Lexical Summary ephroach: Chick, young bird Original Word: אֶפְרחַ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance young one From parach (in the sense of bursting the shell); the brood of a bird -- young (one). see HEBREW parach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom parach Definition a young one NASB Translation young (2), young ones (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs [אֶפְרֹחַ] noun masculineJob 39:30 young one, plural young ones, young, of birds (Ethiopic  id.); — אֶפְרֹחִים Deuteronomy 22:6 (twice in verse); suffix אֶפְרֹחָו Job 39:30, אֶפְרֹחֶיהָ Psalm 84:4. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Concept The word denotes the newly hatched offspring of birds—the tender, down-covered “young ones” still dependent on the mother. Because they are helpless, the term carries connotations of vulnerability, nurture, and the beginnings of life. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Deuteronomy 22:6 introduces the word twice: “If you come across a bird’s nest … and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, you must not take the mother with the young”. Historical and Cultural Background Ancient Israel was agrarian, and nests were frequently encountered while gathering wood, olives, or dates. Removing a brooding hen with her chicks would have threatened a local bird population; preserving the mother ensured ongoing provision and ecological balance. The statute therefore taught both stewardship of creation and restraint of greed. Legal and Ethical Dimensions Deuteronomy 22:6–7 links mercy toward birds with covenant blessing: sparing the mother “so that it may go well with you.” The command stands alongside other humane laws—rest for livestock (Exodus 23:12), protection of mother animals (Leviticus 22:28)—showing that divine righteousness extends even to non-human life. By singling out the frail ephrach, Scripture inculcates sensitivity toward all who cannot defend themselves. Literary Diversity • In legal narrative (Deuteronomy) the term grounds a concrete command. Theological Reflections The tender image of chicks beneath parental wings echoes the larger biblical theme of God sheltering His people (Deuteronomy 32:11; Ruth 2:12; Matthew 23:37). It underlines: Ministry and Pastoral Application • Compassionate stewardship: Christian ethics should mirror the Creator’s care, promoting responsible treatment of animals and the environment. Christological Overtones Jesus references birds to illustrate the Father’s watchful care (Matthew 6:26; 10:29–31). His lament over Jerusalem—“how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Matthew 23:37)—transforms the ephrach motif into a picture of Messianic compassion. At the cross, the vulnerable Redeemer becomes the means by which the vulnerable find refuge. Related Imagery in Prophets and Writings Isaiah 31:5; 40:11; and Psalm 91:4 develop the wing-shelter theme, enriching the theology of God’s protective love first glimpsed in the tender care of a brood of chicks. Forms and Transliterations אֶפְרֹ֫חֶ֥יהָ אֶפְרֹחִים֙ אפרחיה אפרחים הָֽאֶפְרֹחִ֔ים האפרחים וְאֶפְרֹחָ֥יו ואפרחיו ’ep̄·rō·ḥe·hā ’ep̄·rō·ḥîm ’ep̄rōḥehā ’ep̄rōḥîm efRoCheiha efroChim hā’ep̄rōḥîm hā·’ep̄·rō·ḥîm haefroChim veefroChav wə’ep̄rōḥāw wə·’ep̄·rō·ḥāwLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 22:6 HEB: עַל־ הָאָ֗רֶץ אֶפְרֹחִים֙ א֣וֹ בֵיצִ֔ים NAS: or on the ground, with young ones or KJV: or on the ground, [whether they be] young ones, or eggs, INT: on the ground young or eggs Deuteronomy 22:6 Job 39:30 Psalm 84:3 4 Occurrences |
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