Lexical Summary nossia: Brood, Nestling Original Word: νοσσιά Strong's Exhaustive Concordance brood. From neossos; a brood (of chickens) -- brood. see GREEK neossos NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom nossos Definition a brood of young birds NASB Translation brood (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3555: νοσσίανοσσία, νοσσιᾶς, ἡ (for νεοσσιά, the earlier and more common form (cf. WH's Appendix, p. 145), from νεοσσός, which see), the Sept. for קֵן; 1. a nest of birds. 2. a brood of birds: Luke 13:34 (but L text νοσσία, see the following word). (Deuteronomy 32:11 (Genesis 6:14; Numbers 24:22; Proverbs 16:16, etc.).) Strong’s 3555 appears only once in the Greek New Testament, in Luke 13:34, where the Lord Jesus depicts Jerusalem’s children as a “brood” that He longed to shelter beneath protective wings. Though rare in vocabulary, the concept is woven throughout Scripture, employing the familiar sight of a mother bird shielding her young to convey divine compassion and covenant safety. Old Testament Background • Psalm 91:4 – “He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge.” These passages frame God’s care in parent-bird imagery: vigilant, sacrificial, willing to absorb peril to preserve the helpless. By the time of Jesus, the motif was cherished in Jewish worship and liturgy (cf. the Qumran Hodayot and rabbinic prayers that speak of taking refuge in God’s “shadowing wings”). New Testament Usage: Luke 13:34 Luke records Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem during His journey to the cross: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!” (Luke 13:34) Key observations: 1. Repeated address (“Jerusalem, Jerusalem”) intensifies grief and urgency. Matthew 23:37 records the same lament near the Temple courts, showing that Christ’s heart remained constant from Galilee to Jerusalem. Theological Themes • Covenant Compassion – The image affirms the steadfast lovingkindness (Hebrew chesed) that persists even when rejected (Hosea 11:1–4). Historical and Cultural Insights First-century listeners routinely observed domestic hens gathering chicks at twilight or during sudden storms. Such behavior supplies a vivid analogy: chicks disappear beneath plumage, fully enveloped. Early Jewish sources liken the Shekinah to wings overshadowing the mercy seat (Exodus 25:20), and the Dead Sea Scrolls call the community “nestlings” under God’s wings. Jesus thus speaks in imagery already resonant with Temple worship and family life. Pastoral and Ministry Applications 1. Intercessory Burden – Like Christ, believers lament spiritual indifference and plead for repentance (Romans 9:1–3). Related Biblical Motifs • The “shadow” of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). Together these figures portray a God who is simultaneously tender and formidable, inviting yet uncompromising. Conclusion The solitary occurrence of Strong’s 3555 in Luke 13:34 serves as a doorway into a rich biblical tapestry. Through it believers behold the aching heart of Christ, the continuity of redemptive compassion from Sinai to Calvary, and the invitation that still stands: to be gathered, sheltered, and cherished in the everlasting covenant of grace. |
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