Lexical Summary raah: To see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider Original Word: רָאָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance glede From ra'ah; a bird of prey (probably the vulture, from its sharp sight) -- glede. Compare da'ah. see HEBREW ra'ah see HEBREW da'ah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originscribal error for daah, q.v. Topical Lexicon Identity of the Bird רָאָה (raʼah) designates a bird of prey—usually identified as a kite, falcon, or buzzard—known for soaring flight and sharp vision. Modern ornithologists commonly suggest the black kite (Milvus migrans) or a closely related raptor native to the Levant. Its predatory nature, carrion-feeding habits, and association with death set it apart within Israel’s avifauna. Biblical Occurrence and Context Deuteronomy 14:13 places the רָאָה in the catalogue of birds Israelites were forbidden to eat: “the red kite, the falcon, and any kind of kite”. Though the term appears only here, the larger section parallels Leviticus 11:13–19 in identifying birds whose habits symbolized impurity. In Mosaic legislation these dietary boundaries served as visible reminders of covenant distinction (Leviticus 20:25–26). Ritual and Ethical Significance 1. Separation unto holiness: By abstaining from scavenging raptors, Israel dramatized the call to be “a holy people to the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 14:2). Symbolic Themes in Scripture • Judgment and desolation—Birds of prey often signal divine retribution (Genesis 15:11; Revelation 19:17–18). Historical Insights Ancient Near-Eastern cultures sometimes revered raptors as omens or deities. By declaring the רָאָה unclean, the Torah repudiated such idolatry and preserved Israel from syncretism. Archaeological findings of kites painted on Egyptian tombs and Assyrian reliefs confirm their ubiquity, highlighting the counter-cultural nature of Israel’s dietary boundaries. Ministry Applications • Teaching holiness: Preachers can use the solitary reference to illustrate how even obscure commands point to God’s perfection and our need for Christ’s atoning work. Christological and Missional Resonance The distinction between clean and unclean foreshadowed the greater cleansing accomplished in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:13–14). Peter’s rooftop vision (Acts 10) shows that ceremonial restrictions served a temporary purpose; the gospel now declares every nation—once symbolically “unclean”—eligible for the saving grace of God. Yet the moral principle of separation from sin endures (2 Corinthians 6:17). Related Passages for Further Study Leviticus 11:13–19; Genesis 9:4; Isaiah 34:15; Jeremiah 7:33; Revelation 18:2. Forms and Transliterations וְהָרָאָה֙ והראה veharaAh wə·hā·rā·’āh wəhārā’āhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 14:13 HEB: וְהָרָאָה֙ וְאֶת־ הָ֣אַיָּ֔ה KJV: And the glede, and the kite, INT: and the glede the falcon and the vulture 1 Occurrence |
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