3733. ornis

Lexicon

ornis: Bird

Original Word: ὄρνις
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: ornis
Pronunciation: OR-nis
Phonetic Spelling: (or'-nis)
Definition: Bird
Meaning: a bird, fowl, hen.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

hen.

Probably from a prolonged form of the base of oros; a bird (as rising in the air), i.e. (specially), a hen (or female domestic fowl) -- hen.

see GREEK oros

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
a bird, spec. a rooster or hen
NASB Translation
hen (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3733: ὄρνιξ

ὄρνιξ (so manuscripts א D), equivalent to ὄρνις (which see): Luke 13:34 Tdf. The nominative is not found in secular writings, but the trisyllabic forms ὀρνιχος, ὀρνιχι for ὀρνιθος, etc., are used in Doric; (Photius (edited by Porson, p. 348, 22) Ἰωνες ὄρνιξ ... καί Δωριεις ὄρνιξ. Cf. Curtius, p. 495).

STRONGS NT 3733: ὄρνιςὄρνις, ὀρνιθος, ὁ, ἡ (ὈΡΩ, ὄρνυμι, (see ὄρθρος));

1. a bird; so from Homer down.

2. specifically, a cock, a hen: Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34 (Tdf. ὄρνιξ, which see); (so Aeschylus Eum. 866; Xenophon, an. 4, 5, 25; Theocritus, Polybius 12, 26, 1; (others)).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from a primary word (or perhaps related to ὄρνυμι, meaning "to stir up" or "to rouse").

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • H6833 צִפּוֹר (tsippor): A bird, often used in the Old Testament to refer to small birds or sparrows, highlighting God's care for even the smallest of His creatures.
• H5775 עוֹף (oph): A general term for birds or flying creatures, used in various contexts to describe the avian life created by God.

These Hebrew terms, like ὄρνις, are employed in Scripture to draw attention to the natural world as a reflection of divine attributes and to teach spiritual lessons through the observation of creation.

Usage: The term ὄρνις is used in the New Testament to refer to birds in a general sense, often highlighting their characteristics or behaviors in metaphorical teachings.

Context: The Greek word ὄρνις appears in the New Testament in contexts that draw upon the natural behaviors of birds to illustrate spiritual truths. One notable usage is found in the teachings of Jesus, where He employs the imagery of a hen gathering her chicks to convey His protective and nurturing desire for Jerusalem. This metaphor underscores themes of care, protection, and the longing for a wayward people to return to safety under divine wings.

In Matthew 23:37 (BSB), Jesus laments, "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!" Here, ὄρνις is used to depict the tender and protective nature of Christ's love and His sorrow over the rejection of His message.

The use of ὄρνις in the New Testament reflects a broader biblical theme where birds are often symbolic of God's care and provision. This is consistent with Old Testament imagery, where birds are used to illustrate God's providence and the natural order He sustains.

Forms and Transliterations

ορνίεων ορνις όρνις ὄρνις οροδάμνοις ornis órnis

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 23:37 N-NMS
GRK: ὃν τρόπον ὄρνις ἐπισυνάγει τὰ
NAS: the way a hen gathers
KJV: together, even as a hen gathereth her
INT: in which way a hen gathers together the

Luke 13:34 N-NMS
GRK: ὃν τρόπον ὄρνις τὴν ἑαυτῆς
NAS: just as a hen [gathers] her brood
KJV: as a hen [doth gather] her
INT: that way a hen [gathers] her

Strong's Greek 3733
2 Occurrences

ὄρνις — 2 Occ.