eagle

A large predatory bird. The Hebrew word (nesher) that has traditionally been translated “eagle” seems more likely to refer to the griffon vulture. The passage in (Prov 23:5) where a large bird flies toward heaven is thought to refer to the imperial eagle, as this bird was believed able to see into the sun. Where the same word depicts a bird as a symbol for swiftness, it may allude to the golden eagle, as this bird possesses great speed (2Sam 1:23; Jer 4:13). The kind of “eagle” referred to by Jesus as collecting where a body is to be found (Matt 24:28; Luke 17:37) probably refers to a vulture.