Feathers are mentioned in the Bible primarily as symbols of protection, care, and divine shelter. They are often used metaphorically to describe God's providence and the safety He offers to His people. The imagery of feathers evokes a sense of warmth, security, and gentle care, much like a bird covering its young with its wings.

Biblical References:

1. Psalm 91:4 · "He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart."
This verse is one of the most well-known references to feathers in the Bible. It portrays God as a protective figure, akin to a bird shielding its offspring. The imagery suggests a close, intimate relationship between God and His followers, emphasizing trust and safety under His care.

2. Deuteronomy 32:11 · "Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, He spread His wings to catch them and carried them on His pinions."
Here, the metaphor of an eagle is used to describe God's guidance and protection. The eagle's wings and pinions (feathers) are symbols of strength and support, illustrating how God actively nurtures and sustains His people.

3. Ezekiel 17:3 · "Say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: A great eagle with great wings, long pinions, and full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar.’"
In this parable, feathers are part of the description of a great eagle, symbolizing power and majesty. The eagle's feathers are indicative of its grandeur and the far-reaching influence it possesses.

4. Daniel 4:33 · "At that moment the sentence against Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from mankind, ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird."
In this passage, feathers are used to describe the transformation of King Nebuchadnezzar during his period of humbling. The comparison to eagle feathers highlights the extent of his altered state and the severity of his condition.

Symbolism and Interpretation:

Feathers in the Bible are rich with symbolic meaning. They often represent God's protective nature, as seen in the Psalms and Deuteronomy. The imagery of being covered by feathers suggests a nurturing and safeguarding presence, offering comfort and security to believers. This symbolism aligns with the broader biblical theme of God as a refuge and fortress for His people.

In prophetic and parabolic contexts, such as in Ezekiel and Daniel, feathers can also symbolize majesty, transformation, and the consequences of pride. The use of feathers in these narratives underscores the power and sovereignty of God, as well as the humbling of those who exalt themselves.

Overall, feathers in the Bible serve as a powerful metaphor for divine protection, care, and the transformative power of God's will. They remind believers of the intimate and protective relationship they have with their Creator, who shelters them under His wings.FEATHERS

feth'-erz (notsah; Latin penna): "Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings (the Revised Version (British and American) "pinions") and feathers (the American Standard Revised Version "plumage") unto the ostrich?" (Job 39:13 the King James Version); "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust; his truth shall be thy shield and buckler" (Psalm 91:4 the King James Version). In the Revised Version (British and American) this is again changed to pinions. in Daniel 4:33 the word "feathers" is left. The wonderful plumage of birds was noted and prized in those days, just as now. Old ostriches were too tough and rank of flesh for food. They were pursued for their feathers, which were used for the headdressing and shield ornaments of desert princes. No one doubts that the ships of Solomon introduced peacocks because of their wonderful feathers. Those of the eagle were held in superstitious reverence as late as the days of Pliny, who was ten years old at the time of the crucifixion of Christ. Pliny wrote that the eagle was so powerful that if its feathers be laid in a box with those of other birds, the eagle feathers would "devour and consume all the rest."

Gene Stratton-Porter

5133. notsah -- plumage
... Definition: plumage. Word Origin from natsah Definition plumage NASB Word Usage
feathers (1), plumage (3). feathers, ostrich. Or notsah ...
/hebrew/5133.htm - 6k

1469. gozal -- young birds
... young pigeon. Or (shortened) gozal {go-zawl'}; from gazal; a nestling (as being
comparatively nude of feathers) -- young (pigeon). see HEBREW gazal. ...
/hebrew/1469.htm - 6k

5775. oph -- flying creatures
... From uwph; a bird (as covered with feathers, or rather as covering with wings),
often collectively -- bird, that flieth, flying, fowl. see HEBREW uwph. ...
/hebrew/5775.htm - 6k

The Tournament at Constantinople.
... a sun of wondrous brilliancy. His horse, an iron grey, was graced with
a plume of gold-bespangled feathers. Before him rode the ...
/.../the seven champions of christendom/chapter twelve the tournament at.htm

The Sheltering Wing
... 'He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust:
His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.' "Psalm 91:4. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the sheltering wing.htm

You Observe How He Treats Ambrose. First, He Calls Him a Crow and ...
... First, he calls him a crow and says that he is black all over; then he calls him
a jackdaw who decks himself in other birds' showy feathers; and then he rends ...
/.../25 you observe how he.htm

Qu??nam De Procreatione Liberorum Tractanda Sint.
... But the new crop of feathers, like new clothes, produces a kind of colouring of
the feathers, and a little after it evaporates in the rigour of winter, as a ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter x name de procreatione.htm

Vive Jesus. Preface.
... the rays of the sun; you will see their plumage break into as many different colours
as you change your point of viewing them; because their feathers are so ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/vive jesus preface.htm

No Condemnation
... of flight and the reality of faith, used with another set of associations in another
psalm, which says: 'He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/no condemnation.htm

The Presentation of the Blessed virgin in the Temple
... reddish-fair hair, curling at the ends, had been combed smooth, and she wore a wreath
of white wool or silk ornamented at intervals with striped feathers, of a ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/iii the presentation of the.htm

Of Two Degrees of Perfection with which this Commandment May be ...
... And as a phoenix newly hatched from out its ashes, having as yet but little, tender
feathers and its first down, can only essay short flights, in which it ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter iv of two degrees.htm

Do You Know Yourself?
... not satisfy. No, sister, it is not the flowers on your hat nor the feathers
nor fine dresses, that you are really desiring. You ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk fifty-six do you know.htm

1879-1880. Experiences among Indians --Picnic in the Bush ...
... This was surmounted by a turban cap of scarlet, and white beads, a row of feathers
all round it, and in front three or four very long bright feathers standing ...
/.../lowe/gods answers/chapter viii 1879-1880 experiences among.htm

Feathers (9 Occurrences)
...FEATHERS. feth'-erz (notsah; Latin penna): "Gavest thou the goodly wings unto
the peacocks? ... in Daniel 4:33 the word "feathers" is left. ...
/f/feathers.htm - 10k

Feathered (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (imp. & pp) of Feather. 2. (a.) Clothed, covered, or fitted with (or as with)
feathers or wings; as, a feathered animal; a feathered arrow. ...
/f/feathered.htm - 7k

Peacock
... The peacock has a bill of moderate size with an arched tip, its cheeks are bare,
the eyes not large, but very luminous, a crest of 24 feathers 2 inches long ...
/p/peacock.htm - 11k

Plumage (3 Occurrences)
... Plumage (3 Occurrences). Job 39:13 "The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; but are
they the feathers and plumage of love? (WEB ASV DBY NAS RSV). ...
/p/plumage.htm - 7k

Stork (6 Occurrences)
... In Job 39:13 (AV), instead of the expression "or wings and feathers unto the ostrich"
(marg., "the feathers of the stork and ostrich"), the Revised Version has ...
/s/stork.htm - 14k

Pluck (41 Occurrences)
... to pull with sudden force or effort, or to pull off or out from something, with
a twitch; to twitch; also, to gather, to pick; as, to pluck feathers from a fowl ...
/p/pluck.htm - 19k

Pinion (4 Occurrences)
... British and American) has translated these Hebrew words uniformly by "pinion," where
the King James Version uses either "wing" or "feathers," with which words ...
/p/pinion.htm - 9k

Ostrich (9 Occurrences)
... brood, and builds a nest elsewhere." In Job 39:13 this word in the Authorized Version
is the rendering of a Hebrew word (notsah) which means "feathers," as in ...
/o/ostrich.htm - 18k

Dove (27 Occurrences)
... that he had the wings of a dove, that he might fly away and be at rest (Psalm
55:6-8). There is a species of dove found at Damascus "whose feathers, all except ...
/d/dove.htm - 28k

Eagle (27 Occurrences)
... It is said that the eagle sheds his feathers in the beginning of spring,
and with fresh plumage assumes the appearance of youth. ...
/e/eagle.htm - 28k

What is Bethel Church, Redding CA? | GotQuestions.org

Is it wrong for a Christian to have a dream catcher? | GotQuestions.org

Is it biblical to refer to God as God the mother? | GotQuestions.org

Feathers: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus