The vulture is a bird of prey that is mentioned several times in the Bible, often symbolizing desolation, judgment, and uncleanliness. In the biblical context, vultures are associated with death and decay, as they are scavengers that feed on carrion. The Hebrew word often translated as "vulture" is "da'ah" or "dayyah," which can also refer to other birds of prey.

Biblical References:

1. Leviticus 11:13-14 · In the Mosaic Law, the vulture is listed among the birds that are considered unclean and not to be eaten: "Additionally, you are to detest the following birds, and they must not be eaten because they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the kite, any kind of falcon."

2. Deuteronomy 14:12-13 · This passage reiterates the dietary laws concerning unclean birds: "But these you may not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, the falcon, any kind of kite."

3. Job 28:7 · The vulture is noted for its keen eyesight: "No bird of prey knows that path; no falcon’s eye has seen it."

4. Isaiah 34:15 · In a prophecy concerning the desolation of Edom, the vulture is mentioned as one of the creatures that will inhabit the ruins: "There the owl will make her nest and lay her eggs; she will hatch and gather her young under her shadow. Even the birds of prey will gather there, each with its mate."

5. Matthew 24:28 · In the New Testament, Jesus uses the imagery of vultures to describe the visibility and inevitability of His coming: "Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather."

Symbolism and Interpretation:

In biblical symbolism, vultures often represent impending judgment and destruction. Their presence is a sign of death and the aftermath of divine retribution. The imagery of vultures gathering around a carcass is used to depict the certainty and swiftness of God's judgment upon the wicked.

The vulture's role as a scavenger also underscores the concept of uncleanliness in the Levitical laws. As creatures that consume dead flesh, vultures are seen as ritually impure, and their inclusion in the list of unclean animals serves as a reminder of the importance of holiness and separation from death and decay.

Cultural and Natural Context:

In the ancient Near East, vultures were a common sight, often seen circling in the sky, searching for their next meal. Their ability to locate carrion from great distances made them a powerful symbol of perception and inevitability. The biblical authors used the natural behavior of vultures to convey spiritual truths, drawing on the bird's characteristics to illustrate divine principles.

The vulture's keen eyesight, as mentioned in Job 28:7, is emblematic of discernment and awareness, qualities that are valued in the pursuit of wisdom and understanding. However, the vulture's association with death and decay serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of sin and the reality of divine judgment.Vulture

The rendering in the Authorized Version of the Hebrew daah, dayyah , and also in (Job 28:7) of ayyah . There seems no doubt that the Authorized Versions translation is incorrect, and that the original words refer to some of the smaller species of raptorial birds, as kites or buzzards. [KITE] But the Hebrew word nesher , invariably rendered "eagle" in the Authorized Version, is probably the vulture. [EAGLE]

Vulture

The vulture is called a bird of prey, because it lives on flesh; but it has not such strong claws as the eagle, to seize and tear its food. It does not often kill other animals; but preys upon those that have been killed in some other way, or have died of themselves. It is a disagreeable bird, and one that you would not like very well to see; no wonder the Israelites were forbidden to eat it. It is about a yard long from the top of its head, and it sometimes measures two yards across the wings.

It lives only in warm or hot climates, and there it is very useful, though you might at first be puzzled to think how this can be. It is because it lives upon such things as would be very injurious to man if they were left to decay in the open air. It not only consumes the dead bodies of animals, but takes away many things from the streets of the cities which the inhabitants are too indolent to remove. It is for this reason that in the city of Cairo, in Egypt, there is a law forbidding any person to kill a vulture. These birds sometimes follow an army, and prey upon the bodies of those poor soldiers who have been killed in battle. Ah! it is a sad thing to go to war; almost every thing about it is sad.

The vulture has a very keen eye, and, like the eagle, can see what is on the ground, even when it is very high in the air. This is referred to in the book of Job. "There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen." It often happens in those countries that almost as soon as an ox, or a horse, or any other large animal has been killed, great multitudes of vultures will gather around, though not one could be seen in the sky before. they seem to fly down from every part of the heavens, and being to pull and struggle for the flesh of the animal; until in the course of a few hours nothing is left but the bones. We read in Isaiah, "There shall the vultures be gathered, every one with her mate." This must have been written by one who had seen these birds coming together, as they do in great flocks or companies.

Vulture

A large bird of prey, belonging to the genus hawks, and including a great many species. It is pronounced unclean by Moses, Le 11:14 De 14:13. See BIRDS. The vulture has a naked or downy head, a bare neck and long wings, and is disgusting to every sense, especially to the smell. It is a carrion bird, though not exclusively, and has extraordinary powers of vision. Scarcely can an exhausted camel fall on it route and die, before numbers of these filthy scavengers show themselves in the distance, hastening to the spot, Job 28:7.

(1.) Hebrews da'ah (Leviticus 11:14). In the parallel passage (Deuteronomy 14:13) the Hebrew word used is ra'ah, rendered "glede;" LXX., "gups;" Vulg., "milvus." A species of ravenous bird, distinguished for its rapid flight. "When used without the epithet `red,' the name is commonly confined to the black kite. The habits of the bird bear out the allusion in Isaiah 34:15, for it is, excepting during the winter three months, so numerous everywhere in Palestine as to be almost gregarious." (see EAGLE.)

(2.) In Job 28:7 the Hebrews `ayyah is thus rendered. The word denotes a clamorous and a keen-sighted bird of prey. In Leviticus 11:14 and Deuteronomy 14:13 it is rendered "kite" (q.v.).

(n.) Any one of numerous species of rapacious birds belonging to Vultur, Cathartes, Catharista, and various other genera of the family Vulturidae.VULTURE

vul'-tur (da'ah; Septuagint gups, and iktinos; Latin Vulturidae): Any member of a family of large birds that subsist wholly or in part on carrion. The largest vulture of Palestine was the Lammer-geier. This bird waited until smaller vultures, eagles and hawks stripped a carcass to the bone, then carried the skeleton aloft and dashed it on the rocks until the marrow could be secured. This was a favorite delicacy. This bird was fond of tortoise also, and is said to have dropped the one that struck the bald head of Aeschylus, which the bird mistook for a stone, so causing the death of the poet. Several smaller species, including "Pharaoh's chickens," flocked all over Palestine. These were protected by a death penalty for their value as scavengers in cities. They fed on carcasses of animals that killed each other, ate putrid fish under the nests of pelican and cormorant, followed caravans across the desert, and were ready for offal thrown from animals dressed for feasting. They flocked over the altars for the entrails from sacrifice, and devoured scraps cast aside by tent-dwellers and residents of cities. They paired with affectionate courting and nested in crevices, in walls, hollow trees and on cliffs. They raised only one pair of young to the season, as the nestlings were over two months old before they took wing. The young were white at first, then black feathers enveloped them. On account of their steady diet of carrion, no one ever has been able to use their flesh for food, although some daring ornithologists have tried. For this reason the vulture was placed among the abominations and should by right have headed the lists (Leviticus 11:18 Deuteronomy 14:13). The other references that used to be translated "vulture" in the King James Version, the Septuagint elaphos, Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) correctly milous) are changed to "falcon" and "kite." Isaiah 34:15 changes "vulture" to "kite." Job 28:7 changes "vulture" to "falcon."

Gene Stratton-Porter

7360. racham -- carrion vulture
... 7359, 7360. racham or rachamah. 7361 . carrion vulture. Transliteration: racham
or rachamah Phonetic Spelling: (raw-khawm') Short Definition: vulture. ...
/hebrew/7360.htm - 6k

6538. peres -- (a bird of prey) perhaps bearded vulture
... 6537b, 6538. peres. 6539 . (a bird of prey) perhaps bearded vulture.
Transliteration: peres Phonetic Spelling: (peh'-res) Short Definition: vulture. ...
/hebrew/6538.htm - 6k

5822. ozniyyah -- (a bird of prey) perhaps vulture
... 5821, 5822. ozniyyah. 5823 . (a bird of prey) perhaps vulture. Transliteration:
ozniyyah Phonetic Spelling: (oz-nee-yaw') Short Definition: buzzard. ...
/hebrew/5822.htm - 6k

344. ayyah -- a hawk, falcon, kite
... kite, vulture. Perhaps from 'iy; the screamer, ie A hawk -- kite, vulture.
see HEBREW 'iy. 343, 344. ayyah. 345 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/344.htm - 6k

1772. dayyah -- perhaps a kite (a bird of prey)
... vulture. Intensive from da'ah; a falcon (from its rapid flight) -- vulture. see
HEBREW da'ah. 1771, 1772. dayyah. 1773 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1772.htm - 6k

1676. daah -- perhaps kite (a bird of prey)
... vulture. From da'ah; the kite (from its rapid flight) -- vulture. See ra'ah. see
HEBREW da'ah. see HEBREW ra'ah. 1675, 1676. daah. 1677 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1676.htm - 6k

7201. raah -- glede
... Word Origin scribal error for daah, qv. glede From ra'ah; a bird of prey (probably
the vulture, from its sharp sight) -- glede. Compare da'ah. see HEBREW ra'ah. ...
/hebrew/7201.htm - 6k

The Eagle and Its Brood
... the carnivorous vulture. ... Our modern repugnance to the vulture as feeding on
carcasses was probably not felt by the singer of this song. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the eagle and its brood.htm

Preface. What is Sanctification?
... speed. THE BUZZARD AND VULTURE. The buzzard and the vulture will find food
if they look for it, but with them we are not concerned. ...
/.../rees/the heart-cry of jesus/preface what is sanctification.htm

The New Heart
... He is a carrion vulture but he is never satisfied; he is a very serpent with the
poison of asps beneath his tongue, but he spits his venom afar off as well as ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the new heart.htm

Egypt
... The northern kingdom was symbolised by the snake and papyrus, the southern
kingdom by the vulture and aloe. The vulture was the ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter v egypt.htm

De Utero, Et Conceptione Atque Sexibus.
... tis, ultra quam sexus; ratio permittat; aut valida membra, aut immoderatam Iongitudinem,
aut fuscum colorem, aut hispidam faciem, aut vulture indecorum, aut ...
/.../lactantius/on the workmanship of god/chap xii de utero et conceptione.htm

Further Diplomacy
... the hands were clenched hard. Her head was forced forward, the long neck
curved sinuously like a vulture's. She began to speak in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxvi further diplomacy.htm

Victor Emmanuel, Emancipator
... The case of manhood bound like Prometheus to the rock, and preyed upon by the vulture
of hell, appeared utterly hopeless, and the more so because the prisoner ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/victor emmanuel emancipator.htm

The Hidden Path
... HYMNS THE HIDDEN PATH. "There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's
eye hath not seen.""Job 28:7. TP. tr., Emma Frances Bevan, 1899. ...
/.../bevan/hymns of ter steegen and others second series/the hidden path.htm

Frank Leigh's Song. AD 1586
... smart? Ah ruthless dove, the vulture's talons wearing, Why flesh them,
traitress, in this faithful heart? Is this my meed? Must ...
/.../kingsley/andromeda and other poems/frank leighs song a d 1586.htm

Thy Footsteps are not Known
... Job 28. O path which no eagle knoweth,. No vulture's eye hath seen,. Where
never the lion goeth,. Nor the fierce lion's track hath been; ...
/.../bevan/hymns of ter steegen suso and others/thy footsteps are not known.htm

Vulture (16 Occurrences)
... Vulturidae. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. VULTURE. vul'-tur ... on carrion.
The largest vulture of Palestine was the Lammer-geier. This ...
/v/vulture.htm - 14k

Vulture's (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Vulture's (1 Occurrence). Job 28:7 There is a path which
no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen: (KJV DBY). ...
/v/vulture's.htm - 6k

Carrion-vulture (2 Occurrences)
Carrion-vulture. Carrion, Carrion-vulture. Carry . Multi-Version
Concordance Carrion-vulture (2 Occurrences). Leviticus ...
/c/carrion-vulture.htm - 6k

Ossifrage (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Hebrews peres = to "break" or "crush", the lammer-geier,
or bearded vulture, the largest of the whole vulture tribe. ...
/o/ossifrage.htm - 10k

Osprey (4 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 11:13 And these ye shall have in detestation among the fowls; they shall
not be eaten, they are a detestable thing: the great vulture, and the ...
/o/osprey.htm - 8k

Eagle (27 Occurrences)
... nesher; properly the griffon vulture or great vulture, so called from its tearing
its prey with its beak), referred to for its swiftness of flight (Deuteronomy ...
/e/eagle.htm - 28k

Vultur (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Vultur (2 Occurrences). Leviticus 11:14 And the
vulture, and the kite after his kind; (Root in KJV WBS YLT). ...
/v/vultur.htm - 6k

Buzzard (3 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 11:13 "'These you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten,
they are an abomination: the eagle, and the vulture, and the black vulture...
/b/buzzard.htm - 7k

Carrion (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Carrion (3 Occurrences). Leviticus 11:18 and the swan,
and the pelican, and the carrion vulture, (DBY JPS NAS RSV). ...
/c/carrion.htm - 7k

Swooping (4 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 28:49 The LORD will bring a nation against thee from far, from the end
of the earth, as the vulture swoopeth down; a nation whose tongue thou shalt ...
/s/swooping.htm - 7k

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