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Easton's Bible Dictionary
Hebrew. da'ah ( Leviticus
11:14 ). In the parallel passage ( Deuteronomy
14:13 ) the Hebrew word used is ra'ah, rendered "glede;" LXX., "gups;" Vulg.,
"milvus." A species of ravenous bird, distinguished for its rapid flight. "When
used without the epithet 'red,' the name is commonly confined to the black kite.
The habits of the bird bear out the allusion in Isaiah
34:15 , for it is, excepting during the winter three months, so numerous everywhere
in Palestine as to be almost gregarious." (See EAGLE)
In Job
28:7 the Hebrew. 'ayyah is thus rendered. The word denotes a clamorous and
a keen-sighted bird of prey. In Leviticus
11:14 and Deuteronomy
14:13 it is rendered "kite" (q.v.).
Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names
(no entry)
Smith's Bible Dictionary
The rendering in the Authorized Version of the Hebrew
daah, dayyah, and also in ( Job
28:7 ) of ayyah. There seems no doubt that the Authorized Versions translation
is incorrect, and that the original words refer to some of the smaller species
of raptorial birds, as kites or buzzards. [KITE] But the Hebrew word nesher, invariably
rendered "eagle" in the Authorized Version, is probably the vulture. [EAGLE]
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
vul'-tur (da'ah; Septuagint gups, and iktinos; Latin
Vulturidae):
Any member of a family of large birds that subsist wholly or in part on carrion.
The largest vulture of Palestine was the Lammer-geier. This bird waited until
smaller vultures, eagles and hawks stripped a carcass to the bone, then carried
the skeleton aloft and dashed it on the rocks until the marrow could be secured.
This was a favorite delicacy. This bird was fond of tortoise also, and is said
to have dropped the one that struck the bald head of Aeschylus, which the bird
mistook for a stone, so causing the death of the poet. Several smaller species,
including "Pharaoh's chickens," flocked all over Palestine. These were protected
by a death penalty for their value as scavengers in cities. They fed on carcasses
of animals that killed each other, ate putrid fish under the nests of pelican
and cormorant, followed caravans across the desert, and were ready for offal thrown
from animals dressed for feasting. They flocked over the altars for the entrails
from sacrifice, and devoured scraps cast aside by tent-dwellers and residents
of cities. They paired with affectionate courting and nested in crevices, in walls,
hollow trees and on cliffs. They raised only one pair of young to the season,
as the nestlings were over two months old before they took wing. The young were
white at first, then black feathers enveloped them. On account of their steady
diet of carrion, no one ever has been able to use their flesh for food, although
some daring ornithologists have tried. For this reason the vulture was placed
among the abominations and should by right have headed the lists (Leviticus
11:18 ; Deuteronomy
14:13). The other references that used to be translated "vulture" in
the King James Version, the Septuagint elaphos, Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible,
390-405 A.D.) correctly milous) are changed to "falcon" and "kite." Isaiah
34:15 changes "vulture" to "kite." Job
28:7 changes "vulture" to "falcon."
Gene Stratton-Porter
Tags:
ayyah, bible commentary, bible history, bible reference, bible study, bird, daah, dayyah, define, vulture
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