Topical Bible: Eagle: Symbolical

◄ Eagle: Symbolical ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The eagle, a majestic bird of prey, is frequently used in the Bible as a symbol of strength, swiftness, and divine protection. Its powerful imagery is woven throughout Scripture, illustrating various aspects of God's nature and His relationship with His people.

Strength and Swiftness

The eagle is often associated with strength and swiftness, characteristics that are highlighted in several biblical passages. In the book of Isaiah, the prophet writes, "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" (Isaiah 40:31). This verse uses the eagle's ability to soar high and effortlessly to depict the renewed strength and endurance that God provides to those who trust in Him.

Similarly, in 2 Samuel 1:23, David laments the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, comparing their swiftness to that of eagles: "Saul and Jonathan, beloved and delightful in life, and in death they were not parted; they were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions" . Here, the eagle symbolizes the remarkable speed and strength of these warriors.

Divine Protection and Care

The eagle also serves as a symbol of God's protective care over His people. In Deuteronomy 32:11, Moses describes God's care for Israel during their wilderness journey: "Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, He spread His wings to catch them and carried them on His pinions" . This imagery portrays God as a nurturing and protective parent, ensuring the safety and well-being of His children.

Psalm 91:4 further emphasizes this theme of divine protection: "He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart" . The eagle's wings are a metaphor for God's sheltering presence, offering refuge and security to those who seek Him.

Judgment and Sovereignty

In addition to its positive connotations, the eagle is sometimes used to symbolize judgment and the sovereignty of God over nations. The prophet Jeremiah uses the eagle to describe the swiftness of Babylon's conquest: "Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down, spreading its wings over Bozrah. On that day the hearts of Edom’s mighty men will be like the heart of a woman in labor" (Jeremiah 49:22). Here, the eagle represents the impending and unstoppable judgment that God will execute through Babylon.

Moreover, in Ezekiel 17, the eagle is used in a parable to symbolize the great powers of Babylon and Egypt, illustrating God's control over the rise and fall of nations. The parable begins, "Say now to the rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon" (Ezekiel 17:12). The eagle's actions in the parable underscore God's sovereignty in orchestrating historical events according to His divine plan.

Renewal and Hope

The eagle also embodies themes of renewal and hope. In the book of Job, the eagle's keen sight and ability to renew its strength are highlighted: "Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high?" (Job 39:27). This rhetorical question points to God's wisdom and power in creation, inspiring awe and hope in His providential care.

Overall, the eagle serves as a multifaceted symbol in the Bible, representing strength, protection, judgment, and renewal. Its presence in Scripture invites believers to reflect on the attributes of God and His active role in the world and in their lives.

Nave's Topical Index

Ezekiel 1:10
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
Nave's Topical Index

Ezekiel 10:14
And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
Nave's Topical Index

Ezekiel 17:3
And say, Thus said the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, long winged, full of feathers, which had divers colors, came to Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:
Nave's Topical Index

Daniel 7:4
The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand on the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
Nave's Topical Index

Revelation 4:7
And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
Nave's Topical Index

Revelation 12:14
And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Use of the Symbolic Style by Poets and Philosophers.
... "For the use of symbolical speech is ... Such are the injunctions of Moses: "These common
things, the sow, the hawk, the eagle, and the raven, are not to be eaten ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter viii the use of the.htm

But Besides, if Birds of Augury Converse with one Another...
... would not he have been on his guard against suffering what he did from the eagle? ...
himself who sent him to the light." And it is with a symbolical meaning [4043 ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter xci but besides if.htm

The Four Gospels.
... The symbolical poesy of the church compares them with the four rivers of Paradise,
and with ... to Matthew, the lion to Mark, the ox to Luke, and the eagle to John ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 78 the four gospels.htm

Nicodemus.
... His baptism with water was of course symbolical; that is to say, the water itself ...
The mole cannot soar in the face of the sun like the eagle; neither can the ...
/.../dods/the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol i/vii nicodemus.htm

Matthew.
... symbolical figures of Ezekiel to the Gospels: the Man is Matthew, the Lion, Mark,
the Calf, Luke, "because he began with Zacharias the priest," and the Eagle, ...
//christianbookshelf.org/jerome/the principal works of st jerome/matthew.htm

Symbolic Ornaments of the Church
... made by the interlacing of three portions of circles, is also symbolical of the ... symbol
Constantine substituted the next day for the old Roman eagle upon the ...
/.../regester/the worship of the church/symbolic ornaments of the church.htm

The Manifestation of the Messiah
... The eagle that had soared unhindered in mid-heaven seemed transfixed by a sudden
dart ... That Jordan water, flowing downwards to the Dead Sea, was symbolical. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/meyer/john the baptist/vii the manifestation of the.htm

Standard Expositions of the Roman Catholic System.
... The 'Eagle of Meaux' was the greatest theological genius of France, and the oracle
of his ... at that time, and attained almost the authority of a symbolical book. ...
/.../ 23 standard expositions of.htm

The Middle Ages.
... These were built so as to be almost as symbolical as the Temple had been. ... The eagle
desk for the Holy Scripture, shows forth one Gospel emblem; the Litany desk ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson xxxi the middle ages.htm

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
... [now that it bends towards the second eagle] shall he ... But the symbolical action that
follows"the joining of two sticks into one"seems to be represented as ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxv the figurative language.htm