Plumage
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Plumage refers to the feathers covering a bird's body, often noted for their beauty, color, and function. In the Bible, plumage is used symbolically and literally, reflecting God's creation and His care for His creatures.

Symbolism and Imagery

Plumage is frequently used in Scripture to symbolize beauty, protection, and divine care. In Psalm 91:4 , the psalmist writes, "He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart." Here, the imagery of feathers and wings conveys God's protective nature, likening His care to that of a bird sheltering its young under its wings.

The beauty of plumage is also a testament to God's creative power. In Matthew 6:26 , Jesus points to the birds of the air as examples of God's provision: "Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" The implicit reference to the birds' plumage highlights the intricate and beautiful design of God's creation, serving as a reminder of His attention to detail and care for all living things.

Plumage in Creation

The diversity and splendor of bird plumage reflect the creativity and majesty of God as the Creator. In Genesis 1:20-21 , the creation of birds is described: "And God said, 'Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.' So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed, according to their kinds, and every bird of flight after its kind. And God saw that it was good." The mention of birds in the creation narrative underscores their significance and the beauty of their plumage as part of God's good creation.

Plumage in Sacrificial Contexts

In the Old Testament, birds were sometimes used in sacrificial rituals, though the focus was not on their plumage but on their role in the sacrificial system. Leviticus 1:14 states, "If, however, one’s offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, he is to present a turtledove or a young pigeon." While the plumage is not the central element, the choice of birds with specific plumage may reflect considerations of purity and suitability for offerings.

Moral and Spiritual Lessons

The Bible uses the imagery of plumage to teach moral and spiritual lessons. In Job 39:13 , the ostrich is mentioned: "The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions and plumage of the stork." This comparison highlights the unique characteristics of different birds, encouraging reflection on the diversity of God's creation and the wisdom inherent in His design.

Overall, plumage in the Bible serves as a powerful symbol of God's creative power, His provision, and His protective care, inviting believers to trust in His sovereignty and goodness.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(n.) The entire clothing of a bird.
Strong's Hebrew
5133. notsah -- plumage
notsah or notsah. 5132, 5133. notsah or notsah. 5134 . plumage. Transliteration:
notsah or notsah Phonetic Spelling: (no-tsaw') Short Definition: plumage. ...
/hebrew/5133.htm - 6k
Library

Vive Jesus. Preface.
... Represent to yourself beautiful doves amidst the rays of the sun; you will see their
plumage break into as many different colours as you change your point of ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/vive jesus preface.htm

He Then once More Excellently, Appropriately, and Clearly Examines ...
... to obtain a view of the revealed brightness of the thought by turning the apparent
meaning of the saying round about, as happens with the plumage with which ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 2 he then once.htm

April 20. "There they Dwelt with the King for his Work" (I. Chron. ...
... Like the sea fowl that can plunge beneath the briny tide with its beautiful and
spotless plumage, and come forth without one drop adhering to its burnished ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /april 20 there they dwelt.htm

Beasts Similarly Subject to the Law of Mutation.
... And yet the peacock withal has plumage for a garment, and a garment indeed of the
choicest; nay, in the bloom of his neck richer than any purple, and in the ...
/.../tertullian/on the pallium/chapter iii beasts similarly subject to.htm

Palestine Eighteen Centuries Ago
... Similarly, it is said, every kind of fish teemed in its waters, while birds
of most gorgeous plumage filled the air with their song. ...
/.../sketches of jewish social life/chapter 1 palestine eighteen centuries.htm

Of the Production of the Beasts and of Man.
... [1811] And so others of them either poise themselves aloft with light plumage, or
are supported by hoofs, [1812] or are furnished with horns; some have arms in ...
/.../lactantius/on the workmanship of god/chap ii of the production of.htm

The Savanna of Aripo
... to the drizzly shower which plays incessantly on their glistening leaves, off which
the globules roll in a thousand pearls, as from the glossy plumage of a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xii the savanna of.htm

Purity.
... seen, and all that is near should be dim and invisible like things seen through
a telescope, or as we see through a magnifying glass the plumage of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/robertson/sermons preached at brighton/x purity.htm

The Storm-King Eagle
... by flying so high that the bullets could not reach him, or, if some chance bullet
did reach him, he was so far away that it just kissed his plumage and fell ...
/.../chidley/fifty-two story talks to boys and girls/the storm-king eagle.htm

What the Redbird Told Me
... As I lay brooding in my melancholy state, a red grosbeak, with his bright
red plumage, alighted on a tree a few feet from my window. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk seventeen what the redbird.htm

Thesaurus
Plumage (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Plumage (3 Occurrences). Job 39:13 "The wings of the ostrich
wave proudly; but are they the feathers and plumage of love? ...
/p/plumage.htm - 7k

Feathers (9 Occurrences)
... or wings (the Revised Version (British and American) "pinions") and feathers (the
American Standard Revised Version "plumage") unto the ostrich?" (Job 39:13 ...
/f/feathers.htm - 10k

Ostrich (9 Occurrences)
... the Almighty discoursed to him about the ostrich in the following manner: "The wings
of the ostrich wave proudly; But are they the pinions and plumage of love ...
/o/ostrich.htm - 18k

Owl (11 Occurrences)
... The remainder of the plumage has no aftershaft. ... Near these locations the ostrich
would be pursued for its plumage, and its nesting conditions did not prevail. ...
/o/owl.htm - 18k

Eagle (27 Occurrences)
... It is said that the eagle sheds his feathers in the beginning of spring,
and with fresh plumage assumes the appearance of youth. ...
/e/eagle.htm - 28k

Hoopoe (2 Occurrences)
... HOOPOE. hoo'-po; -poo (dukhiphath; epops; Latin Upupa epops): One of the peculiar
and famous birds of Palestine, having a curved bill and beautiful plumage. ...
/h/hoopoe.htm - 9k

Plucking (8 Occurrences)

/p/plucking.htm - 9k

Plumb (6 Occurrences)

/p/plumb.htm - 9k

Quail (5 Occurrences)
... Quail are like the gray, brown and tan of earth. Their plumage is cut and penciled
by markings, and their flesh juicy and delicate food. ...
/q/quail.htm - 13k

Ossifrage (2 Occurrences)
... young is black. It requires two years to develop the red eyes, finely
penciled plumage and white head of the adult bird. It was ...
/o/ossifrage.htm - 10k

Resources
Plumage: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Plumage (3 Occurrences)

Job 39:13
"The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; but are they the feathers and plumage of love?
(WEB ASV DBY NAS RSV)

Ezekiel 17:3
and say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: A great eagle with great wings and long feathers, full of feathers, which had various colors, came to Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar:
(See NAS RSV NIV)

Ezekiel 17:7
There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and behold, this vine did bend its roots toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him, from the beds of its plantation, that he might water it.
(See NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Plumage

Related Terms

Plumb-line (2 Occurrences)

Plummet (4 Occurrences)

Vertical (1 Occurrence)

Plumbline (2 Occurrences)

Pardon (31 Occurrences)

Setting (82 Occurrences)

Level (31 Occurrences)

Tools (3 Occurrences)

Emptiness (17 Occurrences)

Despises (16 Occurrences)

Plumage (3 Occurrences)

Porcupine (3 Occurrences)

Building (249 Occurrences)

Pelican (5 Occurrences)

Spare (80 Occurrences)

Overflow (43 Occurrences)

Measuring (42 Occurrences)

Range (9 Occurrences)

Raven (7 Occurrences)

Sweep (34 Occurrences)

Owl (11 Occurrences)

Zerubbabel (25 Occurrences)

Amos (12 Occurrences)

Hail (42 Occurrences)

Hiding (53 Occurrences)

Stretch (73 Occurrences)

Confusion (71 Occurrences)

Refuge (111 Occurrences)

Plucking Off the Hair
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