Lexical Summary yaen: Wine Original Word: יָעֵן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance ostrich From the same as ya'an; the ostrich (probably from its answering cry -- ostrich. see HEBREW ya'an NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition ostrich NASB Translation ostriches (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [יָעֵן] noun [masculine] ostrich (i.e. voracious one ?); — only plural absolute ענים בַּמִּדְבָּר ׳כ Lamentations 4:3 Kt; Qr כַּיְעֵנִים. Topical Lexicon Description and Natural History The ostrich is the world’s largest living bird, yet it is flightless, relying on powerful legs for speed that can exceed sixty kilometers per hour. Its native range includes the arid and semi-arid regions of Africa and the Middle East—exactly the kind of terrain evoked by biblical references to wilderness and desolation. Tall stature, bare neck, and formidable kick make it both conspicuous and formidable. Ancient Near Eastern peoples prized its feathers and eggs, and it was familiar enough to serve as a literary image of both abandonment and startling vigor. Occurrences in Scripture Strong’s Hebrew 3283 (יָעֵן) appears twice in Lamentations 4:3, where Jeremiah contrasts natural compassion—even among wild creatures—with the unnatural hardness that had taken hold of besieged Jerusalem: “Even jackals offer the breast to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like ostriches in the wilderness.” (Lamentations 4:3) Although other passages employ the feminine form (H-3284), the thematic thrust remains consistent, so the broader ostrich motif in Scripture sheds light on H-3283. Symbol of Cruelty and Neglect Job 39:13-17 portrays the ostrich as a mother who “leaves her eggs on the ground” and “treats her young harshly.” Lamentations draws on that reputation to underscore Judah’s moral collapse: siege-induced starvation produced mothers who withheld the milk their infants required, an abandonment made more shocking when measured against even the perceived callousness of ostriches. The prophet’s point is not zoological precision but theological indictment: sin makes people less compassionate than the brutish creatures they once named (Genesis 2:19-20). Emblem of Desolation Prophets often list ostriches among the first inhabitants of ruined cities. “Ostriches will dwell there” (Isaiah 13:21) summarizes a judgment scene in which Babylon becomes so utterly emptied of human life that only desert-loving animals remain. Isaiah 34:13 and Jeremiah 50:39 use the same image, and Micah 1:8 employs the bird’s mournful cry as a figure for lament. These prophetic texts treat the ostrich as a barometer of devastation: where it thrives, covenant breakers have fallen. Witness to Divine Sovereignty Job 39:17 concludes, “For God has deprived her of wisdom; He has not endowed her with understanding.” The ostrich thus illustrates a larger theme in Job: the limits of human appraisal and the breadth of divine governance. What appears foolish or cruel in creation has a place in the wisdom of the LORD. The creature’s blazing speed (Job 39:18) further reminds readers that apparent weakness can mask unexpected prowess, another testimony to the Creator’s inscrutable design. Ministry Applications 1. Compassion: Lamentations 4:3 warns that sin deadens natural affections. Pastoral care must therefore call God’s people to Spirit-empowered tenderness that exceeds common grace. Historical and Cultural Notes Archaeological finds include ostrich-egg flasks and feather ornaments from the second millennium B.C., confirming the bird’s economic value in the Levant. Its reputation for neglect likely arose from observing eggs left in shallow nests warmed by desert heat and from chicks wandering independently soon after hatching. Such traits, filtered through Near Eastern storytelling, furnished the biblical writers with a vivid symbol readily understood by their hearers. Theological Reflection Where the ostrich figures in judgment texts, the hope of redemption is never far away. Isaiah 43:19-20 anticipates a day when “the ostriches” will honor the LORD because He provides “water in the wilderness.” The same creature that signals curse also participates in the blessing of new creation, showing that grace can transform the very landscapes (and lives) once marked by ruin. Forms and Transliterations כִּי כַּיְעֵנִ֖ים כי כיענים kay‘ênîm kay·‘ê·nîm kayeNim ki kîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Lamentations 4:3 HEB: עַמִּ֣י לְאַכְזָ֔ר [כִּי כ] [עֵנִים NAS: has become cruel Like ostriches in the wilderness. KJV: [is become] cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. INT: of my people cruel ostrich ostrich the wilderness Lamentations 4:3 2 Occurrences |
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