Topical Bible: The Owl: Mournful in Voice

◄ The Owl: Mournful in Voice ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The owl, a bird often associated with desolation and solitude, appears in several passages throughout the Bible, symbolizing desolation and lamentation. Its mournful voice and nocturnal habits have made it a fitting emblem of desolation and abandonment in the biblical narrative.

Biblical References:

1. Leviticus 11:16-17 : In the context of dietary laws, the owl is listed among the unclean birds that the Israelites were forbidden to eat: "the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl." This classification underscores the owl's association with impurity and its separation from the community of God's people.

2. Deuteronomy 14:15-16 : Similarly, the owl is mentioned again in the list of unclean birds: "the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the great owl, the white owl." The repetition of this prohibition reinforces the symbolic nature of the owl as a creature of darkness and isolation.

3. Job 30:29 : Job, in his lament, compares himself to an owl, highlighting his sense of desolation and abandonment: "I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of ostriches." The imagery of the owl here is one of mourning and solitude, reflecting Job's deep personal anguish.

4. Psalm 102:6 : The psalmist uses the owl to express feelings of loneliness and desolation: "I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins." The owl's presence among ruins serves as a powerful metaphor for the psalmist's desolate state, emphasizing the theme of isolation.

5. Isaiah 34:11 : In a prophecy against Edom, the owl is depicted as inhabiting the desolate land: "The desert owl and screech owl will possess it; the great owl and the raven will dwell in it." The presence of the owl in this context symbolizes the complete desolation and abandonment of the land, a place devoid of human habitation.

6. Zephaniah 2:14 : The prophet Zephaniah describes the desolation of Nineveh, where owls will dwell: "Flocks and herds will lie down in her midst, creatures of every kind. The desert owl and the screech owl will roost on her columns." The imagery of owls roosting on the ruins of a once-great city underscores the theme of divine judgment and desolation.

Symbolism and Interpretation:

In biblical literature, the owl is consistently associated with themes of desolation, mourning, and divine judgment. Its nocturnal nature and haunting call make it a fitting symbol for places abandoned by human life and under divine curse. The owl's presence in prophetic literature often signifies the aftermath of God's judgment, where once-thriving cities are reduced to ruins inhabited only by creatures of the night.

The owl's mournful voice serves as a metaphor for the lamentation of those who experience God's judgment or personal desolation. In this way, the owl becomes a powerful symbol of the consequences of sin and the reality of divine retribution, as well as the deep personal sorrow that can accompany such experiences.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Micah 1:8
Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Psalm 102
... 5By reason of my groaning voice. my bones cleave to my skin. ... forsaken I have been:
I like an owl in desert am,. ... 20That of the mournful prisoner. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/scottish psalter and paraphrases/psalm 102.htm

A Poor Man's Cry, and what came of It
... the case that the Lord hearkens to the voice of a ... This poor man was a mournful man:
a man altogether broken ... but now he looks as miserable as an owl, and nobody ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/a poor mans cry and.htm

The Wicked Man's Life, Funeral, and Epitaph
... the Lord of Hosts, and listen to the voice of his ... At the head of the mournful cavalcade
is Beelzebub, leading the ... croak o'er his tomb; let the owl make her ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the wicked mans life funeral.htm

Healing for the Wounded
... The owl and bittern seem alone to sympathize with them ... of preachers; it is the "still
small voice " of God ... Thy mournful cry cometh back without an answer, and ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/healing for the wounded.htm

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
... He who is in imminent, but unseen danger, will bless the warning voice if it
reach his ears, however rough and startling the sound may be. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the life and death of.htm