and curved slightly outward, its covering of wool, and its lack of a “goatee.” Most sheep are white (Ps 147:16; Is 1:18; Dn 7:9; Rv 1:14).<\/p>\n<p>The flesh of sheep was a luxury in the biblical culture. King Solomon required a daily provision of 100 sheep for his table (1 Kgs 4:23), but the common people ate lamb or mutton only on festive occasions. A young ram was usually chosen because the ewes were more important to the future prospects of the herd. The meat was boiled in large caldrons. The milk of the sheep is extremely rich; in biblical times it was usually allowed to curdle before drinking. Possibly some Israelites kept lambs in their houses as pets (2 Sm 12:3-4).<\/p>\n<p>To protect the flock at night against predatory attacks, the shepherd tried to provide a fold. In meadows near villages, folds were built and watchmen were hired to relieve the shepherds. The shepherds of the nativity story were out in the field (Lk 2:8); they had no fold but probably had set up a tent for shelter, consisting simply of goat-hair blankets spread across sapling supports. The scarcity of springs in the Holy Land made the watering of the flock a crucial problem for the shepherd (Gn 13:8-11).<\/p>\n<p>Wild mountain sheep, varieties of <em>Ovis orientalis,<\/em> are known in the Mediterranean area (Dt 14:5). The Deuteronomy passage (<span>kjv<\/span> “chamois”) might also refer to <em>Ovis traelaphus,<\/em> a sheep about five feet high (1.5 meters) with long, curved horns. Another possibility is the Barbary sheep that lives in small flocks in rugged mountain areas in Barbary, Egypt, and Mt Sinai. The true chamois is unknown in Palestine.<\/p>\n<p>The sheep is also used figuratively in Scripture. The ram represented great strength and fittingly symbolized Medo-Persia in Daniel’s vision (Dn 8:3). It is the nature of sheep to be gentle and submissive (Is 53:7; Jer 11:19), defenseless (Mi 5:8; Mt 10:16), and in constant need of guidance and care (Nm 27:17; Mt 9:36). Such qualities are regarded as desirable in the lives of believers in Christ; hence the many figurative references to sheep in the NT and to Jesus as shepherd (Mk 6:34; Jn 10:1-30; Rom 8:35-37; Heb 13:20-21; 1 Pt 2:25). The resurrected Christ told the apostle Peter to “feed my lambs” and “tend my sheep” (Jn 21:15-17).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Offerings and Sacrifices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Snail\">Snail<\/p>\n<p>Invertebrate gastropods (mollusks). Land snails are very numerous in the Near East. Some freshwater forms serve as hosts for the schistosome worm, the fluke parasite causing the dread disease bilharzia (schistosomiasis).<\/p>\n<p>Purple dyes of all shades were highly valued in the ancient world. A royal purple dye was obtained from secretions of a sea snail <em>(Murex trunculus<\/em> and <em>Murex brandaris).<\/em> Evidently, that process was developed by Phoenicians, Egyptians, and Assyrians as early as 1500 <span>BC<\/span>. The “purple” fishermen had their own guild during the time of the Roman Empire. The snails were harvested during the fall and winter seasons; in the spring, when egg laying took place, little dye was available. The snails tended to remain concealed in the summer. They inhabited the waters off Crete and Phoenicia. Tyrian purple, produced in the Phoenician city of Tyre, the center of the purple-dye industry, was obtained by a double dyeing. Large deposits of murex shells from dyeing operations have been found along the Mediterranean shoreline. The Israelites had to import purple goods (Ez 27:16). Lydia was a “seller of purple” or of cloth so dyed (Acts 16:14). Purple was a sign of distinction, royalty, and wealth (cf. Ex 25:4; 28:5-6, 15; Nm 15:38; 2 Chr 2:7; Est 8:15; Prv 31:22; Sg 3:10; Ez 27:7; Dn 5:7).<\/p>\n<p>Exodus 30:34-35 refers to “onycha,” which was an important ingredient of incense. Onycha is the horny, clawlike operculum (the plate that closes off the opening of its shell when a snail is retracted) of a Near Eastern member of the molluskan family Strombidae. The operculum is sometimes used for offense or locomotion as well as for defense. When burned, the operculum gives off a sharp, strong scent, and when mixed with more fragrant but less powerful substances is even more potent. The name “onycha” is derived from a Greek word <em>(onyx)<\/em> for a fingernail or a claw.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Dye, Dyeing, Dyer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Snake\">Snake<\/p>\n<p>Various species of snake, suborder Ophidia (Serpentes). In the Bible nine Hebrew words and four Greek ones refer to snakes. The most common Hebrew word is onomatopoeic—that is, it is an imitation of a snake hissing or of the sound it produces as it scrapes its scales along the ground (cf. Jer 46:22). Many types of snakes lay eggs (Is 59:5), although some retain the eggs in the body until ready to hatch.<\/p>\n<p>Snakes are among the most widespread reptiles and are found on all continents except Antarctica; they decrease in numbers and species toward the poles but increase as one approaches the equator. Thirty-three species of snakes are known in Palestine and neighboring countries, 20 of which are poisonous. Two dangerous characteristics of the snake noted by biblical writers are its inconspicuous way of moving and the ease with which it hides itself.<\/p>\n<p>Many snakes are able to swallow animals several times their own diameter because of their unusually flexible jaw mechanism. They lack not only legs but also movable eyelids. Snakes periodically shed their skins. The tongue is actually a hearing apparatus sensitive to airborne vibrations and probably to heat waves.<\/p>\n<p>The venom of poisonous species is a clear, thin secretion, transmitted to the victim’s bloodstream by means of fangs. Two types of venom are known: that of the vipers, which affects respiration and disintegrates red blood cells, and that of the cobras, which paralyzes the nervous system.<\/p>\n<p>The “asp” referred to in the Bible is probably the cobra; the “adder” is the viper. The “cockatrice” (<span>kjv<\/span>) is probably the adder. Serpents were associated with worship in Canaanite religion and symbolized evil deities among many other peoples. Steles (upright stones bearing inscriptions) have been unearthed at several sites in the Holy Land and Syria depicting a god or worshiper with a snake winding about the legs or body. Because the Israelites were burning incense in pagan worship of Moses’ bronze serpent (Nm 21:8-9), King Hezekiah destroyed it in his religious reform (2 Kgs 18:4).<\/p>\n<p>Although snakes have been an object of veneration in some religions, in the Judeo-Christian tradition snakes represent evil and, more specifically, the devil. That association began in the Garden of Eden (Gn 3:1-15) and is also found in the book of Revelation (12:9; 20:2-3).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Adder (above); Asp (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Spider\">Spider<\/p>\n<p>Animal of the order Araneida. Between 600 and 700 different species inhabit the Holy Land. Spiders are different from insects in that, like scorpions, they have four pairs of legs instead of three. Spiders are equipped with poison glands—the effectiveness varying from species to species. A few can kill only insects, but others can also kill birds and mice.<\/p>\n<p>Most spiders have a pair of spinnerets attached to silk glands on the underside of the abdomen; from them a web is extruded. In the Bible the spider’s web is referred to as a symbol of frailty and insecurity (Jb 8:14; Is 59:5-6).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Sponge\">Sponge<\/p>\n<p>Simple marine animals, phylum Porifera. The term “sponge” also refers to those animals’ skeletal remains. The sponge has a porous body composed of tubules and cells.<\/p>\n<p>Sponge fishing was well known in the Mediterranean area in ancient times. It was practiced particularly along the Anatolian and Syrian coasts. Sponges were harvested by divers. The use of sponges in absorbing liquids is referred to in the Bible (Mt 27:48; Mk 15:36).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Unicorn\">Unicorn<\/p>\n<p><em>See<\/em> Wild Ox (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Wasp\">Wasp<\/p>\n<p>Insects of the family Vespidae. Hornets are social wasps that build large aerial apartment houses in which 1,000 or more individuals may live. In the Bible the hornet is used as a metaphor for God’s use of military forces (Ex 23:28; Dt 7:20; Jos 24:12).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Whale\">Whale<\/p>\n<p>Largest of all living creatures, including those that have become extinct. Whales are air-breathing mammals of the order Cetacea.<\/p>\n<p>Two varieties of whales visit the shores of the Holy Land at times. The finback whale <em>(Balaenoptera physalus)<\/em> weighs about 200 tons (181 metric tons) and lives mainly in the Arctic region but sometimes passes through the Straits of Gibraltar to reach the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It feeds on small marine organisms that it strains through its whale bone; it does not have teeth. The finback whale’s esophagus is narrow.<\/p>\n<p>The sperm whale <em>(Physeter catodon),<\/em> about 60 feet (18.3 meters) long, has a curiously shaped head that looks like a battering ram. The teeth in the lower jaw of the male sperm whale are about seven inches (17.8 centimeters) long. It feeds on big fish, even on sharks. It has a large throat opening.<\/p>\n<p>Whales are referred to in Genesis 1:21 and Job 7:12 (<span>kjv<\/span> only). The “great fish” of Jonah 2:1 need not have been a whale but could have been a large shark, such as the whale shark <em>(Rhineodon),<\/em> which grows 70 feet (21.3 meters) long and lacks the terrible teeth of other sharks. Whatever the actual marine organism, Jonah’s deliverance was miraculous. The Greek word for “whale” is sometimes used as a general term for “sea monster” or huge fish and may be used in that sense in Matthew 12:40.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"WildOx\">Wild Ox<\/p>\n<p>Large, fierce, fleet, intractable animal <em>(Bos primigenius).<\/em> It had a long, lean rump with a straight back and a long, narrow head. The animal described in Job 39:9-12 is clearly the wild ox. The two horns (Dt 33:17), its outstanding characteristic, were straight and as long as the head (Nm 23:22; 24:8; Ps 22:21). Kings often symbolized their dominion by wearing a helmet with two wild ox horns (cf. Pss 92:10; 132:17-18). The horns were often used as drinking vessels by the Israelites; some were large enough to hold four gallons (15 liters).<\/p>\n<p>Hunting the wild ox was a favorite sport of Assyrian kings. Tiglath-pileser I hunted it in the Lebanon Mountains about 1100 <span>BC<\/span> (cf. Ps 29:6). At one time the animal referred to in Job 39:9-12 was thought to be the oryx or antelope because of the similarity between the Hebrew word in Job and the Arabian name for oryx. The translators of the <span>kjv<\/span> called the wild ox a “unicorn” because of representations found on Babylonian mosaics and Egyptian drawings. Those representations showed it in strict profile, showing only one horn—hence, “unicorn.” Jerome’s Vulgate, a Latin Bible translation (fourth century <span>AD<\/span>) and Martin Luther’s German version translated it similarly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Wolf\">Wolf<\/p>\n<p>Large doglike mammal <em>(Canis lupus)<\/em> that travels in bands of up to 30 animals. From the nose to the rump, the wolf measures about 3 feet (.9 meter); its drooping tail is about 18 inches (.5 meter) long. It looks much like a skinny German shepherd dog. The grayish yellow pelt is coarse and short haired.<\/p>\n<p>Wolves hunt singly or in relays, usually at night (Jer 5:6). Wolves have acute hearing and sight but rely chiefly on scent and usually catch their prey in a swift, open chase. The wolf has a reputation for boldness, fierceness, and voracity (Gn 49:27; Hb 1:8). It commonly kills more than it can eat or drag away and thus is known for its greediness.<\/p>\n<p>The wolf is a restless animal, always on the move; hunger drives it from one place to another in constant search of new hunting grounds. During spring and fall, wolves usually roam singly or in pairs, whereas in summer they may travel in family groups. In winter, several such groups may join to form a large pack. Wolves are intelligent, social creatures, faithful to their own kind. They mate for life. Individually, the wolf is a rather timid animal; it would much rather avoid human beings. But collectively wolves can be among the most dangerous animals alive.<\/p>\n<p>In Egypt, Rome, and Greece the wolf was considered sacred. Wolves were well known in the Holy Land and are still found there and also in many places in Asia Minor. Shepherds continually battled with wolves that plundered their flocks (Jn 10:12).<\/p>\n<p>The Bible refers to wolves in a literal sense in only three places (Is 11:6; 65:25; Jn 10:12), all other references being figurative. Usually the wolf is a symbol of enemies or the wicked (e.g., Ez 22:27; Zep 3:3; Acts 20:29). Both the wolf’s courage and its cruelty were probably in the mind of the patriarch Jacob when he predicted the fate of Benjamin’s tribe (Gn 49:27).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Worm\">Worm<\/p>\n<p>Actually insect larvae in most biblical references, usually maggots, the larvae of flies (see Fly, above). For example, maggots are evidently referred to in accounts of worms feeding on spoiled manna (Ex 16:19-20), corpses (Jb 21:26; Is 14:11), or open wounds (Jb 7:5). Mark 9:48 refers to a maggot that eats dead flesh. In Acts 12:23 a fatal, worm-induced abdominal disease of King Herod is mentioned. In other cases, the reference is to the larvae of other insects (Is 51:8). In Deuteronomy 28:39 and Jonah 4:7 the vine weevil <em>(Cochylis ambiguella)<\/em> is probably referred to; it destroys vines by boring into their stems. Comparing a man to a worm is a metaphor for abasement (Jb 25:6; Ps 22:6).<\/p>","summary_ro":"ANIMALS In biblical usage, all members of the animal kingdom. Animals are mentioned throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Animals figured in many important biblical events, including the Creation, the fall of man, the Flood, the ten plagues in Egypt, the Hebrew worship system, and the life of Jesus Christ. The people of both OT and NT times lived close to the land and were well acquainted with various animals so that the scriptural writers and Jesus himself frequently used animals ...","summary_en":"ANIMALS In biblical usage, all members of the animal kingdom. Animals are mentioned throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Animals figured in many important biblical events, including the Creation, the fall of man, the Flood, the ten plagues in Egypt, the Hebrew worship system, and the life of Jesus Christ. The people of both OT and NT times lived close to the land and were well acquainted with various animals so that the scriptural writers and Jesus himself frequently used animals ...","source":"Articles\/A.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":5061,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Birds","title_en":"Birds","content_ro":"<h3>BIRDS<\/h3>\n\n<p>Feathered vertebrates of the class Aves. Over 8,000 species of birds are known. Approximately 400 species are found in the Holy Land and about 40 are mentioned in Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Modern scientists classify organisms on the basis of internal and external structure, but the biblical writers generally classified organisms according to habitat. Thus, in the Bible, bats are listed with birds as creatures of the air (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18).<\/p>\n<p>Precise identification of biblical birds is often difficult or impossible. The biblical languages were not highly specialized scientific languages. People in biblical times generally knew the difference between similar animals now categorized as separate species. For birds, however, they frequently used poetic, descriptive terms. Biblical scholars attempt to overcome the difficulties in identification by comparing the Hebrew words with similar words in related languages and by attention to the habitat, habits, and characteristics attributed to the birds in Scripture. Nevertheless, different scholars sometimes arrive at different identifications.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"BiblicalReferencestoBirds\">Biblical References to Birds<\/p>\n<p>The Bible refers to birds both in literal and figurative senses. The biblical writers were keen observers of nature, their awareness of birds and bird life being reflected in many passages. They asserted that God knows all the birds (Ps 50:11) and cares for them (Mt 10:29). They saw God’s covenant with Noah after the flood, his promise never to destroy life again by flood, as extending even to the birds and animals (Gn 9:10).<\/p>\n<p>The Mosaic law declared many birds “unclean,” mostly species that were scavengers or predators, or inhabited waste places. Centuries later the early Christians came to regard unclean species as clean by God’s decree, revealed in the apostle Peter’s vision (Acts 10:12). Other birds, like quail, sustained the Israelites in their wanderings (Ex 16:13). The Law prescribed birds as sacrifices for a firstborn child (Lk 2:24), for a Nazirite vow (Nm 6:10), for cleansing a leper (Lv 14:22), and as a burnt offering and sin offering (12:8).<\/p>\n<p>Birds are easily subject to extinction, especially through human activity. God required the Israelites to practice conservation to prevent any birds from becoming extinct in the Holy Land, both for the birds’ sake and so the Israelites would have a continuous source of food. The Law allowed foraging Israelites to take eggs or the young from a bird’s nest, but they were not permitted to kill both a mother bird and her young (Dt 22:6).<\/p>\n<p>Biblical writers turned to nature frequently for illustrations of divine principles or human characteristics. Comparisons of humans to birds sometimes carry a sense of lowness, as when King Nebuchadnezzar developed claws like a bird in his madness (Dn 4:33), or when Job remarked that birds did not know the source of wisdom (Jb 28:21). In Jesus’ parable of the sower, the birds that ate the seed scattered by the wayside may represent indifference and a lack of spiritual understanding (Mt 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture also contains sympathetic images of the plight of birds. A lonely man praying was likened to a lonely bird on a housetop (Ps 102:7). If someone was unjustly hunted by his enemies, he would understand a hunted bird’s plight (Lam 3:52). Birds were said to be affected by curses on evildoers as they fled from Jerusalem or from the face of the earth (Jer 9:10; Zep 1:3).<\/p>\n<p>In spite of such misfortune visited upon birds, Scripture affirms that, like other creatures, they are cared for and delighted in by God (Ps 50:11; Mt 6:26; 10:29). Both Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar were compared to a tree that gives shelter to the birds (Ez 31:6; Dn 4:12; cf. 2:38). Human power, however, fails eventually as when the tree representing Nebuchadnezzar was cut down, forcing the birds to flee (Dn 4:14). God’s protection, by contrast, is unfailing. Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, growing to become a shelter for birds (Mt 13:32). God provides a habitation for birds (Ps 104:12), although Jesus, the Son of Man, had nowhere to rest his head (Mt 8:20).<\/p>\n<p>Birds were considered evidence of God’s handiwork (Jb 12:7). Bird lore provided examples of good sense in learning from a mistake (Prv 1:17; 6:5) and of bad judgment in failing to avoid the snares of immorality (7:23). Birds and other creatures could be tamed, unlike the wicked human tongue (Jas 3:7). Birds flying without alighting were an image of an undeserved curse (Prv 26:2). Without trust in God, people might be forced by evil to flee like a bird to the mountains (Ps 11:1). Birdsong was said to bring joy (Sg 2:12). The return of God’s people to the Promised Land would be like birds returning (Hos 11:11). Jesus expressed his love for Jerusalem by saying that he longed to gather his people to himself as a hen gathers her brood under her wing (Mt 23:37).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, birds were occasionally regarded as ominous signs. For example, Pharaoh’s baker learned of impending death because in a dream birds ate the food from a basket on his head (Gn 40:17). Solomon warned against cursing the king, even in private, because “a little bird may tell them what you said” (Eccl 10:20). A vivid biblical image is that of scavenging, carrion-eating birds consuming the bodies of evildoers. To the Israelites, such a desecration of humanity was an image of ultimate horror (Dt 28:26; 1 Sm 17:44; Is 46:11; Jer 7:33; 12:9; Ez 29:5; 39:4; Rv 19:17, 21).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IndividualSpecies\">Individual Species<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Bittern\">Bittern<\/p>\n<p>Long-legged wading bird <em>(Botaurus stellaris)<\/em> similar to the heron, but with shorter legs and a smaller, more compact body. Bitterns inhabit marshes, where it is easy for them to hide with their natural camouflage. A bittern’s mottled plumage of barred brown and black so duplicates the color and shape of swamp vegetation that at times the bird seems to disappear before the observer’s eyes. The neck is covered with long, soft feathers, making it appear disproportionately heavy. Bitterns are wary and solitary. During mating season the bittern’s larynx is modified to produce a mysterious-sounding cry. The body twists in an unusual manner in harmony with the notes. Bitterns nest alone in grassy marshes. Because they are shy, they have become symbols of places of desolation and loneliness.<\/p>\n<p>There is some question as to whether the bittern is actually mentioned in the Bible. The <span>kjv<\/span> has “bittern” in three places (Is 14:23; 34:11; Zep 2:14). Many biblical scholars believe the Hebrew word in those verses refers not to the bittern but to the hedgehog (Is 14:23; Zep 2:14, <span>rsv<\/span>) or porcupine (Is 34:11, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Hebrew word is similar to an Arabic word meaning “porcupine.” Other scholars point out that the references suggest a bird rather than a mammal, especially Zephaniah 2:14, which speaks of the creature making its “lodge in her capitals” (i.e., above Nineveh’s doorposts). Bitterns are particularly abundant in the swamps of the Tigris River (near Nineveh). The bittern’s characteristics may fit the references in the three passages better than do the hedgehog’s.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Hedgehog; Animals (Porcupine).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Buzzard\">Buzzard<\/p>\n<p>Hawklike soaring bird <em>(Buteo vulgaris<\/em> or <em>Buteo ferox).<\/em> It resembles the kite, though its tail is straight and not cleft. It is mentioned in the list of unclean birds (Dt 14:13). But other translations render the word as “glede” (<span>kjv<\/span>) or “kite” (<span>nasb<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). The parallel list in Leviticus 11, however, substitutes “kite” (<span>rsv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>) or “vulture” (<span>kjv<\/span>) for “buzzard.” Thus, it is difficult to determine whether the buzzard is actually mentioned in the Bible, even though it is a common resident of Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Like other great soaring birds, the buzzard is noted for its sharp eyesight, and may be the bird mentioned for that quality in Job 28:7 (variously translated “falcon,” “eagle,” or “vulture”). It will trail its prey for hours, and has a remarkable ability to see a carcass on which it descends to feed. Somewhat larger than the common buzzard is the long-legged buzzard, found in Israel, western Asia, and Syria.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Kestrel; Kite; Vulture (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Cormorant\">Cormorant<\/p>\n<p>Large, black gooselike bird <em>(Phalacrocorax carbo),<\/em> repeatedly depicted in art from Egypt and the Holy Land. Its length varies from 19 to 40 inches (48.3 to 101.6 centimeters). Its feet have webs between all four toes. The feet, attached far back on the body, serve as propellers when the cormorant dives to catch its meal of fish, crustacea, or amphibia. The long bill is curved at the tip, and under the bill is a sac in which the cormorant keeps the captured fish.<\/p>\n<p>Cormorants live in large companies, making nests of sticks and other vegetation that they carry to trees or to rocky shelves near coasts. Up to four eggs are incubated, and the young are fed by both parents.<\/p>\n<p>The cormorant frequents swamps around the Sea of Galilee, Lake Huleh (the waters of Merom), and the Mediterranean coast. Its Hebrew name originally denoted the “hurling down” of the bird at its prey. Cormorants dive into deep water and sometimes seem to zoom beneath the surface in their hunt for fish. The cormorant’s greed is proverbial. It was ceremonially unclean for the Israelites (Lv 11:17; Dt 14:17).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Pelican (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Crane\">Crane<\/p>\n<p>Tall wading birds <em>(Grus grus)<\/em> resembling storks and herons but with shorter talons. The plumage has a silvery gloss and the tail feathers are wavy. Large flocks of cranes flying in wedge-shaped formations pass over the Holy Land during the daylight hours each fall on their way to Africa from the northern countries of Europe and again in the spring when they return north to breed. Migratory flocks may number as many as 2,000 birds. Jeremiah 8:7 refers to the crane’s migratory habits.<\/p>\n<p>The usual call of the crane is best described as a bellow, but during migratory flight they emit a chattering sound that may be referred to in Isaiah 38:14. Cranes have remarkably powerful voices, their calls seeming to carry for miles. Migrating flocks usually have a flock leader who does the calling.<\/p>\n<p>A crane’s height may reach 40 to 60 inches (101.6 to 152.4 centimeters). Except for the ostrich, the crane is the tallest bird ever to inhabit the Holy Land. A crane’s wingspread may exceed 90 inches (228.6 centimeters). The overall color is steel gray; the head and neck are black with a longitudinal white stripe. The crane feeds on land rather than in shallow water. It feeds primarily on grass and grain yet may devour insects, snakes, small alligators, frogs, and worms, using its long, powerful bill as a sharp hammer for killing such creatures.<\/p>\n<p>The crane usually nests in solitary places, often in shallow water or nearby. Its nest is a mass of vegetation, holding two or three eggs that are light-colored with darker spots.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Cuckoo\">Cuckoo<\/p>\n<p>Small, drab brown bird known for its parasitic habits. The term the <span>kjv<\/span> used in Leviticus 11:16 and Deuteronomy 14:15 may refer either to the common cuckoo <em>(Cuculus canorus)<\/em> or to the great spotted cuckoo <em>(Clamator glandarius).<\/em> The bird acts as a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nest of another species after pushing out one of the eggs of the host species. The young cuckoo hatches before the young of the host species and evicts the other young. The foster parents raise it as their own.<\/p>\n<p>The cuckoo, an insect eater, is considered ritually unclean in Scripture, which might imply that it is a predator or carrion-eater. For that reason some believe the Hebrew word actually refers to the seagull or sea mew rather than the cuckoo. Gulls, terns, and petrels are all common on the seashore and lakes of the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>Other scholars believe that the Hebrew word refers not to the cuckoo but to one of the owls, possibly the long-eared owl.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl; Seagull (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Eagle\">Eagle<\/p>\n<p>Large bird of prey, genus <em>Aquila.<\/em> Vultures were often confused with eagles, making identification of the biblical birds difficult. Eagles’ heads are not bald as are the heads of vultures, but from a distance they appear similar. It is possible that the Hebrew word translated “eagle” (which literally means “to tear with the beak”) may have referred to all large birds of prey, eagles and vultures alike. A number of references to the eagle in Scripture are actually references to the griffon vulture (e.g., Hos 8:1; perhaps Mt 24:28). In certain passages, however, the true eagle may be meant.<\/p>\n<p>The Holy Land has several varieties of eagle, including the imperial eagle <em>(Aquila heliaca)<\/em> and the less common golden eagle <em>(Aquila chrysaetos).<\/em> These birds are powerfully built with strong wings; their movements reveal suppleness and strength. A distinctive hooked beak, which enhances the eagle’s dignified and somewhat ferocious appearance, provides it with an effective instrument for tearing and killing prey. Short, powerful legs and prehensile claws enable an eagle to apply an almost unbreakable grip on a struggling victim. The strong talons have sharp points and edges. The eagle hunts by day.<\/p>\n<p>For Jeremiah and other prophets, the eagle was the epitome of swiftness. The golden eagle, which can fly three or four miles (5–7 kilometers) in ten minutes, may have evoked the comparisons in 2 Samuel 1:23;Jeremiah 4:13; 49:22; Lamentations 4:19 (<span>kjv<\/span>), and Habakkuk 1:8. Moses used a similar comparison to emphasize the sudden striking power of a hostile enemy (Dt 28:49). The author of Proverbs, observing the high altitude to which the eagle soars, applied that image to the human situation (Prv 23:4-5; cf. Rv 12:14).<\/p>\n<p>The eagle’s strength and invincibility were mentioned often with reference to powerful nations attacking Israel. The prophet Ezekiel described Nebuchadnezzar as an eagle (Ez 17:3). Both the Babylonians and Assyrians frequently depicted the eagle in their art, especially as a deity with a man’s body and an eagle’s head. Nebuchadnezzar even had an experience of temporary insanity in which “his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws” (Dn 4:33, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The eagle builds its nest on inaccessible mountain peaks or at the top of the tallest trees, a fact noted by Jeremiah (Jer 49:16; cf. Jb 39:27-28; Ob 1:4). The brood consists of two or occasionally three eggs. Only the female sits on the nest, but the young eaglets are fed by both parents. Eagles are devoted to their offspring and train them with great care in the art of flying. Some commentators interpret Exodus 19:4 and Deuteronomy 32:11 as evidence of the eagle’s practice of catching its young on its wings. There is virtually no evidence from observation, however, that any eagle can perform such a feat. In some versions the wording avoids a direct statement that eagles bear their young on their wings.<\/p>\n<p>Some eagles in captivity have lived to an age of over 100 years. This remarkable longevity caused the psalmist to speak of the eagle whose youth is renewed (Ps 103:5). Confronted by its impressive qualities, biblical authors observed the eagle with awe and wonder (Jb 39:27-30; Prv 30:18-19). Those awesome qualities also contributed to several prophetic visions, including Ezekiel’s vision of a creature with an eagle’s face (Ez 1:10) and the apostle John’s vision of a holy beast like a flying eagle (Rv 4:7).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vulture (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"FowlDomestic\">Fowl, Domestic<\/p>\n<p>Domesticated poultry <em>(Gallus gallus domesticus),<\/em> probably derived from the red jungle fowl of India. They seem to have been known already in OT times (Prv 30:31). A seal of Jaazaniah (see 2 Kgs 25:23), dating from about 600 <span>BC<\/span>, bears the image of a fighting cock. A reference to fowls or poultry for Nehemiah’s table, however, may be to wild game rather than domestic fowl (Neh 5:18).<\/p>\n<p>Poultry symbolized fertility, and the Jews carried a cock and hen in front of bridal couples at weddings. The motherly concern of hens gathering their broods was familiar to Jesus’ hearers (Mt 23:37; Lk 13:34).<\/p>\n<p>Since roosters habitually crow an hour or two before dawn, the third watch of the night, from midnight to 3:00 <span>am<\/span>, was known as the cockcrow. According to the Talmud (a commentary on Jewish law), keeping chickens was prohibited in Jerusalem in NT times to prevent the insects and larvae that breed in chicken droppings from contaminating sacrificial flesh. For that reason the cock that Peter heard (Mt 26:34, 74; Lk 22:34, 60-61) probably belonged to Romans living there or to Jews who did not follow Jewish regulations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"GoatsuckerorNightHawk\">Goatsucker or Night Hawk<\/p>\n<p>Migratory bird, dark in color and short-legged, similar to the American whippoorwill. The goatsucker (genus <em>Caprimulgus<\/em>) resembles an owl with a flat head, large eyes, soft plumage, and a noiseless flight. It hunts insects at night, catches them on the wing, and during the day rests on branches. Goatsuckers were so named because they were thought by the ancients to milk goats. According to Leviticus 11:16 and Deuteronomy 14:15, they were ritually unclean. Although some scholars believe that an owl is intended, there seems to be good reason to accept the “night hawk” translation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Goose\">Goose<\/p>\n<p>Long-necked, web-footed water birds with waterproof feathers (genus <em>Anser<\/em>). Domestic geese were known to the Greeks of Homer’s day, since they are mentioned in the <em>Odyssey.<\/em> They were domesticated in Egypt perhaps as early as the Old Kingdom (c. 2500 <span>BC<\/span>) and certainly by the time of the New Kingdom (c. 1500– 1100 <span>BC<\/span>). They were used for food and sacrifice. The breeding of geese was widespread in Canaan in biblical times; ivory carvings of the 13th or 12th century <span>BC<\/span> showing geese have been found in excavations at Megiddo in Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Many species of geese spend most of their lives on land even though they are waterfowl; some even build their nests in trees. Wild geese tend to inhabit flatlands and prairies rather than mountainous terrain.<\/p>\n<p>Geese may have graced the table of King Solomon. In 1 Kings 4:23 they are referred to as “fatted fowl,” a term that may also refer to ducks, swans, guineas, pigeons, or other domestic edible birds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Hawk\">Hawk<\/p>\n<p>Small birds of prey found in the Holy Land. Most references are probably to the sparrow hawk <em>(Accipter nisus).<\/em> This bird is slightly larger than the kestrel, has a grayish-brown back and a white belly with black and brown bars. It has short feathers, long, curved talons, and broad wings, rounded at the outer ends, which enable it to soar on updrafts. The long tail, acting as a rudder, helps the bird change its course swiftly in flight. It is hence very maneuverable in the air when chasing warblers or other small birds. It does not seize its prey on the ground, as does the kestrel, but hunts and attacks small birds in flight. Hawks hunt in the daytime, unlike owls that are adapted for nighttime hunting. With their eyes located on the side of the head, hawks are very keen-sighted. They usually nest in tall trees and their nests are often occupied by the same pair year after year.<\/p>\n<p>The Egyptians embalmed sparrow hawks and regarded all hawks highly. The god Horus was depicted with the head of a hawk hawk was ceremonially unclean to the Israelites (Lv 11:16; Dt 14:15). It was not a permanent resident of Israel but stopped off as it migrated from north to south. Its southward migration is mentioned in Job 39:26. A reference in Isaiah 34:11 to “hawk” (“cormorant,” <span>kjv<\/span>) is uncertain. <em>See<\/em> Kestrel or Falcon; Kite (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Heron\">Heron<\/p>\n<p>Wading bird (genus <em>Ardea<\/em>) with a long, thin neck and long legs. It has a characteristic comblike growth on the inner side of the third toe.<\/p>\n<p>Herons are generally white, blue, green, or gray. They nest together in rookeries, and both parents bring in food for the young. Herons feed on fish, small reptiles, and insects, gulping them down in one swallow. Adults and young migrate in the late fall to warm southern climates. The white heron attains a length of more than 3 feet (.9 meter), whereas the dwarf heron is only about 22 inches (55.9 centimeters) long.<\/p>\n<p>At least seven varieties of heron are reported in the Holy Land. The white ibis, or buff-backed heron (<em>Buphus russatus<\/em>), was probably the most common species. The purple heron <em>(Ardea purpureus)<\/em> is a summer breeder found in all parts of the Holy Land where there is standing water.<\/p>\n<p>The blue-gray heron (<em>Ardea cinerea<\/em>) winters in southern Europe and North Africa, migrating to northern Europe in the early spring. In Israel it builds its winter nest near water, in swamps and along riverbanks, where it feeds on fish and frogs. It will stand patiently in the water for hours, and then suddenly its long, pointed beak darts down with lightning speed to catch its prey. Often the blue-gray heron builds its nest in a tall tree to which it may return year after year.<\/p>\n<p>According to Leviticus 11:19 and Deuteronomy 14:18, the heron was ceremonially unclean to the Israelites. Some scholars believe those references are to the cormorant, but most scholars think they refer to one of the herons.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Cormorant (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Hoopoe\">Hoopoe<\/p>\n<p>One of the Holy Land’s most beautiful birds (<em>Upupa epops<\/em>). It has vividly colored plumage, a lovely crown-shaped crest that becomes erect when the bird is alarmed, and a long, slender curved bill. The pinkish-brown hoopoe is about 11 inches (27.9 centimeters) long, with black and white bands on its back, tail, and wings. Hoopoes are basically desert-dwelling birds.<\/p>\n<p>The name “hoopoe” is derived from the sound of the bird’s call. To emit the sound, the neck feathers are puffed up and the head snapped in the air. When on the ground, the bird hammers its beak into the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The hoopoe arrives in the Holy Land in February, breeds in the summer, and leaves in September. It was held in religious reverence by the Egyptians. It was listed as ritually unclean (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18), probably because it searches for grubs and small insects in such unsanitary places as dunghills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Ibis\">Ibis<\/p>\n<p>Wading bird (<em>Threskiornis aethiopica<\/em>) presently unknown in the Holy Land but possibly known there in biblical times. It was well known in ancient Egypt, where it was sacred to the god Thoth. Today it has practically vanished with the disappearance of swamps along the Nile.<\/p>\n<p>There is some question as to whether the ibis is meant in Leviticus 11:17, where it is classified as ceremonially unclean. The same Hebrew word in Deuteronomy 14:16 and Isaiah 34:11 is translated “great owl,” a translation preferred by most scholars.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl, Great (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"KestrelorFalcon\">Kestrel or Falcon<\/p>\n<p>Small hawk (<em>Falco tinnunculus<\/em>) about a foot (30.5 centimeters) long with brown, black, and yellow feathers on its breast. It was abundant in the Holy Land in villages and in the countryside, nesting on rooftops and among rocks. Like most hawks, the kestrel is able to hover and float in midair and then swoop down on its prey, seizing it with sharp, hooklike talons. It feeds largely on mice, small reptiles, and insects.<\/p>\n<p>Embalmed kestrels have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. The Egyptians also embalmed the hunting kestrel <em>(Falco cherug),<\/em> which can be tamed and trained to hunt rabbits and other small game. Falconry (hunting with hawks of various species) was well known among the ancients and is still practiced today. That the Assyrians were familiar with falconry is seen in the records of Ashurbanipal. Because the kestrel is a predator, it was ceremonially unclean (Lv 11:14). Some translations render the word as “kite” (Lv 11:14, <span>kjv<\/span>; Dt 14:13, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>rsv<\/span>), an illustration of the difficulty of identifying biblical birds precisely.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Kite or Glede (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"KiteorGlede\">Kite or Glede<\/p>\n<p>Large bird of prey <em>(Milvus milvus).<\/em> The average length of the kite is about 19 inches (48.3 centimeters). The upper part is generally dark, but the belly is white. Kites nest high in trees and build nests of vegetation, including sticks. They rarely have more than two or three young, which they feed on snakes, grasshoppers, and so on. Sometimes kites are called snake hawks.<\/p>\n<p>The kite is a migratory bird that stays in Israel during the summer, especially in the mountains of southern Judea, in the trackless wastes west of the Dead Sea, and in the wilderness of Beersheba.<\/p>\n<p>The red kite or glede is a medium-sized bird of prey. The edges of the upper part of the bill overlap with the lower one, forming sharp scissors. The tail is forked or cleft like that of a fish. Its loud cry often includes sharp whistling notes. Other Holy Land species include the black kite <em>(Milvus migrans)<\/em> and the black-winged kite <em>(Elanus caeruleus).<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The kite is listed among the unclean birds in Mosaic law (Lv 11:14; Dt 14:13), but the precise identification of the birds mentioned there is disputed by some scholars and translators.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Buzzard; Kestrel or Falcon (above).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Lammergeier\">Lammergeier<\/p>\n<p>Largest of the vultures and less common than the other members of the family. It is grayish brown with white streaks and has a black tuft of stiff hairs in the facial area that gives it the name “bearded vulture.” Another name for it is “lamb vulture.”<\/p>\n<p>The lammergeier <em>(Gypaetus barbatus)<\/em> has a unique way of killing its prey; since its beak is not particularly powerful it carries its victim high in the air and then drops it on rocks.<\/p>\n<p>The lammergeier is especially partial to tortoises and to marrow bone. After jackals and smaller vultures have reduced a carcass to bone, the lammergeier crushes the bones to obtain the marrow, or swallows the pieces intact. Hence it is also known as the ossifrage, from a Latin word meaning “bone crusher.” The lammergeier was unclean in Mosaic law (Lv 11:13; Dt 14:13; both translated “vulture” in <span>nlt<\/span> and “ossifrage” in <span>kjv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vulture (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Ostrich\">Ostrich<\/p>\n<p>Two-toed, swift-running, flightless bird (<em>Struthio camelus<\/em>) that lives in deserts or in areas covered with stunted bushes.<\/p>\n<p>In biblical times ostriches ranged as far north as Syria and were found over the entire wasteland of the Negev Desert, but they have since become extinct there. Its Hebrew name means “daughter of the desert.” It is the largest of all living birds, attaining a height of about 10 feet (3 meters) and a weight of 175 pounds (79.5 kilograms), though some males may weigh as much as 300 pounds (136.4 kilograms). The female is considerably smaller. Powerful thighs and long legs give the ostrich great speed, reported to be as high as 40 <span>mph<\/span> (64 <span>kph<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The ostrich is omnivorous. It eats grass, fruits, small mammals, birds, snakes, and lizards, as well as large pebbles that assist in the breakdown of food in its gizzard. The ostrich is hunted, but its eggs are generally more sought after than the bird itself. The empty shells are traded throughout the Mediterranean area for use as utensils, or when broken up as raw material for beads. The eggs—as many as 25 in one clutch—are laid in a shallow nest of sand, with some left uncovered. They may appear to be neglected by day, but only because they are ordinarily incubated at night. The cock does most of the incubating; the female participates only during cold days. The strong, thick eggshell protects the embryo from the heat of the desert.<\/p>\n<p>Occasionally the ostrich is used for riding or even for pulling small carts. Ostrich feathers are in great demand. Ostrich plumes graced ancient royal courts as fans. An ivory-handled fan of Pharaoh Tutankhamen (King Tut) had lovely ostrich plumes. The plumes are white in the male and brownish gray in the female. The reputation of the ostrich for stupidity comes from its behavior when hunted and cornered; it fails to take evasive action even when doing so would save it. In open country, however, it is very wary and runs at great speed to escape. In contrast to the partridge, an ostrich will run away from its eggs and chicks when pursued.<\/p>\n<p>Most biblical references to ostriches emphasize their negative characteristics. They were regarded as unclean in Jewish law (Lv 11:16; Dt 14:15). Several references associate ostriches with images of wilderness and desolation (Jb 30:29; Is 13:21; 34:13; 43:20; Jer 50:39). Their night cry, which has been compared to an ox’s lowing in pain, is referred to in Micah 1:8. Biblical writers also noted the apparent indifference of the ostrich to its brood (Jb 39:13-18; Lam 4:3).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Owl\">Owl<\/p>\n<p>Nocturnal birds (order Strigiformes) with large heads and large, forward-looking eyes. Their wing and tail feathers are soft as velvet, helping to make their flight noiseless. The owl’s body is small and slender, about the size of a pigeon, but it appears bulky because of the thick covering of feathers. Owls have been considered bearers of misfortune and omens of disaster. In the Near East, owls now live in temple ruins and pyramids in Egypt, and in rock-hewn graves, ruins, and caves on both sides of the Jordan River in Israel. They seldom come near inhabited dwellings.<\/p>\n<p>Owls have excellent night vision, which they use to capture rodents or other animals. Although unusually large, the owl’s eyes are almost useless in the daylight because the light dazzles them. The owl is able to swallow its prey whole because of its elastic esophagus. Indigestible hair and bones are regurgitated as pellets. The bill is short but sharply hooked.<\/p>\n<p>Owls may lay up to ten eggs. The young are cared for on the nest by both parents. Both adults and young tend to remain in the area in which they were hatched. Eight species of owls are found in the Holy Land, of which five are plentiful. It is difficult, however, to identify a particular species with any of the four Hebrew words translated “owl” in Scripture. A fifth word translated “owl” (<span>kjv<\/span>) is more appropriately identified with the ostrich (<span>rsv<\/span>). Owls appear in the lists of unclean birds (Lv 11:17; Dt 14:16), and although translations differ, they concur that all species of owls, being predators, are unclean.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Ostrich (above); Owl, Barn or White; Owl, Great; Owl, Little; Owl, Scops (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlBarnorWhite\">Owl, Barn or White<\/p>\n<p>Large owl <em>(Tyto alloa)<\/em> with a distinct heart-shaped face. It may get its Hebrew name from a snoring sound it makes when breathing in the nest. In flight it emits a frightening screech, and thus is sometimes referred to as the screech owl. Its somewhat sinister features—a large head and wide pop eyes—have led some people to consider it demonic, but they have also inspired another name, the monkey-faced owl. It is a useful bird, however, devouring rodents that raid fields and damage stored grain. Like other owls, it sleeps during the day and hunts at night with a well-developed sense of hearing and sight. Its color is light brownish yellow with a white mask around the eyes and cheeks. The whole leg is covered with feathers that protect it against the bites of struggling victims in its talons.<\/p>\n<p>Some modern translations mention the barn or white owl by name (Lv 11:17, <span>njb<\/span>; 11:18, <span>nasb<\/span>; Dt 14:16, <span>njb<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl (above), Owl, Scops (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlGreat\">Owl, Great<\/p>\n<p>Large owl, standing nearly two feet (60.9 centimeters) tall <em>(Asio otus).<\/em> The color is mouse gray with gray-brown spots and black stripes. As one of its names indicates, it has tufted “ears” and is sometimes called the great horned owl. It feeds on rodents, such as rats and mice. It winters in Israel among ruins and in groves.<\/p>\n<p>The great owl may be the owl mentioned in the Bible among the birds of desolation that will inhabit devastated Edom (Is 34:11, <span>nasb<\/span> mg). It is also mentioned by name in some translations of the lists of ritually unclean birds (Lv 11:17, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>; Dt 14:16, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlLittle\">Owl, Little<\/p>\n<p>Smallest of all nocturnal birds of prey. Chiefly insectivorous, the little owl <em>(Athene noctua glaux)<\/em> also feeds at times on tiny birds. It is the most common owl in the Holy Land, dwelling among ruins, tombstones, rocks, and thickets (perhaps the owl of Ps 102:6). Its voice sounds like that of a dying person. On occasion it may be observed perched on a rock with its large eyes gazing off into the distance, a pose that the ancients considered a sign of wisdom. The Greeks associated the little owl with the goddess Athena. It is mentioned by name in several translations (Lv 11:17, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>; Dt 14:16, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlScops\">Owl, Scops<\/p>\n<p>Small owl <em>(Otus scops)<\/em> distinguished by two horn-shaped crests of hairlike feathers on its head. It perches in an inclined posture and hops and dances like a goat. During the hatching period, the male’s hooting sounds like a moan. The scops owl feeds on insects, rodents, and birds. During invasions of mice or locusts, these owls have appeared in large flocks and helped to destroy the pests. They have been known to attack humans who intrude on their nests. They are well-known inhabitants of Eurasia and Africa.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars suggest that the scops is the true screech owl, because of its whistling calls that resound through the night. The screech owl is mentioned only once in Scripture (Is 34:14, <span>kjv<\/span>), but that translation is the subject of scholarly debate. Following traditional Jewish mythology, some translations use the Hebrew word <em>(<\/em><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">lilith<\/span><em>)<\/em> as a proper name. In Jewish tradition Lilith was a witch-demon who, before Eve’s creation, was Adam’s wife. She became the mother of demons and was thought to attack children during the night; thus the name “Lilith” is translated “night hag” (<span>rsv<\/span>) or “night monster” (<span>nasb<\/span>). Most scholars favoring the mythical interpretation, however, suggest that Isaiah was using a popular legend to evoke a sense of desolation and did not himself believe in the existence of Lilith. There is little support for “screech owl” as an appropriate translation of the name.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl; Owl, Barn or White (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Partridge\">Partridge<\/p>\n<p>Most common game bird in the Holy Land. The partridge resembles a chicken in its basic anatomy but has a less chunky body and a longer tail. Two species of partridge inhabit the Holy Land: the sand partridge <em>(Ammoperdix heyi),<\/em> found near the Dead Sea, in the Jordan River valley, and in the Sinai Desert; and the chukar partridge <em>(Alectoris graeca).<\/em> The sand partridge is a medium-sized bird with yellow feet. The male has sandy-buff plumage, upper tail feathers penciled and barred with brown, and a chestnut and white undersurface. The female is a grayish buff. The chukar partridge resembles the common French partridge of Europe, having a body about 16 inches (40.6 centimeters) long. It is covered with beautiful and radiantly colored feathers.<\/p>\n<p>The biblical reference (1 Sm 26:20; probably the sand partridge because of the geographical context) alludes to the common method of catching it by chasing. It was also hunted with snares (cf. Ps 91:3) or by hunters hiding in a blind. The fast-running partridge soon becomes exhausted, which enables hunters to run it to the ground and kill it. Nevertheless, by running and jumping, it can ascend very steep cliffs. The bird finds refuge among bushes into which its brownish-green feathers blend protectively. If it were not such a prolific breeder, it would probably have become extinct by being hunted for food.<\/p>\n<p>The biblical description of the partridge gathering a brood she did not hatch (Jer 17:11) seems to be based on the fact that the hen lays at least two clutches of eggs, one for herself and one for the cock to incubate.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Peacock\">Peacock<\/p>\n<p>Member of the quail, partridge, and pheasant family, the peacock <em>(Pavo cristatus)<\/em> is actually the male peafowl. Its mate is properly known as the peahen. The male attracts attention because of a stately, luxurious appearance enhanced by magnificent feathers. The breast is a brilliant metallic blue, and each tail feather has a brilliant eye near the tip. When lowered, the unusually long tail feathers form a train behind the peacock on the ground, giving it an overall length of up to six feet (1.8 meters). The train can also be raised to form a huge fan adorned with the multicolored eyes. During courtship the feathers are raised and vibrated to make a distinct rustling noise. The rather drab peahen lacks the long train.<\/p>\n<p>Because it is not native to the Holy Land, the peacocks referred to in 1 Kings 10:22 and 2 Chronicles 9:21 are thought by some scholars to be Old World monkeys or baboons brought from east Africa, or guinea hens from the upper Nile River region. There is evidence, however, that the Phoenicians introduced peacocks to the Egyptian pharaoh, perhaps as early as the time of King Solomon. It is possible that Solomon’s trade expeditions ranged as far as India, where the peacock is native. The peacock was also well known to the Greeks and Romans. Alexander the Great prized its beauty and forbade his soldiers to kill the bird.<\/p>\n<p>In the early Christian church the peacock became a symbol of the immortality promised in the resurrection of Christ. In addition, the eyes of its tail came to represent the all-seeing eye of God.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Pelican\">Pelican<\/p>\n<p>Largest of all aquatic birds, considerably larger even than the swan. The pelican <em>(Pelecanus onocrotalus)<\/em> is generally about 50 inches (127 centimeters) long with a 16-inch (40.6-centimeters) beak, the upper part of which is hooked downward at the end, facilitating fish catching. The lower part of the bill supports a yellow pouch extending down the throat. The pouch may hold up to three gallons (11.4 liters) of food (small fish) and water. The pelican’s webbed feet are peculiar in having webs between all four toes. Pelicans are expert swimmers as well as efficient fliers. The pelican’s massive body, long neck, and comparatively small head give it proportions that make rising from the water difficult. To take off, a pelican must first flap awkwardly along the surface, pounding at the water with its legs.<\/p>\n<p>Pelicans fly and nest in groups. Both sexes care for the young that hatch from the one to four eggs. Whereas most birds feed their young by placing food into their mouths, the pelican reverses the process; the young pelican sticks its head and most of its body into its mother’s throat and plucks partially digested food from the mother’s crop. The deep penetration of the young’s beak into the mother’s gullet led ancients to believe that the young were feeding on the blood of the mother’s breast, thus giving rise to wide usage of the pelican as a symbol of Christ’s atonement, and of charity in general.<\/p>\n<p>The roseate pelican is white, at times with a faint rose tinge, and has black feathers growing from the wing joint farthest from the body. The legs, pouch, and skin around the eyes are yellow; the hook of the beak is red. This species may grow up to six feet (1.8 meters) long with a wingspread of up to eight feet (2.4 meters). During the breeding season, the coloration of the exposed areas of the roseate pelican’s legs and face changes from gray to bright orange or red. At the same time the white feathers acquire a beautiful pink tint originating from an oil-gland secretion. The oil is spread throughout the plumage by the bird as it preens.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars question whether “pelican” is an appropriate translation of the Hebrew in several verses, believing rather that the word refers to one of the owls, hawks, or vultures. Most translations include the pelican in the lists of ritually unclean birds (Lv 11:18; Dt 14:17). Opinion on the other references is more sharply divided. Some scholars maintain that the desert context of the verses eliminates the possibility of a water bird like the pelican (cf. Ps 102:6, “vulture,” <span>rsv<\/span>; Is 34:11, “cormorant,” <span>kjv<\/span>; “hawk,” <span>rsv<\/span>; Zep 2:14, “cormorant,” <span>kjv<\/span>; “vulture,” <span>rsv<\/span>). On the other hand, the roseate pelican frequents the rivers, lakes, and marshes of the Holy Land. After flying out to sea as far as 20 miles (32.2 kilometers) to swoop down on fish near the surface, the pelican often returns inland to a deserted place to digest its enormous meal. Thus, the pelican may be the lonely wilderness bird of those passages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"PigeonorDove\">Pigeon or Dove<\/p>\n<p>Species of the pigeon family (Columbidae). In common usage the names “pigeon” and “dove” are virtually interchangeable. The common domestic pigeon familiar to city dwellers the world over, for example, is actually a descendant of the wild rock dove. Both names are used in English translations of the Bible to translate the same Hebrew word. A second Hebrew word is usually translated “turtledove.” Nevertheless, it seems clear that the ancient Hebrews recognized differences among dove species.<\/p>\n<p>At least six species of pigeon or dove reside in modern Israel: the rock, ring, and stock doves (genus <em>Columba<\/em>), and the turtle, collared, and palm doves (genus <em>Streptopelia<\/em>). Of the six, the rock dove <em>(Columba livia)<\/em> and the turtledove <em>(Streptopelia turtur)<\/em> seem to be the two most often referred to in Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Pigeons vary in size from 6 to over 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters). The most colorful Israeli species is the rock dove, which can be a beautiful silvery gray with grayish-green iridescent plumage on the wings (noted by David, Ps 68:13). The smaller doves <em>(Streptopelia)<\/em> are less colorful, mostly gray or buff with a blackish or checkered half collar on the back of the neck. Pigeons have short necks and small heads, plump bodies, and short wings controlled by strong muscles that enable them to fly considerable distances. The smaller doves have longer tails.<\/p>\n<p>At present, the wild rock dove is found primarily in the area around the Sea of Galilee and farther to the south in the many ravines leading down to the Dead Sea. Wild rock doves prefer to build their nests on rocks and cliff faces, a fact precisely described in Scripture (Sg 2:14; Jer 48:28). All Israeli doves build fragile nests of scraps of vegetation. Eggs are hatched twice a year. Doves seldom lay more than two eggs. The young are cared for in the nest by both parents, who rove over the fields eating seeds and weeds. The adult’s crop contains digested food in a milky condition, called pigeon’s milk, which can be regurgitated and fed to the young.<\/p>\n<p>During courtship there is a great deal of rivalry among the male doves. The turtledove’s courtship dance is an awesome aerial display. The attention to courtship, the joint care of young, and the solicitude of the parents for each other, noted from earliest times, have made the dove one of the most popular symbols of love and peace (Sg 1:15; 2:14; 4:1; 5:2).<\/p>\n<p>A major distinction between pigeons (ring doves) and turtledoves seems to have been recognized by ancient writers. Pigeons are year-round residents and easily tamed, whereas turtledoves are migratory. Turtledoves were confined in cages singly or in pairs as pets or for sacrifices. Pigeons were probably the first birds to be domesticated, perhaps as early as Noah’s time (Gn 8:8-12). They were depicted on the earliest Egyptian monuments, and their edibility was mentioned in early Egyptian texts. Before long, domestic pigeons were regarded as evidence of a household’s prosperity. In the more prosperous households they nested in dovecotes of molded pottery clay fashioned in latticelike structures (hence the “windows” of Is 60:8).<\/p>\n<p>In NT times there were many dovecotes in the parks around Herod the Great’s palace in Jerusalem. The dove’s popularity was due not only to its docility but also to its desirability as food and as an acceptable and relatively inexpensive sacrifice. The turtledove may have been regarded more highly as a sacrifice because of its wildness and consequent lesser availability. The two biblical references to turtledoves not in a sacrificial context refer to their migratory habits and to their arrival in Israel in the spring (Sg 2:12; Jer 8:7; cf. Hos 11:11).<\/p>\n<p>Most of the references to doves and pigeons in the Bible are in statements about sacrificial procedures (Gn 15:7-10; Lv 1:14; 5:7; 12:6; Nm 6:10; Lk 2:24). Other references, however, include a range of observations and symbolic usages of the dove. Its throaty moaning was often observed (Is 38:14; 59:11; Ez 7:16; Na 2:7). Its power of flight was well known (Ps 55:6), as were its beauty (Sg 1:15; 4:1; 5:12), its gentleness and loyalty to its mate (Sg 2:14; 5:2; 6:9), its affection (Ps 74:19), and its innocence (Mt 10:16). The one negative reference to doves is in Hosea 7:11, where they are said to be senseless and foolish, perhaps in reference to their overly trusting nature.<\/p>\n<p>Of NT references, perhaps the most significant is the description of the Holy Spirit at Christ’s baptism as a descending dove (Mt 3:16). The dove’s loving nature made it natural for early Christians to connect the dove image with the concept of the Comforter. Since then the dove has remained the most popular symbol of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Quail\">Quail<\/p>\n<p>Short, stocky birds with bills and feet similar to those of chickens; hence they are adapted to eating seeds or insects. Quail <em>(Coturnix coturnix)<\/em> are the smallest of the subfamily of poultry that also includes pheasants and partridges. Quail (or “quails,” another plural form) are about ten inches (25.4 centimeters) long and have small, rounded wings. They burst from their hiding places in the grass or bushes with a whirring sound. The belly of the quail is white. Up to 18 eggs are laid, and if the mother dies, the male has been known to assume the care of the young. Quail of the Mediterranean region winter in the Sudan and migrate northward in vast flocks in the spring. Quail cannot maintain a long sustained flight but make use of wind currents to keep them aloft.<\/p>\n<p>Enormous flocks of quail twice served as food for the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai, when the birds were driven down in the desert miraculously by winds (Ex 16:13; Nm 11:31-32; Ps 105:40). The second time they were probably flying along the Gulf of Aqaba and were blown off course by the east wind (Nm 11:31; Ps 78:26-28). Their inability to sustain long flight may account for their low flying level—two cubits, or about 40 inches (101.6 centimeters). When exhausted, they were easily caught by hand (Nm 11:31-32). Quail were considered clean and the most delicate eating of all game birds, and they were preserved by drying in the sun.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Raven\">Raven<\/p>\n<p>Member of the crow family (Corvidae). The Hebrew word for “raven” means “black one.” The raven (<em>Corvus corax<\/em>) weighs about three pounds (1.36 kilograms) and varies from 22 to 26 inches (56 to 66 centimeters) in length. Its tail is broader in the middle than at either end. Eight species are found in Israel: three ravens, two jackdaws, one crow, one rook, and one chough. The crow, about 20 inches (50.8 centimeters) long, is smaller than a raven, and its tail is uniform in width. The raven’s most conspicuous feature is its glossy black iridescent plumage.<\/p>\n<p>Ravens and crows have survived in spite of the dislike many humans have for them. Excellent fliers, they migrate by day and congregate in great flocks of up to several hundred thousand. During the nesting season, they make nests of sticks in which two to seven eggs are laid. Ravens mate for life. Equipped with strong wings, a strong bill, and strong feet, ravens can live in isolated places from which they range widely for food. That it did not return to the ark was a good sign to Noah, indicating that the raven could find food and possibly a place to rest on dry mountaintops (Gn 8:7).<\/p>\n<p>The raven, essentially a scavenger, was ceremonially unclean (Lv 11:15; Dt 14:14). Yet ravens fed Elijah at God’s command (1 Kgs 17:4-6). Job was told that God gave the raven its food (Jb 38:41), as the psalmist and Jesus repeated (Ps 147:9; Lk 12:24). The raven’s glistening black plumage inspired the bride’s comparison of her beloved’s hair (Sg 5:11). They prefer desolate, uninhabited areas as their home territory (Is 34:11). Ravens are crafty, active birds. Some are capable of speaking, solving puzzles, and performing feats of memory. Bold and curious, they sometimes use their talents for theft.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Seagull\">Seagull<\/p>\n<p>Robust seabirds, primarily scavengers (family Laridae). Several species of gulls live along the seacoast of the Holy Land. They are usually gray-backed with white heads and underparts and black wing tips. The slender bill ends in a downward curve.<\/p>\n<p>Seagulls may be 8 to 30 inches (20 to 76 centimeters) long. Many species migrate, traveling long distances with their superb flying ability. Gulls can also swim easily because of their webbed feet. Their voice is like a harsh scream or squawk. In nesting season many nest together in any available place, such as a cliff or tree. Both male and female incubate and care for the young.<\/p>\n<p>Because gulls will eat almost anything, they are listed as ritually unclean birds (Lv 11:16; Dt 14:15, <span>asv<\/span> has “sea mew,” a common European gull). Some commentators believe that those passages refer to an owl or to the cuckoo and not to the seagull.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Cuckoo (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Sparrow\">Sparrow<\/p>\n<p>Small bird of the finch family (Fringillidae) or the weaver finch family (Ploceidae), considered to be of little worth. The Hebrew word is a general term for “bird” and refers to any small bird such as a sparrow, finch, thrush, or starling. In translation, however, the word sometimes refers to the common English or house sparrow (<em>Passer domestica;<\/em> Ps 84:3; Prv 26:2).<\/p>\n<p>Dull in color with a black throat, the male house sparrow is a noisy and energetic creature. The nest, when built in open places, has an opening on the side and is made of almost anything available. Sparrows also nest in sheltered places, in dwellings, boxes, or holes in trees. They lay four to seven eggs.<\/p>\n<p>The common or house sparrow was known in ancient Greece and Egypt. There it had a reputation for invading fields in large swarms and picking the seeds from them. It is a permanent resident of the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>The sparrow is prolific and lives in close association with humans. It was considered ritually clean. Sparrows brought low prices in countries where they were sold (Mt 10:29; Lk 12:6). Today in Near Eastern marketplaces, boys offer live sparrows for sale. Tied together in groups of four to six by strings attached to one leg, the birds fly about over the boys’ heads. Evidently such a sight was common in NT times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Stork\">Stork<\/p>\n<p>Long-legged, white wading bird (genus <em>Ciconia<\/em>) having large, powerful wings with glossy black primary and secondary feathers. The flapping of its wings produces a loud rushing sound. Connecting membranes between the toes prevent the bird from sinking into the mud. Its red bill is sharp and long, serving to seize and lift its prey out of the water. Storks are mute, lacking a voice box.<\/p>\n<p>Flocks of storks pass through the Holy Land during their September migration on the way to central and southern Africa and likewise in the spring on their return flight to their homes in northern Israel, Syria, and Europe. Storks travel in vast flocks during the day, spreading out against the sky.<\/p>\n<p>The stork’s faithful tending of the young is proverbial, as is its habit of returning annually to the same nesting place. Storks have the habit of adding to their nests each year, and it is possible to find nests that are 100 years old and have a height of more than three feet (.9 meter).<\/p>\n<p>Two species of storks frequent the Holy Land. The white stork <em>(Ciconia alba)<\/em> is 40 inches (101.6 centimeters) tall, and its wingspread is six feet (1.8 meters), enabling it to move with a slow, sustained flight or to soar. In folklore the white stork is sometimes considered to be a harbinger of good fortune.<\/p>\n<p>The black stork <em>(Ciconia nigra),<\/em> common around the Dead Sea valley, nests in trees; hence it may be the tree-dwelling species referred to in Psalm 104:17. The Hebrew name for “stork” means literally the “kingly one,” or the “loyal one,” a reference to the care of the bird for its young. Like the heron, the stork was ceremonially unclean because of its diet of aquatic organisms, refuse, small animals, birds, and reptiles (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18). Jeremiah mentioned the stork’s uncanny and instinctive knowledge of the time of its migration (Jer 8:7). Its impressive wings figured in one of Zechariah’s visions (Zec 5:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Swallow\">Swallow<\/p>\n<p>Small, nearly black, forked-tailed bird with long, tapering wings, noted for its graceful flight <em>(hirundo rustica).<\/em> The small, weak feet are poorly adapted for walking. Swallows resemble swifts in shape and life habits but are somewhat smaller.<\/p>\n<p>The swallow’s large mouth enables it to catch insects while in flight. Colors vary from brown and blue to white. Swallows often nest in buildings, a feature noticed by the psalmist, who reported a swallow’s home at the temple (Ps 84:3).<\/p>\n<p>Swallows are basically resident in Israel, whereas the swift is a migratory bird noted for the regularity of its migratory schedule. The “swallow” of Isaiah 38:14 probably refers to a swift, as does Jeremiah 8:7, where the dependability of the bird is contrasted with the irregularity of God’s people. Proverbs 26:2 may be a reference to either the swallow or the swift.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Swift (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Swan\">Swan<\/p>\n<p>Large, graceful water birds. Two species of swan (genus <em>Cygnus<\/em>) are found in the Middle East as passing migrants <em>(Cygnus olor<\/em> and <em>Cygnus musicus).<\/em> Swans are known as the best musicians among the birds and were considered sacred to the god Apollo by the Greeks. Their voices sound like flutes and harps.<\/p>\n<p>The references in Leviticus 11:18 and Deuteronomy 14:16 (<span>kjv<\/span>) are probably not to the swan but to the water hen or the barn owl, since there seems little reason to declare the vegetarian swan an unclean animal. <em>See also<\/em> Owl, Barn or White (above); Water Hen (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Swift\">Swift<\/p>\n<p>Small, strong flyers (genus <em>Apus<\/em>). Like the swallow, the swift has long, bent wings and a cleft tail, enabling it to obtain great speed as it skims the ground and sweeps through the air. A swift devours a great many harmful insects, catching them in its mouth in flight. Many swifts make their nests in rooftops and in nooks and crannies of city walls. Their nests are built with strong feathers cemented together with saliva. Other swifts live in caves and clefts of rocks.<\/p>\n<p>Common swifts are native to Israel, and in the Jordan Valley they occur in large flocks. Isaiah 38:14 (<span>niv<\/span>) seems to be clear reference to the swift’s plaintive call, since the swallow’s sharp chirp is not a striking simile for a distraught king’s cry. The swift has a soft, delicate voice, and its cry could be easily interpreted as melodious wailing.<\/p>\n<p>The migratory swifts arrive on a precise schedule in the Holy Land in late winter, and immense flocks fill the cities with their cries. Thus the reference in Jeremiah 8:7 to swallows, which are largely permanent residents, is probably to swifts.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Swallow (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Vulture\">Vulture<\/p>\n<p>Subfamily (Aegypiinae) of the hawk family (Accipitridae). Each of the four species of Old World vultures is found in the Holy Land: the Egyptian, griffon, black, and bearded vulture (the bearded vulture is also known as the lammergeier). These birds range in size from the 24-inch (61-centimeters) Egyptian vulture to the huge bearded vulture, largest of all flying birds in the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>Most vultures are brown or black, having a short neck and a short, hooked bill with which they tear the dead animal flesh of which they are fond. All vultures, except the bearded, have bare or down-covered heads and necks, enabling these scavengers to penetrate deep into a carcass without spoiling the plumage. Excellent eyesight enables a vulture to locate a carcass from a lofty soaring position. Considering the decayed condition of most of its food, a vulture’s poor sense of smell may be a fortunate limitation. Vultures nest in any convenient place; both parents care for the young.<\/p>\n<p>The Hebrew word usually translated “eagle” in the OT may have been a general term for all large birds of prey, including vultures. Thus many of the passages about eagles may refer to either the eagle or the vulture (cf. Lv 11:13; Dt 14:12, <span>nasb<\/span> mg). Such passages include references to nesting habits (Jb 39:27-28; Jer 49:16; Ob 1:4), care for fledglings (Dt 32:11), powers of flight (Ex 19:4; Dt 28:49; Jb 9:26; Lam 4:19), and extremely high soaring altitude (Prv 23:5; 30:19; Is 40:31). Despite variations among translations, the vulture clearly belongs in the list of unclean birds because of its foul diet (Lv 11:13, 18; Dt 14:12, 17).<\/p>\n<p>Several references to the eagle in the <span>kjv<\/span> have been changed to “vulture” in modern translations. The change seems appropriate in the references to the vulture as a sign of present or impending doom (Lam 4:19; Hos 8:1). Likewise the eye-plucking bird of Proverbs 30:17 is probably a vulture. The phrase “bald as the eagle” (Mi 1:16) clearly should read “bald as the vulture,” since there are no bald eagles in Israel and most vultures are bald. Since the vulture, like the eagle, was a symbol of sovereignty and domination in the ancient Near East, some gods were represented as vultures. Thus Ezekiel’s comparison of the kings of Babylon and Egypt to eagles may be conceived alternatively as comparisons to vultures (Ez 17:3, 7). Jesus’ reference to the eagles congregating around corpses at the end times (Mt 24:28) should also be revised to vultures, since eagles are usually solitary eaters, whereas vultures generally flock together around carrion.<\/p>\n<p>Several <span>kjv<\/span> references to vultures are usually translated “kite” or “falcon” in modern translations (cf. various versions of Lv 11:14; Dt 14:13; Jb 28:7; Is 34:15).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Eagle; Kestrel; Kite; Lammergeier; Vulture, Black, or Osprey; Vulture, Egyptian; Vulture, Griffon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"VultureBlackorOsprey\">Vulture, Black, or Osprey<\/p>\n<p>Diurnal flesh eater, a little over three feet (.9 meter) long with a wingspread of over three yards (2.7 meters). The feathers of the black or osprey vulture (<em>Aegypius monachus<\/em>) are black and the head and upper part of the neck are bald like those of other carrion eaters. It nests in the Jordan River valley and seems to have been abundant in biblical times. Today it is quite rare. The black vulture is probably the osprey of Leviticus 11:13 and Deuteronomy 14:12.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vulture (above).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"VultureEgyptian\">Vulture, Egyptian<\/p>\n<p>Also known as the gier eagle or as pharaoh’s hen. The plumage of the Egyptian vulture (<em>Neophron percnopterus<\/em>) is basically white with a naked head and yellow neck. The Egyptian vulture breaks bones left by other vultures. Its flight is slow and easy, and its voice is a croak. Measuring about 24 inches (61 centimeters) in length, it is the smallest of all the carrion-eating birds found in the Holy Land. It may be referred to in the list of unclean birds (Lv 11:18; Dt 14:17, “gier eagle,” <span>kjv<\/span>; “carrion vulture,” <span>rsv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>nlt<\/span>). <em>See<\/em> Vulture (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"VultureGriffon\">Vulture, Griffon<\/p>\n<p>One of the largest flying birds in the Holy Land <em>(Gyps fulvus).<\/em> Until a generation ago, the griffon vulture was one of the most common birds in the Holy Land. Today it is on the verge of extinction. Many have been killed by eating poisonous bait meant for foxes and jackals. In addition, its reproduction is limited; the female lays only one or two eggs a year.<\/p>\n<p>The griffon vulture measures about four feet (121.9 centimeters) in length and up to ten feet (3 meters) between wing tips. Its beak is extremely strong, and its short toes are fitted with blunt talons. It is a light-brown bird with a pale yellow head and neck that are almost bare, being covered only with a very fine down.<\/p>\n<p>The griffon vulture feeds mostly on carrion, but also on locusts and small tortoises. It is able to go without food for several days with no ill effects, but when it does break its fast, it gorges itself. It is found especially in the region of the Sea of Galilee. Most biblical references to the vulture are likely to be to the griffon vulture.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Eagle; Vulture (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"WaterHen\">Water Hen<\/p>\n<p>Small water bird of the rail family. The water hen listed among unclean birds (Lv 11:18; Dt 14:16, <span>rsv<\/span> only) may be the biblical bird most difficult to identify. Several alternatives have been suggested, including the swan (<span>kjv<\/span>), one of the owls (<span>nasb<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>), or the marsh hen (<span>tlb<\/span>). Most scholars rule out the swan, since it is a vegetarian bird and thus should not be considered unclean. An owl remains a possibility.<\/p>\n<p>The marsh hen is a rail, several species of which inhabit Israel. One of those species is the purple gallinule <em>(Porphyrio porphyrio).<\/em> Rails are very thin birds varying from 6 to 20 inches (15 to 51 centimeters) in length. They live in marshes, where they eat a great variety of animal and vegetable matter, thus making them a candidate for inclusion in the Mosaic lists of unclean animals.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Animals.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>BIRDS<\/h3>\n\n<p>Feathered vertebrates of the class Aves. Over 8,000 species of birds are known. Approximately 400 species are found in the Holy Land and about 40 are mentioned in Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Modern scientists classify organisms on the basis of internal and external structure, but the biblical writers generally classified organisms according to habitat. Thus, in the Bible, bats are listed with birds as creatures of the air (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18).<\/p>\n<p>Precise identification of biblical birds is often difficult or impossible. The biblical languages were not highly specialized scientific languages. People in biblical times generally knew the difference between similar animals now categorized as separate species. For birds, however, they frequently used poetic, descriptive terms. Biblical scholars attempt to overcome the difficulties in identification by comparing the Hebrew words with similar words in related languages and by attention to the habitat, habits, and characteristics attributed to the birds in Scripture. Nevertheless, different scholars sometimes arrive at different identifications.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"BiblicalReferencestoBirds\">Biblical References to Birds<\/p>\n<p>The Bible refers to birds both in literal and figurative senses. The biblical writers were keen observers of nature, their awareness of birds and bird life being reflected in many passages. They asserted that God knows all the birds (Ps 50:11) and cares for them (Mt 10:29). They saw God’s covenant with Noah after the flood, his promise never to destroy life again by flood, as extending even to the birds and animals (Gn 9:10).<\/p>\n<p>The Mosaic law declared many birds “unclean,” mostly species that were scavengers or predators, or inhabited waste places. Centuries later the early Christians came to regard unclean species as clean by God’s decree, revealed in the apostle Peter’s vision (Acts 10:12). Other birds, like quail, sustained the Israelites in their wanderings (Ex 16:13). The Law prescribed birds as sacrifices for a firstborn child (Lk 2:24), for a Nazirite vow (Nm 6:10), for cleansing a leper (Lv 14:22), and as a burnt offering and sin offering (12:8).<\/p>\n<p>Birds are easily subject to extinction, especially through human activity. God required the Israelites to practice conservation to prevent any birds from becoming extinct in the Holy Land, both for the birds’ sake and so the Israelites would have a continuous source of food. The Law allowed foraging Israelites to take eggs or the young from a bird’s nest, but they were not permitted to kill both a mother bird and her young (Dt 22:6).<\/p>\n<p>Biblical writers turned to nature frequently for illustrations of divine principles or human characteristics. Comparisons of humans to birds sometimes carry a sense of lowness, as when King Nebuchadnezzar developed claws like a bird in his madness (Dn 4:33), or when Job remarked that birds did not know the source of wisdom (Jb 28:21). In Jesus’ parable of the sower, the birds that ate the seed scattered by the wayside may represent indifference and a lack of spiritual understanding (Mt 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture also contains sympathetic images of the plight of birds. A lonely man praying was likened to a lonely bird on a housetop (Ps 102:7). If someone was unjustly hunted by his enemies, he would understand a hunted bird’s plight (Lam 3:52). Birds were said to be affected by curses on evildoers as they fled from Jerusalem or from the face of the earth (Jer 9:10; Zep 1:3).<\/p>\n<p>In spite of such misfortune visited upon birds, Scripture affirms that, like other creatures, they are cared for and delighted in by God (Ps 50:11; Mt 6:26; 10:29). Both Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar were compared to a tree that gives shelter to the birds (Ez 31:6; Dn 4:12; cf. 2:38). Human power, however, fails eventually as when the tree representing Nebuchadnezzar was cut down, forcing the birds to flee (Dn 4:14). God’s protection, by contrast, is unfailing. Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, growing to become a shelter for birds (Mt 13:32). God provides a habitation for birds (Ps 104:12), although Jesus, the Son of Man, had nowhere to rest his head (Mt 8:20).<\/p>\n<p>Birds were considered evidence of God’s handiwork (Jb 12:7). Bird lore provided examples of good sense in learning from a mistake (Prv 1:17; 6:5) and of bad judgment in failing to avoid the snares of immorality (7:23). Birds and other creatures could be tamed, unlike the wicked human tongue (Jas 3:7). Birds flying without alighting were an image of an undeserved curse (Prv 26:2). Without trust in God, people might be forced by evil to flee like a bird to the mountains (Ps 11:1). Birdsong was said to bring joy (Sg 2:12). The return of God’s people to the Promised Land would be like birds returning (Hos 11:11). Jesus expressed his love for Jerusalem by saying that he longed to gather his people to himself as a hen gathers her brood under her wing (Mt 23:37).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, birds were occasionally regarded as ominous signs. For example, Pharaoh’s baker learned of impending death because in a dream birds ate the food from a basket on his head (Gn 40:17). Solomon warned against cursing the king, even in private, because “a little bird may tell them what you said” (Eccl 10:20). A vivid biblical image is that of scavenging, carrion-eating birds consuming the bodies of evildoers. To the Israelites, such a desecration of humanity was an image of ultimate horror (Dt 28:26; 1 Sm 17:44; Is 46:11; Jer 7:33; 12:9; Ez 29:5; 39:4; Rv 19:17, 21).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IndividualSpecies\">Individual Species<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Bittern\">Bittern<\/p>\n<p>Long-legged wading bird <em>(Botaurus stellaris)<\/em> similar to the heron, but with shorter legs and a smaller, more compact body. Bitterns inhabit marshes, where it is easy for them to hide with their natural camouflage. A bittern’s mottled plumage of barred brown and black so duplicates the color and shape of swamp vegetation that at times the bird seems to disappear before the observer’s eyes. The neck is covered with long, soft feathers, making it appear disproportionately heavy. Bitterns are wary and solitary. During mating season the bittern’s larynx is modified to produce a mysterious-sounding cry. The body twists in an unusual manner in harmony with the notes. Bitterns nest alone in grassy marshes. Because they are shy, they have become symbols of places of desolation and loneliness.<\/p>\n<p>There is some question as to whether the bittern is actually mentioned in the Bible. The <span>kjv<\/span> has “bittern” in three places (Is 14:23; 34:11; Zep 2:14). Many biblical scholars believe the Hebrew word in those verses refers not to the bittern but to the hedgehog (Is 14:23; Zep 2:14, <span>rsv<\/span>) or porcupine (Is 34:11, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Hebrew word is similar to an Arabic word meaning “porcupine.” Other scholars point out that the references suggest a bird rather than a mammal, especially Zephaniah 2:14, which speaks of the creature making its “lodge in her capitals” (i.e., above Nineveh’s doorposts). Bitterns are particularly abundant in the swamps of the Tigris River (near Nineveh). The bittern’s characteristics may fit the references in the three passages better than do the hedgehog’s.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Hedgehog; Animals (Porcupine).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Buzzard\">Buzzard<\/p>\n<p>Hawklike soaring bird <em>(Buteo vulgaris<\/em> or <em>Buteo ferox).<\/em> It resembles the kite, though its tail is straight and not cleft. It is mentioned in the list of unclean birds (Dt 14:13). But other translations render the word as “glede” (<span>kjv<\/span>) or “kite” (<span>nasb<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). The parallel list in Leviticus 11, however, substitutes “kite” (<span>rsv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>) or “vulture” (<span>kjv<\/span>) for “buzzard.” Thus, it is difficult to determine whether the buzzard is actually mentioned in the Bible, even though it is a common resident of Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Like other great soaring birds, the buzzard is noted for its sharp eyesight, and may be the bird mentioned for that quality in Job 28:7 (variously translated “falcon,” “eagle,” or “vulture”). It will trail its prey for hours, and has a remarkable ability to see a carcass on which it descends to feed. Somewhat larger than the common buzzard is the long-legged buzzard, found in Israel, western Asia, and Syria.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Kestrel; Kite; Vulture (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Cormorant\">Cormorant<\/p>\n<p>Large, black gooselike bird <em>(Phalacrocorax carbo),<\/em> repeatedly depicted in art from Egypt and the Holy Land. Its length varies from 19 to 40 inches (48.3 to 101.6 centimeters). Its feet have webs between all four toes. The feet, attached far back on the body, serve as propellers when the cormorant dives to catch its meal of fish, crustacea, or amphibia. The long bill is curved at the tip, and under the bill is a sac in which the cormorant keeps the captured fish.<\/p>\n<p>Cormorants live in large companies, making nests of sticks and other vegetation that they carry to trees or to rocky shelves near coasts. Up to four eggs are incubated, and the young are fed by both parents.<\/p>\n<p>The cormorant frequents swamps around the Sea of Galilee, Lake Huleh (the waters of Merom), and the Mediterranean coast. Its Hebrew name originally denoted the “hurling down” of the bird at its prey. Cormorants dive into deep water and sometimes seem to zoom beneath the surface in their hunt for fish. The cormorant’s greed is proverbial. It was ceremonially unclean for the Israelites (Lv 11:17; Dt 14:17).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Pelican (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Crane\">Crane<\/p>\n<p>Tall wading birds <em>(Grus grus)<\/em> resembling storks and herons but with shorter talons. The plumage has a silvery gloss and the tail feathers are wavy. Large flocks of cranes flying in wedge-shaped formations pass over the Holy Land during the daylight hours each fall on their way to Africa from the northern countries of Europe and again in the spring when they return north to breed. Migratory flocks may number as many as 2,000 birds. Jeremiah 8:7 refers to the crane’s migratory habits.<\/p>\n<p>The usual call of the crane is best described as a bellow, but during migratory flight they emit a chattering sound that may be referred to in Isaiah 38:14. Cranes have remarkably powerful voices, their calls seeming to carry for miles. Migrating flocks usually have a flock leader who does the calling.<\/p>\n<p>A crane’s height may reach 40 to 60 inches (101.6 to 152.4 centimeters). Except for the ostrich, the crane is the tallest bird ever to inhabit the Holy Land. A crane’s wingspread may exceed 90 inches (228.6 centimeters). The overall color is steel gray; the head and neck are black with a longitudinal white stripe. The crane feeds on land rather than in shallow water. It feeds primarily on grass and grain yet may devour insects, snakes, small alligators, frogs, and worms, using its long, powerful bill as a sharp hammer for killing such creatures.<\/p>\n<p>The crane usually nests in solitary places, often in shallow water or nearby. Its nest is a mass of vegetation, holding two or three eggs that are light-colored with darker spots.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Cuckoo\">Cuckoo<\/p>\n<p>Small, drab brown bird known for its parasitic habits. The term the <span>kjv<\/span> used in Leviticus 11:16 and Deuteronomy 14:15 may refer either to the common cuckoo <em>(Cuculus canorus)<\/em> or to the great spotted cuckoo <em>(Clamator glandarius).<\/em> The bird acts as a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nest of another species after pushing out one of the eggs of the host species. The young cuckoo hatches before the young of the host species and evicts the other young. The foster parents raise it as their own.<\/p>\n<p>The cuckoo, an insect eater, is considered ritually unclean in Scripture, which might imply that it is a predator or carrion-eater. For that reason some believe the Hebrew word actually refers to the seagull or sea mew rather than the cuckoo. Gulls, terns, and petrels are all common on the seashore and lakes of the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>Other scholars believe that the Hebrew word refers not to the cuckoo but to one of the owls, possibly the long-eared owl.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl; Seagull (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Eagle\">Eagle<\/p>\n<p>Large bird of prey, genus <em>Aquila.<\/em> Vultures were often confused with eagles, making identification of the biblical birds difficult. Eagles’ heads are not bald as are the heads of vultures, but from a distance they appear similar. It is possible that the Hebrew word translated “eagle” (which literally means “to tear with the beak”) may have referred to all large birds of prey, eagles and vultures alike. A number of references to the eagle in Scripture are actually references to the griffon vulture (e.g., Hos 8:1; perhaps Mt 24:28). In certain passages, however, the true eagle may be meant.<\/p>\n<p>The Holy Land has several varieties of eagle, including the imperial eagle <em>(Aquila heliaca)<\/em> and the less common golden eagle <em>(Aquila chrysaetos).<\/em> These birds are powerfully built with strong wings; their movements reveal suppleness and strength. A distinctive hooked beak, which enhances the eagle’s dignified and somewhat ferocious appearance, provides it with an effective instrument for tearing and killing prey. Short, powerful legs and prehensile claws enable an eagle to apply an almost unbreakable grip on a struggling victim. The strong talons have sharp points and edges. The eagle hunts by day.<\/p>\n<p>For Jeremiah and other prophets, the eagle was the epitome of swiftness. The golden eagle, which can fly three or four miles (5–7 kilometers) in ten minutes, may have evoked the comparisons in 2 Samuel 1:23;Jeremiah 4:13; 49:22; Lamentations 4:19 (<span>kjv<\/span>), and Habakkuk 1:8. Moses used a similar comparison to emphasize the sudden striking power of a hostile enemy (Dt 28:49). The author of Proverbs, observing the high altitude to which the eagle soars, applied that image to the human situation (Prv 23:4-5; cf. Rv 12:14).<\/p>\n<p>The eagle’s strength and invincibility were mentioned often with reference to powerful nations attacking Israel. The prophet Ezekiel described Nebuchadnezzar as an eagle (Ez 17:3). Both the Babylonians and Assyrians frequently depicted the eagle in their art, especially as a deity with a man’s body and an eagle’s head. Nebuchadnezzar even had an experience of temporary insanity in which “his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws” (Dn 4:33, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The eagle builds its nest on inaccessible mountain peaks or at the top of the tallest trees, a fact noted by Jeremiah (Jer 49:16; cf. Jb 39:27-28; Ob 1:4). The brood consists of two or occasionally three eggs. Only the female sits on the nest, but the young eaglets are fed by both parents. Eagles are devoted to their offspring and train them with great care in the art of flying. Some commentators interpret Exodus 19:4 and Deuteronomy 32:11 as evidence of the eagle’s practice of catching its young on its wings. There is virtually no evidence from observation, however, that any eagle can perform such a feat. In some versions the wording avoids a direct statement that eagles bear their young on their wings.<\/p>\n<p>Some eagles in captivity have lived to an age of over 100 years. This remarkable longevity caused the psalmist to speak of the eagle whose youth is renewed (Ps 103:5). Confronted by its impressive qualities, biblical authors observed the eagle with awe and wonder (Jb 39:27-30; Prv 30:18-19). Those awesome qualities also contributed to several prophetic visions, including Ezekiel’s vision of a creature with an eagle’s face (Ez 1:10) and the apostle John’s vision of a holy beast like a flying eagle (Rv 4:7).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vulture (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"FowlDomestic\">Fowl, Domestic<\/p>\n<p>Domesticated poultry <em>(Gallus gallus domesticus),<\/em> probably derived from the red jungle fowl of India. They seem to have been known already in OT times (Prv 30:31). A seal of Jaazaniah (see 2 Kgs 25:23), dating from about 600 <span>BC<\/span>, bears the image of a fighting cock. A reference to fowls or poultry for Nehemiah’s table, however, may be to wild game rather than domestic fowl (Neh 5:18).<\/p>\n<p>Poultry symbolized fertility, and the Jews carried a cock and hen in front of bridal couples at weddings. The motherly concern of hens gathering their broods was familiar to Jesus’ hearers (Mt 23:37; Lk 13:34).<\/p>\n<p>Since roosters habitually crow an hour or two before dawn, the third watch of the night, from midnight to 3:00 <span>am<\/span>, was known as the cockcrow. According to the Talmud (a commentary on Jewish law), keeping chickens was prohibited in Jerusalem in NT times to prevent the insects and larvae that breed in chicken droppings from contaminating sacrificial flesh. For that reason the cock that Peter heard (Mt 26:34, 74; Lk 22:34, 60-61) probably belonged to Romans living there or to Jews who did not follow Jewish regulations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"GoatsuckerorNightHawk\">Goatsucker or Night Hawk<\/p>\n<p>Migratory bird, dark in color and short-legged, similar to the American whippoorwill. The goatsucker (genus <em>Caprimulgus<\/em>) resembles an owl with a flat head, large eyes, soft plumage, and a noiseless flight. It hunts insects at night, catches them on the wing, and during the day rests on branches. Goatsuckers were so named because they were thought by the ancients to milk goats. According to Leviticus 11:16 and Deuteronomy 14:15, they were ritually unclean. Although some scholars believe that an owl is intended, there seems to be good reason to accept the “night hawk” translation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Goose\">Goose<\/p>\n<p>Long-necked, web-footed water birds with waterproof feathers (genus <em>Anser<\/em>). Domestic geese were known to the Greeks of Homer’s day, since they are mentioned in the <em>Odyssey.<\/em> They were domesticated in Egypt perhaps as early as the Old Kingdom (c. 2500 <span>BC<\/span>) and certainly by the time of the New Kingdom (c. 1500– 1100 <span>BC<\/span>). They were used for food and sacrifice. The breeding of geese was widespread in Canaan in biblical times; ivory carvings of the 13th or 12th century <span>BC<\/span> showing geese have been found in excavations at Megiddo in Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Many species of geese spend most of their lives on land even though they are waterfowl; some even build their nests in trees. Wild geese tend to inhabit flatlands and prairies rather than mountainous terrain.<\/p>\n<p>Geese may have graced the table of King Solomon. In 1 Kings 4:23 they are referred to as “fatted fowl,” a term that may also refer to ducks, swans, guineas, pigeons, or other domestic edible birds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Hawk\">Hawk<\/p>\n<p>Small birds of prey found in the Holy Land. Most references are probably to the sparrow hawk <em>(Accipter nisus).<\/em> This bird is slightly larger than the kestrel, has a grayish-brown back and a white belly with black and brown bars. It has short feathers, long, curved talons, and broad wings, rounded at the outer ends, which enable it to soar on updrafts. The long tail, acting as a rudder, helps the bird change its course swiftly in flight. It is hence very maneuverable in the air when chasing warblers or other small birds. It does not seize its prey on the ground, as does the kestrel, but hunts and attacks small birds in flight. Hawks hunt in the daytime, unlike owls that are adapted for nighttime hunting. With their eyes located on the side of the head, hawks are very keen-sighted. They usually nest in tall trees and their nests are often occupied by the same pair year after year.<\/p>\n<p>The Egyptians embalmed sparrow hawks and regarded all hawks highly. The god Horus was depicted with the head of a hawk hawk was ceremonially unclean to the Israelites (Lv 11:16; Dt 14:15). It was not a permanent resident of Israel but stopped off as it migrated from north to south. Its southward migration is mentioned in Job 39:26. A reference in Isaiah 34:11 to “hawk” (“cormorant,” <span>kjv<\/span>) is uncertain. <em>See<\/em> Kestrel or Falcon; Kite (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Heron\">Heron<\/p>\n<p>Wading bird (genus <em>Ardea<\/em>) with a long, thin neck and long legs. It has a characteristic comblike growth on the inner side of the third toe.<\/p>\n<p>Herons are generally white, blue, green, or gray. They nest together in rookeries, and both parents bring in food for the young. Herons feed on fish, small reptiles, and insects, gulping them down in one swallow. Adults and young migrate in the late fall to warm southern climates. The white heron attains a length of more than 3 feet (.9 meter), whereas the dwarf heron is only about 22 inches (55.9 centimeters) long.<\/p>\n<p>At least seven varieties of heron are reported in the Holy Land. The white ibis, or buff-backed heron (<em>Buphus russatus<\/em>), was probably the most common species. The purple heron <em>(Ardea purpureus)<\/em> is a summer breeder found in all parts of the Holy Land where there is standing water.<\/p>\n<p>The blue-gray heron (<em>Ardea cinerea<\/em>) winters in southern Europe and North Africa, migrating to northern Europe in the early spring. In Israel it builds its winter nest near water, in swamps and along riverbanks, where it feeds on fish and frogs. It will stand patiently in the water for hours, and then suddenly its long, pointed beak darts down with lightning speed to catch its prey. Often the blue-gray heron builds its nest in a tall tree to which it may return year after year.<\/p>\n<p>According to Leviticus 11:19 and Deuteronomy 14:18, the heron was ceremonially unclean to the Israelites. Some scholars believe those references are to the cormorant, but most scholars think they refer to one of the herons.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Cormorant (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Hoopoe\">Hoopoe<\/p>\n<p>One of the Holy Land’s most beautiful birds (<em>Upupa epops<\/em>). It has vividly colored plumage, a lovely crown-shaped crest that becomes erect when the bird is alarmed, and a long, slender curved bill. The pinkish-brown hoopoe is about 11 inches (27.9 centimeters) long, with black and white bands on its back, tail, and wings. Hoopoes are basically desert-dwelling birds.<\/p>\n<p>The name “hoopoe” is derived from the sound of the bird’s call. To emit the sound, the neck feathers are puffed up and the head snapped in the air. When on the ground, the bird hammers its beak into the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The hoopoe arrives in the Holy Land in February, breeds in the summer, and leaves in September. It was held in religious reverence by the Egyptians. It was listed as ritually unclean (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18), probably because it searches for grubs and small insects in such unsanitary places as dunghills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Ibis\">Ibis<\/p>\n<p>Wading bird (<em>Threskiornis aethiopica<\/em>) presently unknown in the Holy Land but possibly known there in biblical times. It was well known in ancient Egypt, where it was sacred to the god Thoth. Today it has practically vanished with the disappearance of swamps along the Nile.<\/p>\n<p>There is some question as to whether the ibis is meant in Leviticus 11:17, where it is classified as ceremonially unclean. The same Hebrew word in Deuteronomy 14:16 and Isaiah 34:11 is translated “great owl,” a translation preferred by most scholars.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl, Great (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"KestrelorFalcon\">Kestrel or Falcon<\/p>\n<p>Small hawk (<em>Falco tinnunculus<\/em>) about a foot (30.5 centimeters) long with brown, black, and yellow feathers on its breast. It was abundant in the Holy Land in villages and in the countryside, nesting on rooftops and among rocks. Like most hawks, the kestrel is able to hover and float in midair and then swoop down on its prey, seizing it with sharp, hooklike talons. It feeds largely on mice, small reptiles, and insects.<\/p>\n<p>Embalmed kestrels have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. The Egyptians also embalmed the hunting kestrel <em>(Falco cherug),<\/em> which can be tamed and trained to hunt rabbits and other small game. Falconry (hunting with hawks of various species) was well known among the ancients and is still practiced today. That the Assyrians were familiar with falconry is seen in the records of Ashurbanipal. Because the kestrel is a predator, it was ceremonially unclean (Lv 11:14). Some translations render the word as “kite” (Lv 11:14, <span>kjv<\/span>; Dt 14:13, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>rsv<\/span>), an illustration of the difficulty of identifying biblical birds precisely.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Kite or Glede (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"KiteorGlede\">Kite or Glede<\/p>\n<p>Large bird of prey <em>(Milvus milvus).<\/em> The average length of the kite is about 19 inches (48.3 centimeters). The upper part is generally dark, but the belly is white. Kites nest high in trees and build nests of vegetation, including sticks. They rarely have more than two or three young, which they feed on snakes, grasshoppers, and so on. Sometimes kites are called snake hawks.<\/p>\n<p>The kite is a migratory bird that stays in Israel during the summer, especially in the mountains of southern Judea, in the trackless wastes west of the Dead Sea, and in the wilderness of Beersheba.<\/p>\n<p>The red kite or glede is a medium-sized bird of prey. The edges of the upper part of the bill overlap with the lower one, forming sharp scissors. The tail is forked or cleft like that of a fish. Its loud cry often includes sharp whistling notes. Other Holy Land species include the black kite <em>(Milvus migrans)<\/em> and the black-winged kite <em>(Elanus caeruleus).<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The kite is listed among the unclean birds in Mosaic law (Lv 11:14; Dt 14:13), but the precise identification of the birds mentioned there is disputed by some scholars and translators.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Buzzard; Kestrel or Falcon (above).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Lammergeier\">Lammergeier<\/p>\n<p>Largest of the vultures and less common than the other members of the family. It is grayish brown with white streaks and has a black tuft of stiff hairs in the facial area that gives it the name “bearded vulture.” Another name for it is “lamb vulture.”<\/p>\n<p>The lammergeier <em>(Gypaetus barbatus)<\/em> has a unique way of killing its prey; since its beak is not particularly powerful it carries its victim high in the air and then drops it on rocks.<\/p>\n<p>The lammergeier is especially partial to tortoises and to marrow bone. After jackals and smaller vultures have reduced a carcass to bone, the lammergeier crushes the bones to obtain the marrow, or swallows the pieces intact. Hence it is also known as the ossifrage, from a Latin word meaning “bone crusher.” The lammergeier was unclean in Mosaic law (Lv 11:13; Dt 14:13; both translated “vulture” in <span>nlt<\/span> and “ossifrage” in <span>kjv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vulture (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Ostrich\">Ostrich<\/p>\n<p>Two-toed, swift-running, flightless bird (<em>Struthio camelus<\/em>) that lives in deserts or in areas covered with stunted bushes.<\/p>\n<p>In biblical times ostriches ranged as far north as Syria and were found over the entire wasteland of the Negev Desert, but they have since become extinct there. Its Hebrew name means “daughter of the desert.” It is the largest of all living birds, attaining a height of about 10 feet (3 meters) and a weight of 175 pounds (79.5 kilograms), though some males may weigh as much as 300 pounds (136.4 kilograms). The female is considerably smaller. Powerful thighs and long legs give the ostrich great speed, reported to be as high as 40 <span>mph<\/span> (64 <span>kph<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The ostrich is omnivorous. It eats grass, fruits, small mammals, birds, snakes, and lizards, as well as large pebbles that assist in the breakdown of food in its gizzard. The ostrich is hunted, but its eggs are generally more sought after than the bird itself. The empty shells are traded throughout the Mediterranean area for use as utensils, or when broken up as raw material for beads. The eggs—as many as 25 in one clutch—are laid in a shallow nest of sand, with some left uncovered. They may appear to be neglected by day, but only because they are ordinarily incubated at night. The cock does most of the incubating; the female participates only during cold days. The strong, thick eggshell protects the embryo from the heat of the desert.<\/p>\n<p>Occasionally the ostrich is used for riding or even for pulling small carts. Ostrich feathers are in great demand. Ostrich plumes graced ancient royal courts as fans. An ivory-handled fan of Pharaoh Tutankhamen (King Tut) had lovely ostrich plumes. The plumes are white in the male and brownish gray in the female. The reputation of the ostrich for stupidity comes from its behavior when hunted and cornered; it fails to take evasive action even when doing so would save it. In open country, however, it is very wary and runs at great speed to escape. In contrast to the partridge, an ostrich will run away from its eggs and chicks when pursued.<\/p>\n<p>Most biblical references to ostriches emphasize their negative characteristics. They were regarded as unclean in Jewish law (Lv 11:16; Dt 14:15). Several references associate ostriches with images of wilderness and desolation (Jb 30:29; Is 13:21; 34:13; 43:20; Jer 50:39). Their night cry, which has been compared to an ox’s lowing in pain, is referred to in Micah 1:8. Biblical writers also noted the apparent indifference of the ostrich to its brood (Jb 39:13-18; Lam 4:3).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Owl\">Owl<\/p>\n<p>Nocturnal birds (order Strigiformes) with large heads and large, forward-looking eyes. Their wing and tail feathers are soft as velvet, helping to make their flight noiseless. The owl’s body is small and slender, about the size of a pigeon, but it appears bulky because of the thick covering of feathers. Owls have been considered bearers of misfortune and omens of disaster. In the Near East, owls now live in temple ruins and pyramids in Egypt, and in rock-hewn graves, ruins, and caves on both sides of the Jordan River in Israel. They seldom come near inhabited dwellings.<\/p>\n<p>Owls have excellent night vision, which they use to capture rodents or other animals. Although unusually large, the owl’s eyes are almost useless in the daylight because the light dazzles them. The owl is able to swallow its prey whole because of its elastic esophagus. Indigestible hair and bones are regurgitated as pellets. The bill is short but sharply hooked.<\/p>\n<p>Owls may lay up to ten eggs. The young are cared for on the nest by both parents. Both adults and young tend to remain in the area in which they were hatched. Eight species of owls are found in the Holy Land, of which five are plentiful. It is difficult, however, to identify a particular species with any of the four Hebrew words translated “owl” in Scripture. A fifth word translated “owl” (<span>kjv<\/span>) is more appropriately identified with the ostrich (<span>rsv<\/span>). Owls appear in the lists of unclean birds (Lv 11:17; Dt 14:16), and although translations differ, they concur that all species of owls, being predators, are unclean.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Ostrich (above); Owl, Barn or White; Owl, Great; Owl, Little; Owl, Scops (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlBarnorWhite\">Owl, Barn or White<\/p>\n<p>Large owl <em>(Tyto alloa)<\/em> with a distinct heart-shaped face. It may get its Hebrew name from a snoring sound it makes when breathing in the nest. In flight it emits a frightening screech, and thus is sometimes referred to as the screech owl. Its somewhat sinister features—a large head and wide pop eyes—have led some people to consider it demonic, but they have also inspired another name, the monkey-faced owl. It is a useful bird, however, devouring rodents that raid fields and damage stored grain. Like other owls, it sleeps during the day and hunts at night with a well-developed sense of hearing and sight. Its color is light brownish yellow with a white mask around the eyes and cheeks. The whole leg is covered with feathers that protect it against the bites of struggling victims in its talons.<\/p>\n<p>Some modern translations mention the barn or white owl by name (Lv 11:17, <span>njb<\/span>; 11:18, <span>nasb<\/span>; Dt 14:16, <span>njb<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl (above), Owl, Scops (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlGreat\">Owl, Great<\/p>\n<p>Large owl, standing nearly two feet (60.9 centimeters) tall <em>(Asio otus).<\/em> The color is mouse gray with gray-brown spots and black stripes. As one of its names indicates, it has tufted “ears” and is sometimes called the great horned owl. It feeds on rodents, such as rats and mice. It winters in Israel among ruins and in groves.<\/p>\n<p>The great owl may be the owl mentioned in the Bible among the birds of desolation that will inhabit devastated Edom (Is 34:11, <span>nasb<\/span> mg). It is also mentioned by name in some translations of the lists of ritually unclean birds (Lv 11:17, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>; Dt 14:16, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlLittle\">Owl, Little<\/p>\n<p>Smallest of all nocturnal birds of prey. Chiefly insectivorous, the little owl <em>(Athene noctua glaux)<\/em> also feeds at times on tiny birds. It is the most common owl in the Holy Land, dwelling among ruins, tombstones, rocks, and thickets (perhaps the owl of Ps 102:6). Its voice sounds like that of a dying person. On occasion it may be observed perched on a rock with its large eyes gazing off into the distance, a pose that the ancients considered a sign of wisdom. The Greeks associated the little owl with the goddess Athena. It is mentioned by name in several translations (Lv 11:17, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>; Dt 14:16, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlScops\">Owl, Scops<\/p>\n<p>Small owl <em>(Otus scops)<\/em> distinguished by two horn-shaped crests of hairlike feathers on its head. It perches in an inclined posture and hops and dances like a goat. During the hatching period, the male’s hooting sounds like a moan. The scops owl feeds on insects, rodents, and birds. During invasions of mice or locusts, these owls have appeared in large flocks and helped to destroy the pests. They have been known to attack humans who intrude on their nests. They are well-known inhabitants of Eurasia and Africa.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars suggest that the scops is the true screech owl, because of its whistling calls that resound through the night. The screech owl is mentioned only once in Scripture (Is 34:14, <span>kjv<\/span>), but that translation is the subject of scholarly debate. Following traditional Jewish mythology, some translations use the Hebrew word <em>(<\/em><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">lilith<\/span><em>)<\/em> as a proper name. In Jewish tradition Lilith was a witch-demon who, before Eve’s creation, was Adam’s wife. She became the mother of demons and was thought to attack children during the night; thus the name “Lilith” is translated “night hag” (<span>rsv<\/span>) or “night monster” (<span>nasb<\/span>). Most scholars favoring the mythical interpretation, however, suggest that Isaiah was using a popular legend to evoke a sense of desolation and did not himself believe in the existence of Lilith. There is little support for “screech owl” as an appropriate translation of the name.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl; Owl, Barn or White (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Partridge\">Partridge<\/p>\n<p>Most common game bird in the Holy Land. The partridge resembles a chicken in its basic anatomy but has a less chunky body and a longer tail. Two species of partridge inhabit the Holy Land: the sand partridge <em>(Ammoperdix heyi),<\/em> found near the Dead Sea, in the Jordan River valley, and in the Sinai Desert; and the chukar partridge <em>(Alectoris graeca).<\/em> The sand partridge is a medium-sized bird with yellow feet. The male has sandy-buff plumage, upper tail feathers penciled and barred with brown, and a chestnut and white undersurface. The female is a grayish buff. The chukar partridge resembles the common French partridge of Europe, having a body about 16 inches (40.6 centimeters) long. It is covered with beautiful and radiantly colored feathers.<\/p>\n<p>The biblical reference (1 Sm 26:20; probably the sand partridge because of the geographical context) alludes to the common method of catching it by chasing. It was also hunted with snares (cf. Ps 91:3) or by hunters hiding in a blind. The fast-running partridge soon becomes exhausted, which enables hunters to run it to the ground and kill it. Nevertheless, by running and jumping, it can ascend very steep cliffs. The bird finds refuge among bushes into which its brownish-green feathers blend protectively. If it were not such a prolific breeder, it would probably have become extinct by being hunted for food.<\/p>\n<p>The biblical description of the partridge gathering a brood she did not hatch (Jer 17:11) seems to be based on the fact that the hen lays at least two clutches of eggs, one for herself and one for the cock to incubate.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Peacock\">Peacock<\/p>\n<p>Member of the quail, partridge, and pheasant family, the peacock <em>(Pavo cristatus)<\/em> is actually the male peafowl. Its mate is properly known as the peahen. The male attracts attention because of a stately, luxurious appearance enhanced by magnificent feathers. The breast is a brilliant metallic blue, and each tail feather has a brilliant eye near the tip. When lowered, the unusually long tail feathers form a train behind the peacock on the ground, giving it an overall length of up to six feet (1.8 meters). The train can also be raised to form a huge fan adorned with the multicolored eyes. During courtship the feathers are raised and vibrated to make a distinct rustling noise. The rather drab peahen lacks the long train.<\/p>\n<p>Because it is not native to the Holy Land, the peacocks referred to in 1 Kings 10:22 and 2 Chronicles 9:21 are thought by some scholars to be Old World monkeys or baboons brought from east Africa, or guinea hens from the upper Nile River region. There is evidence, however, that the Phoenicians introduced peacocks to the Egyptian pharaoh, perhaps as early as the time of King Solomon. It is possible that Solomon’s trade expeditions ranged as far as India, where the peacock is native. The peacock was also well known to the Greeks and Romans. Alexander the Great prized its beauty and forbade his soldiers to kill the bird.<\/p>\n<p>In the early Christian church the peacock became a symbol of the immortality promised in the resurrection of Christ. In addition, the eyes of its tail came to represent the all-seeing eye of God.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Pelican\">Pelican<\/p>\n<p>Largest of all aquatic birds, considerably larger even than the swan. The pelican <em>(Pelecanus onocrotalus)<\/em> is generally about 50 inches (127 centimeters) long with a 16-inch (40.6-centimeters) beak, the upper part of which is hooked downward at the end, facilitating fish catching. The lower part of the bill supports a yellow pouch extending down the throat. The pouch may hold up to three gallons (11.4 liters) of food (small fish) and water. The pelican’s webbed feet are peculiar in having webs between all four toes. Pelicans are expert swimmers as well as efficient fliers. The pelican’s massive body, long neck, and comparatively small head give it proportions that make rising from the water difficult. To take off, a pelican must first flap awkwardly along the surface, pounding at the water with its legs.<\/p>\n<p>Pelicans fly and nest in groups. Both sexes care for the young that hatch from the one to four eggs. Whereas most birds feed their young by placing food into their mouths, the pelican reverses the process; the young pelican sticks its head and most of its body into its mother’s throat and plucks partially digested food from the mother’s crop. The deep penetration of the young’s beak into the mother’s gullet led ancients to believe that the young were feeding on the blood of the mother’s breast, thus giving rise to wide usage of the pelican as a symbol of Christ’s atonement, and of charity in general.<\/p>\n<p>The roseate pelican is white, at times with a faint rose tinge, and has black feathers growing from the wing joint farthest from the body. The legs, pouch, and skin around the eyes are yellow; the hook of the beak is red. This species may grow up to six feet (1.8 meters) long with a wingspread of up to eight feet (2.4 meters). During the breeding season, the coloration of the exposed areas of the roseate pelican’s legs and face changes from gray to bright orange or red. At the same time the white feathers acquire a beautiful pink tint originating from an oil-gland secretion. The oil is spread throughout the plumage by the bird as it preens.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars question whether “pelican” is an appropriate translation of the Hebrew in several verses, believing rather that the word refers to one of the owls, hawks, or vultures. Most translations include the pelican in the lists of ritually unclean birds (Lv 11:18; Dt 14:17). Opinion on the other references is more sharply divided. Some scholars maintain that the desert context of the verses eliminates the possibility of a water bird like the pelican (cf. Ps 102:6, “vulture,” <span>rsv<\/span>; Is 34:11, “cormorant,” <span>kjv<\/span>; “hawk,” <span>rsv<\/span>; Zep 2:14, “cormorant,” <span>kjv<\/span>; “vulture,” <span>rsv<\/span>). On the other hand, the roseate pelican frequents the rivers, lakes, and marshes of the Holy Land. After flying out to sea as far as 20 miles (32.2 kilometers) to swoop down on fish near the surface, the pelican often returns inland to a deserted place to digest its enormous meal. Thus, the pelican may be the lonely wilderness bird of those passages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"PigeonorDove\">Pigeon or Dove<\/p>\n<p>Species of the pigeon family (Columbidae). In common usage the names “pigeon” and “dove” are virtually interchangeable. The common domestic pigeon familiar to city dwellers the world over, for example, is actually a descendant of the wild rock dove. Both names are used in English translations of the Bible to translate the same Hebrew word. A second Hebrew word is usually translated “turtledove.” Nevertheless, it seems clear that the ancient Hebrews recognized differences among dove species.<\/p>\n<p>At least six species of pigeon or dove reside in modern Israel: the rock, ring, and stock doves (genus <em>Columba<\/em>), and the turtle, collared, and palm doves (genus <em>Streptopelia<\/em>). Of the six, the rock dove <em>(Columba livia)<\/em> and the turtledove <em>(Streptopelia turtur)<\/em> seem to be the two most often referred to in Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Pigeons vary in size from 6 to over 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters). The most colorful Israeli species is the rock dove, which can be a beautiful silvery gray with grayish-green iridescent plumage on the wings (noted by David, Ps 68:13). The smaller doves <em>(Streptopelia)<\/em> are less colorful, mostly gray or buff with a blackish or checkered half collar on the back of the neck. Pigeons have short necks and small heads, plump bodies, and short wings controlled by strong muscles that enable them to fly considerable distances. The smaller doves have longer tails.<\/p>\n<p>At present, the wild rock dove is found primarily in the area around the Sea of Galilee and farther to the south in the many ravines leading down to the Dead Sea. Wild rock doves prefer to build their nests on rocks and cliff faces, a fact precisely described in Scripture (Sg 2:14; Jer 48:28). All Israeli doves build fragile nests of scraps of vegetation. Eggs are hatched twice a year. Doves seldom lay more than two eggs. The young are cared for in the nest by both parents, who rove over the fields eating seeds and weeds. The adult’s crop contains digested food in a milky condition, called pigeon’s milk, which can be regurgitated and fed to the young.<\/p>\n<p>During courtship there is a great deal of rivalry among the male doves. The turtledove’s courtship dance is an awesome aerial display. The attention to courtship, the joint care of young, and the solicitude of the parents for each other, noted from earliest times, have made the dove one of the most popular symbols of love and peace (Sg 1:15; 2:14; 4:1; 5:2).<\/p>\n<p>A major distinction between pigeons (ring doves) and turtledoves seems to have been recognized by ancient writers. Pigeons are year-round residents and easily tamed, whereas turtledoves are migratory. Turtledoves were confined in cages singly or in pairs as pets or for sacrifices. Pigeons were probably the first birds to be domesticated, perhaps as early as Noah’s time (Gn 8:8-12). They were depicted on the earliest Egyptian monuments, and their edibility was mentioned in early Egyptian texts. Before long, domestic pigeons were regarded as evidence of a household’s prosperity. In the more prosperous households they nested in dovecotes of molded pottery clay fashioned in latticelike structures (hence the “windows” of Is 60:8).<\/p>\n<p>In NT times there were many dovecotes in the parks around Herod the Great’s palace in Jerusalem. The dove’s popularity was due not only to its docility but also to its desirability as food and as an acceptable and relatively inexpensive sacrifice. The turtledove may have been regarded more highly as a sacrifice because of its wildness and consequent lesser availability. The two biblical references to turtledoves not in a sacrificial context refer to their migratory habits and to their arrival in Israel in the spring (Sg 2:12; Jer 8:7; cf. Hos 11:11).<\/p>\n<p>Most of the references to doves and pigeons in the Bible are in statements about sacrificial procedures (Gn 15:7-10; Lv 1:14; 5:7; 12:6; Nm 6:10; Lk 2:24). Other references, however, include a range of observations and symbolic usages of the dove. Its throaty moaning was often observed (Is 38:14; 59:11; Ez 7:16; Na 2:7). Its power of flight was well known (Ps 55:6), as were its beauty (Sg 1:15; 4:1; 5:12), its gentleness and loyalty to its mate (Sg 2:14; 5:2; 6:9), its affection (Ps 74:19), and its innocence (Mt 10:16). The one negative reference to doves is in Hosea 7:11, where they are said to be senseless and foolish, perhaps in reference to their overly trusting nature.<\/p>\n<p>Of NT references, perhaps the most significant is the description of the Holy Spirit at Christ’s baptism as a descending dove (Mt 3:16). The dove’s loving nature made it natural for early Christians to connect the dove image with the concept of the Comforter. Since then the dove has remained the most popular symbol of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Quail\">Quail<\/p>\n<p>Short, stocky birds with bills and feet similar to those of chickens; hence they are adapted to eating seeds or insects. Quail <em>(Coturnix coturnix)<\/em> are the smallest of the subfamily of poultry that also includes pheasants and partridges. Quail (or “quails,” another plural form) are about ten inches (25.4 centimeters) long and have small, rounded wings. They burst from their hiding places in the grass or bushes with a whirring sound. The belly of the quail is white. Up to 18 eggs are laid, and if the mother dies, the male has been known to assume the care of the young. Quail of the Mediterranean region winter in the Sudan and migrate northward in vast flocks in the spring. Quail cannot maintain a long sustained flight but make use of wind currents to keep them aloft.<\/p>\n<p>Enormous flocks of quail twice served as food for the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai, when the birds were driven down in the desert miraculously by winds (Ex 16:13; Nm 11:31-32; Ps 105:40). The second time they were probably flying along the Gulf of Aqaba and were blown off course by the east wind (Nm 11:31; Ps 78:26-28). Their inability to sustain long flight may account for their low flying level—two cubits, or about 40 inches (101.6 centimeters). When exhausted, they were easily caught by hand (Nm 11:31-32). Quail were considered clean and the most delicate eating of all game birds, and they were preserved by drying in the sun.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Raven\">Raven<\/p>\n<p>Member of the crow family (Corvidae). The Hebrew word for “raven” means “black one.” The raven (<em>Corvus corax<\/em>) weighs about three pounds (1.36 kilograms) and varies from 22 to 26 inches (56 to 66 centimeters) in length. Its tail is broader in the middle than at either end. Eight species are found in Israel: three ravens, two jackdaws, one crow, one rook, and one chough. The crow, about 20 inches (50.8 centimeters) long, is smaller than a raven, and its tail is uniform in width. The raven’s most conspicuous feature is its glossy black iridescent plumage.<\/p>\n<p>Ravens and crows have survived in spite of the dislike many humans have for them. Excellent fliers, they migrate by day and congregate in great flocks of up to several hundred thousand. During the nesting season, they make nests of sticks in which two to seven eggs are laid. Ravens mate for life. Equipped with strong wings, a strong bill, and strong feet, ravens can live in isolated places from which they range widely for food. That it did not return to the ark was a good sign to Noah, indicating that the raven could find food and possibly a place to rest on dry mountaintops (Gn 8:7).<\/p>\n<p>The raven, essentially a scavenger, was ceremonially unclean (Lv 11:15; Dt 14:14). Yet ravens fed Elijah at God’s command (1 Kgs 17:4-6). Job was told that God gave the raven its food (Jb 38:41), as the psalmist and Jesus repeated (Ps 147:9; Lk 12:24). The raven’s glistening black plumage inspired the bride’s comparison of her beloved’s hair (Sg 5:11). They prefer desolate, uninhabited areas as their home territory (Is 34:11). Ravens are crafty, active birds. Some are capable of speaking, solving puzzles, and performing feats of memory. Bold and curious, they sometimes use their talents for theft.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Seagull\">Seagull<\/p>\n<p>Robust seabirds, primarily scavengers (family Laridae). Several species of gulls live along the seacoast of the Holy Land. They are usually gray-backed with white heads and underparts and black wing tips. The slender bill ends in a downward curve.<\/p>\n<p>Seagulls may be 8 to 30 inches (20 to 76 centimeters) long. Many species migrate, traveling long distances with their superb flying ability. Gulls can also swim easily because of their webbed feet. Their voice is like a harsh scream or squawk. In nesting season many nest together in any available place, such as a cliff or tree. Both male and female incubate and care for the young.<\/p>\n<p>Because gulls will eat almost anything, they are listed as ritually unclean birds (Lv 11:16; Dt 14:15, <span>asv<\/span> has “sea mew,” a common European gull). Some commentators believe that those passages refer to an owl or to the cuckoo and not to the seagull.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Cuckoo (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Sparrow\">Sparrow<\/p>\n<p>Small bird of the finch family (Fringillidae) or the weaver finch family (Ploceidae), considered to be of little worth. The Hebrew word is a general term for “bird” and refers to any small bird such as a sparrow, finch, thrush, or starling. In translation, however, the word sometimes refers to the common English or house sparrow (<em>Passer domestica;<\/em> Ps 84:3; Prv 26:2).<\/p>\n<p>Dull in color with a black throat, the male house sparrow is a noisy and energetic creature. The nest, when built in open places, has an opening on the side and is made of almost anything available. Sparrows also nest in sheltered places, in dwellings, boxes, or holes in trees. They lay four to seven eggs.<\/p>\n<p>The common or house sparrow was known in ancient Greece and Egypt. There it had a reputation for invading fields in large swarms and picking the seeds from them. It is a permanent resident of the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>The sparrow is prolific and lives in close association with humans. It was considered ritually clean. Sparrows brought low prices in countries where they were sold (Mt 10:29; Lk 12:6). Today in Near Eastern marketplaces, boys offer live sparrows for sale. Tied together in groups of four to six by strings attached to one leg, the birds fly about over the boys’ heads. Evidently such a sight was common in NT times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Stork\">Stork<\/p>\n<p>Long-legged, white wading bird (genus <em>Ciconia<\/em>) having large, powerful wings with glossy black primary and secondary feathers. The flapping of its wings produces a loud rushing sound. Connecting membranes between the toes prevent the bird from sinking into the mud. Its red bill is sharp and long, serving to seize and lift its prey out of the water. Storks are mute, lacking a voice box.<\/p>\n<p>Flocks of storks pass through the Holy Land during their September migration on the way to central and southern Africa and likewise in the spring on their return flight to their homes in northern Israel, Syria, and Europe. Storks travel in vast flocks during the day, spreading out against the sky.<\/p>\n<p>The stork’s faithful tending of the young is proverbial, as is its habit of returning annually to the same nesting place. Storks have the habit of adding to their nests each year, and it is possible to find nests that are 100 years old and have a height of more than three feet (.9 meter).<\/p>\n<p>Two species of storks frequent the Holy Land. The white stork <em>(Ciconia alba)<\/em> is 40 inches (101.6 centimeters) tall, and its wingspread is six feet (1.8 meters), enabling it to move with a slow, sustained flight or to soar. In folklore the white stork is sometimes considered to be a harbinger of good fortune.<\/p>\n<p>The black stork <em>(Ciconia nigra),<\/em> common around the Dead Sea valley, nests in trees; hence it may be the tree-dwelling species referred to in Psalm 104:17. The Hebrew name for “stork” means literally the “kingly one,” or the “loyal one,” a reference to the care of the bird for its young. Like the heron, the stork was ceremonially unclean because of its diet of aquatic organisms, refuse, small animals, birds, and reptiles (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18). Jeremiah mentioned the stork’s uncanny and instinctive knowledge of the time of its migration (Jer 8:7). Its impressive wings figured in one of Zechariah’s visions (Zec 5:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Swallow\">Swallow<\/p>\n<p>Small, nearly black, forked-tailed bird with long, tapering wings, noted for its graceful flight <em>(hirundo rustica).<\/em> The small, weak feet are poorly adapted for walking. Swallows resemble swifts in shape and life habits but are somewhat smaller.<\/p>\n<p>The swallow’s large mouth enables it to catch insects while in flight. Colors vary from brown and blue to white. Swallows often nest in buildings, a feature noticed by the psalmist, who reported a swallow’s home at the temple (Ps 84:3).<\/p>\n<p>Swallows are basically resident in Israel, whereas the swift is a migratory bird noted for the regularity of its migratory schedule. The “swallow” of Isaiah 38:14 probably refers to a swift, as does Jeremiah 8:7, where the dependability of the bird is contrasted with the irregularity of God’s people. Proverbs 26:2 may be a reference to either the swallow or the swift.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Swift (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Swan\">Swan<\/p>\n<p>Large, graceful water birds. Two species of swan (genus <em>Cygnus<\/em>) are found in the Middle East as passing migrants <em>(Cygnus olor<\/em> and <em>Cygnus musicus).<\/em> Swans are known as the best musicians among the birds and were considered sacred to the god Apollo by the Greeks. Their voices sound like flutes and harps.<\/p>\n<p>The references in Leviticus 11:18 and Deuteronomy 14:16 (<span>kjv<\/span>) are probably not to the swan but to the water hen or the barn owl, since there seems little reason to declare the vegetarian swan an unclean animal. <em>See also<\/em> Owl, Barn or White (above); Water Hen (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Swift\">Swift<\/p>\n<p>Small, strong flyers (genus <em>Apus<\/em>). Like the swallow, the swift has long, bent wings and a cleft tail, enabling it to obtain great speed as it skims the ground and sweeps through the air. A swift devours a great many harmful insects, catching them in its mouth in flight. Many swifts make their nests in rooftops and in nooks and crannies of city walls. Their nests are built with strong feathers cemented together with saliva. Other swifts live in caves and clefts of rocks.<\/p>\n<p>Common swifts are native to Israel, and in the Jordan Valley they occur in large flocks. Isaiah 38:14 (<span>niv<\/span>) seems to be clear reference to the swift’s plaintive call, since the swallow’s sharp chirp is not a striking simile for a distraught king’s cry. The swift has a soft, delicate voice, and its cry could be easily interpreted as melodious wailing.<\/p>\n<p>The migratory swifts arrive on a precise schedule in the Holy Land in late winter, and immense flocks fill the cities with their cries. Thus the reference in Jeremiah 8:7 to swallows, which are largely permanent residents, is probably to swifts.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Swallow (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Vulture\">Vulture<\/p>\n<p>Subfamily (Aegypiinae) of the hawk family (Accipitridae). Each of the four species of Old World vultures is found in the Holy Land: the Egyptian, griffon, black, and bearded vulture (the bearded vulture is also known as the lammergeier). These birds range in size from the 24-inch (61-centimeters) Egyptian vulture to the huge bearded vulture, largest of all flying birds in the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>Most vultures are brown or black, having a short neck and a short, hooked bill with which they tear the dead animal flesh of which they are fond. All vultures, except the bearded, have bare or down-covered heads and necks, enabling these scavengers to penetrate deep into a carcass without spoiling the plumage. Excellent eyesight enables a vulture to locate a carcass from a lofty soaring position. Considering the decayed condition of most of its food, a vulture’s poor sense of smell may be a fortunate limitation. Vultures nest in any convenient place; both parents care for the young.<\/p>\n<p>The Hebrew word usually translated “eagle” in the OT may have been a general term for all large birds of prey, including vultures. Thus many of the passages about eagles may refer to either the eagle or the vulture (cf. Lv 11:13; Dt 14:12, <span>nasb<\/span> mg). Such passages include references to nesting habits (Jb 39:27-28; Jer 49:16; Ob 1:4), care for fledglings (Dt 32:11), powers of flight (Ex 19:4; Dt 28:49; Jb 9:26; Lam 4:19), and extremely high soaring altitude (Prv 23:5; 30:19; Is 40:31). Despite variations among translations, the vulture clearly belongs in the list of unclean birds because of its foul diet (Lv 11:13, 18; Dt 14:12, 17).<\/p>\n<p>Several references to the eagle in the <span>kjv<\/span> have been changed to “vulture” in modern translations. The change seems appropriate in the references to the vulture as a sign of present or impending doom (Lam 4:19; Hos 8:1). Likewise the eye-plucking bird of Proverbs 30:17 is probably a vulture. The phrase “bald as the eagle” (Mi 1:16) clearly should read “bald as the vulture,” since there are no bald eagles in Israel and most vultures are bald. Since the vulture, like the eagle, was a symbol of sovereignty and domination in the ancient Near East, some gods were represented as vultures. Thus Ezekiel’s comparison of the kings of Babylon and Egypt to eagles may be conceived alternatively as comparisons to vultures (Ez 17:3, 7). Jesus’ reference to the eagles congregating around corpses at the end times (Mt 24:28) should also be revised to vultures, since eagles are usually solitary eaters, whereas vultures generally flock together around carrion.<\/p>\n<p>Several <span>kjv<\/span> references to vultures are usually translated “kite” or “falcon” in modern translations (cf. various versions of Lv 11:14; Dt 14:13; Jb 28:7; Is 34:15).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Eagle; Kestrel; Kite; Lammergeier; Vulture, Black, or Osprey; Vulture, Egyptian; Vulture, Griffon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"VultureBlackorOsprey\">Vulture, Black, or Osprey<\/p>\n<p>Diurnal flesh eater, a little over three feet (.9 meter) long with a wingspread of over three yards (2.7 meters). The feathers of the black or osprey vulture (<em>Aegypius monachus<\/em>) are black and the head and upper part of the neck are bald like those of other carrion eaters. It nests in the Jordan River valley and seems to have been abundant in biblical times. Today it is quite rare. The black vulture is probably the osprey of Leviticus 11:13 and Deuteronomy 14:12.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vulture (above).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"VultureEgyptian\">Vulture, Egyptian<\/p>\n<p>Also known as the gier eagle or as pharaoh’s hen. The plumage of the Egyptian vulture (<em>Neophron percnopterus<\/em>) is basically white with a naked head and yellow neck. The Egyptian vulture breaks bones left by other vultures. Its flight is slow and easy, and its voice is a croak. Measuring about 24 inches (61 centimeters) in length, it is the smallest of all the carrion-eating birds found in the Holy Land. It may be referred to in the list of unclean birds (Lv 11:18; Dt 14:17, “gier eagle,” <span>kjv<\/span>; “carrion vulture,” <span>rsv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>nlt<\/span>). <em>See<\/em> Vulture (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"VultureGriffon\">Vulture, Griffon<\/p>\n<p>One of the largest flying birds in the Holy Land <em>(Gyps fulvus).<\/em> Until a generation ago, the griffon vulture was one of the most common birds in the Holy Land. Today it is on the verge of extinction. Many have been killed by eating poisonous bait meant for foxes and jackals. In addition, its reproduction is limited; the female lays only one or two eggs a year.<\/p>\n<p>The griffon vulture measures about four feet (121.9 centimeters) in length and up to ten feet (3 meters) between wing tips. Its beak is extremely strong, and its short toes are fitted with blunt talons. It is a light-brown bird with a pale yellow head and neck that are almost bare, being covered only with a very fine down.<\/p>\n<p>The griffon vulture feeds mostly on carrion, but also on locusts and small tortoises. It is able to go without food for several days with no ill effects, but when it does break its fast, it gorges itself. It is found especially in the region of the Sea of Galilee. Most biblical references to the vulture are likely to be to the griffon vulture.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Eagle; Vulture (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"WaterHen\">Water Hen<\/p>\n<p>Small water bird of the rail family. The water hen listed among unclean birds (Lv 11:18; Dt 14:16, <span>rsv<\/span> only) may be the biblical bird most difficult to identify. Several alternatives have been suggested, including the swan (<span>kjv<\/span>), one of the owls (<span>nasb<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>), or the marsh hen (<span>tlb<\/span>). Most scholars rule out the swan, since it is a vegetarian bird and thus should not be considered unclean. An owl remains a possibility.<\/p>\n<p>The marsh hen is a rail, several species of which inhabit Israel. One of those species is the purple gallinule <em>(Porphyrio porphyrio).<\/em> Rails are very thin birds varying from 6 to 20 inches (15 to 51 centimeters) in length. They live in marshes, where they eat a great variety of animal and vegetable matter, thus making them a candidate for inclusion in the Mosaic lists of unclean animals.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Animals.<\/p>","summary_ro":"BIRDS Feathered vertebrates of the class Aves. Over 8,000 species of birds are known. Approximately 400 species are found in the Holy Land and about 40 are mentioned in Scripture. Modern scientists classify organisms on the basis of internal and external structure, but the biblical writers generally classified organisms according to habitat. Thus, in the Bible, bats are listed with birds as creatures of the air (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18). Precise identification of biblical birds is often difficult ...","summary_en":"BIRDS Feathered vertebrates of the class Aves. Over 8,000 species of birds are known. Approximately 400 species are found in the Holy Land and about 40 are mentioned in Scripture. Modern scientists classify organisms on the basis of internal and external structure, but the biblical writers generally classified organisms according to habitat. Thus, in the Bible, bats are listed with birds as creatures of the air (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18). Precise identification of biblical birds is often difficult ...","source":"Articles\/B.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":18218,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Jackal","title_en":"Jackal","content_ro":"<h3>JACKAL<\/h3>\n<p>Wolflike mammal known for its distinctive wail (Mi 1:8). <em>See<\/em> Animals.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>JACKAL<\/h3>\n<p>Wolflike mammal known for its distinctive wail (Mi 1:8). <em>See<\/em> Animals.<\/p>","summary_ro":"JACKAL Wolflike mammal known for its distinctive wail (Mi 1:8). See Animals.","summary_en":"JACKAL Wolflike mammal known for its distinctive wail (Mi 1:8). See Animals.","source":"Articles\/J.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":25592,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Book of Micah","title_en":"Book of Micah","content_ro":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","summary_en":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":26466,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Mourning","title_en":"Mourning","content_ro":"<h3>MOURNING<\/h3>\n<p>Established ritual for grieving, observed by a dead person’s relatives and friends. It began with the closing of the eyes of the dead (Gn 46:4), the embracing of the body (50:1), and its preparation for burial. The hot climate necessitated that burial take place immediately (Acts 5:1-10). But detailed information about burial earlier than NT times (Mt 27:59; Jn 11:44; 19:39-40) is extremely meager. Excavations suggest that the dead were buried fully clothed but not in coffins. The Israelites practiced neither embalming nor cremation, but decent burial was essential.<\/p>\n<p>At the news of a death, it was customary to tear one’s garments (Gn 37:34; 2 Sm 1:11; Jb 1:20), put on sackcloth (2 Sm 3:31), and take off one’s shoes (2 Sm 15:30; Mi 1:8) and headdress; a man might cover his beard or veil his face (Ez 24:17, 23). Mourners put earth on their heads (Jos 7:6; 1 Sm 4:12; Neh 9:1; Jb 2:12; Ez 27:30) or rolled themselves in the dust (Jb 16:15; Mi 1:10) or sat on a heap of ashes (Est 4:3; Is 58:5; Jer 6:26; Ez 27:30). Such mourning rites as shaving the hair and the beard and making cuts on the body (Jb 1:20; Is 22:12; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5; 48:37; Ez 7:18; Am 8:10) were condemned (Lv 19:27-28; Dt 14:1) because of pagan associations. Mourners refrained from washing and discontinued the use of perfumes (2 Sm 12:20; 14:2).<\/p>\n<p>Fasting was also a mourning rite (1 Sm 31:13; 2 Sm 1:12). Neighbors or friends brought mourning bread and the “cup of consolation” to the relatives of the deceased (Jer 16:7; Ez 24:17, 22). Food could not be prepared at the house of the dead because death rendered a place unclean. The dead were unclean to the extent that a priest could “profane” himself by taking part in mourning rites, except for his nearest blood relatives (mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and sister, provided she was still a virgin; Lv 21:1-4, 10-11). These mourning rites were not acts of worship directed toward the dead, nor did they constitute a cult for the dead, but rather they were expressions of grief and affection.<\/p>\n<p>At the graveside, lamentation for the dead was made (1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 6:26; Am 5:16; 8:10; Zec 12:10) by men and women in separate groups (Zec 12:11-14). These exclamations of sorrow might develop into a rhythmic lament (2 Sm 1:17-27; Am 8:10). However, professional mourners, men and especially women (Jer 9:17-19; Am 5:16), were employed. The book of Lamentations is a fine example of laments and is a reminder that among Jews mourning was not always associated with death. It expressed brokenness of spirit for sin, individual and national. National calamity also evoked great lamentation.<\/p>\n<p>These mourning rites were expressive of great grief. But some of them—tearing clothes, wearing sackcloth, disfiguring oneself with dust and ashes, self-mutilation—point to paroxysms of grief, the religious significance of which now escapes us. This was far removed from mourning as an inner feeling or a mood of the mind. It was not just an involuntary outburst of feeling but rather a deliberate, established ritual. When death occurred, the Israelite wept because it was customary and seemly. The erection of monuments or memorials was not unknown (2 Sm 18:18), but the average Israelite was too poor for this to be a common practice.<\/p>\n<p>Mourning practices in NT times differed little from those described in the OT. Mourning was associated with Christ’s second advent (Mt 24:30), with repentance (Jas 4:8-10), with Christ’s leaving the 12 (Mt 9:15), with deep spirituality (5:4), as well as with death (Mk 5:38-39; Lk 7:13; Jn 11:33).<\/p>\n<p>True, the overthrow of death by Jesus Christ robbed death of its sting and the grave of its victory (1 Cor 15:54-57), but the Christian still mourns, though not as those who have no hope (1 Thes 4:13; Rv 21:4).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Burial, Burial Customs; Funeral Customs.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MOURNING<\/h3>\n<p>Established ritual for grieving, observed by a dead person’s relatives and friends. It began with the closing of the eyes of the dead (Gn 46:4), the embracing of the body (50:1), and its preparation for burial. The hot climate necessitated that burial take place immediately (Acts 5:1-10). But detailed information about burial earlier than NT times (Mt 27:59; Jn 11:44; 19:39-40) is extremely meager. Excavations suggest that the dead were buried fully clothed but not in coffins. The Israelites practiced neither embalming nor cremation, but decent burial was essential.<\/p>\n<p>At the news of a death, it was customary to tear one’s garments (Gn 37:34; 2 Sm 1:11; Jb 1:20), put on sackcloth (2 Sm 3:31), and take off one’s shoes (2 Sm 15:30; Mi 1:8) and headdress; a man might cover his beard or veil his face (Ez 24:17, 23). Mourners put earth on their heads (Jos 7:6; 1 Sm 4:12; Neh 9:1; Jb 2:12; Ez 27:30) or rolled themselves in the dust (Jb 16:15; Mi 1:10) or sat on a heap of ashes (Est 4:3; Is 58:5; Jer 6:26; Ez 27:30). Such mourning rites as shaving the hair and the beard and making cuts on the body (Jb 1:20; Is 22:12; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5; 48:37; Ez 7:18; Am 8:10) were condemned (Lv 19:27-28; Dt 14:1) because of pagan associations. Mourners refrained from washing and discontinued the use of perfumes (2 Sm 12:20; 14:2).<\/p>\n<p>Fasting was also a mourning rite (1 Sm 31:13; 2 Sm 1:12). Neighbors or friends brought mourning bread and the “cup of consolation” to the relatives of the deceased (Jer 16:7; Ez 24:17, 22). Food could not be prepared at the house of the dead because death rendered a place unclean. The dead were unclean to the extent that a priest could “profane” himself by taking part in mourning rites, except for his nearest blood relatives (mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and sister, provided she was still a virgin; Lv 21:1-4, 10-11). These mourning rites were not acts of worship directed toward the dead, nor did they constitute a cult for the dead, but rather they were expressions of grief and affection.<\/p>\n<p>At the graveside, lamentation for the dead was made (1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 6:26; Am 5:16; 8:10; Zec 12:10) by men and women in separate groups (Zec 12:11-14). These exclamations of sorrow might develop into a rhythmic lament (2 Sm 1:17-27; Am 8:10). However, professional mourners, men and especially women (Jer 9:17-19; Am 5:16), were employed. The book of Lamentations is a fine example of laments and is a reminder that among Jews mourning was not always associated with death. It expressed brokenness of spirit for sin, individual and national. National calamity also evoked great lamentation.<\/p>\n<p>These mourning rites were expressive of great grief. But some of them—tearing clothes, wearing sackcloth, disfiguring oneself with dust and ashes, self-mutilation—point to paroxysms of grief, the religious significance of which now escapes us. This was far removed from mourning as an inner feeling or a mood of the mind. It was not just an involuntary outburst of feeling but rather a deliberate, established ritual. When death occurred, the Israelite wept because it was customary and seemly. The erection of monuments or memorials was not unknown (2 Sm 18:18), but the average Israelite was too poor for this to be a common practice.<\/p>\n<p>Mourning practices in NT times differed little from those described in the OT. Mourning was associated with Christ’s second advent (Mt 24:30), with repentance (Jas 4:8-10), with Christ’s leaving the 12 (Mt 9:15), with deep spirituality (5:4), as well as with death (Mk 5:38-39; Lk 7:13; Jn 11:33).<\/p>\n<p>True, the overthrow of death by Jesus Christ robbed death of its sting and the grave of its victory (1 Cor 15:54-57), but the Christian still mourns, though not as those who have no hope (1 Thes 4:13; Rv 21:4).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Burial, Burial Customs; Funeral Customs.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MOURNING Established ritual for grieving, observed by a dead person’s relatives and friends. It began with the closing of the eyes of the dead (Gn 46:4), the embracing of the body (50:1), and its preparation for burial. The hot climate necessitated that burial take place immediately (Acts 5:1-10). But detailed information about burial earlier than NT times (Mt 27:59; Jn 11:44; 19:39-40) is extremely meager. Excavations suggest that the dead were buried fully clothed but not in coffins. The Is...","summary_en":"MOURNING Established ritual for grieving, observed by a dead person’s relatives and friends. It began with the closing of the eyes of the dead (Gn 46:4), the embracing of the body (50:1), and its preparation for burial. The hot climate necessitated that burial take place immediately (Acts 5:1-10). But detailed information about burial earlier than NT times (Mt 27:59; Jn 11:44; 19:39-40) is extremely meager. Excavations suggest that the dead were buried fully clothed but not in coffins. The Is...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54037,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:8","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:8-16<\/strong> In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around <em>barefoot and naked<\/em> to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A <em>jackal<\/em> and an <em>owl<\/em> make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:8-16<\/strong> In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around <em>barefoot and naked<\/em> to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A <em>jackal<\/em> and an <em>owl<\/em> make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:8-16 In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around barefoot and naked to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A jackal and an owl make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).","summary_en":"1:8-16 In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around barefoot and naked to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A jackal and an owl make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81663,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:8","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:8-16<\/strong> In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around <em>barefoot and naked<\/em> to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A <em>jackal<\/em> and an <em>owl<\/em> make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:8-16<\/strong> In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around <em>barefoot and naked<\/em> to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A <em>jackal<\/em> and an <em>owl<\/em> make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:8-16 In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around barefoot and naked to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A jackal and an owl make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).","summary_en":"1:8-16 In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around barefoot and naked to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A jackal and an owl make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109289,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:8","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:8-16<\/strong> In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around <em>barefoot and naked<\/em> to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A <em>jackal<\/em> and an <em>owl<\/em> make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:8-16<\/strong> In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around <em>barefoot and naked<\/em> to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A <em>jackal<\/em> and an <em>owl<\/em> make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:8-16 In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around barefoot and naked to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A jackal and an owl make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).","summary_en":"1:8-16 In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around barefoot and naked to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A jackal and an owl make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136915,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:8","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:8","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:8-16<\/strong> In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around <em>barefoot and naked<\/em> to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A <em>jackal<\/em> and an <em>owl<\/em> make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:8-16<\/strong> In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around <em>barefoot and naked<\/em> to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A <em>jackal<\/em> and an <em>owl<\/em> make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:8-16 In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around barefoot and naked to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A jackal and an owl make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).","summary_en":"1:8-16 In response to the Lord’s predicted judgment, Micah walked around barefoot and naked to express mourning (cp. Isa 20:2; Lam 2:10; Ezek 24:17), vividly depicting what would happen to Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah). They would be stripped of their wealth, power, and population. • A jackal and an owl make forlorn sounds and live in forsaken wilderness areas (Isa 34:13; Jer 50:39).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"9":[{"id":25544,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Micah (Person)","title_en":"Micah (Person)","content_ro":"<h3>MICAH (P<span>erson<\/span>)<\/h3>\n<li>1. Ephraimite judge who had idols made and then hired a Levite to become his priest (Jgs 17–18).<\/li>\n<li>2. Shimei’s descendant from Reuben’s tribe (1 Chr 5:5).<\/li>\n<li>3. Alternate spelling of Mica, Mephibosheth’s son and the great-grandson of King Saul, in 1 Chronicles 8:34-35; 9:40-41. <em>See<\/em> Mica #1.<\/li>\n<li>4. KJV spelling of Mica, Zicri’s son, in 1 Chronicles 9:15. <em>See<\/em> Mica #2.<\/li>\n<li>5. Levite and Uzziel’s son from Kohath’s clan, whose temple responsibilities included care of the furniture and equipment (1 Chr 23:20; 24:24-25).<\/li>\n<li>6. Alternate spelling of Micaiah, Acbor’s father, in 2 Chronicles 34:20. <em>See<\/em> Micaiah #2.<\/li>\n<li>7. Prophet and author of the OT book that bears his name (Mi 1:1). A native of Moresheth, a town about 21 miles (33.8 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem, Micah prophesied to both northern and southern kingdoms during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>). According to Micah 1:9, he was still prophesying in 701 <span>BC<\/span> when the Assyrian armies under Sennacherib (cf. Is 36–37) besieged Jerusalem. About 100 years later, Micah is used as an example of an early prophet who predicted the destruction of Jerusalem (cf. Jer 26:16-19).<\/li>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Micah, Book of; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MICAH (P<span>erson<\/span>)<\/h3>\n<li>1. Ephraimite judge who had idols made and then hired a Levite to become his priest (Jgs 17–18).<\/li>\n<li>2. Shimei’s descendant from Reuben’s tribe (1 Chr 5:5).<\/li>\n<li>3. Alternate spelling of Mica, Mephibosheth’s son and the great-grandson of King Saul, in 1 Chronicles 8:34-35; 9:40-41. <em>See<\/em> Mica #1.<\/li>\n<li>4. KJV spelling of Mica, Zicri’s son, in 1 Chronicles 9:15. <em>See<\/em> Mica #2.<\/li>\n<li>5. Levite and Uzziel’s son from Kohath’s clan, whose temple responsibilities included care of the furniture and equipment (1 Chr 23:20; 24:24-25).<\/li>\n<li>6. Alternate spelling of Micaiah, Acbor’s father, in 2 Chronicles 34:20. <em>See<\/em> Micaiah #2.<\/li>\n<li>7. Prophet and author of the OT book that bears his name (Mi 1:1). A native of Moresheth, a town about 21 miles (33.8 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem, Micah prophesied to both northern and southern kingdoms during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>). According to Micah 1:9, he was still prophesying in 701 <span>BC<\/span> when the Assyrian armies under Sennacherib (cf. Is 36–37) besieged Jerusalem. About 100 years later, Micah is used as an example of an early prophet who predicted the destruction of Jerusalem (cf. Jer 26:16-19).<\/li>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Micah, Book of; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MICAH (Person) 1. Ephraimite judge who had idols made and then hired a Levite to become his priest (Jgs 17–18). 2. Shimei’s descendant from Reuben’s tribe (1 Chr 5:5). 3. Alternate spelling of Mica, Mephibosheth’s son and the great-grandson of King Saul, in 1 Chronicles 8:34-35; 9:40-41. See Mica #1. 4. KJV spelling of Mica, Zicri’s son, in 1 Chronicles 9:15. See Mica #2. 5. Levite and Uzziel’s son from Kohath’s clan, whose temple responsibilities included care of the furniture and equipment ...","summary_en":"MICAH (Person) 1. Ephraimite judge who had idols made and then hired a Levite to become his priest (Jgs 17–18). 2. Shimei’s descendant from Reuben’s tribe (1 Chr 5:5). 3. Alternate spelling of Mica, Mephibosheth’s son and the great-grandson of King Saul, in 1 Chronicles 8:34-35; 9:40-41. See Mica #1. 4. KJV spelling of Mica, Zicri’s son, in 1 Chronicles 9:15. See Mica #2. 5. Levite and Uzziel’s son from Kohath’s clan, whose temple responsibilities included care of the furniture and equipment ...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54038,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:9","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:9","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:9<\/strong> <em>into Judah . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:9<\/strong> <em>into Judah . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:9 into Judah . . . Jerusalem: The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.","summary_en":"1:9 into Judah . . . Jerusalem: The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81664,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:9","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:9","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:9<\/strong> <em>into Judah . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:9<\/strong> <em>into Judah . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:9 into Judah . . . Jerusalem: The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.","summary_en":"1:9 into Judah . . . Jerusalem: The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109290,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:9","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:9","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:9<\/strong> <em>into Judah . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:9<\/strong> <em>into Judah . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:9 into Judah . . . Jerusalem: The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.","summary_en":"1:9 into Judah . . . Jerusalem: The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136916,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:9","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:9","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:9<\/strong> <em>into Judah . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:9<\/strong> <em>into Judah . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:9 into Judah . . . Jerusalem: The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.","summary_en":"1:9 into Judah . . . Jerusalem: The corruption now permeated the entire nation, north to south.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"10":[{"id":2268,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Aphrah*","title_en":"Aphrah*","content_ro":"<h3>APHRAH*<\/h3>\n<p>KJV for Beth-leaphrah, possibly the name of a Philistine city, in Micah 1:10. <em>See<\/em> Beth-leaphrah.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>APHRAH*<\/h3>\n<p>KJV for Beth-leaphrah, possibly the name of a Philistine city, in Micah 1:10. <em>See<\/em> Beth-leaphrah.<\/p>","summary_ro":"APHRAH* KJV for Beth-leaphrah, possibly the name of a Philistine city, in Micah 1:10. See Beth-leaphrah.","summary_en":"APHRAH* KJV for Beth-leaphrah, possibly the name of a Philistine city, in Micah 1:10. See Beth-leaphrah.","source":"Articles\/A.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":4491,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Beth-Leaphrah","title_en":"Beth-Leaphrah","content_ro":"<h3>BETH-LEAPHRAH<\/h3>\n<p>Town mentioned by the prophet Micah. Since Beth-leaphrah (<span>kjv<\/span> “house of Aphrah”) means “house of dust,” Micah made a sarcastic pun by telling its idolatrous inhabitants to “roll in the dust” (Mi 1:10, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>BETH-LEAPHRAH<\/h3>\n<p>Town mentioned by the prophet Micah. Since Beth-leaphrah (<span>kjv<\/span> “house of Aphrah”) means “house of dust,” Micah made a sarcastic pun by telling its idolatrous inhabitants to “roll in the dust” (Mi 1:10, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>","summary_ro":"BETH-LEAPHRAH Town mentioned by the prophet Micah. Since Beth-leaphrah (kjv “house of Aphrah”) means “house of dust,” Micah made a sarcastic pun by telling its idolatrous inhabitants to “roll in the dust” (Mi 1:10, nlt).","summary_en":"BETH-LEAPHRAH Town mentioned by the prophet Micah. Since Beth-leaphrah (kjv “house of Aphrah”) means “house of dust,” Micah made a sarcastic pun by telling its idolatrous inhabitants to “roll in the dust” (Mi 1:10, nlt).","source":"Articles\/B.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":25556,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Book of Micah","title_en":"Book of Micah","content_ro":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","summary_en":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":26474,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Mourning","title_en":"Mourning","content_ro":"<h3>MOURNING<\/h3>\n<p>Established ritual for grieving, observed by a dead person’s relatives and friends. It began with the closing of the eyes of the dead (Gn 46:4), the embracing of the body (50:1), and its preparation for burial. The hot climate necessitated that burial take place immediately (Acts 5:1-10). But detailed information about burial earlier than NT times (Mt 27:59; Jn 11:44; 19:39-40) is extremely meager. Excavations suggest that the dead were buried fully clothed but not in coffins. The Israelites practiced neither embalming nor cremation, but decent burial was essential.<\/p>\n<p>At the news of a death, it was customary to tear one’s garments (Gn 37:34; 2 Sm 1:11; Jb 1:20), put on sackcloth (2 Sm 3:31), and take off one’s shoes (2 Sm 15:30; Mi 1:8) and headdress; a man might cover his beard or veil his face (Ez 24:17, 23). Mourners put earth on their heads (Jos 7:6; 1 Sm 4:12; Neh 9:1; Jb 2:12; Ez 27:30) or rolled themselves in the dust (Jb 16:15; Mi 1:10) or sat on a heap of ashes (Est 4:3; Is 58:5; Jer 6:26; Ez 27:30). Such mourning rites as shaving the hair and the beard and making cuts on the body (Jb 1:20; Is 22:12; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5; 48:37; Ez 7:18; Am 8:10) were condemned (Lv 19:27-28; Dt 14:1) because of pagan associations. Mourners refrained from washing and discontinued the use of perfumes (2 Sm 12:20; 14:2).<\/p>\n<p>Fasting was also a mourning rite (1 Sm 31:13; 2 Sm 1:12). Neighbors or friends brought mourning bread and the “cup of consolation” to the relatives of the deceased (Jer 16:7; Ez 24:17, 22). Food could not be prepared at the house of the dead because death rendered a place unclean. The dead were unclean to the extent that a priest could “profane” himself by taking part in mourning rites, except for his nearest blood relatives (mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and sister, provided she was still a virgin; Lv 21:1-4, 10-11). These mourning rites were not acts of worship directed toward the dead, nor did they constitute a cult for the dead, but rather they were expressions of grief and affection.<\/p>\n<p>At the graveside, lamentation for the dead was made (1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 6:26; Am 5:16; 8:10; Zec 12:10) by men and women in separate groups (Zec 12:11-14). These exclamations of sorrow might develop into a rhythmic lament (2 Sm 1:17-27; Am 8:10). However, professional mourners, men and especially women (Jer 9:17-19; Am 5:16), were employed. The book of Lamentations is a fine example of laments and is a reminder that among Jews mourning was not always associated with death. It expressed brokenness of spirit for sin, individual and national. National calamity also evoked great lamentation.<\/p>\n<p>These mourning rites were expressive of great grief. But some of them—tearing clothes, wearing sackcloth, disfiguring oneself with dust and ashes, self-mutilation—point to paroxysms of grief, the religious significance of which now escapes us. This was far removed from mourning as an inner feeling or a mood of the mind. It was not just an involuntary outburst of feeling but rather a deliberate, established ritual. When death occurred, the Israelite wept because it was customary and seemly. The erection of monuments or memorials was not unknown (2 Sm 18:18), but the average Israelite was too poor for this to be a common practice.<\/p>\n<p>Mourning practices in NT times differed little from those described in the OT. Mourning was associated with Christ’s second advent (Mt 24:30), with repentance (Jas 4:8-10), with Christ’s leaving the 12 (Mt 9:15), with deep spirituality (5:4), as well as with death (Mk 5:38-39; Lk 7:13; Jn 11:33).<\/p>\n<p>True, the overthrow of death by Jesus Christ robbed death of its sting and the grave of its victory (1 Cor 15:54-57), but the Christian still mourns, though not as those who have no hope (1 Thes 4:13; Rv 21:4).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Burial, Burial Customs; Funeral Customs.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MOURNING<\/h3>\n<p>Established ritual for grieving, observed by a dead person’s relatives and friends. It began with the closing of the eyes of the dead (Gn 46:4), the embracing of the body (50:1), and its preparation for burial. The hot climate necessitated that burial take place immediately (Acts 5:1-10). But detailed information about burial earlier than NT times (Mt 27:59; Jn 11:44; 19:39-40) is extremely meager. Excavations suggest that the dead were buried fully clothed but not in coffins. The Israelites practiced neither embalming nor cremation, but decent burial was essential.<\/p>\n<p>At the news of a death, it was customary to tear one’s garments (Gn 37:34; 2 Sm 1:11; Jb 1:20), put on sackcloth (2 Sm 3:31), and take off one’s shoes (2 Sm 15:30; Mi 1:8) and headdress; a man might cover his beard or veil his face (Ez 24:17, 23). Mourners put earth on their heads (Jos 7:6; 1 Sm 4:12; Neh 9:1; Jb 2:12; Ez 27:30) or rolled themselves in the dust (Jb 16:15; Mi 1:10) or sat on a heap of ashes (Est 4:3; Is 58:5; Jer 6:26; Ez 27:30). Such mourning rites as shaving the hair and the beard and making cuts on the body (Jb 1:20; Is 22:12; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5; 48:37; Ez 7:18; Am 8:10) were condemned (Lv 19:27-28; Dt 14:1) because of pagan associations. Mourners refrained from washing and discontinued the use of perfumes (2 Sm 12:20; 14:2).<\/p>\n<p>Fasting was also a mourning rite (1 Sm 31:13; 2 Sm 1:12). Neighbors or friends brought mourning bread and the “cup of consolation” to the relatives of the deceased (Jer 16:7; Ez 24:17, 22). Food could not be prepared at the house of the dead because death rendered a place unclean. The dead were unclean to the extent that a priest could “profane” himself by taking part in mourning rites, except for his nearest blood relatives (mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and sister, provided she was still a virgin; Lv 21:1-4, 10-11). These mourning rites were not acts of worship directed toward the dead, nor did they constitute a cult for the dead, but rather they were expressions of grief and affection.<\/p>\n<p>At the graveside, lamentation for the dead was made (1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 6:26; Am 5:16; 8:10; Zec 12:10) by men and women in separate groups (Zec 12:11-14). These exclamations of sorrow might develop into a rhythmic lament (2 Sm 1:17-27; Am 8:10). However, professional mourners, men and especially women (Jer 9:17-19; Am 5:16), were employed. The book of Lamentations is a fine example of laments and is a reminder that among Jews mourning was not always associated with death. It expressed brokenness of spirit for sin, individual and national. National calamity also evoked great lamentation.<\/p>\n<p>These mourning rites were expressive of great grief. But some of them—tearing clothes, wearing sackcloth, disfiguring oneself with dust and ashes, self-mutilation—point to paroxysms of grief, the religious significance of which now escapes us. This was far removed from mourning as an inner feeling or a mood of the mind. It was not just an involuntary outburst of feeling but rather a deliberate, established ritual. When death occurred, the Israelite wept because it was customary and seemly. The erection of monuments or memorials was not unknown (2 Sm 18:18), but the average Israelite was too poor for this to be a common practice.<\/p>\n<p>Mourning practices in NT times differed little from those described in the OT. Mourning was associated with Christ’s second advent (Mt 24:30), with repentance (Jas 4:8-10), with Christ’s leaving the 12 (Mt 9:15), with deep spirituality (5:4), as well as with death (Mk 5:38-39; Lk 7:13; Jn 11:33).<\/p>\n<p>True, the overthrow of death by Jesus Christ robbed death of its sting and the grave of its victory (1 Cor 15:54-57), but the Christian still mourns, though not as those who have no hope (1 Thes 4:13; Rv 21:4).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Burial, Burial Customs; Funeral Customs.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MOURNING Established ritual for grieving, observed by a dead person’s relatives and friends. It began with the closing of the eyes of the dead (Gn 46:4), the embracing of the body (50:1), and its preparation for burial. The hot climate necessitated that burial take place immediately (Acts 5:1-10). But detailed information about burial earlier than NT times (Mt 27:59; Jn 11:44; 19:39-40) is extremely meager. Excavations suggest that the dead were buried fully clothed but not in coffins. The Is...","summary_en":"MOURNING Established ritual for grieving, observed by a dead person’s relatives and friends. It began with the closing of the eyes of the dead (Gn 46:4), the embracing of the body (50:1), and its preparation for burial. The hot climate necessitated that burial take place immediately (Acts 5:1-10). But detailed information about burial earlier than NT times (Mt 27:59; Jn 11:44; 19:39-40) is extremely meager. Excavations suggest that the dead were buried fully clothed but not in coffins. The Is...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54039,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:10","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:10","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:10-15<\/strong> The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:10-15<\/strong> The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:10-15 The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 BC.","summary_en":"1:10-15 The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 BC.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81665,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:10","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:10","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:10-15<\/strong> The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:10-15<\/strong> The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:10-15 The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 BC.","summary_en":"1:10-15 The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 BC.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109291,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:10","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:10","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:10-15<\/strong> The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:10-15<\/strong> The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:10-15 The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 BC.","summary_en":"1:10-15 The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 BC.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136917,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:10","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:10","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:10-15<\/strong> The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:10-15<\/strong> The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:10-15 The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 BC.","summary_en":"1:10-15 The cities listed were in the lowlands of southwestern Judah’s coastal areas. The sequence may represent the Assyrian army’s march down the coastal plain and from there into Judah’s heartland in 703–701 BC.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"11":[{"id":4465,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Beth-Ezel","title_en":"Beth-Ezel","content_ro":"<h3>BETH-EZEL<\/h3>\n<p>One of several small towns, probably in southwest Judah, whose destruction was lamented by the prophet Micah (1:11).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>BETH-EZEL<\/h3>\n<p>One of several small towns, probably in southwest Judah, whose destruction was lamented by the prophet Micah (1:11).<\/p>","summary_ro":"BETH-EZEL One of several small towns, probably in southwest Judah, whose destruction was lamented by the prophet Micah (1:11).","summary_en":"BETH-EZEL One of several small towns, probably in southwest Judah, whose destruction was lamented by the prophet Micah (1:11).","source":"Articles\/B.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":33912,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Saphir*","title_en":"Saphir*","content_ro":"<h3>SAPHIR*<\/h3>\n<p>KJV spelling of Shaphir, a place mentioned in Micah 1:11. <em>See<\/em> Shaphir.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>SAPHIR*<\/h3>\n<p>KJV spelling of Shaphir, a place mentioned in Micah 1:11. <em>See<\/em> Shaphir.<\/p>","summary_ro":"SAPHIR* KJV spelling of Shaphir, a place mentioned in Micah 1:11. See Shaphir.","summary_en":"SAPHIR* KJV spelling of Shaphir, a place mentioned in Micah 1:11. See Shaphir.","source":"Articles\/S.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":34666,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Shaphir","title_en":"Shaphir","content_ro":"<h3>SHAPHIR<\/h3>\n<p>One of the towns spoken against by Micah the prophet (Mi 1:11). Its exact location is not certain. Eusebius (a fourth-century church historian) suggested that it was a village positioned between the cities of Eleutheropolis and Ashkelon, placing Shaphir in Philistine territory. If this is correct, perhaps Shaphir is identifiable with one of three villages known as es-Suwafir near the city of Ashdod. Another possible site is Khirbet el-Kom, situated west of Hebron in the hill country of Judah.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>SHAPHIR<\/h3>\n<p>One of the towns spoken against by Micah the prophet (Mi 1:11). Its exact location is not certain. Eusebius (a fourth-century church historian) suggested that it was a village positioned between the cities of Eleutheropolis and Ashkelon, placing Shaphir in Philistine territory. If this is correct, perhaps Shaphir is identifiable with one of three villages known as es-Suwafir near the city of Ashdod. Another possible site is Khirbet el-Kom, situated west of Hebron in the hill country of Judah.<\/p>","summary_ro":"SHAPHIR One of the towns spoken against by Micah the prophet (Mi 1:11). Its exact location is not certain. Eusebius (a fourth-century church historian) suggested that it was a village positioned between the cities of Eleutheropolis and Ashkelon, placing Shaphir in Philistine territory. If this is correct, perhaps Shaphir is identifiable with one of three villages known as es-Suwafir near the city of Ashdod. Another possible site is Khirbet el-Kom, situated west of Hebron in the hill country o...","summary_en":"SHAPHIR One of the towns spoken against by Micah the prophet (Mi 1:11). Its exact location is not certain. Eusebius (a fourth-century church historian) suggested that it was a village positioned between the cities of Eleutheropolis and Ashkelon, placing Shaphir in Philistine territory. If this is correct, perhaps Shaphir is identifiable with one of three villages known as es-Suwafir near the city of Ashdod. Another possible site is Khirbet el-Kom, situated west of Hebron in the hill country o...","source":"Articles\/S.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":38816,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Zaanan","title_en":"Zaanan","content_ro":"<h3>ZAANAN<\/h3>\n<p>Village mentioned in Micah’s lament over Jerusalem (Mi 1:11). Zaanan is probably a play on the Hebrew word <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">yatsa’<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to come forth.” The village was in the Shephelah; it is probably the same place as Zenan.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Zenan.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>ZAANAN<\/h3>\n<p>Village mentioned in Micah’s lament over Jerusalem (Mi 1:11). Zaanan is probably a play on the Hebrew word <span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">yatsa’<\/span><em>,<\/em> “to come forth.” The village was in the Shephelah; it is probably the same place as Zenan.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Zenan.<\/p>","summary_ro":"ZAANAN Village mentioned in Micah’s lament over Jerusalem (Mi 1:11). Zaanan is probably a play on the Hebrew word yatsa’, “to come forth.” The village was in the Shephelah; it is probably the same place as Zenan. See also Zenan.","summary_en":"ZAANAN Village mentioned in Micah’s lament over Jerusalem (Mi 1:11). Zaanan is probably a play on the Hebrew word yatsa’, “to come forth.” The village was in the Shephelah; it is probably the same place as Zenan. See also Zenan.","source":"Articles\/Z.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54040,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:11","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:11","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:11<\/strong> <em>Exile<\/em> was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:11<\/strong> <em>Exile<\/em> was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:11 Exile was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).","summary_en":"1:11 Exile was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81666,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:11","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:11","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:11<\/strong> <em>Exile<\/em> was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:11<\/strong> <em>Exile<\/em> was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:11 Exile was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).","summary_en":"1:11 Exile was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109292,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:11","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:11","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:11<\/strong> <em>Exile<\/em> was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:11<\/strong> <em>Exile<\/em> was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:11 Exile was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).","summary_en":"1:11 Exile was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136918,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:11","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:11","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:11<\/strong> <em>Exile<\/em> was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:11<\/strong> <em>Exile<\/em> was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:11 Exile was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).","summary_en":"1:11 Exile was the ultimate, most devastating curse (Deut 4:29; 28:37, 48; Jer 25:7-11).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"12":[{"id":23756,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Maarath","title_en":"Maarath","content_ro":"<h3>MAARATH<\/h3>\n<p>One of Judah’s cities of inheritance located in the hill country (Jos 15:59), perhaps modern Biet Ummar, seven miles (11.3 kilometers) north of Hebron. It may be the same as Maroth, mentioned in Micah 1:12.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MAARATH<\/h3>\n<p>One of Judah’s cities of inheritance located in the hill country (Jos 15:59), perhaps modern Biet Ummar, seven miles (11.3 kilometers) north of Hebron. It may be the same as Maroth, mentioned in Micah 1:12.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MAARATH One of Judah’s cities of inheritance located in the hill country (Jos 15:59), perhaps modern Biet Ummar, seven miles (11.3 kilometers) north of Hebron. It may be the same as Maroth, mentioned in Micah 1:12.","summary_en":"MAARATH One of Judah’s cities of inheritance located in the hill country (Jos 15:59), perhaps modern Biet Ummar, seven miles (11.3 kilometers) north of Hebron. It may be the same as Maroth, mentioned in Micah 1:12.","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":24451,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Maroth","title_en":"Maroth","content_ro":"<h3>MAROTH<\/h3>\n<p>City in Palestine, mentioned only by Micah (Mi 1:12). It may be the same as the Maarath in Joshua 15:59; if so, it would be an ancient Canaanite city, part of the inheritance of Judah’s tribe.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MAROTH<\/h3>\n<p>City in Palestine, mentioned only by Micah (Mi 1:12). It may be the same as the Maarath in Joshua 15:59; if so, it would be an ancient Canaanite city, part of the inheritance of Judah’s tribe.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MAROTH City in Palestine, mentioned only by Micah (Mi 1:12). It may be the same as the Maarath in Joshua 15:59; if so, it would be an ancient Canaanite city, part of the inheritance of Judah’s tribe.","summary_en":"MAROTH City in Palestine, mentioned only by Micah (Mi 1:12). It may be the same as the Maarath in Joshua 15:59; if so, it would be an ancient Canaanite city, part of the inheritance of Judah’s tribe.","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54041,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:12","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:12","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:12<\/strong> <em>even to . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:12<\/strong> <em>even to . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:12 even to . . . Jerusalem: God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).","summary_en":"1:12 even to . . . Jerusalem: God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81667,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:12","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:12","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:12<\/strong> <em>even to . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:12<\/strong> <em>even to . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:12 even to . . . Jerusalem: God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).","summary_en":"1:12 even to . . . Jerusalem: God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109293,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:12","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:12","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:12<\/strong> <em>even to . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:12<\/strong> <em>even to . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:12 even to . . . Jerusalem: God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).","summary_en":"1:12 even to . . . Jerusalem: God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136919,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:12","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:12","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:12<\/strong> <em>even to . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:12<\/strong> <em>even to . . . Jerusalem:<\/em> God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:12 even to . . . Jerusalem: God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).","summary_en":"1:12 even to . . . Jerusalem: God’s judgment reaches wherever corruption has taken hold (cp. 1:9).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"13":[{"id":39446,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Daughter of Zion","title_en":"Daughter of Zion","content_ro":"<h3>ZION, Daughter of<\/h3>\n<p>Term used primarily in prophetic literature to designate the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Zion) and its surrounding regions. The term was further applied to those in Babylon who had been exiled from Jerusalem and the Judean countryside (Is 1:8; Jer 4:31; 6:2, 23). Since ancient cities were considered metaphorically to be the mother of their inhabitants, referring to the people of Jerusalem as “daughters of Zion” was entirely appropriate, particularly in poetic literature. While Israel was to be the “virgin daughter” of spiritual Zion (2 Kgs 19:21; Is 37:22; Lam 2:13), many of the prophetic contexts proclaim judgment on the unfaithful “daughters” (Is 3:16-17; 4:4; Mi 1:13). Although the “daughters of Zion” were judged for their unfaithfulness, the ultimate promise was that God would deliver them (Is 52:2; 62:11; Zec 9:9; Mt 21:5; Jn 12:15).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Zion.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>ZION, Daughter of<\/h3>\n<p>Term used primarily in prophetic literature to designate the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Zion) and its surrounding regions. The term was further applied to those in Babylon who had been exiled from Jerusalem and the Judean countryside (Is 1:8; Jer 4:31; 6:2, 23). Since ancient cities were considered metaphorically to be the mother of their inhabitants, referring to the people of Jerusalem as “daughters of Zion” was entirely appropriate, particularly in poetic literature. While Israel was to be the “virgin daughter” of spiritual Zion (2 Kgs 19:21; Is 37:22; Lam 2:13), many of the prophetic contexts proclaim judgment on the unfaithful “daughters” (Is 3:16-17; 4:4; Mi 1:13). Although the “daughters of Zion” were judged for their unfaithfulness, the ultimate promise was that God would deliver them (Is 52:2; 62:11; Zec 9:9; Mt 21:5; Jn 12:15).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Zion.<\/p>","summary_ro":"ZION, Daughter of Term used primarily in prophetic literature to designate the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Zion) and its surrounding regions. The term was further applied to those in Babylon who had been exiled from Jerusalem and the Judean countryside (Is 1:8; Jer 4:31; 6:2, 23). Since ancient cities were considered metaphorically to be the mother of their inhabitants, referring to the people of Jerusalem as “daughters of Zion” was entirely appropriate, particularly in poetic literature. While...","summary_en":"ZION, Daughter of Term used primarily in prophetic literature to designate the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Zion) and its surrounding regions. The term was further applied to those in Babylon who had been exiled from Jerusalem and the Judean countryside (Is 1:8; Jer 4:31; 6:2, 23). Since ancient cities were considered metaphorically to be the mother of their inhabitants, referring to the people of Jerusalem as “daughters of Zion” was entirely appropriate, particularly in poetic literature. While...","source":"Articles\/Z.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54042,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:13","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:13","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:13<\/strong> <em>Lachish<\/em> was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive <em>tell<\/em> over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 <span>BC<\/span>, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:13<\/strong> <em>Lachish<\/em> was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive <em>tell<\/em> over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 <span>BC<\/span>, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:13 Lachish was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive tell over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 BC, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.","summary_en":"1:13 Lachish was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive tell over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 BC, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81668,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:13","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:13","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:13<\/strong> <em>Lachish<\/em> was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive <em>tell<\/em> over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 <span>BC<\/span>, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:13<\/strong> <em>Lachish<\/em> was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive <em>tell<\/em> over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 <span>BC<\/span>, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:13 Lachish was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive tell over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 BC, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.","summary_en":"1:13 Lachish was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive tell over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 BC, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109294,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:13","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:13","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:13<\/strong> <em>Lachish<\/em> was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive <em>tell<\/em> over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 <span>BC<\/span>, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:13<\/strong> <em>Lachish<\/em> was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive <em>tell<\/em> over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 <span>BC<\/span>, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:13 Lachish was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive tell over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 BC, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.","summary_en":"1:13 Lachish was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive tell over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 BC, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136920,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:13","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:13","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:13<\/strong> <em>Lachish<\/em> was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive <em>tell<\/em> over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 <span>BC<\/span>, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:13<\/strong> <em>Lachish<\/em> was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive <em>tell<\/em> over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 <span>BC<\/span>, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:13 Lachish was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive tell over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 BC, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.","summary_en":"1:13 Lachish was the second most important city in Judah, after Jerusalem, and was Judah’s main center of defense against their enemies. Even today, a massive tell over 150 feet (46 meters) high remains. Lachish fell in 701 BC, having been besieged, terrified, starved, and demolished by Sennacherib’s war engines. Sennacherib celebrated its fall as one of his greatest victories and featured the event in monumental carvings on his palace walls.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"14":[{"id":448,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Aczib","title_en":"Aczib","content_ro":"<h3>ACZIB<\/h3>\n<li>1. City in Judah’s territory (Jos 15:44). The prophet Micah listed it among cities that would be destroyed with Samaria (Mi 1:14). It was probably the same as Chezib (Gn 38:5) and Cozeba (1 Chr 4:22).<\/li>\n<li>2. City in Asher’s territory (Jos 19:29), one of seven from which the tribe failed to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants (Jgs 1:31). Recent excavations at Aczib (modern ez-Zib) show that the town was occupied almost continuously from the ninth to the third centuries <span>BC<\/span>.<\/li>","content_en":"<h3>ACZIB<\/h3>\n<li>1. City in Judah’s territory (Jos 15:44). The prophet Micah listed it among cities that would be destroyed with Samaria (Mi 1:14). It was probably the same as Chezib (Gn 38:5) and Cozeba (1 Chr 4:22).<\/li>\n<li>2. City in Asher’s territory (Jos 19:29), one of seven from which the tribe failed to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants (Jgs 1:31). Recent excavations at Aczib (modern ez-Zib) show that the town was occupied almost continuously from the ninth to the third centuries <span>BC<\/span>.<\/li>","summary_ro":"ACZIB 1. City in Judah’s territory (Jos 15:44). The prophet Micah listed it among cities that would be destroyed with Samaria (Mi 1:14). It was probably the same as Chezib (Gn 38:5) and Cozeba (1 Chr 4:22). 2. City in Asher’s territory (Jos 19:29), one of seven from which the tribe failed to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants (Jgs 1:31). Recent excavations at Aczib (modern ez-Zib) show that the town was occupied almost continuously from the ninth to the third centuries BC.","summary_en":"ACZIB 1. City in Judah’s territory (Jos 15:44). The prophet Micah listed it among cities that would be destroyed with Samaria (Mi 1:14). It was probably the same as Chezib (Gn 38:5) and Cozeba (1 Chr 4:22). 2. City in Asher’s territory (Jos 19:29), one of seven from which the tribe failed to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants (Jgs 1:31). Recent excavations at Aczib (modern ez-Zib) show that the town was occupied almost continuously from the ninth to the third centuries BC.","source":"Articles\/A.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":26287,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Moresheth-Gath","title_en":"Moresheth-Gath","content_ro":"<h3>MORESHETH-GATH<\/h3>\n<p>Town in the lowland country of Judah included in Micah’s lament (Mi 1:14); perhaps the same as Moresheth, Micah’s hometown. The “gath” in Moresheth-gath suggests that the town was in close proximity to the major Philistine city by that name. Its exact location is uncertain. Jerome (a fourth-century <span>AD<\/span> church father) suggested that Moresheth-gath was situated a short distance east of Eleutheropolis, identifiable with modern Khirbet el-Basel. Another possible site is Tell ej-Judeideh, six miles (9.7 kilometers) southeast of Gath.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MORESHETH-GATH<\/h3>\n<p>Town in the lowland country of Judah included in Micah’s lament (Mi 1:14); perhaps the same as Moresheth, Micah’s hometown. The “gath” in Moresheth-gath suggests that the town was in close proximity to the major Philistine city by that name. Its exact location is uncertain. Jerome (a fourth-century <span>AD<\/span> church father) suggested that Moresheth-gath was situated a short distance east of Eleutheropolis, identifiable with modern Khirbet el-Basel. Another possible site is Tell ej-Judeideh, six miles (9.7 kilometers) southeast of Gath.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MORESHETH-GATH Town in the lowland country of Judah included in Micah’s lament (Mi 1:14); perhaps the same as Moresheth, Micah’s hometown. The “gath” in Moresheth-gath suggests that the town was in close proximity to the major Philistine city by that name. Its exact location is uncertain. Jerome (a fourth-century AD church father) suggested that Moresheth-gath was situated a short distance east of Eleutheropolis, identifiable with modern Khirbet el-Basel. Another possible site is Tell ej-Jude...","summary_en":"MORESHETH-GATH Town in the lowland country of Judah included in Micah’s lament (Mi 1:14); perhaps the same as Moresheth, Micah’s hometown. The “gath” in Moresheth-gath suggests that the town was in close proximity to the major Philistine city by that name. Its exact location is uncertain. Jerome (a fourth-century AD church father) suggested that Moresheth-gath was situated a short distance east of Eleutheropolis, identifiable with modern Khirbet el-Basel. Another possible site is Tell ej-Jude...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54043,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:14","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:14","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:14<\/strong> <em>Farewell gifts<\/em> said good-bye to the doomed people of <em>Moresheth-gath<\/em> as that city also became Assyrian property.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:14<\/strong> <em>Farewell gifts<\/em> said good-bye to the doomed people of <em>Moresheth-gath<\/em> as that city also became Assyrian property.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:14 Farewell gifts said good-bye to the doomed people of Moresheth-gath as that city also became Assyrian property.","summary_en":"1:14 Farewell gifts said good-bye to the doomed people of Moresheth-gath as that city also became Assyrian property.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81669,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:14","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:14","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:14<\/strong> <em>Farewell gifts<\/em> said good-bye to the doomed people of <em>Moresheth-gath<\/em> as that city also became Assyrian property.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:14<\/strong> <em>Farewell gifts<\/em> said good-bye to the doomed people of <em>Moresheth-gath<\/em> as that city also became Assyrian property.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:14 Farewell gifts said good-bye to the doomed people of Moresheth-gath as that city also became Assyrian property.","summary_en":"1:14 Farewell gifts said good-bye to the doomed people of Moresheth-gath as that city also became Assyrian property.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109295,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:14","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:14","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:14<\/strong> <em>Farewell gifts<\/em> said good-bye to the doomed people of <em>Moresheth-gath<\/em> as that city also became Assyrian property.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:14<\/strong> <em>Farewell gifts<\/em> said good-bye to the doomed people of <em>Moresheth-gath<\/em> as that city also became Assyrian property.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:14 Farewell gifts said good-bye to the doomed people of Moresheth-gath as that city also became Assyrian property.","summary_en":"1:14 Farewell gifts said good-bye to the doomed people of Moresheth-gath as that city also became Assyrian property.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136921,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:14","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:14","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:14<\/strong> <em>Farewell gifts<\/em> said good-bye to the doomed people of <em>Moresheth-gath<\/em> as that city also became Assyrian property.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:14<\/strong> <em>Farewell gifts<\/em> said good-bye to the doomed people of <em>Moresheth-gath<\/em> as that city also became Assyrian property.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:14 Farewell gifts said good-bye to the doomed people of Moresheth-gath as that city also became Assyrian property.","summary_en":"1:14 Farewell gifts said good-bye to the doomed people of Moresheth-gath as that city also became Assyrian property.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"15":[{"id":24316,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Mareshah (Place)","title_en":"Mareshah (Place)","content_ro":"<h3>MARESHAH (P<span>lace<\/span>)<\/h3>\n<p>City (Greek <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">Marisa<\/span><em>;<\/em> Josephus, “Marissa”) on the road from the coastal plain of Judah toward Hebron and Jerusalem. Remains of Jewish pottery indicate occupation from at least 800 <span>BC<\/span>. The site is now called Tel Mareshah.<\/p>\n\n<p>At Israel’s occupation of Canaan, Mareshah was allotted by Joshua to Judah (Jos 15:44). Later, at the division of the kingdom, Rehoboam fortified it as a protective outpost covering Jerusalem from the southwest, from which many invaders were to approach (2 Chr 11:8). Zerah the Ethiopian, with a million men and three hundred chariots, penetrated as far as Mareshah and was defeated there by Asa (14:9). In the following reign, that of Jehoshaphat, the prophet Eliezer, born at Mareshah, foretold the destruction of the proud fleet the king had built (20:37).<\/p>\n<p>The prophet Micah, who was born at Moresheth-gath (a few miles to the north), uttered a moving elegy upon the fate of the regions he knew from boyhood, as the Assyrians approached (whether under Sennacherib, 701 <span>BC<\/span>, or Sargon, 711 <span>BC<\/span>). Punning upon each familiar place-name, he warned Mareshah of a coming “possessor” (Mi 1:15).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MARESHAH (P<span>lace<\/span>)<\/h3>\n<p>City (Greek <span class=\"greek\" lang=\"el\">Marisa<\/span><em>;<\/em> Josephus, “Marissa”) on the road from the coastal plain of Judah toward Hebron and Jerusalem. Remains of Jewish pottery indicate occupation from at least 800 <span>BC<\/span>. The site is now called Tel Mareshah.<\/p>\n\n<p>At Israel’s occupation of Canaan, Mareshah was allotted by Joshua to Judah (Jos 15:44). Later, at the division of the kingdom, Rehoboam fortified it as a protective outpost covering Jerusalem from the southwest, from which many invaders were to approach (2 Chr 11:8). Zerah the Ethiopian, with a million men and three hundred chariots, penetrated as far as Mareshah and was defeated there by Asa (14:9). In the following reign, that of Jehoshaphat, the prophet Eliezer, born at Mareshah, foretold the destruction of the proud fleet the king had built (20:37).<\/p>\n<p>The prophet Micah, who was born at Moresheth-gath (a few miles to the north), uttered a moving elegy upon the fate of the regions he knew from boyhood, as the Assyrians approached (whether under Sennacherib, 701 <span>BC<\/span>, or Sargon, 711 <span>BC<\/span>). Punning upon each familiar place-name, he warned Mareshah of a coming “possessor” (Mi 1:15).<\/p>","summary_ro":"MARESHAH (Place) City (Greek Marisa; Josephus, “Marissa”) on the road from the coastal plain of Judah toward Hebron and Jerusalem. Remains of Jewish pottery indicate occupation from at least 800 BC. The site is now called Tel Mareshah. At Israel’s occupation of Canaan, Mareshah was allotted by Joshua to Judah (Jos 15:44). Later, at the division of the kingdom, Rehoboam fortified it as a protective outpost covering Jerusalem from the southwest, from which many invaders were to approach (2 Chr ...","summary_en":"MARESHAH (Place) City (Greek Marisa; Josephus, “Marissa”) on the road from the coastal plain of Judah toward Hebron and Jerusalem. Remains of Jewish pottery indicate occupation from at least 800 BC. The site is now called Tel Mareshah. At Israel’s occupation of Canaan, Mareshah was allotted by Joshua to Judah (Jos 15:44). Later, at the division of the kingdom, Rehoboam fortified it as a protective outpost covering Jerusalem from the southwest, from which many invaders were to approach (2 Chr ...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":25555,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Book of Micah","title_en":"Book of Micah","content_ro":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>MICAH, Book of<\/h3>\n<p>Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets.<\/p>\n<p>Preview<\/p>\n<p>• Author<\/p>\n<p>• Date<\/p>\n<p>• Audience<\/p>\n<p>• Background<\/p>\n<p>• Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>• Content<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Author\">Author<\/p>\n<p>Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says the <span>Lord<\/span>,” is used (2:3; 3:5; 4:6; 6:1, 9), asserting that the message is from God. Micah, like a true prophet, claims, “As for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the <span>Lord<\/span>. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel’s sin and rebellion” (3:8, <span>nlt<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s name was common in ancient Israel. At least seven different individuals in the OT are called Micah or Michaiah. The prophet is mentioned by name only in Micah 1:1 and Jeremiah 26:18 in the OT.<\/p>\n<p>The superscription of Micah (Mi 1:1) gives his hometown as Moresheth, which may be identified with the modern village of Tell el Judeideh about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) southwest of Jerusalem on the road from Azekah to Lachish. Moresheth, in Micah’s time, was a frontier village near the Philistine border city of Gath. As a border town, Moresheth often took the brunt of enemy attacks on Judah from the south and west (1:15). Such an attack may be reflected in verses 10-16, where 12 towns in southwest Judah are named as being in the path of an invader. Moresheth-gath is ninth in that list. Because Micah lived in this border town, he seems to have developed an international concern with “the peoples” (1:2; 4:1-5, 11; 5:7-15; 7:16-17). As a citizen of a small town, Micah could identify with peasants and small land holders who were often victims of foreign aggressors and of the politicians and greedy land grabbers in Jerusalem (2:1-4). Although Micah may have left Moresheth to live and preach in Jerusalem, he had harsh words for cities (1:5-6; 3:12; 4:10; 5:11, 14; 6:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Date\">Date<\/p>\n<p>The date for Micah’s ministry was sometime during the reigns of three kings of Judah: Jotham (c. 750–735 <span>BC<\/span>), Ahaz (c. 735–715 <span>BC<\/span>), and Hezekiah (c. 715–686 <span>BC<\/span>). The maximum period covered by the reigns of these three kings was over 60 years (750–686 <span>BC<\/span>), but it is not likely that Micah was active as a prophet during all of that time. Jeremiah dates Micah’s ministry in the reign of Hezekiah (Jer 26:18). Some of Micah’s oracles seem to predate the fall of Samaria (Mi 1:2-7; 6:16), an event that took place in 722 <span>BC<\/span>. The Assyrians appear to be Israel’s primary enemy in Micah’s time (5:5-6), a situation that prevailed during the reigns of the three kings listed above. Some striking parallel passages between Micah and Isaiah (Mi 4:1-4; Is 2:2-4) and between Micah and Amos (Mi 6:10-11; Am 8:5-6) make it probable that Micah’s ministry was in the last part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Audience\">Audience<\/p>\n<p>Micah’s message was universal. It was addressed first in a broad sense to “all the people of the world” (Mi 1:2), but the focus narrows quickly to the capital cities of Jerusalem and Samaria (1:1). Other cities in Judah are the object of one oracle (1:10-16). A group of wealthy land grabbers (2:1), false prophets (2:6-11; 3:5-7), judges, prophets, priests, and dishonest merchants (3:1, 11; 6:10-12) are the objects of other messages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Background\">Background<\/p>\n<p>In order to understand the book of Micah properly, one needs a knowledge of the Assyrian crisis in the history of ancient Israel. During the early part of the eighth century <span>BC<\/span>, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah experienced a period of peace and prosperity under the long and stable reigns of Jeroboam II (793–753 <span>BC<\/span>) and Uzziah (792–740 <span>BC<\/span>). Radical changes in the economic structure occurred within Israel and Judah during this long period. There was a rise of cities and a new wealthy class. Commerce grew enormously. The rich got richer and abused their power over the poor, the priests, and the judges. A class system appeared that struck at the heart of OT covenant religion.<\/p>\n<p>During the reigns of Jeroboam II and Uzziah, Israel and Judah were relatively free from outside intervention. But in 745 <span>BC<\/span> Tiglath-pileser III became king of Assyria and set out to create an empire. He captured Damascus in 732 <span>BC<\/span> and made vassals of the small states of Israel, Judah, and Philistia. Tiglath-pileser III died in 727 <span>BC<\/span> and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. In 724 <span>BC<\/span> Hoshea, the last king of Israel, withheld tribute from Assyria and incurred the wrath of the Assyrians. Shalmaneser V began his siege of Samaria in 724 <span>BC<\/span>, but the people were not subdued until 722 <span>BC<\/span>. By that time, Sargon II was the king of Assyria. Many of the wealthy and influential people of Samaria were carried into captivity to Assyria (2 Kgs 15:29-30; 17:1-41). Judah did not escape the crisis. Although a fragmentary government of Judean kings was left in Jerusalem by the Assyrians, practically all of their liberties were taken away (2 Kgs 16:10). Judah never fully recovered politically nor religiously from the Assyrian crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"PurposeandMessage\">Purpose and Message<\/p>\n<p>The book of Micah is made up of about 20 separate sections or oracles. There is a variety of material in the book about different subjects, coming perhaps from different periods. With such variety in the book, it is difficult to speak of <em>the<\/em> message of the book. However, certain themes are prominent in the book, the most prominent being judgment. It is coming on Samaria (Mi 1:2-6) and on Jerusalem (3:9-12). It is coming on guilty land grabbers (2:3-5), on false prophets, corrupt judges, and hireling priests (3:5-12). Judgment is coming on the cheater, the violent, the liar, and the deceiver (6:9-12). Judgment is coming on the nations (4:11-13; 5:5-9, 15; 7:16-17). Judgment is due to sin (1:5). Sin takes many forms in Micah, ranging from idolatry (1:7; 5:13), to practicing the occult (5:12), to theft (6:11), to lying (6:12), to contempt for parents (7:6), to murder (7:2).<\/p>\n<p>What is Micah’s remedy for sin? For the nations it is a knowledge of and obedience to the ways of God (4:2). For Israel it is “to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8). All of this is possible because God pardons iniquity and is not always angry. He is a God of compassion who treads iniquities underfoot, casts sins into the depth of the sea, and keeps his covenant with Abraham (7:18-20). Micah caught a glimpse of the future kingdom of God when he saw that a future ruler of Israel would be born in Bethlehem. He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. He will provide security because he will be great to the ends of the earth (5:2-4).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"Content\">Content<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars divide the book into two parts. The first part (chs 1–5) is addressed primarily to the nations, while the second (chs 6–7) is addressed primarily to Israel. The first part ends with a threat of judgment on the nations (5:15) and the second ends with a hymn to the compassion of God. That outline seems too simple, however, and does not cover the diverse materials in the two parts. Other scholars divide the book into three parts: chapters 1–3 (judgment); chapters 4–5 (hope); and chapters 6–7 (judgment and hope). Again, this outline is too simple because all three sections contain both judgment and hope. Perhaps it is better to divide the book into three parts beginning with chapters 1, 3, and 6. Each section begins with words of judgment (1:2–2:11; 3:1-12; 6:1–7:6) and ends on a note of hope (2:12-13; 4:1–5:15; 7:7-20). Such an outline can be valuable in attempting to see the book as a whole, but a closer look at each oracle or unit is needed to interpret the book properly. This discussion marks off each of the 20 units by chapter and verse, identifies its literary form, and determines its major motif or theme.<\/p>\n<p>The first unit, “The Lord Is Coming,” consists of 1:2-7. Its form is that of a lawsuit and a theophany. The peoples of the world are called to listen to what the Lord will witness against them. He is described as leaving his heavenly temple to come to earth to tread on top of the mountains that melt under him (1:2-4). God’s coming is due to the sins of the people. Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, is to be destroyed primarily because of idolatry (vv 5-7).<\/p>\n<p>The second passage is “The Prophet’s Lament” (1:8-16). The prophet sees an enemy army coming from the southwest. Twelve cities are in its path. Desolation, refugees, and hostages are the result. There is a wordplay on the name of each of the cities except Gath, designed to express the fate of each city. Some of the cities are well known, such as Lachish, Jerusalem, Moresheth-gath, and Adullam. Others cannot be identified. This passage indicates that even though the first oracle was addressed to the nations and specifically announced the fall of Samaria, Judah was the real concern of Micah.<\/p>\n<p>The third passage is “Woe to the Wealthy Wicked” (2:1-5). It is a woe oracle, meaning that it is a message of judgment. This time, judgment is on a certain group of wealthy men who wickedly devise schemes at night to seize houses and lands from unsuspecting farmers. Micah says their plans will boomerang. Their own lands will be snatched from them.<\/p>\n<p>“Micah and the Wealthy Wicked” is the theme of the fourth section (2:6-11). This passage records a dispute between Micah and those who snatched houses and fields from unsuspecting victims. Micah’s wicked listeners could not accept his message of judgment. They found it offensive and commanded him to stop preaching such things. They did not believe that evil would overtake them because they thought God would not do such things (vv 6-7). But Micah enumerates a number of crimes of these wicked men, such as taking the robes off travelers’ backs and driving women and children from their homes (vv 8-9). Such wicked men follow false prophets (v 11).<\/p>\n<p>The fifth passage is “A Remnant to Be Restored” (2:12-13). The Lord will gather a remnant of his people like sheep in a fold (v 12), then the Lord as their king will lead them out through the gate ahead of them (v 13). This section is open to various interpretations. The passage does not indicate the place where the Lord will gather the remnant. Some assume the place is Babylon and take the passage as a reference to the exile. Others believe the place is Jerusalem and relate the incident to refugees fleeing to Jerusalem before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth passage is about “Guilty Rulers” (3:1-4). Micah charges that the heads and leaders of his people act like cannibals. They should know justice but they hate the good and love evil. They will cry to the Lord, but he will not hear them.<\/p>\n<p>“Peace Prophets and Micah” is another disputation passage (3:5-8). Micah accuses the false prophets of preaching for money and asserts that they have no vision or message from God. By contrast, Micah claims to speak in the power and Spirit of God.<\/p>\n<p>“Corrupt Leaders and Zion’s Fall” is the subject of the eighth passage (3:9-12). This oracle seems to be a summary of all Micah has been saying to the various groups of leaders in Jerusalem. Because of their sins and crimes, Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>“Zion’s Future Exaltation,” the ninth section, contains the surprising announcement of Zion’s fall and the temple’s destruction (4:1-5). This oracle of salvation was probably deliberately placed after the previous oracle of judgment to indicate that even though the temple might be destroyed, it would be restored in grander style to be the worship center for all nations. A parallel to this passage is found in Isaiah 2:1-4.<\/p>\n<p>“Restoration of a Remnant and Zion” is the subject of the tenth section (4:6-8). The opening phrase, “in that coming day,” indicates that this is an eschatological oracle in that the Lord is seen as reigning over his restored flock in Zion.<\/p>\n<p>The next three passages (4:9-10; 4:11-13; 5:1-4) all begin with the word “now” (in the Hebrew) and end with an assertion that the present evil situation will be changed for the better. The first of the three is “From Distress to Deliverance” (4:9-10); the second is “From Siege to Victory” (vv 11-13); and the third is “From Helpless Judge to Ideal King” (5:1-4). The last passage in this series is one of the most familiar passages in Micah. It contains the promise of the birth of a new king in Bethlehem who will be great to the ends of the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The fourteenth section, “Peace and the Overthrow of Assyria” (5:5-6), is followed closely by “The Remnant among the Peoples” (vv 7-9). The remnant is portrayed as dew on plants and as a lion among sheep. Dew on plants is usually taken to signify a blessing, but in 2 Samuel 17:12 it is a metaphor for judgment as a lion is among sheep.<\/p>\n<p>The sixteenth passage is “Purge of the Military and False Religions” (5:10-15). The expressions “cut off,” “throw down,” “cause to perish,” “root out,” and “destroy” suggest radical surgery. It is an oracle on those things that might take the place of God in people’s minds.<\/p>\n<p>“God’s Lawsuit” (6:1-8) is probably the most familiar passage in Micah. It is one of the great summaries of true religion.<\/p>\n<p>The next passage presents “More Charges and the Sentence” (6:9-16). The further charges are dishonest business practices, lying, and acts of violence. The sentence is a life of futility, frustration, scorn, and destruction.<\/p>\n<p>The nineteenth pericope in Micah is a “Lament over a Decadent Society” (7:1-6). The prophet begins with a woe because he seems to be the only godly or righteous man left (vv 1-2). He cannot trust anyone. Everyone may be setting a trap for another. People do evil with both hands. Even the members of families rise against each other. Jesus applied the words of 7:6 to his own times (Mt 10:21, 35-36).<\/p>\n<p>The last section of Micah (Mi 7:7-20) is a prophetic liturgy. It is made up of a psalm of trust (vv 7-10); a prophetic promise of restoration (vv 11-13); a prayer for God to bless Israel and judge their enemies (vv 14-17); and a hymn or a doxology declaring God incomparable in “grace and truth,” showing faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham (v 20).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Israel, History of; Prophecy; Prophet, Prophetess.<\/p>","summary_ro":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","summary_en":"MICAH, Book of Sixth in the order of the books of the 12 minor prophets. Preview • Author • Date • Audience • Background • Purpose and Message • Content Author Micah 1:1 says that the word of the Lord came to Micah of Moresheth. Micah was God’s spokesman to the people of his day. Micah is not called a prophet in his book. There is no account of God’s call for him to be a prophet, but he does claim to be God’s witness (v 2). Five times in the book some form of the messenger formula, “thus says...","source":"Articles\/M.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54044,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:15","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:15","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:15<\/strong> <em>the leaders<\/em> (literally <em>the glory<\/em>): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • <em>Adullam<\/em> was destroyed by Assyria in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:15<\/strong> <em>the leaders<\/em> (literally <em>the glory<\/em>): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • <em>Adullam<\/em> was destroyed by Assyria in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:15 the leaders (literally the glory): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • Adullam was destroyed by Assyria in 701 BC.","summary_en":"1:15 the leaders (literally the glory): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • Adullam was destroyed by Assyria in 701 BC.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81670,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:15","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:15","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:15<\/strong> <em>the leaders<\/em> (literally <em>the glory<\/em>): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • <em>Adullam<\/em> was destroyed by Assyria in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:15<\/strong> <em>the leaders<\/em> (literally <em>the glory<\/em>): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • <em>Adullam<\/em> was destroyed by Assyria in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:15 the leaders (literally the glory): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • Adullam was destroyed by Assyria in 701 BC.","summary_en":"1:15 the leaders (literally the glory): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • Adullam was destroyed by Assyria in 701 BC.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109296,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:15","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:15","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:15<\/strong> <em>the leaders<\/em> (literally <em>the glory<\/em>): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • <em>Adullam<\/em> was destroyed by Assyria in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:15<\/strong> <em>the leaders<\/em> (literally <em>the glory<\/em>): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • <em>Adullam<\/em> was destroyed by Assyria in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:15 the leaders (literally the glory): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • Adullam was destroyed by Assyria in 701 BC.","summary_en":"1:15 the leaders (literally the glory): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • Adullam was destroyed by Assyria in 701 BC.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136922,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:15","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:15","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:15<\/strong> <em>the leaders<\/em> (literally <em>the glory<\/em>): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • <em>Adullam<\/em> was destroyed by Assyria in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:15<\/strong> <em>the leaders<\/em> (literally <em>the glory<\/em>): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • <em>Adullam<\/em> was destroyed by Assyria in 701 <span>BC<\/span>.<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:15 the leaders (literally the glory): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • Adullam was destroyed by Assyria in 701 BC.","summary_en":"1:15 the leaders (literally the glory): The leaders of Israel should have been Israel’s “glory” by setting examples of moral excellence and wise, caring leadership. Instead, God’s shepherds corrupted their nation. • Adullam was destroyed by Assyria in 701 BC.","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}],"16":[{"id":3561,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Baldness","title_en":"Baldness","content_ro":"<h3>BALDNESS<\/h3>\n<p>Condition of having little or no hair on the scalp. Natural baldness due to age is referred to only indirectly in the Bible, where it is contrasted with baldness due to leprosy (Lv 13:40-42). The Israelites were forbidden to shave their heads or shape their beard in ways that resembled pagan religious practices (Dt 14:1). Such restrictions applied particularly to Israelite priests (Lv 21:5). Shaving off the hair and offering it as a sacrifice to God was a special act prescribed for men or women taking a Nazirite vow (Nm 6:1-5, 18; Acts 18:18).<\/p>\n<p>The Egyptians and other peoples shaved off their hair (and eyebrows) as a sign of respect for the dead. There are many biblical references to the non-Israelite custom of shaving the head as a sign of mourning or anguish (Jer 16:6; 48:37; Ez 27:31; Mi 1:16). Most of these passages speak of God’s judgment against pagan cities or nations. Since baldness was associated primarily with leprosy, venereal disease, idolatry, or death, the prediction or threat of baldness sometimes accompanied prophetic warnings (Is 3:16-24).<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>BALDNESS<\/h3>\n<p>Condition of having little or no hair on the scalp. Natural baldness due to age is referred to only indirectly in the Bible, where it is contrasted with baldness due to leprosy (Lv 13:40-42). The Israelites were forbidden to shave their heads or shape their beard in ways that resembled pagan religious practices (Dt 14:1). Such restrictions applied particularly to Israelite priests (Lv 21:5). Shaving off the hair and offering it as a sacrifice to God was a special act prescribed for men or women taking a Nazirite vow (Nm 6:1-5, 18; Acts 18:18).<\/p>\n<p>The Egyptians and other peoples shaved off their hair (and eyebrows) as a sign of respect for the dead. There are many biblical references to the non-Israelite custom of shaving the head as a sign of mourning or anguish (Jer 16:6; 48:37; Ez 27:31; Mi 1:16). Most of these passages speak of God’s judgment against pagan cities or nations. Since baldness was associated primarily with leprosy, venereal disease, idolatry, or death, the prediction or threat of baldness sometimes accompanied prophetic warnings (Is 3:16-24).<\/p>","summary_ro":"BALDNESS Condition of having little or no hair on the scalp. Natural baldness due to age is referred to only indirectly in the Bible, where it is contrasted with baldness due to leprosy (Lv 13:40-42). The Israelites were forbidden to shave their heads or shape their beard in ways that resembled pagan religious practices (Dt 14:1). Such restrictions applied particularly to Israelite priests (Lv 21:5). Shaving off the hair and offering it as a sacrifice to God was a special act prescribed for m...","summary_en":"BALDNESS Condition of having little or no hair on the scalp. Natural baldness due to age is referred to only indirectly in the Bible, where it is contrasted with baldness due to leprosy (Lv 13:40-42). The Israelites were forbidden to shave their heads or shape their beard in ways that resembled pagan religious practices (Dt 14:1). Such restrictions applied particularly to Israelite priests (Lv 21:5). Shaving off the hair and offering it as a sacrifice to God was a special act prescribed for m...","source":"Articles\/B.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":5115,"type":"article","type_label":"Articol","type_icon":"📖","type_color":"#d4af37","title_ro":"Birds","title_en":"Birds","content_ro":"<h3>BIRDS<\/h3>\n\n<p>Feathered vertebrates of the class Aves. Over 8,000 species of birds are known. Approximately 400 species are found in the Holy Land and about 40 are mentioned in Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Modern scientists classify organisms on the basis of internal and external structure, but the biblical writers generally classified organisms according to habitat. Thus, in the Bible, bats are listed with birds as creatures of the air (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18).<\/p>\n<p>Precise identification of biblical birds is often difficult or impossible. The biblical languages were not highly specialized scientific languages. People in biblical times generally knew the difference between similar animals now categorized as separate species. For birds, however, they frequently used poetic, descriptive terms. Biblical scholars attempt to overcome the difficulties in identification by comparing the Hebrew words with similar words in related languages and by attention to the habitat, habits, and characteristics attributed to the birds in Scripture. Nevertheless, different scholars sometimes arrive at different identifications.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"BiblicalReferencestoBirds\">Biblical References to Birds<\/p>\n<p>The Bible refers to birds both in literal and figurative senses. The biblical writers were keen observers of nature, their awareness of birds and bird life being reflected in many passages. They asserted that God knows all the birds (Ps 50:11) and cares for them (Mt 10:29). They saw God’s covenant with Noah after the flood, his promise never to destroy life again by flood, as extending even to the birds and animals (Gn 9:10).<\/p>\n<p>The Mosaic law declared many birds “unclean,” mostly species that were scavengers or predators, or inhabited waste places. Centuries later the early Christians came to regard unclean species as clean by God’s decree, revealed in the apostle Peter’s vision (Acts 10:12). Other birds, like quail, sustained the Israelites in their wanderings (Ex 16:13). The Law prescribed birds as sacrifices for a firstborn child (Lk 2:24), for a Nazirite vow (Nm 6:10), for cleansing a leper (Lv 14:22), and as a burnt offering and sin offering (12:8).<\/p>\n<p>Birds are easily subject to extinction, especially through human activity. God required the Israelites to practice conservation to prevent any birds from becoming extinct in the Holy Land, both for the birds’ sake and so the Israelites would have a continuous source of food. The Law allowed foraging Israelites to take eggs or the young from a bird’s nest, but they were not permitted to kill both a mother bird and her young (Dt 22:6).<\/p>\n<p>Biblical writers turned to nature frequently for illustrations of divine principles or human characteristics. Comparisons of humans to birds sometimes carry a sense of lowness, as when King Nebuchadnezzar developed claws like a bird in his madness (Dn 4:33), or when Job remarked that birds did not know the source of wisdom (Jb 28:21). In Jesus’ parable of the sower, the birds that ate the seed scattered by the wayside may represent indifference and a lack of spiritual understanding (Mt 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture also contains sympathetic images of the plight of birds. A lonely man praying was likened to a lonely bird on a housetop (Ps 102:7). If someone was unjustly hunted by his enemies, he would understand a hunted bird’s plight (Lam 3:52). Birds were said to be affected by curses on evildoers as they fled from Jerusalem or from the face of the earth (Jer 9:10; Zep 1:3).<\/p>\n<p>In spite of such misfortune visited upon birds, Scripture affirms that, like other creatures, they are cared for and delighted in by God (Ps 50:11; Mt 6:26; 10:29). Both Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar were compared to a tree that gives shelter to the birds (Ez 31:6; Dn 4:12; cf. 2:38). Human power, however, fails eventually as when the tree representing Nebuchadnezzar was cut down, forcing the birds to flee (Dn 4:14). God’s protection, by contrast, is unfailing. Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, growing to become a shelter for birds (Mt 13:32). God provides a habitation for birds (Ps 104:12), although Jesus, the Son of Man, had nowhere to rest his head (Mt 8:20).<\/p>\n<p>Birds were considered evidence of God’s handiwork (Jb 12:7). Bird lore provided examples of good sense in learning from a mistake (Prv 1:17; 6:5) and of bad judgment in failing to avoid the snares of immorality (7:23). Birds and other creatures could be tamed, unlike the wicked human tongue (Jas 3:7). Birds flying without alighting were an image of an undeserved curse (Prv 26:2). Without trust in God, people might be forced by evil to flee like a bird to the mountains (Ps 11:1). Birdsong was said to bring joy (Sg 2:12). The return of God’s people to the Promised Land would be like birds returning (Hos 11:11). Jesus expressed his love for Jerusalem by saying that he longed to gather his people to himself as a hen gathers her brood under her wing (Mt 23:37).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, birds were occasionally regarded as ominous signs. For example, Pharaoh’s baker learned of impending death because in a dream birds ate the food from a basket on his head (Gn 40:17). Solomon warned against cursing the king, even in private, because “a little bird may tell them what you said” (Eccl 10:20). A vivid biblical image is that of scavenging, carrion-eating birds consuming the bodies of evildoers. To the Israelites, such a desecration of humanity was an image of ultimate horror (Dt 28:26; 1 Sm 17:44; Is 46:11; Jer 7:33; 12:9; Ez 29:5; 39:4; Rv 19:17, 21).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IndividualSpecies\">Individual Species<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Bittern\">Bittern<\/p>\n<p>Long-legged wading bird <em>(Botaurus stellaris)<\/em> similar to the heron, but with shorter legs and a smaller, more compact body. Bitterns inhabit marshes, where it is easy for them to hide with their natural camouflage. A bittern’s mottled plumage of barred brown and black so duplicates the color and shape of swamp vegetation that at times the bird seems to disappear before the observer’s eyes. The neck is covered with long, soft feathers, making it appear disproportionately heavy. Bitterns are wary and solitary. During mating season the bittern’s larynx is modified to produce a mysterious-sounding cry. The body twists in an unusual manner in harmony with the notes. Bitterns nest alone in grassy marshes. Because they are shy, they have become symbols of places of desolation and loneliness.<\/p>\n<p>There is some question as to whether the bittern is actually mentioned in the Bible. The <span>kjv<\/span> has “bittern” in three places (Is 14:23; 34:11; Zep 2:14). Many biblical scholars believe the Hebrew word in those verses refers not to the bittern but to the hedgehog (Is 14:23; Zep 2:14, <span>rsv<\/span>) or porcupine (Is 34:11, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Hebrew word is similar to an Arabic word meaning “porcupine.” Other scholars point out that the references suggest a bird rather than a mammal, especially Zephaniah 2:14, which speaks of the creature making its “lodge in her capitals” (i.e., above Nineveh’s doorposts). Bitterns are particularly abundant in the swamps of the Tigris River (near Nineveh). The bittern’s characteristics may fit the references in the three passages better than do the hedgehog’s.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Hedgehog; Animals (Porcupine).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Buzzard\">Buzzard<\/p>\n<p>Hawklike soaring bird <em>(Buteo vulgaris<\/em> or <em>Buteo ferox).<\/em> It resembles the kite, though its tail is straight and not cleft. It is mentioned in the list of unclean birds (Dt 14:13). But other translations render the word as “glede” (<span>kjv<\/span>) or “kite” (<span>nasb<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). The parallel list in Leviticus 11, however, substitutes “kite” (<span>rsv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>) or “vulture” (<span>kjv<\/span>) for “buzzard.” Thus, it is difficult to determine whether the buzzard is actually mentioned in the Bible, even though it is a common resident of Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Like other great soaring birds, the buzzard is noted for its sharp eyesight, and may be the bird mentioned for that quality in Job 28:7 (variously translated “falcon,” “eagle,” or “vulture”). It will trail its prey for hours, and has a remarkable ability to see a carcass on which it descends to feed. Somewhat larger than the common buzzard is the long-legged buzzard, found in Israel, western Asia, and Syria.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Kestrel; Kite; Vulture (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Cormorant\">Cormorant<\/p>\n<p>Large, black gooselike bird <em>(Phalacrocorax carbo),<\/em> repeatedly depicted in art from Egypt and the Holy Land. Its length varies from 19 to 40 inches (48.3 to 101.6 centimeters). Its feet have webs between all four toes. The feet, attached far back on the body, serve as propellers when the cormorant dives to catch its meal of fish, crustacea, or amphibia. The long bill is curved at the tip, and under the bill is a sac in which the cormorant keeps the captured fish.<\/p>\n<p>Cormorants live in large companies, making nests of sticks and other vegetation that they carry to trees or to rocky shelves near coasts. Up to four eggs are incubated, and the young are fed by both parents.<\/p>\n<p>The cormorant frequents swamps around the Sea of Galilee, Lake Huleh (the waters of Merom), and the Mediterranean coast. Its Hebrew name originally denoted the “hurling down” of the bird at its prey. Cormorants dive into deep water and sometimes seem to zoom beneath the surface in their hunt for fish. The cormorant’s greed is proverbial. It was ceremonially unclean for the Israelites (Lv 11:17; Dt 14:17).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Pelican (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Crane\">Crane<\/p>\n<p>Tall wading birds <em>(Grus grus)<\/em> resembling storks and herons but with shorter talons. The plumage has a silvery gloss and the tail feathers are wavy. Large flocks of cranes flying in wedge-shaped formations pass over the Holy Land during the daylight hours each fall on their way to Africa from the northern countries of Europe and again in the spring when they return north to breed. Migratory flocks may number as many as 2,000 birds. Jeremiah 8:7 refers to the crane’s migratory habits.<\/p>\n<p>The usual call of the crane is best described as a bellow, but during migratory flight they emit a chattering sound that may be referred to in Isaiah 38:14. Cranes have remarkably powerful voices, their calls seeming to carry for miles. Migrating flocks usually have a flock leader who does the calling.<\/p>\n<p>A crane’s height may reach 40 to 60 inches (101.6 to 152.4 centimeters). Except for the ostrich, the crane is the tallest bird ever to inhabit the Holy Land. A crane’s wingspread may exceed 90 inches (228.6 centimeters). The overall color is steel gray; the head and neck are black with a longitudinal white stripe. The crane feeds on land rather than in shallow water. It feeds primarily on grass and grain yet may devour insects, snakes, small alligators, frogs, and worms, using its long, powerful bill as a sharp hammer for killing such creatures.<\/p>\n<p>The crane usually nests in solitary places, often in shallow water or nearby. Its nest is a mass of vegetation, holding two or three eggs that are light-colored with darker spots.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Cuckoo\">Cuckoo<\/p>\n<p>Small, drab brown bird known for its parasitic habits. The term the <span>kjv<\/span> used in Leviticus 11:16 and Deuteronomy 14:15 may refer either to the common cuckoo <em>(Cuculus canorus)<\/em> or to the great spotted cuckoo <em>(Clamator glandarius).<\/em> The bird acts as a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nest of another species after pushing out one of the eggs of the host species. The young cuckoo hatches before the young of the host species and evicts the other young. The foster parents raise it as their own.<\/p>\n<p>The cuckoo, an insect eater, is considered ritually unclean in Scripture, which might imply that it is a predator or carrion-eater. For that reason some believe the Hebrew word actually refers to the seagull or sea mew rather than the cuckoo. Gulls, terns, and petrels are all common on the seashore and lakes of the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>Other scholars believe that the Hebrew word refers not to the cuckoo but to one of the owls, possibly the long-eared owl.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl; Seagull (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Eagle\">Eagle<\/p>\n<p>Large bird of prey, genus <em>Aquila.<\/em> Vultures were often confused with eagles, making identification of the biblical birds difficult. Eagles’ heads are not bald as are the heads of vultures, but from a distance they appear similar. It is possible that the Hebrew word translated “eagle” (which literally means “to tear with the beak”) may have referred to all large birds of prey, eagles and vultures alike. A number of references to the eagle in Scripture are actually references to the griffon vulture (e.g., Hos 8:1; perhaps Mt 24:28). In certain passages, however, the true eagle may be meant.<\/p>\n<p>The Holy Land has several varieties of eagle, including the imperial eagle <em>(Aquila heliaca)<\/em> and the less common golden eagle <em>(Aquila chrysaetos).<\/em> These birds are powerfully built with strong wings; their movements reveal suppleness and strength. A distinctive hooked beak, which enhances the eagle’s dignified and somewhat ferocious appearance, provides it with an effective instrument for tearing and killing prey. Short, powerful legs and prehensile claws enable an eagle to apply an almost unbreakable grip on a struggling victim. The strong talons have sharp points and edges. The eagle hunts by day.<\/p>\n<p>For Jeremiah and other prophets, the eagle was the epitome of swiftness. The golden eagle, which can fly three or four miles (5–7 kilometers) in ten minutes, may have evoked the comparisons in 2 Samuel 1:23;Jeremiah 4:13; 49:22; Lamentations 4:19 (<span>kjv<\/span>), and Habakkuk 1:8. Moses used a similar comparison to emphasize the sudden striking power of a hostile enemy (Dt 28:49). The author of Proverbs, observing the high altitude to which the eagle soars, applied that image to the human situation (Prv 23:4-5; cf. Rv 12:14).<\/p>\n<p>The eagle’s strength and invincibility were mentioned often with reference to powerful nations attacking Israel. The prophet Ezekiel described Nebuchadnezzar as an eagle (Ez 17:3). Both the Babylonians and Assyrians frequently depicted the eagle in their art, especially as a deity with a man’s body and an eagle’s head. Nebuchadnezzar even had an experience of temporary insanity in which “his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws” (Dn 4:33, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The eagle builds its nest on inaccessible mountain peaks or at the top of the tallest trees, a fact noted by Jeremiah (Jer 49:16; cf. Jb 39:27-28; Ob 1:4). The brood consists of two or occasionally three eggs. Only the female sits on the nest, but the young eaglets are fed by both parents. Eagles are devoted to their offspring and train them with great care in the art of flying. Some commentators interpret Exodus 19:4 and Deuteronomy 32:11 as evidence of the eagle’s practice of catching its young on its wings. There is virtually no evidence from observation, however, that any eagle can perform such a feat. In some versions the wording avoids a direct statement that eagles bear their young on their wings.<\/p>\n<p>Some eagles in captivity have lived to an age of over 100 years. This remarkable longevity caused the psalmist to speak of the eagle whose youth is renewed (Ps 103:5). Confronted by its impressive qualities, biblical authors observed the eagle with awe and wonder (Jb 39:27-30; Prv 30:18-19). Those awesome qualities also contributed to several prophetic visions, including Ezekiel’s vision of a creature with an eagle’s face (Ez 1:10) and the apostle John’s vision of a holy beast like a flying eagle (Rv 4:7).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vulture (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"FowlDomestic\">Fowl, Domestic<\/p>\n<p>Domesticated poultry <em>(Gallus gallus domesticus),<\/em> probably derived from the red jungle fowl of India. They seem to have been known already in OT times (Prv 30:31). A seal of Jaazaniah (see 2 Kgs 25:23), dating from about 600 <span>BC<\/span>, bears the image of a fighting cock. A reference to fowls or poultry for Nehemiah’s table, however, may be to wild game rather than domestic fowl (Neh 5:18).<\/p>\n<p>Poultry symbolized fertility, and the Jews carried a cock and hen in front of bridal couples at weddings. The motherly concern of hens gathering their broods was familiar to Jesus’ hearers (Mt 23:37; Lk 13:34).<\/p>\n<p>Since roosters habitually crow an hour or two before dawn, the third watch of the night, from midnight to 3:00 <span>am<\/span>, was known as the cockcrow. According to the Talmud (a commentary on Jewish law), keeping chickens was prohibited in Jerusalem in NT times to prevent the insects and larvae that breed in chicken droppings from contaminating sacrificial flesh. For that reason the cock that Peter heard (Mt 26:34, 74; Lk 22:34, 60-61) probably belonged to Romans living there or to Jews who did not follow Jewish regulations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"GoatsuckerorNightHawk\">Goatsucker or Night Hawk<\/p>\n<p>Migratory bird, dark in color and short-legged, similar to the American whippoorwill. The goatsucker (genus <em>Caprimulgus<\/em>) resembles an owl with a flat head, large eyes, soft plumage, and a noiseless flight. It hunts insects at night, catches them on the wing, and during the day rests on branches. Goatsuckers were so named because they were thought by the ancients to milk goats. According to Leviticus 11:16 and Deuteronomy 14:15, they were ritually unclean. Although some scholars believe that an owl is intended, there seems to be good reason to accept the “night hawk” translation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Goose\">Goose<\/p>\n<p>Long-necked, web-footed water birds with waterproof feathers (genus <em>Anser<\/em>). Domestic geese were known to the Greeks of Homer’s day, since they are mentioned in the <em>Odyssey.<\/em> They were domesticated in Egypt perhaps as early as the Old Kingdom (c. 2500 <span>BC<\/span>) and certainly by the time of the New Kingdom (c. 1500– 1100 <span>BC<\/span>). They were used for food and sacrifice. The breeding of geese was widespread in Canaan in biblical times; ivory carvings of the 13th or 12th century <span>BC<\/span> showing geese have been found in excavations at Megiddo in Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Many species of geese spend most of their lives on land even though they are waterfowl; some even build their nests in trees. Wild geese tend to inhabit flatlands and prairies rather than mountainous terrain.<\/p>\n<p>Geese may have graced the table of King Solomon. In 1 Kings 4:23 they are referred to as “fatted fowl,” a term that may also refer to ducks, swans, guineas, pigeons, or other domestic edible birds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Hawk\">Hawk<\/p>\n<p>Small birds of prey found in the Holy Land. Most references are probably to the sparrow hawk <em>(Accipter nisus).<\/em> This bird is slightly larger than the kestrel, has a grayish-brown back and a white belly with black and brown bars. It has short feathers, long, curved talons, and broad wings, rounded at the outer ends, which enable it to soar on updrafts. The long tail, acting as a rudder, helps the bird change its course swiftly in flight. It is hence very maneuverable in the air when chasing warblers or other small birds. It does not seize its prey on the ground, as does the kestrel, but hunts and attacks small birds in flight. Hawks hunt in the daytime, unlike owls that are adapted for nighttime hunting. With their eyes located on the side of the head, hawks are very keen-sighted. They usually nest in tall trees and their nests are often occupied by the same pair year after year.<\/p>\n<p>The Egyptians embalmed sparrow hawks and regarded all hawks highly. The god Horus was depicted with the head of a hawk hawk was ceremonially unclean to the Israelites (Lv 11:16; Dt 14:15). It was not a permanent resident of Israel but stopped off as it migrated from north to south. Its southward migration is mentioned in Job 39:26. A reference in Isaiah 34:11 to “hawk” (“cormorant,” <span>kjv<\/span>) is uncertain. <em>See<\/em> Kestrel or Falcon; Kite (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Heron\">Heron<\/p>\n<p>Wading bird (genus <em>Ardea<\/em>) with a long, thin neck and long legs. It has a characteristic comblike growth on the inner side of the third toe.<\/p>\n<p>Herons are generally white, blue, green, or gray. They nest together in rookeries, and both parents bring in food for the young. Herons feed on fish, small reptiles, and insects, gulping them down in one swallow. Adults and young migrate in the late fall to warm southern climates. The white heron attains a length of more than 3 feet (.9 meter), whereas the dwarf heron is only about 22 inches (55.9 centimeters) long.<\/p>\n<p>At least seven varieties of heron are reported in the Holy Land. The white ibis, or buff-backed heron (<em>Buphus russatus<\/em>), was probably the most common species. The purple heron <em>(Ardea purpureus)<\/em> is a summer breeder found in all parts of the Holy Land where there is standing water.<\/p>\n<p>The blue-gray heron (<em>Ardea cinerea<\/em>) winters in southern Europe and North Africa, migrating to northern Europe in the early spring. In Israel it builds its winter nest near water, in swamps and along riverbanks, where it feeds on fish and frogs. It will stand patiently in the water for hours, and then suddenly its long, pointed beak darts down with lightning speed to catch its prey. Often the blue-gray heron builds its nest in a tall tree to which it may return year after year.<\/p>\n<p>According to Leviticus 11:19 and Deuteronomy 14:18, the heron was ceremonially unclean to the Israelites. Some scholars believe those references are to the cormorant, but most scholars think they refer to one of the herons.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Cormorant (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Hoopoe\">Hoopoe<\/p>\n<p>One of the Holy Land’s most beautiful birds (<em>Upupa epops<\/em>). It has vividly colored plumage, a lovely crown-shaped crest that becomes erect when the bird is alarmed, and a long, slender curved bill. The pinkish-brown hoopoe is about 11 inches (27.9 centimeters) long, with black and white bands on its back, tail, and wings. Hoopoes are basically desert-dwelling birds.<\/p>\n<p>The name “hoopoe” is derived from the sound of the bird’s call. To emit the sound, the neck feathers are puffed up and the head snapped in the air. When on the ground, the bird hammers its beak into the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The hoopoe arrives in the Holy Land in February, breeds in the summer, and leaves in September. It was held in religious reverence by the Egyptians. It was listed as ritually unclean (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18), probably because it searches for grubs and small insects in such unsanitary places as dunghills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Ibis\">Ibis<\/p>\n<p>Wading bird (<em>Threskiornis aethiopica<\/em>) presently unknown in the Holy Land but possibly known there in biblical times. It was well known in ancient Egypt, where it was sacred to the god Thoth. Today it has practically vanished with the disappearance of swamps along the Nile.<\/p>\n<p>There is some question as to whether the ibis is meant in Leviticus 11:17, where it is classified as ceremonially unclean. The same Hebrew word in Deuteronomy 14:16 and Isaiah 34:11 is translated “great owl,” a translation preferred by most scholars.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl, Great (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"KestrelorFalcon\">Kestrel or Falcon<\/p>\n<p>Small hawk (<em>Falco tinnunculus<\/em>) about a foot (30.5 centimeters) long with brown, black, and yellow feathers on its breast. It was abundant in the Holy Land in villages and in the countryside, nesting on rooftops and among rocks. Like most hawks, the kestrel is able to hover and float in midair and then swoop down on its prey, seizing it with sharp, hooklike talons. It feeds largely on mice, small reptiles, and insects.<\/p>\n<p>Embalmed kestrels have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. The Egyptians also embalmed the hunting kestrel <em>(Falco cherug),<\/em> which can be tamed and trained to hunt rabbits and other small game. Falconry (hunting with hawks of various species) was well known among the ancients and is still practiced today. That the Assyrians were familiar with falconry is seen in the records of Ashurbanipal. Because the kestrel is a predator, it was ceremonially unclean (Lv 11:14). Some translations render the word as “kite” (Lv 11:14, <span>kjv<\/span>; Dt 14:13, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>rsv<\/span>), an illustration of the difficulty of identifying biblical birds precisely.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Kite or Glede (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"KiteorGlede\">Kite or Glede<\/p>\n<p>Large bird of prey <em>(Milvus milvus).<\/em> The average length of the kite is about 19 inches (48.3 centimeters). The upper part is generally dark, but the belly is white. Kites nest high in trees and build nests of vegetation, including sticks. They rarely have more than two or three young, which they feed on snakes, grasshoppers, and so on. Sometimes kites are called snake hawks.<\/p>\n<p>The kite is a migratory bird that stays in Israel during the summer, especially in the mountains of southern Judea, in the trackless wastes west of the Dead Sea, and in the wilderness of Beersheba.<\/p>\n<p>The red kite or glede is a medium-sized bird of prey. The edges of the upper part of the bill overlap with the lower one, forming sharp scissors. The tail is forked or cleft like that of a fish. Its loud cry often includes sharp whistling notes. Other Holy Land species include the black kite <em>(Milvus migrans)<\/em> and the black-winged kite <em>(Elanus caeruleus).<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The kite is listed among the unclean birds in Mosaic law (Lv 11:14; Dt 14:13), but the precise identification of the birds mentioned there is disputed by some scholars and translators.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Buzzard; Kestrel or Falcon (above).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Lammergeier\">Lammergeier<\/p>\n<p>Largest of the vultures and less common than the other members of the family. It is grayish brown with white streaks and has a black tuft of stiff hairs in the facial area that gives it the name “bearded vulture.” Another name for it is “lamb vulture.”<\/p>\n<p>The lammergeier <em>(Gypaetus barbatus)<\/em> has a unique way of killing its prey; since its beak is not particularly powerful it carries its victim high in the air and then drops it on rocks.<\/p>\n<p>The lammergeier is especially partial to tortoises and to marrow bone. After jackals and smaller vultures have reduced a carcass to bone, the lammergeier crushes the bones to obtain the marrow, or swallows the pieces intact. Hence it is also known as the ossifrage, from a Latin word meaning “bone crusher.” The lammergeier was unclean in Mosaic law (Lv 11:13; Dt 14:13; both translated “vulture” in <span>nlt<\/span> and “ossifrage” in <span>kjv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vulture (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Ostrich\">Ostrich<\/p>\n<p>Two-toed, swift-running, flightless bird (<em>Struthio camelus<\/em>) that lives in deserts or in areas covered with stunted bushes.<\/p>\n<p>In biblical times ostriches ranged as far north as Syria and were found over the entire wasteland of the Negev Desert, but they have since become extinct there. Its Hebrew name means “daughter of the desert.” It is the largest of all living birds, attaining a height of about 10 feet (3 meters) and a weight of 175 pounds (79.5 kilograms), though some males may weigh as much as 300 pounds (136.4 kilograms). The female is considerably smaller. Powerful thighs and long legs give the ostrich great speed, reported to be as high as 40 <span>mph<\/span> (64 <span>kph<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The ostrich is omnivorous. It eats grass, fruits, small mammals, birds, snakes, and lizards, as well as large pebbles that assist in the breakdown of food in its gizzard. The ostrich is hunted, but its eggs are generally more sought after than the bird itself. The empty shells are traded throughout the Mediterranean area for use as utensils, or when broken up as raw material for beads. The eggs—as many as 25 in one clutch—are laid in a shallow nest of sand, with some left uncovered. They may appear to be neglected by day, but only because they are ordinarily incubated at night. The cock does most of the incubating; the female participates only during cold days. The strong, thick eggshell protects the embryo from the heat of the desert.<\/p>\n<p>Occasionally the ostrich is used for riding or even for pulling small carts. Ostrich feathers are in great demand. Ostrich plumes graced ancient royal courts as fans. An ivory-handled fan of Pharaoh Tutankhamen (King Tut) had lovely ostrich plumes. The plumes are white in the male and brownish gray in the female. The reputation of the ostrich for stupidity comes from its behavior when hunted and cornered; it fails to take evasive action even when doing so would save it. In open country, however, it is very wary and runs at great speed to escape. In contrast to the partridge, an ostrich will run away from its eggs and chicks when pursued.<\/p>\n<p>Most biblical references to ostriches emphasize their negative characteristics. They were regarded as unclean in Jewish law (Lv 11:16; Dt 14:15). Several references associate ostriches with images of wilderness and desolation (Jb 30:29; Is 13:21; 34:13; 43:20; Jer 50:39). Their night cry, which has been compared to an ox’s lowing in pain, is referred to in Micah 1:8. Biblical writers also noted the apparent indifference of the ostrich to its brood (Jb 39:13-18; Lam 4:3).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Owl\">Owl<\/p>\n<p>Nocturnal birds (order Strigiformes) with large heads and large, forward-looking eyes. Their wing and tail feathers are soft as velvet, helping to make their flight noiseless. The owl’s body is small and slender, about the size of a pigeon, but it appears bulky because of the thick covering of feathers. Owls have been considered bearers of misfortune and omens of disaster. In the Near East, owls now live in temple ruins and pyramids in Egypt, and in rock-hewn graves, ruins, and caves on both sides of the Jordan River in Israel. They seldom come near inhabited dwellings.<\/p>\n<p>Owls have excellent night vision, which they use to capture rodents or other animals. Although unusually large, the owl’s eyes are almost useless in the daylight because the light dazzles them. The owl is able to swallow its prey whole because of its elastic esophagus. Indigestible hair and bones are regurgitated as pellets. The bill is short but sharply hooked.<\/p>\n<p>Owls may lay up to ten eggs. The young are cared for on the nest by both parents. Both adults and young tend to remain in the area in which they were hatched. Eight species of owls are found in the Holy Land, of which five are plentiful. It is difficult, however, to identify a particular species with any of the four Hebrew words translated “owl” in Scripture. A fifth word translated “owl” (<span>kjv<\/span>) is more appropriately identified with the ostrich (<span>rsv<\/span>). Owls appear in the lists of unclean birds (Lv 11:17; Dt 14:16), and although translations differ, they concur that all species of owls, being predators, are unclean.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Ostrich (above); Owl, Barn or White; Owl, Great; Owl, Little; Owl, Scops (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlBarnorWhite\">Owl, Barn or White<\/p>\n<p>Large owl <em>(Tyto alloa)<\/em> with a distinct heart-shaped face. It may get its Hebrew name from a snoring sound it makes when breathing in the nest. In flight it emits a frightening screech, and thus is sometimes referred to as the screech owl. Its somewhat sinister features—a large head and wide pop eyes—have led some people to consider it demonic, but they have also inspired another name, the monkey-faced owl. It is a useful bird, however, devouring rodents that raid fields and damage stored grain. Like other owls, it sleeps during the day and hunts at night with a well-developed sense of hearing and sight. Its color is light brownish yellow with a white mask around the eyes and cheeks. The whole leg is covered with feathers that protect it against the bites of struggling victims in its talons.<\/p>\n<p>Some modern translations mention the barn or white owl by name (Lv 11:17, <span>njb<\/span>; 11:18, <span>nasb<\/span>; Dt 14:16, <span>njb<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl (above), Owl, Scops (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlGreat\">Owl, Great<\/p>\n<p>Large owl, standing nearly two feet (60.9 centimeters) tall <em>(Asio otus).<\/em> The color is mouse gray with gray-brown spots and black stripes. As one of its names indicates, it has tufted “ears” and is sometimes called the great horned owl. It feeds on rodents, such as rats and mice. It winters in Israel among ruins and in groves.<\/p>\n<p>The great owl may be the owl mentioned in the Bible among the birds of desolation that will inhabit devastated Edom (Is 34:11, <span>nasb<\/span> mg). It is also mentioned by name in some translations of the lists of ritually unclean birds (Lv 11:17, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>; Dt 14:16, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlLittle\">Owl, Little<\/p>\n<p>Smallest of all nocturnal birds of prey. Chiefly insectivorous, the little owl <em>(Athene noctua glaux)<\/em> also feeds at times on tiny birds. It is the most common owl in the Holy Land, dwelling among ruins, tombstones, rocks, and thickets (perhaps the owl of Ps 102:6). Its voice sounds like that of a dying person. On occasion it may be observed perched on a rock with its large eyes gazing off into the distance, a pose that the ancients considered a sign of wisdom. The Greeks associated the little owl with the goddess Athena. It is mentioned by name in several translations (Lv 11:17, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>; Dt 14:16, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlScops\">Owl, Scops<\/p>\n<p>Small owl <em>(Otus scops)<\/em> distinguished by two horn-shaped crests of hairlike feathers on its head. It perches in an inclined posture and hops and dances like a goat. During the hatching period, the male’s hooting sounds like a moan. The scops owl feeds on insects, rodents, and birds. During invasions of mice or locusts, these owls have appeared in large flocks and helped to destroy the pests. They have been known to attack humans who intrude on their nests. They are well-known inhabitants of Eurasia and Africa.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars suggest that the scops is the true screech owl, because of its whistling calls that resound through the night. The screech owl is mentioned only once in Scripture (Is 34:14, <span>kjv<\/span>), but that translation is the subject of scholarly debate. Following traditional Jewish mythology, some translations use the Hebrew word <em>(<\/em><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">lilith<\/span><em>)<\/em> as a proper name. In Jewish tradition Lilith was a witch-demon who, before Eve’s creation, was Adam’s wife. She became the mother of demons and was thought to attack children during the night; thus the name “Lilith” is translated “night hag” (<span>rsv<\/span>) or “night monster” (<span>nasb<\/span>). Most scholars favoring the mythical interpretation, however, suggest that Isaiah was using a popular legend to evoke a sense of desolation and did not himself believe in the existence of Lilith. There is little support for “screech owl” as an appropriate translation of the name.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl; Owl, Barn or White (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Partridge\">Partridge<\/p>\n<p>Most common game bird in the Holy Land. The partridge resembles a chicken in its basic anatomy but has a less chunky body and a longer tail. Two species of partridge inhabit the Holy Land: the sand partridge <em>(Ammoperdix heyi),<\/em> found near the Dead Sea, in the Jordan River valley, and in the Sinai Desert; and the chukar partridge <em>(Alectoris graeca).<\/em> The sand partridge is a medium-sized bird with yellow feet. The male has sandy-buff plumage, upper tail feathers penciled and barred with brown, and a chestnut and white undersurface. The female is a grayish buff. The chukar partridge resembles the common French partridge of Europe, having a body about 16 inches (40.6 centimeters) long. It is covered with beautiful and radiantly colored feathers.<\/p>\n<p>The biblical reference (1 Sm 26:20; probably the sand partridge because of the geographical context) alludes to the common method of catching it by chasing. It was also hunted with snares (cf. Ps 91:3) or by hunters hiding in a blind. The fast-running partridge soon becomes exhausted, which enables hunters to run it to the ground and kill it. Nevertheless, by running and jumping, it can ascend very steep cliffs. The bird finds refuge among bushes into which its brownish-green feathers blend protectively. If it were not such a prolific breeder, it would probably have become extinct by being hunted for food.<\/p>\n<p>The biblical description of the partridge gathering a brood she did not hatch (Jer 17:11) seems to be based on the fact that the hen lays at least two clutches of eggs, one for herself and one for the cock to incubate.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Peacock\">Peacock<\/p>\n<p>Member of the quail, partridge, and pheasant family, the peacock <em>(Pavo cristatus)<\/em> is actually the male peafowl. Its mate is properly known as the peahen. The male attracts attention because of a stately, luxurious appearance enhanced by magnificent feathers. The breast is a brilliant metallic blue, and each tail feather has a brilliant eye near the tip. When lowered, the unusually long tail feathers form a train behind the peacock on the ground, giving it an overall length of up to six feet (1.8 meters). The train can also be raised to form a huge fan adorned with the multicolored eyes. During courtship the feathers are raised and vibrated to make a distinct rustling noise. The rather drab peahen lacks the long train.<\/p>\n<p>Because it is not native to the Holy Land, the peacocks referred to in 1 Kings 10:22 and 2 Chronicles 9:21 are thought by some scholars to be Old World monkeys or baboons brought from east Africa, or guinea hens from the upper Nile River region. There is evidence, however, that the Phoenicians introduced peacocks to the Egyptian pharaoh, perhaps as early as the time of King Solomon. It is possible that Solomon’s trade expeditions ranged as far as India, where the peacock is native. The peacock was also well known to the Greeks and Romans. Alexander the Great prized its beauty and forbade his soldiers to kill the bird.<\/p>\n<p>In the early Christian church the peacock became a symbol of the immortality promised in the resurrection of Christ. In addition, the eyes of its tail came to represent the all-seeing eye of God.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Pelican\">Pelican<\/p>\n<p>Largest of all aquatic birds, considerably larger even than the swan. The pelican <em>(Pelecanus onocrotalus)<\/em> is generally about 50 inches (127 centimeters) long with a 16-inch (40.6-centimeters) beak, the upper part of which is hooked downward at the end, facilitating fish catching. The lower part of the bill supports a yellow pouch extending down the throat. The pouch may hold up to three gallons (11.4 liters) of food (small fish) and water. The pelican’s webbed feet are peculiar in having webs between all four toes. Pelicans are expert swimmers as well as efficient fliers. The pelican’s massive body, long neck, and comparatively small head give it proportions that make rising from the water difficult. To take off, a pelican must first flap awkwardly along the surface, pounding at the water with its legs.<\/p>\n<p>Pelicans fly and nest in groups. Both sexes care for the young that hatch from the one to four eggs. Whereas most birds feed their young by placing food into their mouths, the pelican reverses the process; the young pelican sticks its head and most of its body into its mother’s throat and plucks partially digested food from the mother’s crop. The deep penetration of the young’s beak into the mother’s gullet led ancients to believe that the young were feeding on the blood of the mother’s breast, thus giving rise to wide usage of the pelican as a symbol of Christ’s atonement, and of charity in general.<\/p>\n<p>The roseate pelican is white, at times with a faint rose tinge, and has black feathers growing from the wing joint farthest from the body. The legs, pouch, and skin around the eyes are yellow; the hook of the beak is red. This species may grow up to six feet (1.8 meters) long with a wingspread of up to eight feet (2.4 meters). During the breeding season, the coloration of the exposed areas of the roseate pelican’s legs and face changes from gray to bright orange or red. At the same time the white feathers acquire a beautiful pink tint originating from an oil-gland secretion. The oil is spread throughout the plumage by the bird as it preens.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars question whether “pelican” is an appropriate translation of the Hebrew in several verses, believing rather that the word refers to one of the owls, hawks, or vultures. Most translations include the pelican in the lists of ritually unclean birds (Lv 11:18; Dt 14:17). Opinion on the other references is more sharply divided. Some scholars maintain that the desert context of the verses eliminates the possibility of a water bird like the pelican (cf. Ps 102:6, “vulture,” <span>rsv<\/span>; Is 34:11, “cormorant,” <span>kjv<\/span>; “hawk,” <span>rsv<\/span>; Zep 2:14, “cormorant,” <span>kjv<\/span>; “vulture,” <span>rsv<\/span>). On the other hand, the roseate pelican frequents the rivers, lakes, and marshes of the Holy Land. After flying out to sea as far as 20 miles (32.2 kilometers) to swoop down on fish near the surface, the pelican often returns inland to a deserted place to digest its enormous meal. Thus, the pelican may be the lonely wilderness bird of those passages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"PigeonorDove\">Pigeon or Dove<\/p>\n<p>Species of the pigeon family (Columbidae). In common usage the names “pigeon” and “dove” are virtually interchangeable. The common domestic pigeon familiar to city dwellers the world over, for example, is actually a descendant of the wild rock dove. Both names are used in English translations of the Bible to translate the same Hebrew word. A second Hebrew word is usually translated “turtledove.” Nevertheless, it seems clear that the ancient Hebrews recognized differences among dove species.<\/p>\n<p>At least six species of pigeon or dove reside in modern Israel: the rock, ring, and stock doves (genus <em>Columba<\/em>), and the turtle, collared, and palm doves (genus <em>Streptopelia<\/em>). Of the six, the rock dove <em>(Columba livia)<\/em> and the turtledove <em>(Streptopelia turtur)<\/em> seem to be the two most often referred to in Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Pigeons vary in size from 6 to over 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters). The most colorful Israeli species is the rock dove, which can be a beautiful silvery gray with grayish-green iridescent plumage on the wings (noted by David, Ps 68:13). The smaller doves <em>(Streptopelia)<\/em> are less colorful, mostly gray or buff with a blackish or checkered half collar on the back of the neck. Pigeons have short necks and small heads, plump bodies, and short wings controlled by strong muscles that enable them to fly considerable distances. The smaller doves have longer tails.<\/p>\n<p>At present, the wild rock dove is found primarily in the area around the Sea of Galilee and farther to the south in the many ravines leading down to the Dead Sea. Wild rock doves prefer to build their nests on rocks and cliff faces, a fact precisely described in Scripture (Sg 2:14; Jer 48:28). All Israeli doves build fragile nests of scraps of vegetation. Eggs are hatched twice a year. Doves seldom lay more than two eggs. The young are cared for in the nest by both parents, who rove over the fields eating seeds and weeds. The adult’s crop contains digested food in a milky condition, called pigeon’s milk, which can be regurgitated and fed to the young.<\/p>\n<p>During courtship there is a great deal of rivalry among the male doves. The turtledove’s courtship dance is an awesome aerial display. The attention to courtship, the joint care of young, and the solicitude of the parents for each other, noted from earliest times, have made the dove one of the most popular symbols of love and peace (Sg 1:15; 2:14; 4:1; 5:2).<\/p>\n<p>A major distinction between pigeons (ring doves) and turtledoves seems to have been recognized by ancient writers. Pigeons are year-round residents and easily tamed, whereas turtledoves are migratory. Turtledoves were confined in cages singly or in pairs as pets or for sacrifices. Pigeons were probably the first birds to be domesticated, perhaps as early as Noah’s time (Gn 8:8-12). They were depicted on the earliest Egyptian monuments, and their edibility was mentioned in early Egyptian texts. Before long, domestic pigeons were regarded as evidence of a household’s prosperity. In the more prosperous households they nested in dovecotes of molded pottery clay fashioned in latticelike structures (hence the “windows” of Is 60:8).<\/p>\n<p>In NT times there were many dovecotes in the parks around Herod the Great’s palace in Jerusalem. The dove’s popularity was due not only to its docility but also to its desirability as food and as an acceptable and relatively inexpensive sacrifice. The turtledove may have been regarded more highly as a sacrifice because of its wildness and consequent lesser availability. The two biblical references to turtledoves not in a sacrificial context refer to their migratory habits and to their arrival in Israel in the spring (Sg 2:12; Jer 8:7; cf. Hos 11:11).<\/p>\n<p>Most of the references to doves and pigeons in the Bible are in statements about sacrificial procedures (Gn 15:7-10; Lv 1:14; 5:7; 12:6; Nm 6:10; Lk 2:24). Other references, however, include a range of observations and symbolic usages of the dove. Its throaty moaning was often observed (Is 38:14; 59:11; Ez 7:16; Na 2:7). Its power of flight was well known (Ps 55:6), as were its beauty (Sg 1:15; 4:1; 5:12), its gentleness and loyalty to its mate (Sg 2:14; 5:2; 6:9), its affection (Ps 74:19), and its innocence (Mt 10:16). The one negative reference to doves is in Hosea 7:11, where they are said to be senseless and foolish, perhaps in reference to their overly trusting nature.<\/p>\n<p>Of NT references, perhaps the most significant is the description of the Holy Spirit at Christ’s baptism as a descending dove (Mt 3:16). The dove’s loving nature made it natural for early Christians to connect the dove image with the concept of the Comforter. Since then the dove has remained the most popular symbol of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Quail\">Quail<\/p>\n<p>Short, stocky birds with bills and feet similar to those of chickens; hence they are adapted to eating seeds or insects. Quail <em>(Coturnix coturnix)<\/em> are the smallest of the subfamily of poultry that also includes pheasants and partridges. Quail (or “quails,” another plural form) are about ten inches (25.4 centimeters) long and have small, rounded wings. They burst from their hiding places in the grass or bushes with a whirring sound. The belly of the quail is white. Up to 18 eggs are laid, and if the mother dies, the male has been known to assume the care of the young. Quail of the Mediterranean region winter in the Sudan and migrate northward in vast flocks in the spring. Quail cannot maintain a long sustained flight but make use of wind currents to keep them aloft.<\/p>\n<p>Enormous flocks of quail twice served as food for the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai, when the birds were driven down in the desert miraculously by winds (Ex 16:13; Nm 11:31-32; Ps 105:40). The second time they were probably flying along the Gulf of Aqaba and were blown off course by the east wind (Nm 11:31; Ps 78:26-28). Their inability to sustain long flight may account for their low flying level—two cubits, or about 40 inches (101.6 centimeters). When exhausted, they were easily caught by hand (Nm 11:31-32). Quail were considered clean and the most delicate eating of all game birds, and they were preserved by drying in the sun.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Raven\">Raven<\/p>\n<p>Member of the crow family (Corvidae). The Hebrew word for “raven” means “black one.” The raven (<em>Corvus corax<\/em>) weighs about three pounds (1.36 kilograms) and varies from 22 to 26 inches (56 to 66 centimeters) in length. Its tail is broader in the middle than at either end. Eight species are found in Israel: three ravens, two jackdaws, one crow, one rook, and one chough. The crow, about 20 inches (50.8 centimeters) long, is smaller than a raven, and its tail is uniform in width. The raven’s most conspicuous feature is its glossy black iridescent plumage.<\/p>\n<p>Ravens and crows have survived in spite of the dislike many humans have for them. Excellent fliers, they migrate by day and congregate in great flocks of up to several hundred thousand. During the nesting season, they make nests of sticks in which two to seven eggs are laid. Ravens mate for life. Equipped with strong wings, a strong bill, and strong feet, ravens can live in isolated places from which they range widely for food. That it did not return to the ark was a good sign to Noah, indicating that the raven could find food and possibly a place to rest on dry mountaintops (Gn 8:7).<\/p>\n<p>The raven, essentially a scavenger, was ceremonially unclean (Lv 11:15; Dt 14:14). Yet ravens fed Elijah at God’s command (1 Kgs 17:4-6). Job was told that God gave the raven its food (Jb 38:41), as the psalmist and Jesus repeated (Ps 147:9; Lk 12:24). The raven’s glistening black plumage inspired the bride’s comparison of her beloved’s hair (Sg 5:11). They prefer desolate, uninhabited areas as their home territory (Is 34:11). Ravens are crafty, active birds. Some are capable of speaking, solving puzzles, and performing feats of memory. Bold and curious, they sometimes use their talents for theft.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Seagull\">Seagull<\/p>\n<p>Robust seabirds, primarily scavengers (family Laridae). Several species of gulls live along the seacoast of the Holy Land. They are usually gray-backed with white heads and underparts and black wing tips. The slender bill ends in a downward curve.<\/p>\n<p>Seagulls may be 8 to 30 inches (20 to 76 centimeters) long. Many species migrate, traveling long distances with their superb flying ability. Gulls can also swim easily because of their webbed feet. Their voice is like a harsh scream or squawk. In nesting season many nest together in any available place, such as a cliff or tree. Both male and female incubate and care for the young.<\/p>\n<p>Because gulls will eat almost anything, they are listed as ritually unclean birds (Lv 11:16; Dt 14:15, <span>asv<\/span> has “sea mew,” a common European gull). Some commentators believe that those passages refer to an owl or to the cuckoo and not to the seagull.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Cuckoo (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Sparrow\">Sparrow<\/p>\n<p>Small bird of the finch family (Fringillidae) or the weaver finch family (Ploceidae), considered to be of little worth. The Hebrew word is a general term for “bird” and refers to any small bird such as a sparrow, finch, thrush, or starling. In translation, however, the word sometimes refers to the common English or house sparrow (<em>Passer domestica;<\/em> Ps 84:3; Prv 26:2).<\/p>\n<p>Dull in color with a black throat, the male house sparrow is a noisy and energetic creature. The nest, when built in open places, has an opening on the side and is made of almost anything available. Sparrows also nest in sheltered places, in dwellings, boxes, or holes in trees. They lay four to seven eggs.<\/p>\n<p>The common or house sparrow was known in ancient Greece and Egypt. There it had a reputation for invading fields in large swarms and picking the seeds from them. It is a permanent resident of the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>The sparrow is prolific and lives in close association with humans. It was considered ritually clean. Sparrows brought low prices in countries where they were sold (Mt 10:29; Lk 12:6). Today in Near Eastern marketplaces, boys offer live sparrows for sale. Tied together in groups of four to six by strings attached to one leg, the birds fly about over the boys’ heads. Evidently such a sight was common in NT times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Stork\">Stork<\/p>\n<p>Long-legged, white wading bird (genus <em>Ciconia<\/em>) having large, powerful wings with glossy black primary and secondary feathers. The flapping of its wings produces a loud rushing sound. Connecting membranes between the toes prevent the bird from sinking into the mud. Its red bill is sharp and long, serving to seize and lift its prey out of the water. Storks are mute, lacking a voice box.<\/p>\n<p>Flocks of storks pass through the Holy Land during their September migration on the way to central and southern Africa and likewise in the spring on their return flight to their homes in northern Israel, Syria, and Europe. Storks travel in vast flocks during the day, spreading out against the sky.<\/p>\n<p>The stork’s faithful tending of the young is proverbial, as is its habit of returning annually to the same nesting place. Storks have the habit of adding to their nests each year, and it is possible to find nests that are 100 years old and have a height of more than three feet (.9 meter).<\/p>\n<p>Two species of storks frequent the Holy Land. The white stork <em>(Ciconia alba)<\/em> is 40 inches (101.6 centimeters) tall, and its wingspread is six feet (1.8 meters), enabling it to move with a slow, sustained flight or to soar. In folklore the white stork is sometimes considered to be a harbinger of good fortune.<\/p>\n<p>The black stork <em>(Ciconia nigra),<\/em> common around the Dead Sea valley, nests in trees; hence it may be the tree-dwelling species referred to in Psalm 104:17. The Hebrew name for “stork” means literally the “kingly one,” or the “loyal one,” a reference to the care of the bird for its young. Like the heron, the stork was ceremonially unclean because of its diet of aquatic organisms, refuse, small animals, birds, and reptiles (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18). Jeremiah mentioned the stork’s uncanny and instinctive knowledge of the time of its migration (Jer 8:7). Its impressive wings figured in one of Zechariah’s visions (Zec 5:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Swallow\">Swallow<\/p>\n<p>Small, nearly black, forked-tailed bird with long, tapering wings, noted for its graceful flight <em>(hirundo rustica).<\/em> The small, weak feet are poorly adapted for walking. Swallows resemble swifts in shape and life habits but are somewhat smaller.<\/p>\n<p>The swallow’s large mouth enables it to catch insects while in flight. Colors vary from brown and blue to white. Swallows often nest in buildings, a feature noticed by the psalmist, who reported a swallow’s home at the temple (Ps 84:3).<\/p>\n<p>Swallows are basically resident in Israel, whereas the swift is a migratory bird noted for the regularity of its migratory schedule. The “swallow” of Isaiah 38:14 probably refers to a swift, as does Jeremiah 8:7, where the dependability of the bird is contrasted with the irregularity of God’s people. Proverbs 26:2 may be a reference to either the swallow or the swift.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Swift (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Swan\">Swan<\/p>\n<p>Large, graceful water birds. Two species of swan (genus <em>Cygnus<\/em>) are found in the Middle East as passing migrants <em>(Cygnus olor<\/em> and <em>Cygnus musicus).<\/em> Swans are known as the best musicians among the birds and were considered sacred to the god Apollo by the Greeks. Their voices sound like flutes and harps.<\/p>\n<p>The references in Leviticus 11:18 and Deuteronomy 14:16 (<span>kjv<\/span>) are probably not to the swan but to the water hen or the barn owl, since there seems little reason to declare the vegetarian swan an unclean animal. <em>See also<\/em> Owl, Barn or White (above); Water Hen (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Swift\">Swift<\/p>\n<p>Small, strong flyers (genus <em>Apus<\/em>). Like the swallow, the swift has long, bent wings and a cleft tail, enabling it to obtain great speed as it skims the ground and sweeps through the air. A swift devours a great many harmful insects, catching them in its mouth in flight. Many swifts make their nests in rooftops and in nooks and crannies of city walls. Their nests are built with strong feathers cemented together with saliva. Other swifts live in caves and clefts of rocks.<\/p>\n<p>Common swifts are native to Israel, and in the Jordan Valley they occur in large flocks. Isaiah 38:14 (<span>niv<\/span>) seems to be clear reference to the swift’s plaintive call, since the swallow’s sharp chirp is not a striking simile for a distraught king’s cry. The swift has a soft, delicate voice, and its cry could be easily interpreted as melodious wailing.<\/p>\n<p>The migratory swifts arrive on a precise schedule in the Holy Land in late winter, and immense flocks fill the cities with their cries. Thus the reference in Jeremiah 8:7 to swallows, which are largely permanent residents, is probably to swifts.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Swallow (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Vulture\">Vulture<\/p>\n<p>Subfamily (Aegypiinae) of the hawk family (Accipitridae). Each of the four species of Old World vultures is found in the Holy Land: the Egyptian, griffon, black, and bearded vulture (the bearded vulture is also known as the lammergeier). These birds range in size from the 24-inch (61-centimeters) Egyptian vulture to the huge bearded vulture, largest of all flying birds in the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>Most vultures are brown or black, having a short neck and a short, hooked bill with which they tear the dead animal flesh of which they are fond. All vultures, except the bearded, have bare or down-covered heads and necks, enabling these scavengers to penetrate deep into a carcass without spoiling the plumage. Excellent eyesight enables a vulture to locate a carcass from a lofty soaring position. Considering the decayed condition of most of its food, a vulture’s poor sense of smell may be a fortunate limitation. Vultures nest in any convenient place; both parents care for the young.<\/p>\n<p>The Hebrew word usually translated “eagle” in the OT may have been a general term for all large birds of prey, including vultures. Thus many of the passages about eagles may refer to either the eagle or the vulture (cf. Lv 11:13; Dt 14:12, <span>nasb<\/span> mg). Such passages include references to nesting habits (Jb 39:27-28; Jer 49:16; Ob 1:4), care for fledglings (Dt 32:11), powers of flight (Ex 19:4; Dt 28:49; Jb 9:26; Lam 4:19), and extremely high soaring altitude (Prv 23:5; 30:19; Is 40:31). Despite variations among translations, the vulture clearly belongs in the list of unclean birds because of its foul diet (Lv 11:13, 18; Dt 14:12, 17).<\/p>\n<p>Several references to the eagle in the <span>kjv<\/span> have been changed to “vulture” in modern translations. The change seems appropriate in the references to the vulture as a sign of present or impending doom (Lam 4:19; Hos 8:1). Likewise the eye-plucking bird of Proverbs 30:17 is probably a vulture. The phrase “bald as the eagle” (Mi 1:16) clearly should read “bald as the vulture,” since there are no bald eagles in Israel and most vultures are bald. Since the vulture, like the eagle, was a symbol of sovereignty and domination in the ancient Near East, some gods were represented as vultures. Thus Ezekiel’s comparison of the kings of Babylon and Egypt to eagles may be conceived alternatively as comparisons to vultures (Ez 17:3, 7). Jesus’ reference to the eagles congregating around corpses at the end times (Mt 24:28) should also be revised to vultures, since eagles are usually solitary eaters, whereas vultures generally flock together around carrion.<\/p>\n<p>Several <span>kjv<\/span> references to vultures are usually translated “kite” or “falcon” in modern translations (cf. various versions of Lv 11:14; Dt 14:13; Jb 28:7; Is 34:15).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Eagle; Kestrel; Kite; Lammergeier; Vulture, Black, or Osprey; Vulture, Egyptian; Vulture, Griffon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"VultureBlackorOsprey\">Vulture, Black, or Osprey<\/p>\n<p>Diurnal flesh eater, a little over three feet (.9 meter) long with a wingspread of over three yards (2.7 meters). The feathers of the black or osprey vulture (<em>Aegypius monachus<\/em>) are black and the head and upper part of the neck are bald like those of other carrion eaters. It nests in the Jordan River valley and seems to have been abundant in biblical times. Today it is quite rare. The black vulture is probably the osprey of Leviticus 11:13 and Deuteronomy 14:12.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vulture (above).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"VultureEgyptian\">Vulture, Egyptian<\/p>\n<p>Also known as the gier eagle or as pharaoh’s hen. The plumage of the Egyptian vulture (<em>Neophron percnopterus<\/em>) is basically white with a naked head and yellow neck. The Egyptian vulture breaks bones left by other vultures. Its flight is slow and easy, and its voice is a croak. Measuring about 24 inches (61 centimeters) in length, it is the smallest of all the carrion-eating birds found in the Holy Land. It may be referred to in the list of unclean birds (Lv 11:18; Dt 14:17, “gier eagle,” <span>kjv<\/span>; “carrion vulture,” <span>rsv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>nlt<\/span>). <em>See<\/em> Vulture (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"VultureGriffon\">Vulture, Griffon<\/p>\n<p>One of the largest flying birds in the Holy Land <em>(Gyps fulvus).<\/em> Until a generation ago, the griffon vulture was one of the most common birds in the Holy Land. Today it is on the verge of extinction. Many have been killed by eating poisonous bait meant for foxes and jackals. In addition, its reproduction is limited; the female lays only one or two eggs a year.<\/p>\n<p>The griffon vulture measures about four feet (121.9 centimeters) in length and up to ten feet (3 meters) between wing tips. Its beak is extremely strong, and its short toes are fitted with blunt talons. It is a light-brown bird with a pale yellow head and neck that are almost bare, being covered only with a very fine down.<\/p>\n<p>The griffon vulture feeds mostly on carrion, but also on locusts and small tortoises. It is able to go without food for several days with no ill effects, but when it does break its fast, it gorges itself. It is found especially in the region of the Sea of Galilee. Most biblical references to the vulture are likely to be to the griffon vulture.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Eagle; Vulture (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"WaterHen\">Water Hen<\/p>\n<p>Small water bird of the rail family. The water hen listed among unclean birds (Lv 11:18; Dt 14:16, <span>rsv<\/span> only) may be the biblical bird most difficult to identify. Several alternatives have been suggested, including the swan (<span>kjv<\/span>), one of the owls (<span>nasb<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>), or the marsh hen (<span>tlb<\/span>). Most scholars rule out the swan, since it is a vegetarian bird and thus should not be considered unclean. An owl remains a possibility.<\/p>\n<p>The marsh hen is a rail, several species of which inhabit Israel. One of those species is the purple gallinule <em>(Porphyrio porphyrio).<\/em> Rails are very thin birds varying from 6 to 20 inches (15 to 51 centimeters) in length. They live in marshes, where they eat a great variety of animal and vegetable matter, thus making them a candidate for inclusion in the Mosaic lists of unclean animals.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Animals.<\/p>","content_en":"<h3>BIRDS<\/h3>\n\n<p>Feathered vertebrates of the class Aves. Over 8,000 species of birds are known. Approximately 400 species are found in the Holy Land and about 40 are mentioned in Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Modern scientists classify organisms on the basis of internal and external structure, but the biblical writers generally classified organisms according to habitat. Thus, in the Bible, bats are listed with birds as creatures of the air (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18).<\/p>\n<p>Precise identification of biblical birds is often difficult or impossible. The biblical languages were not highly specialized scientific languages. People in biblical times generally knew the difference between similar animals now categorized as separate species. For birds, however, they frequently used poetic, descriptive terms. Biblical scholars attempt to overcome the difficulties in identification by comparing the Hebrew words with similar words in related languages and by attention to the habitat, habits, and characteristics attributed to the birds in Scripture. Nevertheless, different scholars sometimes arrive at different identifications.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"BiblicalReferencestoBirds\">Biblical References to Birds<\/p>\n<p>The Bible refers to birds both in literal and figurative senses. The biblical writers were keen observers of nature, their awareness of birds and bird life being reflected in many passages. They asserted that God knows all the birds (Ps 50:11) and cares for them (Mt 10:29). They saw God’s covenant with Noah after the flood, his promise never to destroy life again by flood, as extending even to the birds and animals (Gn 9:10).<\/p>\n<p>The Mosaic law declared many birds “unclean,” mostly species that were scavengers or predators, or inhabited waste places. Centuries later the early Christians came to regard unclean species as clean by God’s decree, revealed in the apostle Peter’s vision (Acts 10:12). Other birds, like quail, sustained the Israelites in their wanderings (Ex 16:13). The Law prescribed birds as sacrifices for a firstborn child (Lk 2:24), for a Nazirite vow (Nm 6:10), for cleansing a leper (Lv 14:22), and as a burnt offering and sin offering (12:8).<\/p>\n<p>Birds are easily subject to extinction, especially through human activity. God required the Israelites to practice conservation to prevent any birds from becoming extinct in the Holy Land, both for the birds’ sake and so the Israelites would have a continuous source of food. The Law allowed foraging Israelites to take eggs or the young from a bird’s nest, but they were not permitted to kill both a mother bird and her young (Dt 22:6).<\/p>\n<p>Biblical writers turned to nature frequently for illustrations of divine principles or human characteristics. Comparisons of humans to birds sometimes carry a sense of lowness, as when King Nebuchadnezzar developed claws like a bird in his madness (Dn 4:33), or when Job remarked that birds did not know the source of wisdom (Jb 28:21). In Jesus’ parable of the sower, the birds that ate the seed scattered by the wayside may represent indifference and a lack of spiritual understanding (Mt 13:4).<\/p>\n<p>Scripture also contains sympathetic images of the plight of birds. A lonely man praying was likened to a lonely bird on a housetop (Ps 102:7). If someone was unjustly hunted by his enemies, he would understand a hunted bird’s plight (Lam 3:52). Birds were said to be affected by curses on evildoers as they fled from Jerusalem or from the face of the earth (Jer 9:10; Zep 1:3).<\/p>\n<p>In spite of such misfortune visited upon birds, Scripture affirms that, like other creatures, they are cared for and delighted in by God (Ps 50:11; Mt 6:26; 10:29). Both Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar were compared to a tree that gives shelter to the birds (Ez 31:6; Dn 4:12; cf. 2:38). Human power, however, fails eventually as when the tree representing Nebuchadnezzar was cut down, forcing the birds to flee (Dn 4:14). God’s protection, by contrast, is unfailing. Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, growing to become a shelter for birds (Mt 13:32). God provides a habitation for birds (Ps 104:12), although Jesus, the Son of Man, had nowhere to rest his head (Mt 8:20).<\/p>\n<p>Birds were considered evidence of God’s handiwork (Jb 12:7). Bird lore provided examples of good sense in learning from a mistake (Prv 1:17; 6:5) and of bad judgment in failing to avoid the snares of immorality (7:23). Birds and other creatures could be tamed, unlike the wicked human tongue (Jas 3:7). Birds flying without alighting were an image of an undeserved curse (Prv 26:2). Without trust in God, people might be forced by evil to flee like a bird to the mountains (Ps 11:1). Birdsong was said to bring joy (Sg 2:12). The return of God’s people to the Promised Land would be like birds returning (Hos 11:11). Jesus expressed his love for Jerusalem by saying that he longed to gather his people to himself as a hen gathers her brood under her wing (Mt 23:37).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, birds were occasionally regarded as ominous signs. For example, Pharaoh’s baker learned of impending death because in a dream birds ate the food from a basket on his head (Gn 40:17). Solomon warned against cursing the king, even in private, because “a little bird may tell them what you said” (Eccl 10:20). A vivid biblical image is that of scavenging, carrion-eating birds consuming the bodies of evildoers. To the Israelites, such a desecration of humanity was an image of ultimate horror (Dt 28:26; 1 Sm 17:44; Is 46:11; Jer 7:33; 12:9; Ez 29:5; 39:4; Rv 19:17, 21).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h2\" id=\"IndividualSpecies\">Individual Species<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Bittern\">Bittern<\/p>\n<p>Long-legged wading bird <em>(Botaurus stellaris)<\/em> similar to the heron, but with shorter legs and a smaller, more compact body. Bitterns inhabit marshes, where it is easy for them to hide with their natural camouflage. A bittern’s mottled plumage of barred brown and black so duplicates the color and shape of swamp vegetation that at times the bird seems to disappear before the observer’s eyes. The neck is covered with long, soft feathers, making it appear disproportionately heavy. Bitterns are wary and solitary. During mating season the bittern’s larynx is modified to produce a mysterious-sounding cry. The body twists in an unusual manner in harmony with the notes. Bitterns nest alone in grassy marshes. Because they are shy, they have become symbols of places of desolation and loneliness.<\/p>\n<p>There is some question as to whether the bittern is actually mentioned in the Bible. The <span>kjv<\/span> has “bittern” in three places (Is 14:23; 34:11; Zep 2:14). Many biblical scholars believe the Hebrew word in those verses refers not to the bittern but to the hedgehog (Is 14:23; Zep 2:14, <span>rsv<\/span>) or porcupine (Is 34:11, <span>rsv<\/span>). The Hebrew word is similar to an Arabic word meaning “porcupine.” Other scholars point out that the references suggest a bird rather than a mammal, especially Zephaniah 2:14, which speaks of the creature making its “lodge in her capitals” (i.e., above Nineveh’s doorposts). Bitterns are particularly abundant in the swamps of the Tigris River (near Nineveh). The bittern’s characteristics may fit the references in the three passages better than do the hedgehog’s.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Hedgehog; Animals (Porcupine).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Buzzard\">Buzzard<\/p>\n<p>Hawklike soaring bird <em>(Buteo vulgaris<\/em> or <em>Buteo ferox).<\/em> It resembles the kite, though its tail is straight and not cleft. It is mentioned in the list of unclean birds (Dt 14:13). But other translations render the word as “glede” (<span>kjv<\/span>) or “kite” (<span>nasb<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>). The parallel list in Leviticus 11, however, substitutes “kite” (<span>rsv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>) or “vulture” (<span>kjv<\/span>) for “buzzard.” Thus, it is difficult to determine whether the buzzard is actually mentioned in the Bible, even though it is a common resident of Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Like other great soaring birds, the buzzard is noted for its sharp eyesight, and may be the bird mentioned for that quality in Job 28:7 (variously translated “falcon,” “eagle,” or “vulture”). It will trail its prey for hours, and has a remarkable ability to see a carcass on which it descends to feed. Somewhat larger than the common buzzard is the long-legged buzzard, found in Israel, western Asia, and Syria.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Kestrel; Kite; Vulture (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Cormorant\">Cormorant<\/p>\n<p>Large, black gooselike bird <em>(Phalacrocorax carbo),<\/em> repeatedly depicted in art from Egypt and the Holy Land. Its length varies from 19 to 40 inches (48.3 to 101.6 centimeters). Its feet have webs between all four toes. The feet, attached far back on the body, serve as propellers when the cormorant dives to catch its meal of fish, crustacea, or amphibia. The long bill is curved at the tip, and under the bill is a sac in which the cormorant keeps the captured fish.<\/p>\n<p>Cormorants live in large companies, making nests of sticks and other vegetation that they carry to trees or to rocky shelves near coasts. Up to four eggs are incubated, and the young are fed by both parents.<\/p>\n<p>The cormorant frequents swamps around the Sea of Galilee, Lake Huleh (the waters of Merom), and the Mediterranean coast. Its Hebrew name originally denoted the “hurling down” of the bird at its prey. Cormorants dive into deep water and sometimes seem to zoom beneath the surface in their hunt for fish. The cormorant’s greed is proverbial. It was ceremonially unclean for the Israelites (Lv 11:17; Dt 14:17).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Pelican (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Crane\">Crane<\/p>\n<p>Tall wading birds <em>(Grus grus)<\/em> resembling storks and herons but with shorter talons. The plumage has a silvery gloss and the tail feathers are wavy. Large flocks of cranes flying in wedge-shaped formations pass over the Holy Land during the daylight hours each fall on their way to Africa from the northern countries of Europe and again in the spring when they return north to breed. Migratory flocks may number as many as 2,000 birds. Jeremiah 8:7 refers to the crane’s migratory habits.<\/p>\n<p>The usual call of the crane is best described as a bellow, but during migratory flight they emit a chattering sound that may be referred to in Isaiah 38:14. Cranes have remarkably powerful voices, their calls seeming to carry for miles. Migrating flocks usually have a flock leader who does the calling.<\/p>\n<p>A crane’s height may reach 40 to 60 inches (101.6 to 152.4 centimeters). Except for the ostrich, the crane is the tallest bird ever to inhabit the Holy Land. A crane’s wingspread may exceed 90 inches (228.6 centimeters). The overall color is steel gray; the head and neck are black with a longitudinal white stripe. The crane feeds on land rather than in shallow water. It feeds primarily on grass and grain yet may devour insects, snakes, small alligators, frogs, and worms, using its long, powerful bill as a sharp hammer for killing such creatures.<\/p>\n<p>The crane usually nests in solitary places, often in shallow water or nearby. Its nest is a mass of vegetation, holding two or three eggs that are light-colored with darker spots.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Cuckoo\">Cuckoo<\/p>\n<p>Small, drab brown bird known for its parasitic habits. The term the <span>kjv<\/span> used in Leviticus 11:16 and Deuteronomy 14:15 may refer either to the common cuckoo <em>(Cuculus canorus)<\/em> or to the great spotted cuckoo <em>(Clamator glandarius).<\/em> The bird acts as a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nest of another species after pushing out one of the eggs of the host species. The young cuckoo hatches before the young of the host species and evicts the other young. The foster parents raise it as their own.<\/p>\n<p>The cuckoo, an insect eater, is considered ritually unclean in Scripture, which might imply that it is a predator or carrion-eater. For that reason some believe the Hebrew word actually refers to the seagull or sea mew rather than the cuckoo. Gulls, terns, and petrels are all common on the seashore and lakes of the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>Other scholars believe that the Hebrew word refers not to the cuckoo but to one of the owls, possibly the long-eared owl.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl; Seagull (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Eagle\">Eagle<\/p>\n<p>Large bird of prey, genus <em>Aquila.<\/em> Vultures were often confused with eagles, making identification of the biblical birds difficult. Eagles’ heads are not bald as are the heads of vultures, but from a distance they appear similar. It is possible that the Hebrew word translated “eagle” (which literally means “to tear with the beak”) may have referred to all large birds of prey, eagles and vultures alike. A number of references to the eagle in Scripture are actually references to the griffon vulture (e.g., Hos 8:1; perhaps Mt 24:28). In certain passages, however, the true eagle may be meant.<\/p>\n<p>The Holy Land has several varieties of eagle, including the imperial eagle <em>(Aquila heliaca)<\/em> and the less common golden eagle <em>(Aquila chrysaetos).<\/em> These birds are powerfully built with strong wings; their movements reveal suppleness and strength. A distinctive hooked beak, which enhances the eagle’s dignified and somewhat ferocious appearance, provides it with an effective instrument for tearing and killing prey. Short, powerful legs and prehensile claws enable an eagle to apply an almost unbreakable grip on a struggling victim. The strong talons have sharp points and edges. The eagle hunts by day.<\/p>\n<p>For Jeremiah and other prophets, the eagle was the epitome of swiftness. The golden eagle, which can fly three or four miles (5–7 kilometers) in ten minutes, may have evoked the comparisons in 2 Samuel 1:23;Jeremiah 4:13; 49:22; Lamentations 4:19 (<span>kjv<\/span>), and Habakkuk 1:8. Moses used a similar comparison to emphasize the sudden striking power of a hostile enemy (Dt 28:49). The author of Proverbs, observing the high altitude to which the eagle soars, applied that image to the human situation (Prv 23:4-5; cf. Rv 12:14).<\/p>\n<p>The eagle’s strength and invincibility were mentioned often with reference to powerful nations attacking Israel. The prophet Ezekiel described Nebuchadnezzar as an eagle (Ez 17:3). Both the Babylonians and Assyrians frequently depicted the eagle in their art, especially as a deity with a man’s body and an eagle’s head. Nebuchadnezzar even had an experience of temporary insanity in which “his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws” (Dn 4:33, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The eagle builds its nest on inaccessible mountain peaks or at the top of the tallest trees, a fact noted by Jeremiah (Jer 49:16; cf. Jb 39:27-28; Ob 1:4). The brood consists of two or occasionally three eggs. Only the female sits on the nest, but the young eaglets are fed by both parents. Eagles are devoted to their offspring and train them with great care in the art of flying. Some commentators interpret Exodus 19:4 and Deuteronomy 32:11 as evidence of the eagle’s practice of catching its young on its wings. There is virtually no evidence from observation, however, that any eagle can perform such a feat. In some versions the wording avoids a direct statement that eagles bear their young on their wings.<\/p>\n<p>Some eagles in captivity have lived to an age of over 100 years. This remarkable longevity caused the psalmist to speak of the eagle whose youth is renewed (Ps 103:5). Confronted by its impressive qualities, biblical authors observed the eagle with awe and wonder (Jb 39:27-30; Prv 30:18-19). Those awesome qualities also contributed to several prophetic visions, including Ezekiel’s vision of a creature with an eagle’s face (Ez 1:10) and the apostle John’s vision of a holy beast like a flying eagle (Rv 4:7).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vulture (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"FowlDomestic\">Fowl, Domestic<\/p>\n<p>Domesticated poultry <em>(Gallus gallus domesticus),<\/em> probably derived from the red jungle fowl of India. They seem to have been known already in OT times (Prv 30:31). A seal of Jaazaniah (see 2 Kgs 25:23), dating from about 600 <span>BC<\/span>, bears the image of a fighting cock. A reference to fowls or poultry for Nehemiah’s table, however, may be to wild game rather than domestic fowl (Neh 5:18).<\/p>\n<p>Poultry symbolized fertility, and the Jews carried a cock and hen in front of bridal couples at weddings. The motherly concern of hens gathering their broods was familiar to Jesus’ hearers (Mt 23:37; Lk 13:34).<\/p>\n<p>Since roosters habitually crow an hour or two before dawn, the third watch of the night, from midnight to 3:00 <span>am<\/span>, was known as the cockcrow. According to the Talmud (a commentary on Jewish law), keeping chickens was prohibited in Jerusalem in NT times to prevent the insects and larvae that breed in chicken droppings from contaminating sacrificial flesh. For that reason the cock that Peter heard (Mt 26:34, 74; Lk 22:34, 60-61) probably belonged to Romans living there or to Jews who did not follow Jewish regulations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"GoatsuckerorNightHawk\">Goatsucker or Night Hawk<\/p>\n<p>Migratory bird, dark in color and short-legged, similar to the American whippoorwill. The goatsucker (genus <em>Caprimulgus<\/em>) resembles an owl with a flat head, large eyes, soft plumage, and a noiseless flight. It hunts insects at night, catches them on the wing, and during the day rests on branches. Goatsuckers were so named because they were thought by the ancients to milk goats. According to Leviticus 11:16 and Deuteronomy 14:15, they were ritually unclean. Although some scholars believe that an owl is intended, there seems to be good reason to accept the “night hawk” translation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Goose\">Goose<\/p>\n<p>Long-necked, web-footed water birds with waterproof feathers (genus <em>Anser<\/em>). Domestic geese were known to the Greeks of Homer’s day, since they are mentioned in the <em>Odyssey.<\/em> They were domesticated in Egypt perhaps as early as the Old Kingdom (c. 2500 <span>BC<\/span>) and certainly by the time of the New Kingdom (c. 1500– 1100 <span>BC<\/span>). They were used for food and sacrifice. The breeding of geese was widespread in Canaan in biblical times; ivory carvings of the 13th or 12th century <span>BC<\/span> showing geese have been found in excavations at Megiddo in Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Many species of geese spend most of their lives on land even though they are waterfowl; some even build their nests in trees. Wild geese tend to inhabit flatlands and prairies rather than mountainous terrain.<\/p>\n<p>Geese may have graced the table of King Solomon. In 1 Kings 4:23 they are referred to as “fatted fowl,” a term that may also refer to ducks, swans, guineas, pigeons, or other domestic edible birds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Hawk\">Hawk<\/p>\n<p>Small birds of prey found in the Holy Land. Most references are probably to the sparrow hawk <em>(Accipter nisus).<\/em> This bird is slightly larger than the kestrel, has a grayish-brown back and a white belly with black and brown bars. It has short feathers, long, curved talons, and broad wings, rounded at the outer ends, which enable it to soar on updrafts. The long tail, acting as a rudder, helps the bird change its course swiftly in flight. It is hence very maneuverable in the air when chasing warblers or other small birds. It does not seize its prey on the ground, as does the kestrel, but hunts and attacks small birds in flight. Hawks hunt in the daytime, unlike owls that are adapted for nighttime hunting. With their eyes located on the side of the head, hawks are very keen-sighted. They usually nest in tall trees and their nests are often occupied by the same pair year after year.<\/p>\n<p>The Egyptians embalmed sparrow hawks and regarded all hawks highly. The god Horus was depicted with the head of a hawk hawk was ceremonially unclean to the Israelites (Lv 11:16; Dt 14:15). It was not a permanent resident of Israel but stopped off as it migrated from north to south. Its southward migration is mentioned in Job 39:26. A reference in Isaiah 34:11 to “hawk” (“cormorant,” <span>kjv<\/span>) is uncertain. <em>See<\/em> Kestrel or Falcon; Kite (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Heron\">Heron<\/p>\n<p>Wading bird (genus <em>Ardea<\/em>) with a long, thin neck and long legs. It has a characteristic comblike growth on the inner side of the third toe.<\/p>\n<p>Herons are generally white, blue, green, or gray. They nest together in rookeries, and both parents bring in food for the young. Herons feed on fish, small reptiles, and insects, gulping them down in one swallow. Adults and young migrate in the late fall to warm southern climates. The white heron attains a length of more than 3 feet (.9 meter), whereas the dwarf heron is only about 22 inches (55.9 centimeters) long.<\/p>\n<p>At least seven varieties of heron are reported in the Holy Land. The white ibis, or buff-backed heron (<em>Buphus russatus<\/em>), was probably the most common species. The purple heron <em>(Ardea purpureus)<\/em> is a summer breeder found in all parts of the Holy Land where there is standing water.<\/p>\n<p>The blue-gray heron (<em>Ardea cinerea<\/em>) winters in southern Europe and North Africa, migrating to northern Europe in the early spring. In Israel it builds its winter nest near water, in swamps and along riverbanks, where it feeds on fish and frogs. It will stand patiently in the water for hours, and then suddenly its long, pointed beak darts down with lightning speed to catch its prey. Often the blue-gray heron builds its nest in a tall tree to which it may return year after year.<\/p>\n<p>According to Leviticus 11:19 and Deuteronomy 14:18, the heron was ceremonially unclean to the Israelites. Some scholars believe those references are to the cormorant, but most scholars think they refer to one of the herons.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Cormorant (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Hoopoe\">Hoopoe<\/p>\n<p>One of the Holy Land’s most beautiful birds (<em>Upupa epops<\/em>). It has vividly colored plumage, a lovely crown-shaped crest that becomes erect when the bird is alarmed, and a long, slender curved bill. The pinkish-brown hoopoe is about 11 inches (27.9 centimeters) long, with black and white bands on its back, tail, and wings. Hoopoes are basically desert-dwelling birds.<\/p>\n<p>The name “hoopoe” is derived from the sound of the bird’s call. To emit the sound, the neck feathers are puffed up and the head snapped in the air. When on the ground, the bird hammers its beak into the earth.<\/p>\n<p>The hoopoe arrives in the Holy Land in February, breeds in the summer, and leaves in September. It was held in religious reverence by the Egyptians. It was listed as ritually unclean (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18), probably because it searches for grubs and small insects in such unsanitary places as dunghills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Ibis\">Ibis<\/p>\n<p>Wading bird (<em>Threskiornis aethiopica<\/em>) presently unknown in the Holy Land but possibly known there in biblical times. It was well known in ancient Egypt, where it was sacred to the god Thoth. Today it has practically vanished with the disappearance of swamps along the Nile.<\/p>\n<p>There is some question as to whether the ibis is meant in Leviticus 11:17, where it is classified as ceremonially unclean. The same Hebrew word in Deuteronomy 14:16 and Isaiah 34:11 is translated “great owl,” a translation preferred by most scholars.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl, Great (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"KestrelorFalcon\">Kestrel or Falcon<\/p>\n<p>Small hawk (<em>Falco tinnunculus<\/em>) about a foot (30.5 centimeters) long with brown, black, and yellow feathers on its breast. It was abundant in the Holy Land in villages and in the countryside, nesting on rooftops and among rocks. Like most hawks, the kestrel is able to hover and float in midair and then swoop down on its prey, seizing it with sharp, hooklike talons. It feeds largely on mice, small reptiles, and insects.<\/p>\n<p>Embalmed kestrels have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. The Egyptians also embalmed the hunting kestrel <em>(Falco cherug),<\/em> which can be tamed and trained to hunt rabbits and other small game. Falconry (hunting with hawks of various species) was well known among the ancients and is still practiced today. That the Assyrians were familiar with falconry is seen in the records of Ashurbanipal. Because the kestrel is a predator, it was ceremonially unclean (Lv 11:14). Some translations render the word as “kite” (Lv 11:14, <span>kjv<\/span>; Dt 14:13, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>rsv<\/span>), an illustration of the difficulty of identifying biblical birds precisely.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Kite or Glede (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"KiteorGlede\">Kite or Glede<\/p>\n<p>Large bird of prey <em>(Milvus milvus).<\/em> The average length of the kite is about 19 inches (48.3 centimeters). The upper part is generally dark, but the belly is white. Kites nest high in trees and build nests of vegetation, including sticks. They rarely have more than two or three young, which they feed on snakes, grasshoppers, and so on. Sometimes kites are called snake hawks.<\/p>\n<p>The kite is a migratory bird that stays in Israel during the summer, especially in the mountains of southern Judea, in the trackless wastes west of the Dead Sea, and in the wilderness of Beersheba.<\/p>\n<p>The red kite or glede is a medium-sized bird of prey. The edges of the upper part of the bill overlap with the lower one, forming sharp scissors. The tail is forked or cleft like that of a fish. Its loud cry often includes sharp whistling notes. Other Holy Land species include the black kite <em>(Milvus migrans)<\/em> and the black-winged kite <em>(Elanus caeruleus).<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The kite is listed among the unclean birds in Mosaic law (Lv 11:14; Dt 14:13), but the precise identification of the birds mentioned there is disputed by some scholars and translators.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Buzzard; Kestrel or Falcon (above).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Lammergeier\">Lammergeier<\/p>\n<p>Largest of the vultures and less common than the other members of the family. It is grayish brown with white streaks and has a black tuft of stiff hairs in the facial area that gives it the name “bearded vulture.” Another name for it is “lamb vulture.”<\/p>\n<p>The lammergeier <em>(Gypaetus barbatus)<\/em> has a unique way of killing its prey; since its beak is not particularly powerful it carries its victim high in the air and then drops it on rocks.<\/p>\n<p>The lammergeier is especially partial to tortoises and to marrow bone. After jackals and smaller vultures have reduced a carcass to bone, the lammergeier crushes the bones to obtain the marrow, or swallows the pieces intact. Hence it is also known as the ossifrage, from a Latin word meaning “bone crusher.” The lammergeier was unclean in Mosaic law (Lv 11:13; Dt 14:13; both translated “vulture” in <span>nlt<\/span> and “ossifrage” in <span>kjv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vulture (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Ostrich\">Ostrich<\/p>\n<p>Two-toed, swift-running, flightless bird (<em>Struthio camelus<\/em>) that lives in deserts or in areas covered with stunted bushes.<\/p>\n<p>In biblical times ostriches ranged as far north as Syria and were found over the entire wasteland of the Negev Desert, but they have since become extinct there. Its Hebrew name means “daughter of the desert.” It is the largest of all living birds, attaining a height of about 10 feet (3 meters) and a weight of 175 pounds (79.5 kilograms), though some males may weigh as much as 300 pounds (136.4 kilograms). The female is considerably smaller. Powerful thighs and long legs give the ostrich great speed, reported to be as high as 40 <span>mph<\/span> (64 <span>kph<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p>The ostrich is omnivorous. It eats grass, fruits, small mammals, birds, snakes, and lizards, as well as large pebbles that assist in the breakdown of food in its gizzard. The ostrich is hunted, but its eggs are generally more sought after than the bird itself. The empty shells are traded throughout the Mediterranean area for use as utensils, or when broken up as raw material for beads. The eggs—as many as 25 in one clutch—are laid in a shallow nest of sand, with some left uncovered. They may appear to be neglected by day, but only because they are ordinarily incubated at night. The cock does most of the incubating; the female participates only during cold days. The strong, thick eggshell protects the embryo from the heat of the desert.<\/p>\n<p>Occasionally the ostrich is used for riding or even for pulling small carts. Ostrich feathers are in great demand. Ostrich plumes graced ancient royal courts as fans. An ivory-handled fan of Pharaoh Tutankhamen (King Tut) had lovely ostrich plumes. The plumes are white in the male and brownish gray in the female. The reputation of the ostrich for stupidity comes from its behavior when hunted and cornered; it fails to take evasive action even when doing so would save it. In open country, however, it is very wary and runs at great speed to escape. In contrast to the partridge, an ostrich will run away from its eggs and chicks when pursued.<\/p>\n<p>Most biblical references to ostriches emphasize their negative characteristics. They were regarded as unclean in Jewish law (Lv 11:16; Dt 14:15). Several references associate ostriches with images of wilderness and desolation (Jb 30:29; Is 13:21; 34:13; 43:20; Jer 50:39). Their night cry, which has been compared to an ox’s lowing in pain, is referred to in Micah 1:8. Biblical writers also noted the apparent indifference of the ostrich to its brood (Jb 39:13-18; Lam 4:3).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Owl\">Owl<\/p>\n<p>Nocturnal birds (order Strigiformes) with large heads and large, forward-looking eyes. Their wing and tail feathers are soft as velvet, helping to make their flight noiseless. The owl’s body is small and slender, about the size of a pigeon, but it appears bulky because of the thick covering of feathers. Owls have been considered bearers of misfortune and omens of disaster. In the Near East, owls now live in temple ruins and pyramids in Egypt, and in rock-hewn graves, ruins, and caves on both sides of the Jordan River in Israel. They seldom come near inhabited dwellings.<\/p>\n<p>Owls have excellent night vision, which they use to capture rodents or other animals. Although unusually large, the owl’s eyes are almost useless in the daylight because the light dazzles them. The owl is able to swallow its prey whole because of its elastic esophagus. Indigestible hair and bones are regurgitated as pellets. The bill is short but sharply hooked.<\/p>\n<p>Owls may lay up to ten eggs. The young are cared for on the nest by both parents. Both adults and young tend to remain in the area in which they were hatched. Eight species of owls are found in the Holy Land, of which five are plentiful. It is difficult, however, to identify a particular species with any of the four Hebrew words translated “owl” in Scripture. A fifth word translated “owl” (<span>kjv<\/span>) is more appropriately identified with the ostrich (<span>rsv<\/span>). Owls appear in the lists of unclean birds (Lv 11:17; Dt 14:16), and although translations differ, they concur that all species of owls, being predators, are unclean.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Ostrich (above); Owl, Barn or White; Owl, Great; Owl, Little; Owl, Scops (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlBarnorWhite\">Owl, Barn or White<\/p>\n<p>Large owl <em>(Tyto alloa)<\/em> with a distinct heart-shaped face. It may get its Hebrew name from a snoring sound it makes when breathing in the nest. In flight it emits a frightening screech, and thus is sometimes referred to as the screech owl. Its somewhat sinister features—a large head and wide pop eyes—have led some people to consider it demonic, but they have also inspired another name, the monkey-faced owl. It is a useful bird, however, devouring rodents that raid fields and damage stored grain. Like other owls, it sleeps during the day and hunts at night with a well-developed sense of hearing and sight. Its color is light brownish yellow with a white mask around the eyes and cheeks. The whole leg is covered with feathers that protect it against the bites of struggling victims in its talons.<\/p>\n<p>Some modern translations mention the barn or white owl by name (Lv 11:17, <span>njb<\/span>; 11:18, <span>nasb<\/span>; Dt 14:16, <span>njb<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl (above), Owl, Scops (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlGreat\">Owl, Great<\/p>\n<p>Large owl, standing nearly two feet (60.9 centimeters) tall <em>(Asio otus).<\/em> The color is mouse gray with gray-brown spots and black stripes. As one of its names indicates, it has tufted “ears” and is sometimes called the great horned owl. It feeds on rodents, such as rats and mice. It winters in Israel among ruins and in groves.<\/p>\n<p>The great owl may be the owl mentioned in the Bible among the birds of desolation that will inhabit devastated Edom (Is 34:11, <span>nasb<\/span> mg). It is also mentioned by name in some translations of the lists of ritually unclean birds (Lv 11:17, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>; Dt 14:16, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlLittle\">Owl, Little<\/p>\n<p>Smallest of all nocturnal birds of prey. Chiefly insectivorous, the little owl <em>(Athene noctua glaux)<\/em> also feeds at times on tiny birds. It is the most common owl in the Holy Land, dwelling among ruins, tombstones, rocks, and thickets (perhaps the owl of Ps 102:6). Its voice sounds like that of a dying person. On occasion it may be observed perched on a rock with its large eyes gazing off into the distance, a pose that the ancients considered a sign of wisdom. The Greeks associated the little owl with the goddess Athena. It is mentioned by name in several translations (Lv 11:17, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>; Dt 14:16, <span>kjv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>rsv<\/span>).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"OwlScops\">Owl, Scops<\/p>\n<p>Small owl <em>(Otus scops)<\/em> distinguished by two horn-shaped crests of hairlike feathers on its head. It perches in an inclined posture and hops and dances like a goat. During the hatching period, the male’s hooting sounds like a moan. The scops owl feeds on insects, rodents, and birds. During invasions of mice or locusts, these owls have appeared in large flocks and helped to destroy the pests. They have been known to attack humans who intrude on their nests. They are well-known inhabitants of Eurasia and Africa.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars suggest that the scops is the true screech owl, because of its whistling calls that resound through the night. The screech owl is mentioned only once in Scripture (Is 34:14, <span>kjv<\/span>), but that translation is the subject of scholarly debate. Following traditional Jewish mythology, some translations use the Hebrew word <em>(<\/em><span class=\"hebrew\" lang=\"he\">lilith<\/span><em>)<\/em> as a proper name. In Jewish tradition Lilith was a witch-demon who, before Eve’s creation, was Adam’s wife. She became the mother of demons and was thought to attack children during the night; thus the name “Lilith” is translated “night hag” (<span>rsv<\/span>) or “night monster” (<span>nasb<\/span>). Most scholars favoring the mythical interpretation, however, suggest that Isaiah was using a popular legend to evoke a sense of desolation and did not himself believe in the existence of Lilith. There is little support for “screech owl” as an appropriate translation of the name.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Owl; Owl, Barn or White (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Partridge\">Partridge<\/p>\n<p>Most common game bird in the Holy Land. The partridge resembles a chicken in its basic anatomy but has a less chunky body and a longer tail. Two species of partridge inhabit the Holy Land: the sand partridge <em>(Ammoperdix heyi),<\/em> found near the Dead Sea, in the Jordan River valley, and in the Sinai Desert; and the chukar partridge <em>(Alectoris graeca).<\/em> The sand partridge is a medium-sized bird with yellow feet. The male has sandy-buff plumage, upper tail feathers penciled and barred with brown, and a chestnut and white undersurface. The female is a grayish buff. The chukar partridge resembles the common French partridge of Europe, having a body about 16 inches (40.6 centimeters) long. It is covered with beautiful and radiantly colored feathers.<\/p>\n<p>The biblical reference (1 Sm 26:20; probably the sand partridge because of the geographical context) alludes to the common method of catching it by chasing. It was also hunted with snares (cf. Ps 91:3) or by hunters hiding in a blind. The fast-running partridge soon becomes exhausted, which enables hunters to run it to the ground and kill it. Nevertheless, by running and jumping, it can ascend very steep cliffs. The bird finds refuge among bushes into which its brownish-green feathers blend protectively. If it were not such a prolific breeder, it would probably have become extinct by being hunted for food.<\/p>\n<p>The biblical description of the partridge gathering a brood she did not hatch (Jer 17:11) seems to be based on the fact that the hen lays at least two clutches of eggs, one for herself and one for the cock to incubate.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Peacock\">Peacock<\/p>\n<p>Member of the quail, partridge, and pheasant family, the peacock <em>(Pavo cristatus)<\/em> is actually the male peafowl. Its mate is properly known as the peahen. The male attracts attention because of a stately, luxurious appearance enhanced by magnificent feathers. The breast is a brilliant metallic blue, and each tail feather has a brilliant eye near the tip. When lowered, the unusually long tail feathers form a train behind the peacock on the ground, giving it an overall length of up to six feet (1.8 meters). The train can also be raised to form a huge fan adorned with the multicolored eyes. During courtship the feathers are raised and vibrated to make a distinct rustling noise. The rather drab peahen lacks the long train.<\/p>\n<p>Because it is not native to the Holy Land, the peacocks referred to in 1 Kings 10:22 and 2 Chronicles 9:21 are thought by some scholars to be Old World monkeys or baboons brought from east Africa, or guinea hens from the upper Nile River region. There is evidence, however, that the Phoenicians introduced peacocks to the Egyptian pharaoh, perhaps as early as the time of King Solomon. It is possible that Solomon’s trade expeditions ranged as far as India, where the peacock is native. The peacock was also well known to the Greeks and Romans. Alexander the Great prized its beauty and forbade his soldiers to kill the bird.<\/p>\n<p>In the early Christian church the peacock became a symbol of the immortality promised in the resurrection of Christ. In addition, the eyes of its tail came to represent the all-seeing eye of God.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Pelican\">Pelican<\/p>\n<p>Largest of all aquatic birds, considerably larger even than the swan. The pelican <em>(Pelecanus onocrotalus)<\/em> is generally about 50 inches (127 centimeters) long with a 16-inch (40.6-centimeters) beak, the upper part of which is hooked downward at the end, facilitating fish catching. The lower part of the bill supports a yellow pouch extending down the throat. The pouch may hold up to three gallons (11.4 liters) of food (small fish) and water. The pelican’s webbed feet are peculiar in having webs between all four toes. Pelicans are expert swimmers as well as efficient fliers. The pelican’s massive body, long neck, and comparatively small head give it proportions that make rising from the water difficult. To take off, a pelican must first flap awkwardly along the surface, pounding at the water with its legs.<\/p>\n<p>Pelicans fly and nest in groups. Both sexes care for the young that hatch from the one to four eggs. Whereas most birds feed their young by placing food into their mouths, the pelican reverses the process; the young pelican sticks its head and most of its body into its mother’s throat and plucks partially digested food from the mother’s crop. The deep penetration of the young’s beak into the mother’s gullet led ancients to believe that the young were feeding on the blood of the mother’s breast, thus giving rise to wide usage of the pelican as a symbol of Christ’s atonement, and of charity in general.<\/p>\n<p>The roseate pelican is white, at times with a faint rose tinge, and has black feathers growing from the wing joint farthest from the body. The legs, pouch, and skin around the eyes are yellow; the hook of the beak is red. This species may grow up to six feet (1.8 meters) long with a wingspread of up to eight feet (2.4 meters). During the breeding season, the coloration of the exposed areas of the roseate pelican’s legs and face changes from gray to bright orange or red. At the same time the white feathers acquire a beautiful pink tint originating from an oil-gland secretion. The oil is spread throughout the plumage by the bird as it preens.<\/p>\n<p>Some scholars question whether “pelican” is an appropriate translation of the Hebrew in several verses, believing rather that the word refers to one of the owls, hawks, or vultures. Most translations include the pelican in the lists of ritually unclean birds (Lv 11:18; Dt 14:17). Opinion on the other references is more sharply divided. Some scholars maintain that the desert context of the verses eliminates the possibility of a water bird like the pelican (cf. Ps 102:6, “vulture,” <span>rsv<\/span>; Is 34:11, “cormorant,” <span>kjv<\/span>; “hawk,” <span>rsv<\/span>; Zep 2:14, “cormorant,” <span>kjv<\/span>; “vulture,” <span>rsv<\/span>). On the other hand, the roseate pelican frequents the rivers, lakes, and marshes of the Holy Land. After flying out to sea as far as 20 miles (32.2 kilometers) to swoop down on fish near the surface, the pelican often returns inland to a deserted place to digest its enormous meal. Thus, the pelican may be the lonely wilderness bird of those passages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"PigeonorDove\">Pigeon or Dove<\/p>\n<p>Species of the pigeon family (Columbidae). In common usage the names “pigeon” and “dove” are virtually interchangeable. The common domestic pigeon familiar to city dwellers the world over, for example, is actually a descendant of the wild rock dove. Both names are used in English translations of the Bible to translate the same Hebrew word. A second Hebrew word is usually translated “turtledove.” Nevertheless, it seems clear that the ancient Hebrews recognized differences among dove species.<\/p>\n<p>At least six species of pigeon or dove reside in modern Israel: the rock, ring, and stock doves (genus <em>Columba<\/em>), and the turtle, collared, and palm doves (genus <em>Streptopelia<\/em>). Of the six, the rock dove <em>(Columba livia)<\/em> and the turtledove <em>(Streptopelia turtur)<\/em> seem to be the two most often referred to in Scripture.<\/p>\n<p>Pigeons vary in size from 6 to over 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters). The most colorful Israeli species is the rock dove, which can be a beautiful silvery gray with grayish-green iridescent plumage on the wings (noted by David, Ps 68:13). The smaller doves <em>(Streptopelia)<\/em> are less colorful, mostly gray or buff with a blackish or checkered half collar on the back of the neck. Pigeons have short necks and small heads, plump bodies, and short wings controlled by strong muscles that enable them to fly considerable distances. The smaller doves have longer tails.<\/p>\n<p>At present, the wild rock dove is found primarily in the area around the Sea of Galilee and farther to the south in the many ravines leading down to the Dead Sea. Wild rock doves prefer to build their nests on rocks and cliff faces, a fact precisely described in Scripture (Sg 2:14; Jer 48:28). All Israeli doves build fragile nests of scraps of vegetation. Eggs are hatched twice a year. Doves seldom lay more than two eggs. The young are cared for in the nest by both parents, who rove over the fields eating seeds and weeds. The adult’s crop contains digested food in a milky condition, called pigeon’s milk, which can be regurgitated and fed to the young.<\/p>\n<p>During courtship there is a great deal of rivalry among the male doves. The turtledove’s courtship dance is an awesome aerial display. The attention to courtship, the joint care of young, and the solicitude of the parents for each other, noted from earliest times, have made the dove one of the most popular symbols of love and peace (Sg 1:15; 2:14; 4:1; 5:2).<\/p>\n<p>A major distinction between pigeons (ring doves) and turtledoves seems to have been recognized by ancient writers. Pigeons are year-round residents and easily tamed, whereas turtledoves are migratory. Turtledoves were confined in cages singly or in pairs as pets or for sacrifices. Pigeons were probably the first birds to be domesticated, perhaps as early as Noah’s time (Gn 8:8-12). They were depicted on the earliest Egyptian monuments, and their edibility was mentioned in early Egyptian texts. Before long, domestic pigeons were regarded as evidence of a household’s prosperity. In the more prosperous households they nested in dovecotes of molded pottery clay fashioned in latticelike structures (hence the “windows” of Is 60:8).<\/p>\n<p>In NT times there were many dovecotes in the parks around Herod the Great’s palace in Jerusalem. The dove’s popularity was due not only to its docility but also to its desirability as food and as an acceptable and relatively inexpensive sacrifice. The turtledove may have been regarded more highly as a sacrifice because of its wildness and consequent lesser availability. The two biblical references to turtledoves not in a sacrificial context refer to their migratory habits and to their arrival in Israel in the spring (Sg 2:12; Jer 8:7; cf. Hos 11:11).<\/p>\n<p>Most of the references to doves and pigeons in the Bible are in statements about sacrificial procedures (Gn 15:7-10; Lv 1:14; 5:7; 12:6; Nm 6:10; Lk 2:24). Other references, however, include a range of observations and symbolic usages of the dove. Its throaty moaning was often observed (Is 38:14; 59:11; Ez 7:16; Na 2:7). Its power of flight was well known (Ps 55:6), as were its beauty (Sg 1:15; 4:1; 5:12), its gentleness and loyalty to its mate (Sg 2:14; 5:2; 6:9), its affection (Ps 74:19), and its innocence (Mt 10:16). The one negative reference to doves is in Hosea 7:11, where they are said to be senseless and foolish, perhaps in reference to their overly trusting nature.<\/p>\n<p>Of NT references, perhaps the most significant is the description of the Holy Spirit at Christ’s baptism as a descending dove (Mt 3:16). The dove’s loving nature made it natural for early Christians to connect the dove image with the concept of the Comforter. Since then the dove has remained the most popular symbol of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Quail\">Quail<\/p>\n<p>Short, stocky birds with bills and feet similar to those of chickens; hence they are adapted to eating seeds or insects. Quail <em>(Coturnix coturnix)<\/em> are the smallest of the subfamily of poultry that also includes pheasants and partridges. Quail (or “quails,” another plural form) are about ten inches (25.4 centimeters) long and have small, rounded wings. They burst from their hiding places in the grass or bushes with a whirring sound. The belly of the quail is white. Up to 18 eggs are laid, and if the mother dies, the male has been known to assume the care of the young. Quail of the Mediterranean region winter in the Sudan and migrate northward in vast flocks in the spring. Quail cannot maintain a long sustained flight but make use of wind currents to keep them aloft.<\/p>\n<p>Enormous flocks of quail twice served as food for the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai, when the birds were driven down in the desert miraculously by winds (Ex 16:13; Nm 11:31-32; Ps 105:40). The second time they were probably flying along the Gulf of Aqaba and were blown off course by the east wind (Nm 11:31; Ps 78:26-28). Their inability to sustain long flight may account for their low flying level—two cubits, or about 40 inches (101.6 centimeters). When exhausted, they were easily caught by hand (Nm 11:31-32). Quail were considered clean and the most delicate eating of all game birds, and they were preserved by drying in the sun.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Raven\">Raven<\/p>\n<p>Member of the crow family (Corvidae). The Hebrew word for “raven” means “black one.” The raven (<em>Corvus corax<\/em>) weighs about three pounds (1.36 kilograms) and varies from 22 to 26 inches (56 to 66 centimeters) in length. Its tail is broader in the middle than at either end. Eight species are found in Israel: three ravens, two jackdaws, one crow, one rook, and one chough. The crow, about 20 inches (50.8 centimeters) long, is smaller than a raven, and its tail is uniform in width. The raven’s most conspicuous feature is its glossy black iridescent plumage.<\/p>\n<p>Ravens and crows have survived in spite of the dislike many humans have for them. Excellent fliers, they migrate by day and congregate in great flocks of up to several hundred thousand. During the nesting season, they make nests of sticks in which two to seven eggs are laid. Ravens mate for life. Equipped with strong wings, a strong bill, and strong feet, ravens can live in isolated places from which they range widely for food. That it did not return to the ark was a good sign to Noah, indicating that the raven could find food and possibly a place to rest on dry mountaintops (Gn 8:7).<\/p>\n<p>The raven, essentially a scavenger, was ceremonially unclean (Lv 11:15; Dt 14:14). Yet ravens fed Elijah at God’s command (1 Kgs 17:4-6). Job was told that God gave the raven its food (Jb 38:41), as the psalmist and Jesus repeated (Ps 147:9; Lk 12:24). The raven’s glistening black plumage inspired the bride’s comparison of her beloved’s hair (Sg 5:11). They prefer desolate, uninhabited areas as their home territory (Is 34:11). Ravens are crafty, active birds. Some are capable of speaking, solving puzzles, and performing feats of memory. Bold and curious, they sometimes use their talents for theft.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Seagull\">Seagull<\/p>\n<p>Robust seabirds, primarily scavengers (family Laridae). Several species of gulls live along the seacoast of the Holy Land. They are usually gray-backed with white heads and underparts and black wing tips. The slender bill ends in a downward curve.<\/p>\n<p>Seagulls may be 8 to 30 inches (20 to 76 centimeters) long. Many species migrate, traveling long distances with their superb flying ability. Gulls can also swim easily because of their webbed feet. Their voice is like a harsh scream or squawk. In nesting season many nest together in any available place, such as a cliff or tree. Both male and female incubate and care for the young.<\/p>\n<p>Because gulls will eat almost anything, they are listed as ritually unclean birds (Lv 11:16; Dt 14:15, <span>asv<\/span> has “sea mew,” a common European gull). Some commentators believe that those passages refer to an owl or to the cuckoo and not to the seagull.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Cuckoo (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Sparrow\">Sparrow<\/p>\n<p>Small bird of the finch family (Fringillidae) or the weaver finch family (Ploceidae), considered to be of little worth. The Hebrew word is a general term for “bird” and refers to any small bird such as a sparrow, finch, thrush, or starling. In translation, however, the word sometimes refers to the common English or house sparrow (<em>Passer domestica;<\/em> Ps 84:3; Prv 26:2).<\/p>\n<p>Dull in color with a black throat, the male house sparrow is a noisy and energetic creature. The nest, when built in open places, has an opening on the side and is made of almost anything available. Sparrows also nest in sheltered places, in dwellings, boxes, or holes in trees. They lay four to seven eggs.<\/p>\n<p>The common or house sparrow was known in ancient Greece and Egypt. There it had a reputation for invading fields in large swarms and picking the seeds from them. It is a permanent resident of the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>The sparrow is prolific and lives in close association with humans. It was considered ritually clean. Sparrows brought low prices in countries where they were sold (Mt 10:29; Lk 12:6). Today in Near Eastern marketplaces, boys offer live sparrows for sale. Tied together in groups of four to six by strings attached to one leg, the birds fly about over the boys’ heads. Evidently such a sight was common in NT times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Stork\">Stork<\/p>\n<p>Long-legged, white wading bird (genus <em>Ciconia<\/em>) having large, powerful wings with glossy black primary and secondary feathers. The flapping of its wings produces a loud rushing sound. Connecting membranes between the toes prevent the bird from sinking into the mud. Its red bill is sharp and long, serving to seize and lift its prey out of the water. Storks are mute, lacking a voice box.<\/p>\n<p>Flocks of storks pass through the Holy Land during their September migration on the way to central and southern Africa and likewise in the spring on their return flight to their homes in northern Israel, Syria, and Europe. Storks travel in vast flocks during the day, spreading out against the sky.<\/p>\n<p>The stork’s faithful tending of the young is proverbial, as is its habit of returning annually to the same nesting place. Storks have the habit of adding to their nests each year, and it is possible to find nests that are 100 years old and have a height of more than three feet (.9 meter).<\/p>\n<p>Two species of storks frequent the Holy Land. The white stork <em>(Ciconia alba)<\/em> is 40 inches (101.6 centimeters) tall, and its wingspread is six feet (1.8 meters), enabling it to move with a slow, sustained flight or to soar. In folklore the white stork is sometimes considered to be a harbinger of good fortune.<\/p>\n<p>The black stork <em>(Ciconia nigra),<\/em> common around the Dead Sea valley, nests in trees; hence it may be the tree-dwelling species referred to in Psalm 104:17. The Hebrew name for “stork” means literally the “kingly one,” or the “loyal one,” a reference to the care of the bird for its young. Like the heron, the stork was ceremonially unclean because of its diet of aquatic organisms, refuse, small animals, birds, and reptiles (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18). Jeremiah mentioned the stork’s uncanny and instinctive knowledge of the time of its migration (Jer 8:7). Its impressive wings figured in one of Zechariah’s visions (Zec 5:9).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Swallow\">Swallow<\/p>\n<p>Small, nearly black, forked-tailed bird with long, tapering wings, noted for its graceful flight <em>(hirundo rustica).<\/em> The small, weak feet are poorly adapted for walking. Swallows resemble swifts in shape and life habits but are somewhat smaller.<\/p>\n<p>The swallow’s large mouth enables it to catch insects while in flight. Colors vary from brown and blue to white. Swallows often nest in buildings, a feature noticed by the psalmist, who reported a swallow’s home at the temple (Ps 84:3).<\/p>\n<p>Swallows are basically resident in Israel, whereas the swift is a migratory bird noted for the regularity of its migratory schedule. The “swallow” of Isaiah 38:14 probably refers to a swift, as does Jeremiah 8:7, where the dependability of the bird is contrasted with the irregularity of God’s people. Proverbs 26:2 may be a reference to either the swallow or the swift.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Swift (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Swan\">Swan<\/p>\n<p>Large, graceful water birds. Two species of swan (genus <em>Cygnus<\/em>) are found in the Middle East as passing migrants <em>(Cygnus olor<\/em> and <em>Cygnus musicus).<\/em> Swans are known as the best musicians among the birds and were considered sacred to the god Apollo by the Greeks. Their voices sound like flutes and harps.<\/p>\n<p>The references in Leviticus 11:18 and Deuteronomy 14:16 (<span>kjv<\/span>) are probably not to the swan but to the water hen or the barn owl, since there seems little reason to declare the vegetarian swan an unclean animal. <em>See also<\/em> Owl, Barn or White (above); Water Hen (below).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Swift\">Swift<\/p>\n<p>Small, strong flyers (genus <em>Apus<\/em>). Like the swallow, the swift has long, bent wings and a cleft tail, enabling it to obtain great speed as it skims the ground and sweeps through the air. A swift devours a great many harmful insects, catching them in its mouth in flight. Many swifts make their nests in rooftops and in nooks and crannies of city walls. Their nests are built with strong feathers cemented together with saliva. Other swifts live in caves and clefts of rocks.<\/p>\n<p>Common swifts are native to Israel, and in the Jordan Valley they occur in large flocks. Isaiah 38:14 (<span>niv<\/span>) seems to be clear reference to the swift’s plaintive call, since the swallow’s sharp chirp is not a striking simile for a distraught king’s cry. The swift has a soft, delicate voice, and its cry could be easily interpreted as melodious wailing.<\/p>\n<p>The migratory swifts arrive on a precise schedule in the Holy Land in late winter, and immense flocks fill the cities with their cries. Thus the reference in Jeremiah 8:7 to swallows, which are largely permanent residents, is probably to swifts.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Swallow (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"Vulture\">Vulture<\/p>\n<p>Subfamily (Aegypiinae) of the hawk family (Accipitridae). Each of the four species of Old World vultures is found in the Holy Land: the Egyptian, griffon, black, and bearded vulture (the bearded vulture is also known as the lammergeier). These birds range in size from the 24-inch (61-centimeters) Egyptian vulture to the huge bearded vulture, largest of all flying birds in the Holy Land.<\/p>\n<p>Most vultures are brown or black, having a short neck and a short, hooked bill with which they tear the dead animal flesh of which they are fond. All vultures, except the bearded, have bare or down-covered heads and necks, enabling these scavengers to penetrate deep into a carcass without spoiling the plumage. Excellent eyesight enables a vulture to locate a carcass from a lofty soaring position. Considering the decayed condition of most of its food, a vulture’s poor sense of smell may be a fortunate limitation. Vultures nest in any convenient place; both parents care for the young.<\/p>\n<p>The Hebrew word usually translated “eagle” in the OT may have been a general term for all large birds of prey, including vultures. Thus many of the passages about eagles may refer to either the eagle or the vulture (cf. Lv 11:13; Dt 14:12, <span>nasb<\/span> mg). Such passages include references to nesting habits (Jb 39:27-28; Jer 49:16; Ob 1:4), care for fledglings (Dt 32:11), powers of flight (Ex 19:4; Dt 28:49; Jb 9:26; Lam 4:19), and extremely high soaring altitude (Prv 23:5; 30:19; Is 40:31). Despite variations among translations, the vulture clearly belongs in the list of unclean birds because of its foul diet (Lv 11:13, 18; Dt 14:12, 17).<\/p>\n<p>Several references to the eagle in the <span>kjv<\/span> have been changed to “vulture” in modern translations. The change seems appropriate in the references to the vulture as a sign of present or impending doom (Lam 4:19; Hos 8:1). Likewise the eye-plucking bird of Proverbs 30:17 is probably a vulture. The phrase “bald as the eagle” (Mi 1:16) clearly should read “bald as the vulture,” since there are no bald eagles in Israel and most vultures are bald. Since the vulture, like the eagle, was a symbol of sovereignty and domination in the ancient Near East, some gods were represented as vultures. Thus Ezekiel’s comparison of the kings of Babylon and Egypt to eagles may be conceived alternatively as comparisons to vultures (Ez 17:3, 7). Jesus’ reference to the eagles congregating around corpses at the end times (Mt 24:28) should also be revised to vultures, since eagles are usually solitary eaters, whereas vultures generally flock together around carrion.<\/p>\n<p>Several <span>kjv<\/span> references to vultures are usually translated “kite” or “falcon” in modern translations (cf. various versions of Lv 11:14; Dt 14:13; Jb 28:7; Is 34:15).<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Eagle; Kestrel; Kite; Lammergeier; Vulture, Black, or Osprey; Vulture, Egyptian; Vulture, Griffon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"VultureBlackorOsprey\">Vulture, Black, or Osprey<\/p>\n<p>Diurnal flesh eater, a little over three feet (.9 meter) long with a wingspread of over three yards (2.7 meters). The feathers of the black or osprey vulture (<em>Aegypius monachus<\/em>) are black and the head and upper part of the neck are bald like those of other carrion eaters. It nests in the Jordan River valley and seems to have been abundant in biblical times. Today it is quite rare. The black vulture is probably the osprey of Leviticus 11:13 and Deuteronomy 14:12.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Vulture (above).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"VultureEgyptian\">Vulture, Egyptian<\/p>\n<p>Also known as the gier eagle or as pharaoh’s hen. The plumage of the Egyptian vulture (<em>Neophron percnopterus<\/em>) is basically white with a naked head and yellow neck. The Egyptian vulture breaks bones left by other vultures. Its flight is slow and easy, and its voice is a croak. Measuring about 24 inches (61 centimeters) in length, it is the smallest of all the carrion-eating birds found in the Holy Land. It may be referred to in the list of unclean birds (Lv 11:18; Dt 14:17, “gier eagle,” <span>kjv<\/span>; “carrion vulture,” <span>rsv<\/span>, <span>nasb<\/span>, <span>nlt<\/span>). <em>See<\/em> Vulture (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"VultureGriffon\">Vulture, Griffon<\/p>\n<p>One of the largest flying birds in the Holy Land <em>(Gyps fulvus).<\/em> Until a generation ago, the griffon vulture was one of the most common birds in the Holy Land. Today it is on the verge of extinction. Many have been killed by eating poisonous bait meant for foxes and jackals. In addition, its reproduction is limited; the female lays only one or two eggs a year.<\/p>\n<p>The griffon vulture measures about four feet (121.9 centimeters) in length and up to ten feet (3 meters) between wing tips. Its beak is extremely strong, and its short toes are fitted with blunt talons. It is a light-brown bird with a pale yellow head and neck that are almost bare, being covered only with a very fine down.<\/p>\n<p>The griffon vulture feeds mostly on carrion, but also on locusts and small tortoises. It is able to go without food for several days with no ill effects, but when it does break its fast, it gorges itself. It is found especially in the region of the Sea of Galilee. Most biblical references to the vulture are likely to be to the griffon vulture.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Eagle; Vulture (above).<\/p>\n<p class=\"h3\" id=\"WaterHen\">Water Hen<\/p>\n<p>Small water bird of the rail family. The water hen listed among unclean birds (Lv 11:18; Dt 14:16, <span>rsv<\/span> only) may be the biblical bird most difficult to identify. Several alternatives have been suggested, including the swan (<span>kjv<\/span>), one of the owls (<span>nasb<\/span>, <span>neb<\/span>), or the marsh hen (<span>tlb<\/span>). Most scholars rule out the swan, since it is a vegetarian bird and thus should not be considered unclean. An owl remains a possibility.<\/p>\n<p>The marsh hen is a rail, several species of which inhabit Israel. One of those species is the purple gallinule <em>(Porphyrio porphyrio).<\/em> Rails are very thin birds varying from 6 to 20 inches (15 to 51 centimeters) in length. They live in marshes, where they eat a great variety of animal and vegetable matter, thus making them a candidate for inclusion in the Mosaic lists of unclean animals.<\/p>\n<p><em>See also<\/em> Animals.<\/p>","summary_ro":"BIRDS Feathered vertebrates of the class Aves. Over 8,000 species of birds are known. Approximately 400 species are found in the Holy Land and about 40 are mentioned in Scripture. Modern scientists classify organisms on the basis of internal and external structure, but the biblical writers generally classified organisms according to habitat. Thus, in the Bible, bats are listed with birds as creatures of the air (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18). Precise identification of biblical birds is often difficult ...","summary_en":"BIRDS Feathered vertebrates of the class Aves. Over 8,000 species of birds are known. Approximately 400 species are found in the Holy Land and about 40 are mentioned in Scripture. Modern scientists classify organisms on the basis of internal and external structure, but the biblical writers generally classified organisms according to habitat. Thus, in the Bible, bats are listed with birds as creatures of the air (Lv 11:19; Dt 14:18). Precise identification of biblical birds is often difficult ...","source":"Articles\/B.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":54045,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:16","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:16","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:16<\/strong> The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were <em>exiled<\/em> and deported <em>to distant lands<\/em> in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 <span>BC<\/span>. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • <em>shave your heads:<\/em> This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:16<\/strong> The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were <em>exiled<\/em> and deported <em>to distant lands<\/em> in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 <span>BC<\/span>. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • <em>shave your heads:<\/em> This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:16 The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were exiled and deported to distant lands in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 BC. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • shave your heads: This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).","summary_en":"1:16 The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were exiled and deported to distant lands in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 BC. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • shave your heads: This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":81671,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:16","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:16","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:16<\/strong> The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were <em>exiled<\/em> and deported <em>to distant lands<\/em> in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 <span>BC<\/span>. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • <em>shave your heads:<\/em> This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:16<\/strong> The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were <em>exiled<\/em> and deported <em>to distant lands<\/em> in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 <span>BC<\/span>. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • <em>shave your heads:<\/em> This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:16 The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were exiled and deported to distant lands in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 BC. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • shave your heads: This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).","summary_en":"1:16 The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were exiled and deported to distant lands in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 BC. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • shave your heads: This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":109297,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:16","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:16","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:16<\/strong> The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were <em>exiled<\/em> and deported <em>to distant lands<\/em> in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 <span>BC<\/span>. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • <em>shave your heads:<\/em> This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:16<\/strong> The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were <em>exiled<\/em> and deported <em>to distant lands<\/em> in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 <span>BC<\/span>. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • <em>shave your heads:<\/em> This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:16 The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were exiled and deported to distant lands in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 BC. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • shave your heads: This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).","summary_en":"1:16 The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were exiled and deported to distant lands in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 BC. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • shave your heads: This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false},{"id":136923,"type":"study_note","type_label":"Notă de studiu","type_icon":"📝","type_color":"#06b6d4","title_ro":"Notă de studiu: Mica 1:16","title_en":"Study Note: Mica 1:16","content_ro":"<p><strong>1:16<\/strong> The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were <em>exiled<\/em> and deported <em>to distant lands<\/em> in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 <span>BC<\/span>. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • <em>shave your heads:<\/em> This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).<\/p>","content_en":"<p><strong>1:16<\/strong> The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were <em>exiled<\/em> and deported <em>to distant lands<\/em> in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 <span>BC<\/span>. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • <em>shave your heads:<\/em> This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).<\/p>","summary_ro":"1:16 The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were exiled and deported to distant lands in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 BC. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • shave your heads: This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).","summary_en":"1:16 The people of Judah, including Jerusalem, were exiled and deported to distant lands in Babylonia in 605, 597, and 586 BC. Babylon was some 1,000 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Jerusalem. • shave your heads: This act of mourning and despair (see also Jer 41:5) could also signify purification (Lev 14:7-10; Num 6:10-11).","source":"StudyNotes.xml","external_url":null,"has_map":false,"has_picture":false}]},"labels":{"article":"Articol","map":"Hartă","chart":"Diagramă","textbox":"Notă explicativă","picture":"Imagine","profile":"Profil","study_note":"Notă de studiu","theme_note":"Temă biblică"},"icons":{"article":"📖","map":"🗺️","chart":"📊","textbox":"💡","picture":"🖼️","profile":"👤","study_note":"📝","theme_note":"🎯"},"typeColors":{"article":"#d4af37","map":"#2d7d46","chart":"#3b82f6","textbox":"#8b5cf6","picture":"#ec4899","profile":"#f59e0b","study_note":"#06b6d4","theme_note":"#ef4444"}}
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