griffin vulture

Whenever you read the English Bible, and it says eagle or eagles, the actual Hebrew and Greek words refer to a griffin vulture.

The simple explanation for this is that vultures are not native to Britain. The English translators picked the closest bird they did have, an eagle. Both birds soar through the air with very little effort, which is the main point in this Text.

Bald Eagle

“On Vultures Wings” is a Hebrew idiom for something that moves fast, very much like the English idiom “Faster than Lightning”. But to the American, we see the eagle as an icon; we tend to think of a great noble bird of prey, not a carrion feeder.

I have heard sermons that interpret this or that eagle reference to prophetically indicate the United States of America, and therefore, fulfillment will include the United States. Do not be fooled by these preachers who can’t even be bothered to look up words in a Bible dictionary; the eagles in the Bible are always griffin vultures. They sore though the air with little or no effort for great distances. They nest high on inaccessible cliffs, where the chicks are safe. Their olfactory abilities are beyond measure, as they can smell a carcass from great distances.

Try not to think about it the next time you sing “Rise up with wings as eagles”.

griffin vulture