the osprey
The osprey, a bird of prey, is known for its fishing skills and is often found near bodies of water. Its inclusion in the list of unclean birds may relate to its predatory nature, which contrasts with the peaceful and clean animals permitted for consumption. The osprey's diet and habitat might have been seen as inconsistent with the dietary laws that emphasized purity and separation from the practices of surrounding nations. The osprey's role as a hunter could also symbolize the destructive power that God's people were to avoid embodying.

the cormorant
The cormorant, another water bird, is known for its diving ability and is often associated with coastal regions. Its classification as unclean may be due to its scavenging habits, as it feeds on fish and other marine life, which could be seen as unclean or impure. The cormorant's presence in the list highlights the broader theme of distinguishing between clean and unclean, a principle that extends beyond dietary laws to encompass moral and spiritual purity. This distinction is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are called to live lives set apart from worldly corruption (2 Corinthians 6:17).

“...the desert owl...” (Deuteronomy 14:17) appears in the middle of God’s list of birds that Israel must not eat.

• The desert owl is a solitary, nocturnal scavenger that lives among ruins and barren places. Scripture regularly links it with desolation—“The desert owl and the screech owl will possess it” (Isaiah 34:11); “I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins” (Psalm 102:6).

• By banning such a bird from the dinner table, the Lord was teaching His people to avoid everything associated with death and judgment. Choosing life was to be visible even in daily meals (cf. Deuteronomy 30:19).

• The command also underscored Israel’s distinctiveness: while neighboring nations freely ate carrion-eaters, Israel’s diet reminded them they belonged to a holy God who calls His people to be “holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

Next comes “...the osprey...” (Deuteronomy 14:17).

• This powerful fish-eating raptor is likewise on the forbidden list in Leviticus 11:13, where the Lord says, “These, moreover, you shall detest among the birds... the osprey.”

• The osprey’s sharp talons and predatory habits picture violence and bloodshed—qualities God did not want mirrored in His people’s diet or character.

• While the osprey beautifully testifies to God’s creative wisdom (compare Job 39:26, where He asks, “Does the hawk take flight by your understanding...?”), it still feeds on living prey. Israel was reminded that not everything admirable in creation is suitable for consumption or imitation; discernment matters.

Finally, “...the cormorant...” (Deuteronomy 14:17).

• A cormorant is a large, dark water bird that dives for fish and often regurgitates them for its young. Because it frequents shorelines littered with dead sea life, it was reckoned unclean. Leviticus 11:17 repeats the ban: “the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl.”

• Prophetic passages link such birds with places laid waste by judgment; for example, “The desert owl and the screech owl will possess it” (Isaiah 34:11). The association reinforces the message: God’s people must distance themselves from anything tied to uncleanness and curse.

• The command also protected Israel from possible disease carried by fish-eating or scavenging birds—an early mercy embedded in divine law.

Deuteronomy 14:17 singles out three birds—the desert owl, the osprey, and the cormorant—as off-limits for Israel’s diet. Each creature, while part of God’s good creation, embodies traits linked with desolation, predation, or impurity. By refusing such meat, Israel demonstrated practical holiness, daily remembering that the Lord had set them apart from death-marked nations to walk in life, purity, and discernment.

Parallel Commentaries ...