Lev 11:13-15 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 13. And these-among the fowls-the eagle ] nesher , from nashar , to lacerate, cut , or tear to pieces ; hence the eagle , a most rapacious bird of prey, from its tearing the flesh of the animals it feeds on; and for this purpose birds of prey have, in general, strong, crooked talons and a hooked beak. The eagle is a cruel bird, exceedingly ravenous, and almost insatiable. The ossifrage ] Or bone-breaker, from os , a bone , and frango, I break , because it not only strips off the flesh, but breaks the bone in order to extract the marrow . In Hebrew it is called peres , from paras , to break or divide in two , and probably signifies that species of the eagle anciently known by the name of ossifraga , and which we render ossifrage . Ospray ] ozniyah , from azan , to be strong, vigorous ; generally supposed to mean the black eagle , such as that described by Homer , Iliad. lib. xxi., ver. 252. αιετουοιματεχωνμελανοςτουθηρητηρος, οςθαμακαρτιστοςτεκαιωκιστοςπετεηνων. "Having the rapidity of the black eagle , that bird of prey, at once the swiftest and the strongest of the feathered race." Among the Greeks and Romans the eagle was held sacred, and is represented as carrying the thunderbolts of Jupiter. This occurs so frequently, and is so well known, that references are almost needless. See Scheuchzer .

‏ Leviticus 11:13-15

Verse 13. And these-among the fowls-the eagle] nesher, from nashar, to lacerate, cut, or tear to pieces; hence the eagle, a most rapacious bird of prey, from its tearing the flesh of the animals it feeds on; and for this purpose birds of prey have, in general, strong, crooked talons and a hooked beak. The eagle is a cruel bird, exceedingly ravenous, and almost insatiable.

The ossifrage] Or bone-breaker, from os, a bone, and frango, I break, because it not only strips off the flesh, but breaks the bone in order to extract the marrow. In Hebrew it is called peres, from paras, to break or divide in two, and probably signifies that species of the eagle anciently known by the name of ossifraga, and which we render ossifrage.

Ospray] ozniyah, from azan, to be strong, vigorous; generally supposed to mean the black eagle, such as that described by Homer, Iliad. lib. xxi., ver. 252.

αιετουοιματεχωνμελανοςτουθηρητηρος,

οςθαμακαρτιστοςτεκαιωκιστοςπετεηνων.

"Having the rapidity of the black eagle, that bird of prey, at once the swiftest and the strongest of the feathered race."

Among the Greeks and Romans the eagle was held sacred, and is represented as carrying the thunderbolts of Jupiter. This occurs so frequently, and is so well known, that references are almost needless. See Scheuchzer.

Verse 14. The vulture] daah, from the root to fly, and therefore more probably the kite or glede, from its remarkable property of gliding or sailing with expanded wings through the air. The daah is a different bird from the daiyah, which signifies the vulture. See Bochart, vol. iii., col. 195.

The kite] aiyah, thought by some to be the vulture, by others the merlin. Parkhurst thinks it has its name from the root avah, to covet, because of its rapaciousness; some contend that the kite is meant. That it is a species of the hawk, most learned men allow. See Bochart, vol. iii., col. 192.

Verse 15. Every raven] oreb, a general term comprehending the raven, crow, rook, jackdaw, and magpie.