Lexical Summary ozniyyah: Owl Original Word: עָזְנִיָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance ospray Probably feminine of oz; probably the sea-eagle (from its strength) -- ospray. see HEBREW oz NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition (a bird of prey) perhaps vulture NASB Translation buzzard (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs עָזְנִיָּה noun feminine (unclean) bird of prey, apparently akin to vulture (NowArchaeology i. 84, 116), named + נֶשֶׁר, מֶּרֶס Deuteronomy 14:12; Leviticus 11:13 (H); = osprey TristrNHB 184 DrDeuteronomy 14:12 (others vulture DiLeviticus 11:13) (√ unknown; conjectures see in Di; perhaps foreign word). Topical Lexicon Name and IdentificationThe term designates a large bird of prey that modern scholars variously identify as the bearded vulture (also called the lammergeier) or, less commonly, the osprey. Both birds were known in the lands of ancient Israel. The bearded vulture, with its distinctive “beard,” bone-cracking habits, and preference for rugged cliffs, fits the cultural memory of an impressive raptor to be avoided as food. Biblical Occurrences • Leviticus 11:13 In each passage the bird appears in a list of creatures Israel was forbidden to eat. The language places it between other powerful raptors—“the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture” (Leviticus 11:13)—underscoring its stature among birds yet its unclean status for dietary purposes. Natural History and Identification If understood as the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), the bird ranges from the Caucasus through the Middle East into Africa. With a wingspan that can exceed nine feet, it nests on high crags and feeds mainly on carrion, extracting marrow by dropping bones from great heights. Should the term denote the osprey (Pandion haliaetus), the focus would be a fish-eating hawk seen along the Mediterranean and Jordan Rift; either way, the species is a conspicuous, untamable hunter—a fitting emblem of the untamed creation over which humanity has limited dominion (Job 41:10–11). Place in the Mosaic Dietary Law The dietary laws set Israel apart from surrounding nations, teaching holiness through everyday choices (Leviticus 11:44–45). The prohibited birds share common traits: they are predators or scavengers connected with blood or death. By refusing such meat, Israel enacted a lived parable: God’s people distance themselves from corruption and respect the life that belongs to Him alone (Genesis 9:4). The presence of this bird in the list therefore highlights reverence for life and boundaries around death. Theological and Symbolic Considerations 1. Separation from Death: The bearded vulture’s diet of bone marrow vividly associates it with death. Exclusion from Israel’s table dramatizes the nation’s separation from defilement. Intertestamental and Rabbinic Reception Second-Temple writings retain the bird in catalogues of uncleanness, often glossing it as a species dwelling in desolate places. Rabbinic tradition (for example, in the Mishnah, Hullin 3) discusses its identification, sometimes pointing to its bone-eating habit as proof of its unfitness for consumption. Lessons for Christian Ministry • Teaching Holiness: The entry offers a concrete illustration when expounding Leviticus or Acts—showing how God used tangible regulations to form a holy people and how Christ fulfills and deepens that call. Related Biblical Themes Unclean birds – Leviticus 11:13–19; Deuteronomy 14:12–18 Holiness in daily life – Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:15–16 Fulfillment in Christ – Mark 7:19; Acts 10:9–16 Summary Strong’s Hebrew 5822 names a formidable raptor whose presence in the dietary code reinforces Israel’s identity as a people set apart. While modern believers are not bound by the food laws, the spiritual principles they convey—respect for life, separation from corruption, and gratitude for redemption—remain abiding truths. Forms and Transliterations הָעָזְנִיָּֽה׃ העזניה׃ וְהָֽעָזְנִיָּֽה׃ והעזניה׃ hā‘āzənîyāh hā·‘ā·zə·nî·yāh haazeniYah veHaazeniYah wə·hā·‘ā·zə·nî·yāh wəhā‘āzənîyāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 11:13 HEB: הַפֶּ֔רֶס וְאֵ֖ת הָעָזְנִיָּֽה׃ NAS: and the vulture and the buzzard, KJV: and the ossifrage, and the ospray, INT: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard Deuteronomy 14:12 2 Occurrences |
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