Ostrich (Hastings' Dictionary)
- γυ γα ὅπ, πρρπτῷ bath-hay ψαἄπαλι. The root jy} y@an signifies in Syr. ‘to be greedy or voracious. From this is derived ya‘én = ‘the voracious one’=‘ostrich.? This word occurs_in the mase. pl. oy: yé'énim (La 45), tr’ AV and RV ‘ostriches.’ It occurs in the sing. in construction with nz and πὸ in eight passages. In all of these RV correctly gives ‘ostrich.’ In Lv 1116, Dt 14'° her beautiful plumage, and the closing which praises her speed. It is true, however, that when the ostrich is surprised with her brood she runs away from her chicks(v.**). She is unable to defend them, and cannot conceal them in the open desert. The charge of stupidity is, however, borne out in some other ways. For instance, the ostrich runs usually toward the wind, contrary to the practice of most wild animals. In this way it can some- times be approached to within shooting distance. Again, it runs in large circles, and does not swerve from its course, which can thus be calculated, and the bird awaited where it is pretty sure to pass. The old allegation that it hides its head in the sand to escape danger is not true. Although forbidden in the law as food (Lv 1115, Dt 14”), its flesh and ears are much prized by the Arabs. he feathers of the ostrich, so well known for their beauty, quite justify the eulogy of Job (39%) RV ‘The wing of the ostrich rejoiceth ; (but) are her pistons and feathers kindly?’ The feathers of the male are white and black; of the female and young dusky grey. G. E. Post.
This topic also has an entry in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Both articles offer independent scholarly perspectives.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Ostrich
Ostrich os'-trich (ya`anah; strouthos; Latin Struthio camelus): The largest bird now living. The Hebrew words ya`anah, which means "greediness," and bath ha-ya`anah, "daughter of greediness," are made to refer to the indiscriminate diet of the ostrich, to which bird they apply; and again to the owl, with no applicability. The owl at times has a struggle to swallow whole prey it has taken, but the mere fact that it is a night hunter forever shuts it from the class of greedy and promiscuous feeders. The bodies of owls are proverbially lean like eagles. Neither did the owl frequent several places where older versions of Jer and Isa place it; so the translations are now correctly rendered "ostrich." These birds came into the Bible because of their desert life, the companions they lived among there, and because of their night cries that were guttural, terrifying groans, like the roaring of lions. The birds were brought into many pictures of desolation, because people dreaded their fearful voices. They horned on the trackless deserts that were dreaded by travelers, and when they came feedi…
Smith's Bible Dictionary on Ostrich
a large bird, native of African and Arabia, nearly ten feet high, having s long neck and short wings. It seeks retired places, (Job 30:29; Lamentations 4:13) and has a peculiar mournful cry that is sometimes mistaken by the Arabs for that of the lion. (Micah 1:8) In (Job 39:13-18) will be found a description of the bird’s habits. Ostriches are polygamous; the hens lay their eggs promiscuously in one nest, which is merely a hole scratched in the sand; the eggs are then covered over to the depth of about a foot, and are, in the case of those birds which are found within the tropics, generally left for the greater part of the day to the heat of the sun, the parent-birds taking their turns at incubation during the night. The habit of the ostrich leaving its eggs to be matured by the sun’s heat is usually appealed to in order to confirm the scriptural account, “she leaveth her eggs to the earth;” but this is probably the case only with the tropical birds. We believe that the true explanation of this passage is that some of the eggs are left exposed around the nest for the nourishment of t…
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Ostrich
So translated for "owl" (Lev 11:16), bath haya'anah "daughter of greediness" or "daughter of wailing." Isa 34:13 translated "a dwelling for ostriches," not "a court for owls" (Isa 43:20, margin). Feminine to express the species. Some Arabs eat the flesh. It will swallow almost any substance, iron, stone, etc., to assist the triturating action of the gizzard. The date stone, the hardest of vegetable substances, is its favourite food. Its cry resembles the lion's, so that Hottentots mistake it. Dr. Livingstone could only distinguish them by the fact that the ostrich roars by day, and the lion roars by night. Rosenmuller makes the derivation "daughter of the desert." (Mic 1:8), Job 30:29 - "I am a companion to ostriches" (not "owls"), living among solitudes. In Lam 4:3, yeenim, "cruel like the ostriches in the wilderness." renanim; Job 39:13, "peacocks." Rather, "the ostrich hen," literally, "cries," referring to its dismal night cries, as in Job 30:29. Translated: "the wing of the ostrich hen vibrates joyously. Is it like the quill and feathers of the pious bird (the stork)? (surely no…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia