Eagle

Eagle occurs in Scripture as the translation of the Hebrews נֶשֶׁר (ne'sher, so called from tearing its prey with its beak; occurs Ex 19:4; Le 11:13; De 14:12; De 28:49; De 32:11; 2Sa 1:23; Job 9:26; Job 39:27; Ps 103:5; Pr 23:5; Pr 30:17,19; Isa 40:31; Jer 4:13; Jer 48:40; Jer 49:16,22; La 4:19; Eze 1:10; Eze 10:14; Eze 17:3,7; Ho 8:1; Ob 1:4; Mic 1:16; Hab 1:8), with which all the designations of the kindred dialects agree, Chald. נשִׁר (neshar', Da 4:33; Da 7:4), Sept. and N.T. ἀετός (Mt 24:28; Lu 17:37; Re 4:7; Re 12:14). As there are many species of eagles, the nesher, when distinguished from others, seems to have denoted the chief species, the golden eagle, χρυσαίετος, as in Le 11:13; De 14:12. The word, however, seems to have had a broader acceptation, and, like the Greek ἀετός and Arabic nesr (see Bochart, Hieroz. 2:312 sq.), sometimes comprehends also a species of vulture, especially in those passages where the nesher is said to be bald (Mic 1:16), and to feed on carcasses (Job 29:25; Pr 30:17; Mt 24:28), which, however the true eagle will occasionally do. See GIER-EAGLE; see HAWK; see OSPREY; see OSSIFRAGE; see VULTURE.

1. The characteristics of the eagle referred to in the Scriptures are its swiftness of flight (De 28:49; 2Sa 1:23; Jer 4:13; Jer 49:22; La 4:19, etc.); its mounting high into the air (Job 39:27; Pr 23:5; Pr 30:19; Isa 40:31; Jer 49:16); its strength and vigor (in Ps 103:5); its predaceous habits (Job 9:26; Pr 30:17; compare AElian, Anim. 10:14); its setting its nest in high places (in Jer 49:16; comp. Aristotle, Anim. 9:22; Pliny, 10:4); the care in training its young to fly (in Ex 19:4; De 32:11); its powers of vision (in Job 39:29; comp. Homer, Il. 17:674; AElian, Anim. 1:42; Isidore, Origg. 12:1; Pliny, 12:88); and its molting (Ps 103:5). As king of birds, the eagle naturally became an emblem of powerful empires (Eze 17:3,7), especially in the symbolical figures of Babylon (Da 7:4), and the cherubim (Eze 1:10; Eze 10:14; Re 4:7), like the griffin of classical antiquity. See CREATURE, LIVING. Eaglets are referred to in Pr 30:17 as first picking out the eyes of their prey.

The following is a close translation of a graphic description of raptorial birds of this class which occurs in the book of Job (39:26-30):