In biblical terminology, the term "coverts" refers to places of shelter or hiding, often used in the context of protection and refuge. The concept of coverts is woven throughout Scripture, symbolizing God's provision and care for His people, as well as the natural instinct of creatures to seek safety.

Old Testament References

The Hebrew word often translated as "covert" is "סֵ֫תֶר" (seter), which means a hiding place or secret place. This term is frequently used in the Psalms to describe God's protective nature. For instance, Psalm 91:1 states, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty." Here, the "shelter" or "covert" signifies a place of divine protection.

In Isaiah 4:6 , the prophet speaks of a future time of restoration, saying, "And there will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and the rain." This passage uses the imagery of a covert to describe God's protective presence during times of trial and adversity.

Symbolism and Imagery

Coverts are often depicted as natural formations, such as rocks, caves, or thickets, where animals and people can find refuge. In 1 Samuel 24:3 , David finds a covert in the form of a cave when he is fleeing from King Saul: "He came to the sheepfolds along the way, and a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the recesses of the cave." This narrative illustrates the use of natural coverts for safety and strategic advantage.

The imagery of coverts extends to the animal kingdom as well. In Job 38:40 , God questions Job about the lion's behavior, "when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket?" This portrays the instinctual use of coverts by animals as a means of survival and protection.

Spiritual Application

In a spiritual sense, coverts represent the security and peace found in God's presence. Believers are encouraged to seek refuge in the Lord, who is described as a stronghold and a fortress. Proverbs 18:10 declares, "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." This verse emphasizes the spiritual covert provided by God's name and character.

The New Testament continues this theme, with Jesus Christ being portrayed as the ultimate refuge for believers. In Matthew 11:28 , Jesus invites the weary to find rest in Him: "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Here, Christ Himself is the covert, offering spiritual rest and protection.

Conclusion

The concept of coverts in the Bible serves as a powerful metaphor for God's protection and care. Whether through natural formations or spiritual truths, coverts remind believers of the safety and security found in a relationship with the Almighty.

John Chapter xiii. 21-26.
... of Simon. And after the bread, Satan entered into him." The traitor was
disclosed, the coverts of darkness were revealed. What he ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate lxi john chapter xiii.htm

Perpetual Youth
... But soon we discover what hard work the march is, and what monsters lurk in the
leafy coverts, and what diseases hover among the marshes, and how short a ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/perpetual youth.htm

Memory in Another World
... is to wander back to somewhere about that point in our life where the shy thing
lurks, and hope to catch some sight of it in the leafy coverts: and all we can ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/memory in another world.htm

Early Days
... we may see the shepherd-boy surrounded by his flocks, and the wild creatures that
prowled about the fold, and the birds asleep in their coverts beneath the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/the life of david/ii early days.htm

Essay
... They who before had had converse with God, which was delightful, now retire into
the closest, and most shady coverts, to avoid the divine appearance. ...
/.../an essay on the mosaic account of the creation and fall of man/essay.htm

Ebenezer!
... The heavens shake, the earth rocks, the everlasting hills do bow, the birds of the
air fly to the coverts of the forest to hide themselves, the timid goats ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/ebenezer.htm

The Friend Whose Years do not Fail. Rev. W. Arthur, MA
... bosom of eternal rest and say, "Thou art mine and I am thine to all eternity?" You
may look to other refuges but they are not secure, to other coverts but they ...
/.../king/the wesleyan methodist pulpit in malvern/the friend whose years do.htm

A Letter from a West Indian Cottage Ornee
... His general plumage is black, set off by a snow-white gorget fringed with crimson;
crimson and green tail coverts, and a crimson and green beak, with blue cere ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter v a letter from.htm

Naparima and Montserrat
... anywhere can be seen') 'one of these insectivora in pursuit or seizure of its prey,
either on the wing or on the trunks of trees, in the coverts of thickets or ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter x naparima and montserrat.htm

Sennacherib (705-681 BC )
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8. <. ...
/.../chapter isennacherib 705-681 b c.htm

Coverts (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Coverts (2 Occurrences). ... (WEB ASV). Job 37:8 Then the
beasts go into coverts, And remain in their dens. (ASV JPS). ...
/c/coverts.htm - 6k

Thickets (14 Occurrences)
... they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people did hide
themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits ...
/t/thickets.htm - 11k

Rocks (48 Occurrences)
... they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people did hide
themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits ...
/r/rocks.htm - 21k

Median (3 Occurrences)
... a.) Situated in the middle; lying in a plane dividing a bilateral animal into right
and left halves; -- said of unpaired organs and parts; as, median coverts. ...
/m/median.htm - 7k

Pits (13 Occurrences)
... they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people did hide
themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits ...
/p/pits.htm - 13k

Cellars (3 Occurrences)
... they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people did hide
themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits ...
/c/cellars.htm - 7k

Covertly (2 Occurrences)

/c/covertly.htm - 7k

Covert (18 Occurrences)
... the king of Assyria. (KJV WBS). Job 37:8 Then the beasts go into coverts,
and remain in their dens. (Root in JPS ASV YLT). Job 38:40 ...
/c/covert.htm - 12k

Cover-up (1 Occurrence)
Cover-up. Coverts, Cover-up. Coves . Multi-Version Concordance Cover-up
(1 Occurrence). ... Coverts, Cover-up. Coves . Reference Bible.
/c/cover-up.htm - 6k

Caves (17 Occurrences)
... they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people did hide
themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits ...
/c/caves.htm - 11k

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