Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

HAWK

A generic term for small or medium-sized diurnal birds of prey, particularly those in the family Accipitridae. The term is sometimes extended to include certain members of the family Falconidae, which tends to create confusion in terms of classification and naming of species.

Heb. nēṣ is similarly generic. It occurs in the lists of nonpermitted birds (Lev. 11:16; Deut. 14:15), on both occasions followed by the clarification “of any kind.” Eight to 10 different species of hawks are found in Israel today. The word is obviously related to the cognate verb nāṣaṣ, “to fly.” The soaring flight of the nēṣ is noted in Job 39:26.

Heb. taḥmās (originally meaning “robber,” “bandit”) has traditionally been translated “nighthawk,” but this bird of the family Caprimulgidae is seldom found in the Middle East and is not related to the true hawks. A better suggestion is “night jar” (Caprimulgus europaeus).

Jesper Svartvik

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

HAWK

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)