Topical Encyclopedia The chicken, a domesticated bird, is not directly mentioned in the Bible by name. However, references to birds and fowl in general can be found throughout the Scriptures, and the chicken, as a common domestic bird in ancient times, would have been familiar to the people of the biblical era.Biblical References to Birds and Fowl In the Old Testament, birds are often mentioned in the context of dietary laws and sacrifices. Leviticus 11:13-19 and Deuteronomy 14:11-20 provide lists of clean and unclean birds, though chickens are not specifically named. These passages highlight the importance of distinguishing between clean and unclean animals, a practice that was central to maintaining ritual purity under the Mosaic Law. The chicken, being a domesticated bird, would likely have been considered clean and suitable for consumption, similar to other domesticated birds like doves and pigeons, which were used in sacrifices (Leviticus 1:14: "If, however, one’s offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, he is to present a turtledove or a young pigeon."). Symbolism and Metaphors While chickens are not explicitly mentioned, the Bible uses birds metaphorically to convey spiritual truths. For example, Jesus uses the imagery of a hen gathering her chicks to express His protective and nurturing desire for Jerusalem. In Matthew 23:37 , Jesus laments, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!" This metaphor highlights the tender care and protection that God offers His people, akin to a hen's instinct to shelter her young. Cultural and Historical Context In the cultural and historical context of the Bible, chickens were likely kept for their eggs and meat, as they are today. They would have been a common sight in the agrarian societies of the ancient Near East. The presence of chickens in daily life would have made the metaphor of a hen gathering her chicks a powerful and relatable image for Jesus' audience. Theological Implications The use of bird imagery, including that of a hen, underscores themes of God's providence, care, and the call to repentance. The metaphor of the hen and chicks in the New Testament serves as a poignant reminder of God's desire to protect and nurture His people, despite their frequent resistance and disobedience. Conclusion While the Bible does not specifically mention chickens, the broader category of birds and the metaphorical use of a hen provide insight into the cultural and spiritual significance of these creatures in biblical times. The imagery of a hen gathering her chicks remains a powerful symbol of God's love and care for His people. Topical Bible Verses Isaiah 25:6And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make to all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. Topicalbible.org Genesis 1:1-31 Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (n.) A young bird or fowl, esp. a young barnyard fowl.2. (n.) A young person; a child; esp. a young woman; a maiden. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia CHICKENchik'-'-n, chik'-in (Anglo-Saxon, cicen or cycen; Latin, Gallus ferrugineus; alektruon, masculine and fem.): A barnyard fowl of any age. The record is to be found in the books of the disciples, but Jesus is responsible for the only direct mention of chickens in the Bible. Matthew 23:37, contains this: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" Luke's version of the same scene says: "Even as a hen gathereth her own brood under her wings" (Luke 13:34). There is no reference to chickens in the Old Testament sufficiently clear to specify our common domestic bird. The many references to "fatted fowl" in these older records, in accordance with the text and the history of the other nations, were pigeons, guineas, ducks, geese and swans. The importation of peafowl by Solomon is mentioned. The cock and hen are distinctive birds and would have been equally a marvel worth recording had they been introduced at that time. From the history of the bird in other countries it is a safe estimate to place their entrance into Palestine between five and six hundred years B.C. That would allow sufficient time for them to increase and spread until they would be well known and common enough to be used effectively in the ministry of Jesus Christ. Every historical fact and indication points to the capture and domestication of the red jungle fowl in Burma. The Chinese records prove that they first secured imported fowl from the West in 1400 B.C. Their use for food dated from 1200 to 800 B.C., in the Book of Manu, but it was specified that only those that ran wild were to be eaten. From these countries they were imported to Greece and Italy, and from there carried south into Palestine Homer ([?] 10; compare also alektruon, P 602) names a man Cock, alektor, which seems to indicate that he knew the bird. Pindar gives them slight mention; Aristophanes wrote of them as "Persian birds," which indicates that they worked their way westward by importation. I cannot find them in the records of Aristotle, but Aristophanes advanced the idea that not the gods, but the birds were rulers of men in ancient times, and compared the comb of the cock with the crown of a king, and pointed out that when he "merely crows at dawn all jump up to their work" (Aves, 489-90). They were common in Italy in the days of Pliny, who was ten years old at the time of the crucifixion of Christ. Pliny gave many rules for raising chickens, proving that much was known of their habits in his time. Yet so credulous was he and so saturated with superstition, that, mixed with his instructions for preserving eggs, brooding and raising chickens, is the statement that on account of the fighting power of the cocks the lions feared them. He wrote that a man named Galerius in the time of the consuls, Lepidus and Catulus, owned a barnyard fowl that spoke. He names Lenius Strabo as the first man to devise a "coupe" to keep fowl in and "cram" them to fatness. He gave the laws governing the use of fowl at table and recorded that in Egypt eggs were hatched in manure beds, which is conclusive proof that birds had been carried across the Mediterranean several centuries previous. The records of Babylon, 600 B.C., contain figures undoubtedly intended for cocks, and they were reproduced in marble in Lycia at that time, In all these reproductions the birds have the drooping tail of the wild, and there is no record of the date at which they erected the tail, lifted the head and assumed the upright bearing of today. Greek 3556. nossion -- a young bird ... chicken. Diminutive of neossos; a birdling -- chicken. see GREEK neossos. (nossia) -- 1 Occurrence. 3555, 3556. nossion. 3556a . Strong's Numbers. //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3556.htm - 5k Library There is a Popular Philosophical Joke Intended to Typify the ... Thou Shalt not Steal. I Shall Explain to You Also How it is that the Soul is Transfused ... The Ethics of Elfland The Disciple, -- Master, if Thou Wouldst Make a Special ... On the Words of the Gospel, Luke xi. 5, "Which of You Shall have a ... The Maniac The Lord Our Dwelling Place Early Life Vesalius the Anatomist {9} Thesaurus Chicken...CHICKEN. chik'-'-n, chik'-in (Anglo-Saxon, cicen or cycen; Latin, Gallus ferrugineus; alektruon, masculine and fem.): A barnyard fowl of any age. ... /c/chicken.htm - 10k Peep (1 Occurrence) Cock (12 Occurrences) Gier (2 Occurrences) Foal (10 Occurrences) Pounce (2 Occurrences) Bird (65 Occurrences) Colt (15 Occurrences) Chezib (1 Occurrence) Chickens (1 Occurrence) Resources What is cultural translation? Is cultural translation needed to properly understand the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat are some popular illustrations of the Holy Trinity? | GotQuestions.org How should a Christian view vaccinations/vaccines? | GotQuestions.org Chicken: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus |
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