The dove is a significant symbol and creature within the biblical narrative, appearing in various contexts throughout Scripture. It is often associated with peace, purity, and the Holy Spirit, serving as a powerful emblem in both the Old and New Testaments.

Old Testament References

In the Old Testament, the dove first appears in the account of Noah and the flood. After the waters began to recede, Noah sent out a dove to see if the land had dried. The dove returned with an olive leaf, indicating that the waters had abated (Genesis 8:11): "When the dove returned to him in the evening, there was a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak. So Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth." This event has cemented the dove as a symbol of hope and new beginnings.

The Song of Solomon also uses the imagery of doves to describe beauty and love. In Song of Solomon 1:15 , the beloved is described with the words, "How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how very beautiful! Your eyes are like doves." This poetic use underscores the dove's association with purity and gentleness.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, the dove takes on a profound spiritual significance. At the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit is described as descending like a dove upon Him. Matthew 3:16 states, "As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him." This event marks the dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, representing divine approval and the presence of God.

Additionally, Jesus instructs His disciples to be "as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16), highlighting the dove's representation of innocence and purity in the life of a believer.

Symbolism and Cultural Impact

Throughout Christian history, the dove has been a symbol of peace and the Holy Spirit. It is often depicted in Christian art and iconography, representing the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the world. The image of a dove carrying an olive branch has become a universal symbol of peace, rooted in the biblical narrative of Noah.

The dove's gentle nature and its role in biblical events have made it a lasting symbol of God's peace, purity, and presence. Its appearances in Scripture continue to inspire and instruct believers in their faith and understanding of God's character.Dove's dung : (2 Kings 6:25) has been generally understood literally. There are instances in history of the dung of pigeons being actually used as food during a famine. Compare also the language of Rabshakeh to the Jews (2 Kings 18:27; Isaiah 36:12). This name, however, is applied by the Arabs to different vegetable substances, and there is room for the opinion of those who think that some such substance is here referred to, as, e.g., the seeds of a kind of millet, or a very inferior kind of pulse, or the root of the ornithogalum, i.e., bird-milk, the star-of-Bethlehem. 1686. dibyonim -- probably dove's dung
... 1685, 1686. dibyonim. 1687 . probably dove's dung. Transliteration: dibyonim
Phonetic Spelling: (dib-yone') Short Definition: dung. ... dove's dung. ...
/hebrew/1686.htm - 6k

3123. yonah -- dove
... 3122, 3123. yonah. 3124 . dove. Transliteration: yonah Phonetic Spelling:
(yo-naw') Short Definition: dove. Word Origin from an ...
/hebrew/3123.htm - 6k

His Eyes are Like a Dove's by the Rivers of Waters, Washed with ...
... CHAPTER V. 12. His eyes are like a dove's by the rivers of waters, washed
with milk, and sitting beside overflowing streams. She ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/12 his eyes are like.htm

Thy Cheeks are Comely as a Turtle Dove's; Thy Neck as Jewels.
... CHAPTER I. 9. Thy cheeks are comely as a turtle dove's; thy neck as jewels. The
cheeks signify the interior and exterior; they are comely as a turtle dove's. ...
/.../guyon/song of songs of solomon/9 thy cheeks are comely.htm

The Name of God
... Why does an eagle's egg always produce an eagle, and a dove's egg a dove, and
so forth? No man knows, no man can give any reason whatsoever. ...
/.../kingsley/discipline and other sermons/sermon vii the name of god.htm

Song of Songs of Solomon
... 9. Thy cheeks are comely as a turtle dove's; thy neck as jewels. ... Behold, my beloved
speaketh to me and saith: Rise up, my love, my dove, my fair one, and come. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/

The Unsatisfied Life and Its Remedy
... Behold, thou art fair, My love; behold, thou art fair; Thine eyes are as a dove's. ...
Note again His words:". Thine eyes are as dove's,. or. Thou hast dove's eyes. ...
/.../taylor/union and communion/section i the unsatisfied life.htm

The Joy of Unbroken Communion
... Behold, thou art fair, My love; behold, thou art fair; Thine eyes are as
dove's behind thy veil; Thy hair is as a flock of goats,. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/taylor/union and communion/section iii the joy of.htm

Introduction.
... "The moles of Science have never found the heavenly dove's nest, and the Sea
of Reason touches no shore where balm for sorrow grows.". ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/brown/the story of the hymns and tunes/introduction.htm

A Bundle of Myrrh
... seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of heaven."
O for the soaring eagle wing of John, and the far-seeing dove's eyes of ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/a bundle of myrrh.htm

First Sunday in Lent. Then was Jesus Led up of the Spirit into the ...
... For Him, who veils behind the clouds His face,. And hears not, as of old
in happier days. O that I had a dove's swift wings! I'd fly. ...
/.../winkworth/lyra germanica the christian year/first sunday in lent then.htm

Chapter v.
... 2. I sleep, but my heart waketh; it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying,
Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/chapter v.htm

Dove's (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Dove's dung : (2 Kings 6:25) has been generally understood
literally. ... Multi-Version Concordance Dove's (1 Occurrence). ...
/d/dove's.htm - 7k

Doves (25 Occurrences)
... Song of Songs 2:12 The flowers are come on the earth; the time of cutting the vines
is come, and the voice of the dove is sounding in our land; (See NIV). ...
/d/doves.htm - 14k

Dove (27 Occurrences)
... In their wild state doves generally build their nests in the clefts of rocks,
but when domesticated "dove-cots" are prepared for them (Cant. ...
/d/dove.htm - 28k

Kab (1 Occurrence)
... Behold, they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver,
and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. ...
/k/kab.htm - 7k

Lasted (3 Occurrences)
... Behold, they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver,
and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. ...
/l/lasted.htm - 7k

Fourscore (33 Occurrences)
... famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for
fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for ...
/f/fourscore.htm - 16k

Dovesdung (1 Occurrence)

/d/dovesdung.htm - 6k

Donkey's (7 Occurrences)
... Behold, they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver,
and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. ...
/d/donkey's.htm - 8k

Pods (2 Occurrences)
... Behold, they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver,
and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. ...
/p/pods.htm - 6k

Besieged (34 Occurrences)
... Behold, they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver,
and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver. ...
/b/besieged.htm - 16k

What is the significance of the olive tree in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16)? | GotQuestions.org

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