Vultures are mentioned over 30 times in the Bible, and play both symbolic and literal roles in scripture. Here is an overview of the significance of vultures in the Bible:
Vultures as symbols of judgment and destruction
In several places in the Bible, vultures are associated with death, destruction and God’s judgment on sinful nations and people. For example:
– Isaiah 34:15 says “There the owl nests and lays and hatches and gathers her young in her shadow; indeed, there the hawks are gathered, each one with her mate.” This passage describes the desolation of Edom. Vultures gathering is a symbol of its coming destruction.
– Jeremiah 49:16 says of Edom’s impending judgment: “The horror you inspire has deceived you, and the pride of your heart, you who live in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as the eagle’s, I will bring you down from there, declares the Lord.”
– In Matthew 24:28, Jesus refers to vultures gathering around a corpse as a symbol of judgment: “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” This is in the context of his teaching about the coming destruction of Jerusalem.
– In Revelation 19:17-18, an angel calls to vultures to gather for the great supper of God to feast on the fallen flesh of God’s enemies: “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”
So vultures are frequently seen as symbols of death, destruction and judgment on sin. Their gathering is a sign of God’s wrath being poured out.
Vultures as unclean birds representing greed and wickedness
Under the Old Testament law, vultures were classified among the unclean birds (Leviticus 11:13-19). The law forbade Israelites from eating them. As unclean birds, vultures represent greed, exploitation and wickedness in the Bible. For example:
– In Job 15:23, Eliphaz says this of the wicked man: “He wanders abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand.” This depicts the wandering, desperate and greedy nature of vultures.
– Proverbs 30:17 warns: “The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.” Here, vultures are associated with gouging out eyes – a violent and greedy act.
– In Matthew 24:28 and Luke 17:37, Jesus alludes to the greedy and opportunistic nature of vultures who capitalize on death and destruction.
So vultures were largely seen in a negative light as unclean, defiling, greedy creatures often symbolic of judgment and wickedness.
Vultures fulfill an important role in God’s creation
Despite the negative symbolic meanings, vultures are part of God’s good creation and serve important purposes:
– They are designed by God to be incredibly efficient scavengers that help clean up decaying organic matter (roadkill etc) that would otherwise spread bacteria and disease (Deuteronomy 14:11-18).
– God cares for the vultures he created, despite them being among the “unclean” birds according to the law. The Bible says he provides food for the young ravens when they call out (Psalm 147:9, Job 38:41, Luke 12:24).
– TheMosaic law prohibited Israelites from eating vultures, but allowed them to sell their carcasses or give them to foreign residents to eat (Deuteronomy 14:21). Vultures served as a source of food and income.
– Vultures serve the ecosystem by dispersing seeds and eliminating dead animals that could spread disease. They were part of God’s wise design for the world.
So while the Bible uses vultures symbolically to represent judgment and wickedness, it also depicts them as part of God’s creation, designed with a meaningful role and cared for by their Creator.
Notable passages about vultures
Here are some of the most notable passages that mention vultures:
– Genesis 15:9-11 – God instructs Abram to bring a heifer, goat and ram and cut them in half. Vultures come down on the carcasses, and God reveals to Abram prophetic visions about the future.
– Leviticus 11:13-19 – The law declares vultures to be among the unclean birds that Israelites were forbidden to eat.
– Deuteronomy 14:11-18 – The vulture is reiterated as being unclean, but permitted to be sold or given to foreigners.
– Job 28:7 – In this passage about mining and searching the depths of the earth, Job says there is “a path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon’s eye has not seen it.”
– Psalm 50:11 – God says to the wicked: “I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.” This asserts God’s sovereignty over the vultures of the field.
– Isaiah 34:15 – The desolation of Edom is depicted by vultures and other birds inhabiting the ruins.
– Ezekiel 39:17 – God declares through Ezekiel: “Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood.” This foretells Gog’s destruction.
– Matthew 24:28 – Jesus compares the gathering of vultures around a corpse to the gathering of judgment around sinful places.
– Luke 17:37 – Jesus alludes to the greedy opportunism of vultures ready to devour flesh.
So in summary, vultures play both symbolic and literal roles in the Bible. Their negative associations depict judgment, death and wickedness. But the Bible also shows God’s care for his creation and the important ecosystem services vultures provide.
Deeper analysis of key vulture passages
Let’s take a deeper look at a few notable vulture passages:
**Genesis 15:9-11**
>He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
This passage contains a profound moment in Abram’s life. God enters a covenant with Abram, symbolized in the sacrificial offering Abram makes.
The birds of prey descending are likely vultures spotting an easy meal. But Abram drives them away to protect the sacrifice. The message seems to be that vultures represent greedy attempts to rob and destroy what is sacred. Abram’s vigilance preserves the integrity of the offering to God.
**Proverbs 30:17**
>The eye that mocks a father
and scorns to obey a mother
will be picked out by the ravens of the valley
and eaten by the vultures.
Here, vultures are associated with gouging out the eye – a violent and greedy act. This proverb warns against dishonoring parents, saying such rebellion can lead to being consumed by vultures, representing utter destruction.
**Matthew 24:28**
>Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
Jesus quotes this proverb to paint an image of the coming destruction of Jerusalem. Just as vultures opportunistically gather around a corpse, so the impending judgment on Jerusalem would result in a gathering of forces bent on decimating it.
The vultures represent the greedy opportunism and wickedness of those involved in Jerusalem’s destruction. Their gathering is emblematic of the city’s fate.
**Luke 17:37**
>And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
This passage echoes the metaphor above. The coming judgment will result in such devastation that, like a corpse, it will attract vultures from everywhere ready to scavenge for spoils. The vultures depict the greed of opportunists exploiting the misfortune of others for personal gain.
Vultures as symbols in other biblical literature
The concept of vultures symbolizing greedy exploitation continues in extra-biblical literature from the intertestamental period:
**Jubilees 11:11:**
>And the Lord destroyed all from their places, because they had sought all of them to do evil before the Lord. And there was great justice from the Lord against all who act wickedly in destruction among the children of men. And he made known his judgment concerning all who caused the Word of the Lord to be forgotten in Egypt.
This passage about the flood refers to vultures being destroyed for their wickedness in acting greedily and exploiting destruction.
**1 Enoch 90:8:**
>And the women also of the angels who went astray shall become sirens.
Some scholars link this reference to sirens with mythology about vulture-like women with seductive voices who lure sailors to death. They represent exploiting the downfall of others.
**Jewish historian Josephus also associated vultures with greed:**
>Now this man was of Gadara, the country of which is called the Valley of the Vultures, and lived in the time of Herod.
So vultures as symbols of exploitation and wickedness permeated biblical and extra-biblical texts.
Vultures in biblical imagery and metaphors
In addition to symbolism, the Bible contains vivid poetic imagery involving vultures:
– Lamentations 4:19 poetically mentions vultures being swifter than eagles, emphasizing their quickness in exploiting death for food.
– In Job 9:26, Job refers to his days passing by as swift as an eagle swooping on its prey. This likely invokes the image of a vulture rapidly descending on a carcass.
– Isaiah 46:11 uses vultures as part of a metaphor involving calling a “bird of prey from the east.”
– Ezekiel 17:3 uses the metaphor of a great eagle plucking off a vine’s fruit, likely meaning Babylon plundering Israel’s prosperity.
– Habakkuk 1:8 compares the horses of the conquering Babylonians to vultures swooping down eagerly to devour and destroy.
So biblical authors used vivid imagery of the flight, power and greed of vultures to convey meanings beyond just symbolism.
Vultures as a source of food in the Bible
While vultures were unclean for Israelites to eat, the Bible contains a few references to them as a source of food:
– Leviticus 11:13-19 banned eating vultures, but Deuteronomy 14:11-18 allowed selling them to foreigners or giving them to residents to eat.
– Job 28:7 seems to refer to vultures having their own food pathways unknown to humans.
– Psalm 147:9 and Job 38:41 portray God feeding the ravens and their young when they call out.
So vultures could serve as a form of sustenance, even if not permitted for Hebrews. God cares for the needs of his creation.
Job’s reference to the ostriches and vultures
Job 30 contains a symbolic parallel between ostriches and vultures:
>But now they laugh at me,
men who are younger than I,
whose fathers I would have disdained
to set with the dogs of my flock …
They were gaunt from want and famine,
fleeing into the waste land,
gnawing the bark of trees
and the roots of broom.
They were driven out from human company;
people shouted after them as after a thief…
For God has loosed my cord and humbled me,
and so they have cast off restraint in my presence…
They abhor me; they keep aloof from me;
they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of me…
They pursue me as the wind,
and go on as through a thing of nought had happened…
I am a brother to jackals
and a companion to ostriches.
My skin turns black and falls from me,
and my bones burn with heat…
Their food supply is dried up,
they have no refuge from the power of the tongue.
The gaunt, famished men driven from society represent Job’s misery and social ostracism in his suffering. Jackals and ostriches were unclean animals that inhabited desolate ruins (Isaiah 13:21, 34:13). Being a brother to them speaks of utter loneliness in desolation.
The parallels continue with ostriches described as greedy, heartless creatures (v13-18). Like jackals and vultures, they opportunistically exploit adversity rather than showing sympathy.
Overall this paints a poetic picture of Job feeling like a vulture – hungry, shelterless, shunned, greedy opportunists exploiting his misfortune without compassion.
Vultures fulfill God’s ecological design
Though vultures had symbolic associations with death and wickedness, the Bible points to God’s wise design in their ecological role:
– As carrion birds, vultures were part of God’s design for cleaning up organic waste and preventing disease. This role was necessary despite being labeled “unclean.”
– Laws about proper disposal of dead animals allowed vultures to feed on carcasses not eaten by humans (Deuteronomy 14:21). This prevented ecological contamination.
– Unlike other birds of prey, vultures do not hunt free-roaming prey, but instead only consume already dead animals. This also controls disease.
– Vultures’ bald heads, immune systems and stomach acid allow them to safely consume toxic, bacteria-laden decayed flesh. God intentionally equipped them this way.
So vultures were part of God’s wise and intentional design for the earth’s ecosystems and food webs. Even beings viewed negatively serve purposes in God’s creation.
Vultures as symbols of God’s attributes and actions
A few biblical passages use vulture attributes to symbolically convey God’s qualities and actions:
– Ezekiel 1:10’s reference to the faces of the four living creatures having faces of a lion, ox, eagle and vulture speaks of God’s omniscience. Vultures’ keen eyesight from high elevations represents divine perception.
– Deuteronomy 32:11 compares God’s care and protection for Israelites during the Exodus to a vulture hovering over its young, guarding its nest.
– Hosea 8:1 compares God’s judgment swooping down on Israel to a vulture descending on its prey. The bird’s swift flight depicts divine speed in punishing sin.
– Lamentations 4:19 references the incredible speed of vultures being greater than even the swiftest eagle. This can convey God’s matchless celerity.
So biblical authors used vultures to construct vivid analogies and metaphors for conveying God’s qualities and actions toward humanity.
Jesus’ reference to vultures gathering around the corpse (Matthew 24:28, Luke 17:37)
We’ve explored Matthew 24:28 and Luke 17:37 earlier, but let’s revisit these symbolically rich sayings of Jesus:
>Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
This pithy proverb has parallels across ancient cultures, but Jesus gives it a particular twist. The image is one of inevitable doom – certain as vultures quickly congregating to feed on a dead body.
Jesus invokes this grisly picture in warning about the coming destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The city’s devastation would be like a rotting corpse attracting a wake of profit-seeking vultures and scavengers.
The vultures specifically represent the rapacious greed and exploitation of the Roman forces bent on Jerusalem’s violent demise. Their gathering echoes the city’s bloody fate.
The saying functions as a prophecy, a warning, and an indictment of the exploitative opportunism of those involved in Jerusalem’s downfall – attributes graphically embodied in the vulture.
Jesus brilliantly turned a common proverb into a striking prophecy and moral lesson about the wages of sin and the vulnerability of all things to divine judgment.
Conclusion
In summary, vultures in the Bible serve primarily as evocative symbols of death, destruction, greed and exploitation. They metaphorically epitomize the frightening speed, opportunism and wickedness of forces opposed to God.
But vultures also fulfill helpful purposes in God’s design as scavengers maintaining ecosystems. Occasionally they even represent positive attributes of God like protective care.
So the biblical symbolism of vultures resonates while also reminding us that all creatures, even despised ones, reflect God’s wise and sovereign creative intent. Vultures signify that the wages of sin is death, but also that destruction breeds new life. Ultimately these unclean birds point to redemption from above.