In biblical literature, the term "swoop" is often associated with suddenness and swiftness, typically in the context of divine intervention, judgment, or the actions of predators. The imagery of a swoop conveys a sense of rapid and decisive action, often with an element of surprise or overwhelming force.

Biblical References and Imagery

1. Predatory Birds: The Bible frequently uses the imagery of birds of prey to describe a swift and decisive action. In Job 9:26 , the fleeting nature of life is compared to "eagles swooping down on their prey." This metaphor highlights the suddenness and inevitability of certain events, much like the unexpected descent of a bird of prey.

2. Divine Judgment: The concept of a swoop is also used to describe the suddenness of God's judgment. In Hosea 8:1 , the prophet warns Israel, "Put the trumpet to your lips! An eagle is over the house of the LORD because they have broken My covenant and transgressed My law." Here, the eagle's swoop symbolizes the impending and unavoidable judgment due to the people's disobedience.

3. Military Conquests: The Bible uses the imagery of a swoop to describe the rapid and overwhelming nature of military conquests. In Habakkuk 1:8 , the Chaldeans are described as having horses "swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their horsemen charge ahead; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour." This passage emphasizes the speed and ferocity of the Chaldean army, likening their approach to the swift and deadly swoop of an eagle.

4. Protection and Deliverance: Conversely, the imagery of a swoop can also be used in a positive sense, depicting God's protective and deliverance actions. In Deuteronomy 32:11 , God is likened to an eagle that "stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions." This portrays God's care and swift intervention to protect and guide His people.

Theological Implications

The use of "swoop" in the Bible underscores the themes of divine sovereignty and the certainty of God's actions, whether in judgment or deliverance. It serves as a reminder of the power and authority of God, who acts with precision and purpose. The suddenness associated with a swoop also calls believers to be vigilant and prepared, as the timing of God's interventions is often unexpected.

Moral and Spiritual Lessons

The imagery of a swoop teaches important moral and spiritual lessons. It warns of the consequences of disobedience and the certainty of divine justice, urging individuals and nations to remain faithful to God's covenant. At the same time, it offers comfort and assurance of God's protective care, encouraging trust in His providence and timing.

In summary, the concept of a swoop in biblical texts serves as a powerful metaphor for the sudden and decisive nature of both divine judgment and deliverance, reflecting the overarching themes of God's sovereignty and faithfulness throughout Scripture.1. (n.) To fall on at once and seize; to catch while on the wing; as, a hawk swoops a chicken.

2. (n.) To seize; to catch up; to take with a sweep.

3. (v. i.) To descend with closed wings from a height upon prey, as a hawk; to swoop.

4. (v. i.) To pass with pomp; to sweep.

5. (n.) A falling on and seizing, as the prey of a rapacious bird; the act of swooping.

5774a. uph -- to fly
... root Definition to fly NASB Word Usage brandish (1), flew (4), flies (3), flies
away (2), fly (4), fly away (3), flying (6), set (1), swoop down (1). ...
/hebrew/5774a.htm - 5k

5860. iyt -- to scream, shriek
... fly, rail A primitive root; to swoop down upon (literally or figuratively) --
fly, rail. 5859, 5860. iyt. 5860a . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/5860.htm - 5k

1675. daah -- to fly swiftly, dart through the air
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to fly swiftly, dart through the air NASB Word
Usage fly swiftly (1), sped (1), swoop (1), swoops down (1). fly. ...
/hebrew/1675.htm - 6k

The Law of Change, or Mutation, Universal.
... of Italy, severed to the centre by the shivering shock of the Adriatic and the
Tyrrhenian seas, leaves Sicily as its relics; when that total swoop of discission ...
/.../tertullian/on the pallium/chapter ii the law of change.htm

The Power of this Twofold Patience, the Spiritual and the Bodily ...
... [9170] "whom neither the driving away of his cattle nor those riches of his in sheep,
nor the sweeping away of his children in one swoop of ruin, nor, finally ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/of patience/chapter xiv the power of this.htm

Magic and Sorcery Only Apparent in their Effects God Alone Can ...
... handle (their wretched system)"that manifold pest of the mind of man, that artificer
of all error, that destroyer of our salvation and our soul at one swoop. ...
/.../tertullian/a treatise on the soul/chapter lvii magic and sorcery only.htm

Heroic Faith
... stretches unbroken from the Euphrates to the uplands on the east of Jordan, was
infested then as now by wild bands of marauders, who might easily swoop down on ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/heroic faith.htm

Letter Xlvi. Paula and Eustochium to Marcella.
... mother near us? Will you leave us to dread the swoop of the hawk and the
shadow of each passing bird of prey? Separated from you ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xlvi paula and eustochium.htm

But Perhaps Some one Will Say, we Give to the Gods Sacrifices and ...
... For the whole company of the learned will straightway swoop upon us, who, asserting
and proving that whatever happens, happens according to the decrees of fate ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/10 but perhaps some one.htm

Whether the Operation of Contemplation is Fittingly Divided into a ...
... "For some of these rise at one time to a great height, at another swoop down to
earth, and they do so repeatedly; others fly now to the right, now to the left ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the operation of contemplation.htm

The Word that Scatters Fear
... Down on the rich valleys and peaceful pasture lands they swoop for booty, not for
conquest. Like some sea-bird, they snatch their prey and away. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the word that scatters fear.htm

Four Sowings and one Ripening
... own English cornfields, a flock of bold, hungry birds watch the sower; and, as soon
as his back is turned, they are down with a swift-winged swoop, and away ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/four sowings and one ripening.htm

To Olympias. Do not be Anxious on My Behalf, nor Rack Yourself ...
... not a little distressed by this kind of trial); [933] yet not even this, nor the
loss of children, even should they be torn from us in one fell swoop, nor the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chrysostom/on the priesthood/to olympias do not be.htm

Swoop (5 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) To seize; to catch up; to take with a sweep. 3. (vi) To descend with closed
wings from a height upon prey, as a hawk; to swoop. ...Swoop (5 Occurrences). ...
/s/swoop.htm - 8k

Stoop (10 Occurrences)
... 7. (vi) To come down as a hawk does on its prey; to pounce; to souse; to swoop. ... 15.
(n.) The fall of a bird on its prey; a swoop. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/s/stoop.htm - 10k

Swooping (4 Occurrences)
... & vb. n.) of Swoop. ... (See RSV NIV). Jeremiah 48:40 For thus saith the LORD: Behold,
he shall swoop as a vulture, and shall spread out his wings against Moab. ...
/s/swooping.htm - 7k

Swooned (3 Occurrences)

/s/swooned.htm - 7k

Swoopeth (2 Occurrences)

/s/swoopeth.htm - 6k

Soup (10 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To sup or swallow. 3. (vt) To breathe out. 4. (vt) To sweep. See Sweep,
and Swoop. Multi-Version Concordance Soup (10 Occurrences). ...
/s/soup.htm - 9k

Scoop (2 Occurrences)
... or foreign bodies. 4. (n.) A place hollowed out; a basin like cavity;
a hollow. 5. (n.) A sweep; a stroke; a swoop. 6. (n.) The ...
/s/scoop.htm - 7k

Cherubim (63 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV). Psalms 18:10 And He rode upon a cherub, and
did fly; yea, He did swoop down upon the wings of the wind. (See NIV). ...
/c/cherubim.htm - 40k

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