Hebrew word · H5822

עׇזְנִיָּה

ha'azeniyah

vulture

Uncertain. It is a large bird of prey that appears only in this list and in Deut 14:12. Proposals include the black (cinereous) vulture, the lappet-faced vulture (if the name comes from 'ozen, 'ear', after the fleshy flaps on its head), the osprey, and the short-toed eagle.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) an unclean bird of prey

1a) osprey, black eagle, buzzard

1b) perhaps an extinct bird, exact meaning unknown

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Leviticus 11:13

Range of meaning

Uncertain. It is a large bird of prey that appears only in this list and in Deut 14:12. Proposals include the black (cinereous) vulture, the lappet-faced vulture (if the name comes from 'ozen, 'ear', after the fleshy flaps on its head), the osprey, and the short-toed eagle. Others connect it with 'oz, 'strength'.

Against the English

KJV and YLT: 'ospray'. BSB, WEB, ESV, NIV: 'black vulture'. NASB: 'buzzard'. Translations really do disagree here because no one knows for sure.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Greek haliaietos, 'sea-eagle', produced the KJV's 'osprey'. Later Jewish tradition did not settle the matter either. The supplied gloss line lists both 'vulture' and 'osprey', which reflects the same uncertainty.

From the study of Deuteronomy 14:12

Range of meaning

A large raptor of uncertain species. It occurs only here and in Lev 11:13. Proposals include the black (cinereous) vulture, the osprey, the short-toed eagle and the sea-eagle.

Against the English

KJV, YLT and WEB have 'osprey'. BSB, ESV and NIV have 'black vulture'. Older NASB has 'buzzard'. These are different birds, and the variety shows the guesswork.

How it drifted

No drift of meaning. The problem is a lost identification, and every English choice is a scholarly guess.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Septuagint has haliaietos ('sea-eagle'), which lies behind the 'osprey' tradition through the Vulgate's haliaetum and early English versions. The 'black vulture' choice follows modern zoological suggestions that the first three birds are all large vultures.

Where it appears

Leviticus · 1

  1. Leviticus 11:13 הָעָזְנִיָּֽה׃ the osprey

    Additionally, you are to detest the following birds, and they must not be eaten because they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,

    Here: A large bird of prey that appears only here and in Deut 14:12, so no one can identify it for certain. Modern versions mostly say 'black vulture'. The older 'osprey' comes from the Greek translation's 'sea-eagle'.

Deuteronomy · 1

  1. Deuteronomy 14:12 וְהָֽעָזְנִיָּֽה׃ and the osprey

    but these you may not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,

    Here: A large bird of prey that cannot be securely identified. Ancient Greek translators took it as a 'sea-eagle'. Modern proposals include the black (cinereous) vulture, the osprey and the short-toed eagle. What is clear is that it belongs with the big flesh-eating birds that open the list.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.