Birds of the Bible - Partridge II (by Lee Dusing)

"The Partridge is only mentioned twice in Scripture. In Jeremiah, the fact is that other birds put their eggs in the nest of a partridge and then expect the nesting bird to do all the work, sitting, feeding, and fledging the chicks."

I made the following observation in the first Partridge article:

I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. "As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, So is he who gets riches, but not by right; It will leave him in the midst of his days, And at his end he will be a fool." (Jer 17:10-11)

Looking into this verse further, I would like to share some more information about it.

"3. RLP(Red-legged Partridge) will lay their own nest, but will also dump odd eggs in other species nests. Where this is a pheasant, the pheasant (as found in the UK), being probably the stupidest of all birds bar none, will hatch and "rear" the young quite happily. A grey partridge, on the other hand, will abandon the nest. Terminated. And ... almost certainly does not attempt to lay again that season.", A quote from a "Bird Forum"

"Curiosities: while brooding the female is very sensitive, and, if disturbed, may abandon the nest.", about a Rock Partridge from Parco Nazionale...

"In the deep woods where the California partridge nests, it is not unusual to find the eggs of that game bird in the nest of the Oregon Towhee. Mr. Cohen, of Ala- meda, records one Towhee nest four feet from the ground on a live-oak stub and containing four Towhee eggs and fifteen eggs of the partridge. Another recorded by him was on the ground, and contained three eggs of the Towhee and eighteen of the partridge. The Towhee abandoned the nest after six partridge eggs were laid, leaving the partridge to rear the brood. Inasmuch as the Towhee eggs hatch in two weeks, the young being very dark colored and naked, while the partridge eggs require three weeks and the young are lively little balls of down able to run about as soon as dry, the sacrifice of the Towhee's brood is inevitable whenever the two are deposited in the same nest." from Birds of California

I could give more examples, but it is obvious that the Partridges are leaving their eggs in other nests. "They are brooding but not hatching." She is trying to raise her chicks, but not in the proper way. That is what the verse is saying, that the Lord searches the heart and tests a person's thinking. It is then applied to making money the wrong way (crooked) and then having it disappear and then he is a "fool' in the end.

The verses in Jeremiah 17:10-11 are in the middle of a great passage about trusting in the LORD.

(5) Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD.
(6) For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited.
(7) "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.
(8) For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
(9) "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
(10) I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
(11) "As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, So is he who gets riches, but not by right; It will leave him in the midst of his days, And at his end he will be a fool."
(12) A glorious high throne from the beginning Is the place of our sanctuary.
(13) O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. "Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the LORD, The fountain of living waters."
(14) Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise. (Jeremiah 17:5-14 NKJV)

*Photos Red-legged Partridge and California Partridge now known as California Quail

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See:
Partridge

Birds of the Bible - Pelican Study (by Lee Dusing)

In Previous articles about the Pelicans; Birds of the Bible - Pelicans and Pelicans II they were introduced as being in the Pelecanidae family. Here in the U.S. we have the American White Pelican and the Brown Pelican. They are listed as "unclean" in the Scriptures (Levitucus 11:18 and Deuteronomy 14:17), meaning they were not to be eaten by the Israelites.

Depending on which version of the Bible you use, "Pelican" is not always used in one, but shows up in another. That is what makes "birdwatching the Scriptures" so interesting. Take for instance Isaiah 34:11:

But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess it, Also the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. And He shall stretch out over it The line of confusion and the stones of emptiness. (NKJV)

Using e-Sword Free Bible Program's" compare feature, observe these differences.
Pelican and porcupine - ASV, NKJV, RV
Pelican and hedgehog - NASB, NAS77, YLT
Pelican and bittern - Darby, JPS
Pelican and herons - GW
Cormorant and bittern - KJV, MKJV, Webster
Hawk and porcupine - ESV
Owls and ravens only mentioned - GNB
Owls, hawks, and wild animals - CEV
Birds of the waste land - BBE

Another interesting verse:

Flocks will lie down in her midst, All beasts which range in herds; Both the pelican and the hedgehog Will lodge in the tops of her pillars; Birds will sing in the window, Desolation will be on the threshold; For He has laid bare the cedar work. (Zephaniah 2:14 NASB)

This verse uses pelican, raven, hedgehog, owl, cormorant depending on the version.

When Nave's Topical Bible's - Pelican and Torrey's Topical Textbook's - Birds are referenced, it appears that they used the King James Version (KJV).

All of that said to help you realize as you study the Bible, looking for birds, be aware that just because it's not found on the first search, try another version and the bird may appear. I personally prefer to use the KJV, NKJV, NASB, and ESV as my main versions. The others are fine, some better than others, but those mentioned, in my opinion, are closer to the originals. Why they vary, I am not sure. The Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries in the KJV and NASB use H6893, which is kaw-ath' , which means "probably the pelican (from vomiting): - cormorant."

We do know that the Pelicans are mentioned in the Bible and I really enjoy watching them. We get to see the American White and the Brown Pelicans here in Florida. It would be neat to see the Austrailian, Dalmation, Great White, Pink-backed, Peruvian and Spot-billed Pelicans.

I also love to watch the pelicans skim over the water and also fly in formation like a squadron of bombers. I have included two videos of them skimming. Visit the Pelican Videos and Photos for more. See the Sidebar.

*All photos used with permission.

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Pelican in flight in Cuba
Another by arlens47 that "Follows the flight of a pelican as he starts to go out to sea, then reverses course and lands in the water off the coast of Santa Cruz, California. Background music is Thorn Birds Theme by the Joe Reisman Orchestra.
Flight of the Pelican

Birds of the Bible - Speckled Bird (by Lee Dusing)

Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour. (Jeremiah 12:9 KJV)

In Jeremiah chapter 12, the LORD was stating that because Israel had turned to other gods instead of the God of Israel (the LORD), that He was bringing judgment. The people had bowed down to other gods and then brought some of that worship and intermingled it with the true worship of God. The House of God was "speckled" or of mixed beliefs.

John Wesley's Explanatory Notes - "The birds round about - It is usual for other birds to flock about a strange coloured bird, such as they have not been used to see."

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary - "God's people had been the dearly-beloved of his soul, precious in his sight, but they acted so, that he gave them up to their enemies. Many professing churches become like speckled birds, presenting a mixture of religion and the world, with its vain fashions, pursuits, and pollutions. God's people are as men wondered at, as a speckled bird; but this people had by their own folly made themselves so; and the beasts and birds are called to prey upon them. The whole land would be made desolate. But until the judgments were actually inflicted, none of the people would lay the warning to heart. When God's hand is lifted up, and men will not see, they shall be made to feel. Silver and gold shall not profit in the day of the Lord's anger. And the efforts of sinners to escape misery, without repentance and works answerable thereto, will end in confusion."

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary - "speckled bird — Many translate, “a ravenous beast, the hyena”; the corresponding Arabic word means hyena; so the Septuagint. But the Hebrew always elsewhere means “a bird of prey.” The Hebrew for “speckled” is from a root “to color”; answering to the Jewish blending together with paganism the altogether diverse Mosaic ritual. The neighboring nations, birds of prey like herself (for she had sinfully assimilated herself to them), were ready to pounce upon her."

From Clarke -Dahler translates the whole verse thus: -

"Birds of prey! inundate with blood my heritage.

Birds of prey! come against her from all sides.

Run together in crowds, ye savage beasts!

Come to the carnage!"

According to those above, it seems that the bird must have been either spotted or multi-colored. The bird is a:

"speckled bird" in the KJV, MKJV, Webster

"speckled bird of prey" in the ASV, Darvy, NASB, RV

"speckled vulture" in the NKJV

"speckled fowl" in the YLT

"colorful bird of prey" in the GWV

"brightly colored bird" - BBE

"hawk" - CEV

"hyena's lair" - ESV
All these variances make it hard to show a picture, but the ones shown are guesses.

Also, the application should give those today a stern warning about bringing the "worldly practices and beliefs" into our church services. I see it today in churches that do things that are clearly taught against in God's Word, the Bible. Many things could be named, but one that disturbes this writer alot is the denial of God's Creation of this world. More and more supposed Christian leaders are teaching different theories to "blend" the world's theory of evolution with the Lord's clear teaching in Genesis.

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1 NKJV)

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* Pictures in Order - White-backed Vulture, Ruppell's Vulture, Hartlaub's Bustard

See also:
Great Speckled Bird
The Great Speckled Bird (song) from Wikipedia

Birds of the Bible - None (by Lee Dusing)

I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, The fish of the sea, And the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land," Says the LORD. (Zephaniah 1:3 NKJV)

That verse caught me off-guard when I read it. Would the LORD really destroy all the birds? I hadn't noticed the verse before. So, I went in search of what was meant by it and here are some of my findings:

From Geneva Bible Translation Notes:
"The Argument - Seeing the great rebellion of the people, and that there was now no hope of amendment, he gives notice of the great judgment of God, which was at hand, showing that their country would be utterly destroyed, and they would be carried away captives by the Babylonians." In response as to the beast, birds and fish being consumed - "Not that God was angry with these dumb creatures, but because man was so wicked for whose cause they were created, God makes them to take part of the punishments with him." God had created the critters and fish for man, but because of man's sin, they (critters) are included in the judgement.

From John Darby's Synopsis:

"The prophet (Zephaniah) begins by declaring that the land should be reduced to complete desolation; afterwards, that Judah, Jerusalem, their false gods, and their priests, should be smitten by the hand of Jehovah. The idolaters, those who mingled the name of Jehovah with that of other gods, those who had turned back from Jehovah, those who had not sought Him, ..." Some of the other commentaries also indicated this mix of God and other gods. The New Testament reveals this is not an acceptable way of life in "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." (Luke 16:13 NKJV)

The other commentaries seem to indicate the same, that because their sin was so bad, God was going to judge them. Have the birds and critters been caught in the judgment of man other times in the Bible? Yes! Here are some examples from Torrey's Topical Textbook:

As you can see, each time, man's sin caused or will cause them to suffer.

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:5-8 NKJV)

Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; They grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth But far from their mind. But You, O LORD, know me; You have seen me, And You have tested my heart toward You. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, And prepare them for the day of slaughter. How long will the land mourn, And the herbs of every field wither? The beasts and birds are consumed, For the wickedness of those who dwell there, Because they said, "He will not see our final end." (Jeremiah 12:1-4 NKJV)

so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.' (Ezekiel 38:20 NKJV)

Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed. Therefore the land will mourn; And everyone who dwells there will waste away With the beasts of the field And the birds of the air; Even the fish of the sea will be taken away. (Hosea 4:1-3 NKJV)

God is going to judge the world and everyone in it. Here in America and around the world, the sinfulness of mankind just continues to increase. How long before we are judged and the critters caught in that judgment with us?

* Photos top to bottom all by Birdway.com.au: Flame Robin, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Tufted Coquette, Fire-tufted Barbet

Birds of the Bible - Favorites (by Lee Dusing)

While on vacation, I showed some family and friends this blog, and took them to some of my favorite articles and videos. Putting out a rushed article (which is due today) would not be good, instead, I am going to share the links to my favorites. If you are new to the blog or just pop in every now an then, you may have missed these. I go back to them every now and then, just because I enjoy them.

"Birds of the Bible - Eagles" the article and then scroll down to the African Eagle fishing video.

"Birds of the Bible - Owls" especially the last video with the Burrowing Owls

"Birds of the Bible - Under His Wings"

"Birds of the Bible - For His Pleasure" and "For His Pleasure II"

Plus there are many more favorites, but this will do for now. Going back and reviewing things is good for us. Just like the Bible, it never gets exhausted and you find new things each time you read it.

The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge. (Pro 18:15 KJV)
The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness. (Pro 15:14 NKJV)

Photo taken at Creation Museum