God's Bird List - Introduction

I’m a birder. I get into nature frequently. I keep lists. I’m also a Christian and a student of the Bible. I see birds referred to in the Bible, and my interest in the topic led me to study out what the Bible has to say about birds.

I wouldn’t call God a birder, mostly because the term seems too frivolous for His relationship to the birds. In my mind, “birder” implies something along the nature of a hobby, and it also refers to someone who is constantly discovering and learning. For the first part, God doesn’t need things to do for fun; regarding the birds, He is their creator and provider. For the second part, God knows everything there is to know about birds; there is no learning or discovering for Him. Nevertheless, I am calling this study “God’s Bird List,” not because God is making a list, but because I am making a list of what He has revealed, and because the term is familiar in birder’s lingo.

While many specific birds are listed in the Bible, nearly half of the references are to birds in general. By my count, “bird” in its various forms (bird, birds, bird’s, birds’) occurs 136 times in the Bible, and “fowl” an additional three times. I find 189 references to 37 specific species (or bird families). Obviously, there are far more species than that; God was not ignorant of the other birds. The Bible, however, includes only those birds that are pertinent for the purposes of its teaching.

These numbers require a bit of technical explanation. Any English translation of the Bible’s original languages is going to have an inherent level of challenge when it comes to bird names. The Bible is not written as field guide. When it mentions birds, it is not giving field marks or sketches. Many times the bird names are simply included in a list without any identifying features.

Quite simply, by the time the Bible was translated to English (or other languages), the knowledge of what some of the specific bird names referred to had already been lost, especially if they were not commonly-known birds, if they were regional birds not living in the translator’s area, or if they had become extinct. When I look up the meanings of the Hebrew and Greek words, out of the 37 species, six of them include the idea of “perhaps”, “probably”, or indicate some level of doubt. Additionally, nine of the explanations include this possibility: “perhaps an extinct bird, exact meaning unknown.”

It seems apparent then (and not surprising) that we simply do not know for certain the identity of some of the birds listed, particularly in the Old Testament. The translators are providing their best idea, sometimes with a high degree of certainty and sometimes with less certainty. As a result, there are going to be differences of opinion. This difference of opinion will be evident when comparing different English translations. I have chosen to use the New American Standard Bible for several reasons. First, it is my preferred translation. Second, it has the advantage of a few hundred years of learning and discovery over earlier English translations, so that it could possibly provide a more accurate translation. Third, I believe it is more likely to give modernized bird names.

For comparison, if the same study were done using the King James Version, the word “fowl” would be found far more often, while “bird” would be found less often. The same Hebrew word is translated both ways, making the English words synonymous, while “bird” is more comfortable to the modern reader. Also, the KJV would have the following bird names on the list: bittern, cuckow, glede, lapwing, night hawk, osprey, ossifrage, and swan. These birds will not appear in my list from the NASB.

As a demonstration of the disparity between translations, Leviticus 11:16 lists four birds. Comparing 22 different translations, those four birds are translated as listed below.

·         First bird - ostrich (15), daughter of the ostrich (1), owl (2), horned owl (2), eagle owl (2)

·         Second bird - owl (4), screech owl (5), short-eared owl (5), nighthawk (8)

·         Third bird – gull (8), seagull (9), seamew (2), cuckow (2), long-eared owl (1)

·         Fourth bird – hawk (21), falcon (1)

To be clear, I don’t share these differences to cast any doubt on the accuracy or dependability of the Bible. The uncertainties of some of these bird names merely shows the difficulty of translating technical words from ancient languages in settings where they occur without any context or identifying detail. The original languages were inspired by God, and He knew precisely which species He meant in every case.

It is important to note that our lack of expertise in translation does not detract from the Bible. The vast majority of the uncertainties are found in the lists of unclean birds found in Leviticus and Deuteronomy; as part of the Jewish dietary laws, they do not represent any doctrine or teaching relevant to Christianity today. We can be fairly certain of the types of birds listed as unclean (birds of prey and scavengers); this is in keeping with modern understanding of safe eating practices. Where there are some uncertainties outside the dietary lists, it is often the characteristic of a bird that is important more than the specific bird; the point is where it lives or how it behaves, and no critical content is lost by not being 100% certain of the precise identification. As the above example illustrates, we often are fairly certain that we are at least in the right ballpark – a bird that frequents the night, or even some type of owl, while perhaps not being certain of the type of owl or if it might be a nighthawk instead.

More importantly, when it comes to the doctrinal content of the Bible, we do not need to be uncertain. God has revealed His truth in abundance. In most cases, doctrinal teachings are revealed progressively and repetitively; as we move through the Bible and compare teachings from various passages, we fill out our understanding. The Bible is quite clear on the important topics of God, man, and salvation. God is the holy Creator. Man is the fallen creation. God’s love desires reconciliation and provided the possibility of redemption through the substitutionary sacrifice of the sinless God-man, Jesus. These truths are both far more certain and also far more important than what the Bible has to say about birds.

What the Bible says about birds is important, however; otherwise, this study would be a mere curiosity. God intends to teach us by what He reveals about birds. “But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you” (Job 12:7). There are both general and specific lessons for us to learn from the birds. This study is an attempt to encounter those lessons, while also reflecting my enjoyment of birds. While my primary purpose is devotional, the entries will at times also be educational, instructional, and pleasurable.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.