Topical Bible: Eagle: Figurative

◄ Eagle: Figurative ►

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In the Bible, the eagle is often used as a powerful symbol and metaphor, representing various spiritual truths and divine attributes. The eagle's characteristics—its strength, swiftness, and ability to soar to great heights—make it an apt figure for illustrating God's nature and His dealings with humanity.

Divine Protection and Deliverance

One of the most prominent figurative uses of the eagle in Scripture is to depict God's protection and deliverance of His people. In Exodus 19:4 , God reminds the Israelites of His care during their exodus from Egypt: "You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself." Here, the eagle's wings symbolize God's powerful and nurturing guidance, lifting His people out of bondage and bringing them to safety.

Renewal and Strength

The eagle also symbolizes renewal and strength, particularly in the context of those who trust in the Lord. Isaiah 40:31 states, "But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint." This passage uses the eagle to illustrate the spiritual vitality and endurance granted to believers who rely on God, suggesting a divine empowerment that transcends human limitations.

Judgment and Swiftness

In other contexts, the eagle represents swiftness and the execution of judgment. The prophet Jeremiah uses the eagle to describe the rapid approach of judgment upon nations. In Jeremiah 48:40 , it is written, "For this is what the LORD says: 'Behold, an eagle will swoop down, spreading its wings over Moab.'" The imagery of the eagle here conveys the sudden and inevitable nature of divine judgment, emphasizing the certainty and speed with which it will come.

Majesty and Sovereignty

The eagle's majesty and dominance in the sky also serve as a metaphor for God's sovereignty and exalted position. In Ezekiel 17, the eagle is used in a parable to represent great kings and their dominions, illustrating the overarching power and authority that God holds over the nations. The eagle's ability to soar high above the earth reflects God's supreme and unchallenged rule over creation.

Wisdom and Vision

The eagle's keen eyesight is another attribute that finds figurative application in Scripture. It is often associated with wisdom and insight. Job 39:27-29 highlights the eagle's ability to see from great distances: "Does the eagle soar at your command and make its nest on high? It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is its stronghold. From there it spies out food; its eyes see it from afar." This imagery can be seen as a metaphor for divine wisdom and the ability to perceive things beyond human understanding.

In summary, the eagle serves as a multifaceted symbol in the Bible, representing God's protection, strength, judgment, majesty, and wisdom. Through these figurative uses, the eagle provides a vivid illustration of the divine attributes and the spiritual realities experienced by those who trust in the Lord.

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Exodus 19:4
You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to myself.
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Deuteronomy 32:11
As an eagle stirs up her nest, flutters over her young, spreads abroad her wings, takes them, bears them on her wings:
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Jeremiah 48:40
For thus said the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.
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Hosea 8:1
Set the trumpet to your mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.
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Library

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
... says one of this class of expositors, the maiming of the body is figurative language,
and ... from the luxuriant imagery of the prophet: "A great eagle with great ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxv the figurative language.htm

The Use of the Symbolic Style by Poets and Philosophers.
... by the warp (stemosi), the furrows; and the woof (mitos) is a figurative expression
for ... of Moses: "These common things, the sow, the hawk, the eagle, and the ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter viii the use of the.htm

Whether There was any Reasonable Cause for the Ceremonial ...
... The figurative reason for these things is that all these animals signified certain
sins ... In the eagle which flies at a great height, pride is forbidden: in the ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether there was any reasonable.htm

Introductory Essay.
... state, in part in vindication of his own effort, that, though the eagle wings of ...
and an essential condition of the interpretation of the figurative language of ...
/.../augustine/our lords sermon on the mount/introductory essay .htm

John.
... sublime as a seraph, gentle as a lamb and bold as an eagle, deep as ... Interpreter of
God (1:18), but only in the Prologue, and such figurative designations as ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 83 john.htm

Chapter i
... 32:11) surely will not allow for the idea of "brooding." An eagle may brood ... Psalm
78:23; 2 Kings 7:2; Isaiah 24:18), these purely figurative expressions (also ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter i.htm

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... and Tophet, places in this country. Indeed, the whole, in a manner, was a
typical and a figurative thing. But I have, in the ensuing ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm