Birds: Furnished With Claws
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In the Bible, birds are often mentioned as part of God's creation, serving various symbolic and practical purposes. Birds furnished with claws are particularly noteworthy due to their distinct characteristics and roles within the biblical narrative. These birds are typically associated with predatory behavior, strength, and sometimes divine judgment or protection.

Biblical References and Symbolism

1. Eagles: Among the most frequently mentioned birds with claws in the Bible are eagles. Known for their powerful talons, eagles symbolize strength, swiftness, and the ability to rise above challenges. In Exodus 19:4 , God uses the imagery of an eagle to describe His deliverance of Israel: "You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself." This metaphor highlights God's protective and nurturing nature.

2. Hawks and Falcons: These birds of prey are also noted for their sharp claws and keen eyesight. In Job 39:26 , the hawk is mentioned in the context of God's creation and the natural order: "Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south?" The rhetorical question emphasizes God's sovereignty and wisdom in creation.

3. Owls: While not always associated with positive imagery, owls are mentioned in the Bible as creatures of desolation and judgment. Their claws, adapted for hunting, contribute to their portrayal as symbols of desolation. Isaiah 34:11 describes a scene of judgment: "The desert owl and screech owl will possess it; the great owl and the raven will dwell in it." Here, the presence of owls signifies the complete desolation of a land under divine judgment.

4. Vultures: Known for their scavenging nature, vultures are equipped with strong claws for tearing flesh. In the Bible, they often appear in contexts of death and decay. In Matthew 24:28 , Jesus uses the imagery of vultures to describe the inevitability of judgment: "Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather." This serves as a stark reminder of the certainty of divine justice.

Practical and Spiritual Lessons

Birds with claws in the Bible often serve as reminders of God's power and the natural order He established. Their predatory nature and strength are used to convey messages of protection, judgment, and the awe-inspiring aspects of creation. For instance, the eagle's ability to soar high and its powerful talons are frequently used to illustrate God's care and the believer's call to rise above earthly challenges through faith.

Moreover, these birds underscore the theme of divine providence. As creatures that rely on their God-given instincts and abilities to survive, they remind believers of the importance of trusting in God's provision and wisdom. In Matthew 6:26 , Jesus encourages His followers to consider the birds of the air: "Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

In summary, birds furnished with claws in the Bible are rich in symbolism and meaning. They reflect aspects of God's character, His creation, and His interaction with humanity, offering both practical and spiritual insights for believers.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Daniel 4:33
The same hour was the thing fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Creation of Moving Creatures.
... on the earth, produce mules and certain birds contrary to the ... a solid rampart with
which nature has furnished its soft ... the one to the other, the claws of the ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily vii the creation of.htm

A Letter from a West Indian Cottage Ornee
... The flowers, the birds, the insects, are all a ... no prehensile tails; for they are
cats, furnished with those ... useful and potent engines, retractile claws; a form ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter v a letter from.htm

Thanksgiving to God for Deliverance from the Evils Expected Owing ...
... forth as a sort of spears, repel the birds, and do ... has his horns; the wild boar his
tusks; the lion his claws. But God hath not furnished the nature of my body ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily xi thanksgiving to god.htm

On the Study of Zoology.
... these, some, such as men, horses, birds, fishes, snails ... will show you that its great
claws are no ... structural, or other, facts which furnished the demonstration ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/vi on the study of.htm

On the Words, Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all Things visible ...
... the soaring of the most senseless of the birds, how wouldest ... and others do battle
with their claws; while the ... the sight is weak, the Creator furnished it with ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture ix on the words.htm

Search the Scriptures
... We are here furnished with a great answer to the inquiry""To the law and to ... being
driven out from men, until his nails did grow like birds' claws, and his ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/search the scriptures.htm

The Temples and the Gods of Chaldaea
... worked in as best they could, birds' claws, fishes' scales ... upon two legs terminating
in eagle's claws; in addition to his arms, which were furnished with sharp ...
/.../chapter iithe temples and the.htm

A Book for Boys and Girls Or, Temporal Things Spritualized.
... Their house must be well furnished, be in print,[21 ... Let not the voice of night birds
us afflict, And of ... One claws it up-hill without stop or check, Another down ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a book for boys and.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... until it was carried beyond the shelter furnished by Cape ... all the gods adore
(thee),"the birds no longer ... the wearer; the paws, with the claws attached, hung ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The Close of the Theban Empire
... We find in them, arranged in juxtaposition, signs representing flowers, birds, fish,
quadrupeds ... it from a similar source to that which has furnished those we ...
/.../chapter iiithe close of the.htm

Resources
What does it mean that Jesus had nowhere to lay His head? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of the Parable of the Mustard Seed? | GotQuestions.org

What does God want me to do? | GotQuestions.org

Birds: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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Subtopics

Birds

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Birds of Abomination

Birds of Cruel and Rapacious Kings

Birds of Hostile Nations

Birds of People of Different Countries

Birds of Prey

Birds of the Devil and his Spirits

Birds of Unsettled Person

Birds: (Snaring) Death

Birds: (Snaring) Designs of the Wicked

Birds: Appointed for Food

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Birds: Called: Birds of the Air

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Birds: Called: Fowls of Heaven

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Birds: Called: Winged Fowl

Birds: Can all be Tamed

Birds: Clean: Cock and Hen

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Birds: Clean: Dove

Birds: Clean: Offered in Sacrifice

Birds: Clean: Partridge

Birds: Clean: Pigeon

Birds: Clean: Quail

Birds: Clean: Sparrow

Birds: Clean: Swallow

Birds: Clean: To be Eaten

Birds: Clean: Turtle

Birds: Confinement of, in Cages Alluded To

Birds: Created by God

Birds: Created for the Glory of God

Birds: Creation of, on the Fifth Creative Day

Birds: Differ in Flesh from Beasts and Fishes

Birds: Divine Care of

Birds: Domesticated

Birds: Early Distinguished Into Clean and Clean

Birds: Figurative

Birds: Fly Above the Earth

Birds: Furnished With Claws

Birds: Given As Food to Man

Birds: God Provides For

Birds: Habits of

Birds: Have Each Their Peculiar Note or Song

Birds: Herb of the Field Given As Food To

Birds: Inhabit: Deserted Cities

Birds: Inhabit: Deserts

Birds: Inhabit: Marshes

Birds: Inhabit: Mountains

Birds: Instinct of, Inferior to Man's Reason

Birds: Instinctively Fear Man

Birds: Instincts of

Birds: Lessons of Wisdom to be Learned From

Birds: Make Their Nests in Clefts of Rocks

Birds: Make Their Nests in Deserted Cities

Birds: Make Their Nests in Trees

Birds: Make Their Nests: On the Ground

Birds: Make Their Nests: Under the Roofs of Houses

Birds: Make, and Dwell in Nests

Birds: Man's Dominion Over

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Birds: Nests of

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Birds: Often Remove from Places Suffering Calamities

Birds: Often Suffered for Man's Sin

Birds: Often Worshipped by Idolaters

Birds: Power Over Given to Man

Birds: Propagated by Eggs

Birds: Rapid Flight of, Alluded To

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Birds: Taken in Snares or Nets

Birds: The Blood of, not to be Eaten

Birds: The Property of God

Birds: Unclean: Bat

Birds: Unclean: Bittern

Birds: Unclean: Cormorant

Birds: Unclean: Cuckoo

Birds: Unclean: Eagle

Birds: Unclean: Gier Eagle

Birds: Unclean: Glede

Birds: Unclean: Great Owl

Birds: Unclean: Hawk

Birds: Unclean: Heron

Birds: Unclean: Kite

Birds: Unclean: Lapwing

Birds: Unclean: Little Owl

Birds: Unclean: Nighthawk

Birds: Unclean: Not to be Eaten

Birds: Unclean: Osprey

Birds: Unclean: Ossifrage

Birds: Unclean: Ostrich

Birds: Unclean: Owl

Birds: Unclean: Peacock

Birds: Unclean: Pelican

Birds: Unclean: Raven

Birds: Unclean: Stork

Birds: Unclean: Swan

Birds: Unclean: Vulture

Birds: What Species Were Unclean

Related Terms

Nest (22 Occurrences)

Chance (78 Occurrences)

Fowler (3 Occurrences)

Tread (60 Occurrences)

Eggs (7 Occurrences)

Dam (5 Occurrences)

Marking (11 Occurrences)

Pinion (4 Occurrences)

Brood (19 Occurrences)

Biri (1 Occurrence)

Stroke (26 Occurrences)

Sparrow (4 Occurrences)

Subapostolic

Sub-apostolic

Ostrich (9 Occurrences)

Exploration

Day (17670 Occurrences)

Road (155 Occurrences)

Across (172 Occurrences)

Hen (7 Occurrences)

Either (152 Occurrences)

Cyrus (20 Occurrences)

Birds (125 Occurrences)

Genealogy (29 Occurrences)

Literature (2 Occurrences)

Jesus (10891 Occurrences)

Atonement (112 Occurrences)

Christ (573 Occurrences)

Palestine (1 Occurrence)

Tree (245 Occurrences)

Birds: Fly Above the Earth
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