Topical Encyclopedia In the biblical context, the term "prey" often refers to animals or people that are hunted or captured by predators or enemies. The concept of prey is used both literally and metaphorically throughout the Scriptures, illustrating themes of vulnerability, judgment, and divine protection.Old Testament Usage The Hebrew word most commonly translated as "prey" is "טֶרֶף" (terep), which appears in various contexts. In Genesis 49:9, Jacob blesses his son Judah, saying, "Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion, he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?" . Here, "prey" signifies the spoils or gains of a lion, symbolizing strength and victory. In the prophetic literature, "prey" often denotes the spoils of war or the victims of conquest. For instance, in Isaiah 10:6, God speaks of sending Assyria against a "godless nation," to seize "spoil and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like clay in the streets" . The imagery of prey highlights the vulnerability of those who are subject to divine judgment through foreign invaders. The theme of prey is also present in the context of divine justice and protection. In Ezekiel 34:8, God condemns the leaders of Israel for failing to protect His people: "As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because My flock lacks a shepherd and has become prey for all the wild beasts, and because My shepherds did not search for My flock but fed themselves instead" . Here, the people of Israel are depicted as prey due to the negligence of their leaders, emphasizing the need for righteous and protective leadership. New Testament Usage While the New Testament does not frequently use the term "prey," the concept is present in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. In Matthew 7:15, Jesus warns against false prophets, describing them as "wolves in sheep's clothing." The metaphor of wolves preying on sheep underscores the danger posed by deceptive leaders who seek to exploit the faithful. The apostle Peter also uses similar imagery in 1 Peter 5:8, where he exhorts believers to be vigilant: "Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" . Here, the devil is likened to a predator seeking prey, highlighting the spiritual warfare faced by Christians and the need for steadfast faith. Theological Implications The concept of prey in the Bible serves as a powerful metaphor for the human condition, illustrating the vulnerability of individuals and nations apart from God's protection. It also underscores the reality of spiritual and physical threats in a fallen world. The imagery of prey and predator is used to convey the consequences of sin, the justice of God, and the hope of deliverance through divine intervention. Throughout Scripture, God is portrayed as a protector who rescues His people from those who seek to prey upon them. In Psalm 124:6-7, the psalmist declares, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler; the snare is broken, and we have escaped" . This passage reflects the assurance of God's deliverance and the ultimate triumph of His people over their adversaries. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (n.) Anything, as goods, etc., taken or got by violence; anything taken by force from an enemy in war; spoil; booty; plunder.2. (n.) That which is or may be seized by animals or birds to be devoured; hence, a person given up as a victim. 3. (n.) The act of devouring other creatures; ravage. 4. (n.) To take booty; to gather spoil; to ravage; to take food by violence. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia BIRDS OF PREYpra: They were undoubtedly the first birds noticed by the compilers of Biblical records. They were camp followers, swarmed over villages and perched on the walls of cities. They were offensive in manner and odor, and of a boldness unknown to us in birds. They flocked in untold numbers, there was small defense against them, and the largest and strongest not only carried away meat prepared for food and sacrifice, but also preyed upon the much-prized house pigeons, newly born of the smaller animals, and even at times attacked young children. See Genesis 15:11, "And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away." Because they were attracted from above the clouds by anything suitable for food, people recognized that these were birds of unusual vision. When Job wanted to tell how perfectly the path to the gold mine was concealed, he wrote, "That path no bird of prey knoweth" (Job 28:7). The inference is, that, if it were so perfectly concealed that it escaped the piercing eyes of these birds, it was not probable that man would find it. These birds were so strong, fierce and impudent that everyone feared them, and when the prophets gave warning that people would be left for birds of prey to ravage, they fully understood what was meant, and they were afraid (Isaiah 18:6). In His complaint against His heritage, Yahweh questions, "Is my heritage unto me as a speckled bird of prey? are the birds of prey against her round about?" (Jeremiah 12:9). And when he prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah painted a dreadful picture, but one no doubt often seen in that land of pillage and warfare: "Their dead bodies will I give to be food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth" (Jeremiah 19:7). PREY pra (baz, Tereph, shalal): "Prey" is frequent in the Old Testament, chiefly as the translation of baz, "spoil," "plunder" (Numbers 14:3, 11 Deuteronomy 1:39 Isaiah 10:6, etc.); of Tereph, "prey of wild beasts," "torn thing" (Genesis 49:9 Numbers 23:24 Job 4:11, etc.); of malqoah, "a taking" (Numbers 31:11, etc.; Isaiah 49:24, 25); of shalal, "spoil" or "booty" (Judges 5:30 twice; Judges 8:24, 25 Isaiah 10:2, etc.). Maher-shalal-chash-baz (the Revised Version margin "The spoil speedeth, the prey hasteth") was the symbolical name given to a son of Isaiah (Isaiah 8:1, 3). "Prey" does not occur in the New Testament, but is found in the Apoc: 1 Esdras 8:77, "for our sins.... were given up.... for a prey" (pronome); Judith 9:4; 16:05; 1 Maccabees 7:47; Ecclesiasticus 27:10 (thera); Judith 5:24 (katabroma). Greek 2339. thera -- a hunting, prey ... a hunting, prey. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: thera Phonetic Spelling: (thay'-rah) Short Definition: hunting, entrapping Definition: hunting ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2339.htm - 6k 1404. drakon -- a dragon (a mythical monster) 4812. sulagogeo -- to carry off as spoil 105. aetos -- an eagle 1387. dolioo -- to deceive 2785. ketos -- a huge fish Strong's Hebrew 2964. tereph -- prey, food, a leaf... 2963, 2964. tereph. 2965 . prey, food, a leaf. Transliteration: tereph Phonetic Spelling: (teh'-ref) Short Definition: prey. Word ... /hebrew/2964.htm - 6k 5706. ad -- booty, prey 5861. ayit -- a bird of prey 7998. shalal -- a prey, spoil, plunder, booty 4455a. malqoach -- booty, prey 2863. chetheph -- prey 7994. shalak -- (bird of prey) probably cormorant 4455. malqowach -- booty, prey 4122. Maher Shalal Chash Baz -- "swift (is) booty, speedy (is) ... 5822. ozniyyah -- (a bird of prey) perhaps vulture Library The Prey of the Terrible Weak People Fall an Easy Prey to Heresy, which Derives Strength ... Allow Me to Fall a Prey to the Wild Beasts. How Abram Fought with the Assyrians, and Overcame Them, and Saved ... To what the Soul May be Compared which is a Prey to the Attacks of ... God's Distribution must Regulate Our Desires, Otherwise we Become ... Concerning Theodore, the Keeper of the Sacred Vessels of Antioch. ... December 24. "And Seekest Thou Great Things for Thyself? Seek them ... How the Hebrews Fought with the Midianites, and Overcame Them. Nahum's Doom of Nineveh Thesaurus Prey (105 Occurrences)... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. BIRDS OF PREY. pra: They were undoubtedly the first birds noticed by the compilers of Biblical records. ... /p/prey.htm - 42k Booty (32 Occurrences) Raven (7 Occurrences) Loot (15 Occurrences) Spoils (19 Occurrences) Plundered (44 Occurrences) Lioness (13 Occurrences) Roaring (28 Occurrences) Whelp (4 Occurrences) Tearing (11 Occurrences) Resources Why did God create mosquitoes? | GotQuestions.orgWhat can we learn from the tribe of Benjamin? | GotQuestions.org Who/what is the Lion of the tribe of Judah? | GotQuestions.org Prey: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Prey (105 Occurrences)Acts 11:6 Colossians 2:8 Genesis 15:11 Genesis 34:29 Genesis 49:9 Genesis 49:27 Numbers 14:3 Numbers 14:9 Numbers 14:31 Numbers 23:24 Numbers 31:9 Numbers 31:11 Numbers 31:12 Numbers 31:26 Numbers 31:27 Numbers 31:32 Deuteronomy 1:39 Deuteronomy 2:35 Deuteronomy 3:7 Deuteronomy 20:14 Joshua 8:2 Joshua 8:27 Joshua 11:14 Judges 5:30 Judges 8:24 Judges 8:25 1 Samuel 14:36 2 Kings 21:14 2 Chronicles 25:13 2 Chronicles 28:14 Nehemiah 4:4 Esther 3:13 Esther 8:11 Esther 9:10 Esther 9:15 Esther 9:16 Job 4:11 Job 9:12 Job 9:26 Job 17:5 Job 24:5 Job 28:7 Job 29:17 Job 38:39 Job 38:41 Job 39:29 Psalms 17:12 Psalms 22:13 Psalms 63:10 Psalms 76:4 Psalms 104:21 Psalms 111:5 Psalms 124:6 Proverbs 12:12 Proverbs 12:27 Proverbs 23:28 Isaiah 5:29 Isaiah 8:1 Isaiah 10:2 Isaiah 10:6 Isaiah 18:6 Isaiah 31:4 Isaiah 33:23 Isaiah 42:22 Isaiah 46:11 Isaiah 49:24 Isaiah 49:25 Isaiah 59:15 Jeremiah 2:14 Jeremiah 12:9 Jeremiah 15:13 Jeremiah 17:3 Jeremiah 20:5 Jeremiah 21:9 Jeremiah 30:16 Jeremiah 38:2 Jeremiah 39:18 Jeremiah 45:5 Jeremiah 50:10 Ezekiel 7:21 Ezekiel 13:21 Ezekiel 19:3 Ezekiel 19:6 Ezekiel 22:25 Ezekiel 22:27 Ezekiel 26:12 Ezekiel 29:19 Ezekiel 34:8 Ezekiel 34:22 Ezekiel 34:28 Ezekiel 36:4 Ezekiel 36:5 Ezekiel 38:12 Ezekiel 38:13 Ezekiel 39:4 Daniel 11:24 Hosea 9:13 Amos 3:4 Amos 3:5 Nahum 2:11 Subtopics Related Terms |
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