Exodus 19:4

19:4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt and how I lifted you on eagles’ wings ¹  and brought you to myself. ² 

Leviticus 11:13

Clean and Unclean Birds

11:13 “‘These you are to detest from among the birds – they must not be eaten, because they are detestable: ³  the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,

Psalms 103:5

103:5 who satisfies your life with good things, ⁴ 

so your youth is renewed like an eagle’s. ⁵ 

Proverbs 23:5

23:5 When you gaze upon riches, ⁶  they are gone,

for they surely make wings for themselves,

and fly off into the sky like an eagle! ⁷ 

Isaiah 40:31

40:31 But those who wait for the Lord’s help ⁸  find renewed strength;

they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, ⁹ 

they run without growing weary,

they walk without getting tired.

Hosea 8:1

God Will Raise Up the Assyrians to Attack Israel

8:1 Sound the alarm! ¹⁰ 

An eagle ¹¹  looms over the temple of the Lord!

For they have broken their covenant with me, ¹² 

and have rebelled against my law.

[19:4]  ¹ tn The figure compares the way a bird would teach its young to fly and leave the nest with the way Yahweh brought Israel out of Egypt. The bird referred to could be one of several species of eagles, but more likely is the griffin-vulture. The image is that of power and love.

[19:4]  ² sn The language here is the language of a bridegroom bringing the bride to the chamber. This may be a deliberate allusion to another metaphor for the covenant relationship.

[11:13]  ³ tn For zoological remarks on the following list of birds see J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:662-64; and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 159-60.

[103:5]  ⁴ tc Heb “who satisfies with the good of your ornaments.” The text as it stands makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes an emendation of עֶדְיֵךְ (’ed’ekh, “your ornaments”) to עֹדֵכִי (’odekhiy, “your duration; your continuance”) that is, “your life” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 18).

[103:5]  ⁵ sn The expression your youth is renewed like an eagle’s may allude to the phenomenon of molting, whereby the eagle grows new feathers.

[23:5]  ⁶ tc The Kethib is הֲתָעוּף (hata’uf), “do your eyes fly [light] on it?” The Qere is the Hiphil, הֲתָעִיף (hata’if) “do you cause your eyes to fly on it?” But the line is difficult. The question may be indirect: If you cast your eyes on it, it is gone – when you think you are close, it slips away.

[23:5]  ⁷ sn This seventh saying warns people not to expend all their energy trying to get rich because riches are fleeting (cf. Instruction of Amememope, chap. 7, 9:10-11 which says, “they have made themselves wings like geese and have flown away to heaven”). In the ancient world the symbol of birds flying away signified fleeting wealth.

[40:31]  ⁸ tn The words “for the Lord’s help” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[40:31]  ⁹ tn Heb “they rise up [on] wings like eagles” (TEV similar).

[8:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “A horn unto your gums!”; NAB “A trumpet to your lips!”

[8:1]  ¹¹ tn Or perhaps “A vulture.” Some identify the species indicated by the Hebrew term נֶשֶׁר (nesher) as the griffon vulture (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[8:1]  ¹² tn Heb “my covenant” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “the covenant I made with them.”