There are many species of owls, and away from the high and low lights of billboards, skyscrapers, street lights, and city life, you may hear them. Sometimes, I hear them at night in my neighborhood, which is common in rural and suburban areas.
Their calls in the night are a hoot!
Much has been said and written about owls, which are raptors by nature because of their predatory behaviors. They are one of the most mysterious, beautiful, and solitary birds of the many fowls.
You may remember the following poem or nursery rhyme about the owl.
A wise old owl lived in an oak,
The more he saw, the less he spoke.
The less he spoke, the more he heard,
Now, wasn’t he a wise old bird?
For centuries and even today, why are owls characterized as wise?
Owls are thought to have heightened senses, keen vision, and hearing that help them silently navigate and hunt in the darkest of nights. Such stealth and their extraordinary sensory abilities are associated with wisdom.
The lore surrounding owls runs the gamut from wise birds to birds that portray omens, death, and desolation. Among these historical and ancient stories are some biblical references.
In the past, I’ve paid little attention to how many times owls are spoken of in the Bible. It is pretty interesting to note the context and circumstances in which they are mentioned. And what about their possible symbolic and prophetic meanings in the biblical passages?
For instance, in Leviticus 11: 13-18(KJV), the owls were among the fowls of abomination and were not to be eaten by God’s chosen people.
“And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten….and the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl….”
Owls are scavengers; perhaps this was the reason for their exclusion from the people’s diet because they were considered uncleaned.
Who eats owls today?
Strict laws, like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, prohibit hunting and killing of owls. It is also forbidden to eat their eggs or keep them in captivity.
Isaiah 13: 19-21 speaks of the owl in a different context and manner.
“And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited….but wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there…”
Here, the owls occupy uninhabited places of ruin with other wild creatures. A city where people strived is in ruins, and doleful or sad and mournful creatures like owls dwell there.
In Psalm 102, verse 6b, David states, “I am like an owl of the desert.”
Psalm 102 is known as a song of affliction and prayer for God’s help. In Psalm 102, the psalmist compares himself and his condition to an owl in the desert. How solitary and banished he must have felt.
Owls are also mentioned in other parts of the Old Testament.
What about a few of the characteristics of owls?
Owls have striking features. Their faces are round or heart-shaped. Their eyes are frontal like human eyes and are very large. They also have large heads that rotate 270 degrees, which enables them to look at their backs.
Most owls are nocturnal and hunt during the night. Their nighttime nature gives rise to the saying, ‘night owl.’ A night owl is someone who loves staying up late or burning the night oil. Then again, some owls are diurnal or active during the day.
In Micah 1:8, the owl is described as a mournful creature.
Owls are mysterious birds that sometimes symbolize wisdom and the condition of the human soul.
Be well.