H0667 H0667
Young bird, chick, or nestling — the offspring of birds, used in laws of compassion and poetic imagery.
A noun referring to the young of birds, appearing in contexts that range from Torah legislation to wisdom poetry. In Deuteronomy 22:6 the word occurs twice in the law forbidding taking a mother bird together with her chicks, a commandment associated with compassion and long life. In Job 39:30 it describes the young of the eagle or vulture whose chicks lap up blood, and in Psalm 84:3 the sparrow's nestlings find a home near God's altar. The Ethiopic cognate confirms the meaning. Spanish 'polluelos' and English 'chicks' both evoke small, vulnerable fledglings.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Young birds or nestlings, the helpless offspring found in a nest. Deuteronomy 22:6 uses the plural twice in the merciful commandment to release the mother bird and not take her with her young — a law the rabbis considered paradigmatic of compassion. Job 39:30 depicts the fierce young of the vulture feeding on blood, showing the word is not limited to domesticated fowl. Psalm 84:3 places the swallow's nestlings at God's altar, an image of divine shelter. Spanish 'polluelos' and French 'chicks' consistently render the vulnerable, small-bird sense, while the Ethiopic cognate confirms the pan-Semitic meaning. 5×
AR["(وَفِرَاخُهُ)", "[وَفِرَاخُهُ]", "الْفِرَاخِ", "فِرَاخٌ", "فِرَاخَهَا"]·ben["(আর-তার-শাবকেরা)", "[আর-তার-শাবক]", "ছানা", "ছানাদের", "তার-ছানাগুলিকে"]·DE["[(ואפרחיו)]", "[[ואפרחו]]", "chicks", "der-chicks", "ihr-young"]·EN["[and-its-young]", "and-its-young", "chicks", "her-young", "the-chicks"]·FR["[אפרחיה]", "chicks", "et-son-(ואפרחיו)-lui", "et-son-[ואפרחו]-lui", "le-chicks"]·heb["אפרוחיה", "אפרוחים", "ה-אפרוחים", "ו-אפרוחיו"]·HI["(और-उसके-चूजे)", "[और-उसके-चूजे]", "अपने-चूजे", "चूजे", "चूजों"]·ID["(dan-anak-anaknya)", "[dan anak-anaknya]", "anak-anak-burung", "anak-anaknya"]·IT["[אפרחיה]", "chicks", "e-[and-its-young]-suo", "e-e-its-young-suo", "il-chicks"]·jav["(lan-anak-ipun)", "[lan-anak-ipun]", "anak-anakipun", "piyìk-piyìk"]·KO["그것-의-새끼들-을", "그리고-그것-의-새끼가", "그리고-그것-의-새끼들이", "새끼들", "새끼들과"]·PT["(ketiv)", "E-seus-filhotes", "filhotes", "os-filhotes", "seus-filhotes"]·RU["-птенцах", "[и-птенцы-его]", "и-птенцы-его", "птенцов-своих", "птенцы"]·ES["(Q:y-sus-polluelos)", "[K:y-sus-polluelos]", "los-polluelos", "polluelos", "polluelos-de-ella"]·SW["[na-vifaranga-vyake]", "makinda-yake", "na-vifaranga-vyake", "vifaranga"]·TR["(ketib)", "ve-yavruları", "yavrular", "yavruların", "yavrularını"]·urd["اور-اُس-کے-بچے", "اُس-کے-بچے", "چوزوں", "چوزے"]
Related Senses
H0376 1. man, person, human male (2130×)H0251 1. brother (blood sibling) (573×)H0120 1. man, human being (individual/generic) (527×)H0802 1. woman, female person (519×)H0802 2. wife, spouse (255×)H0517 1. mother, female parent (217×)G0435 1. man, male person (202×)G1135 1. woman, adult female (190×)H2233 1. offspring, descendants (172×)H0001 2. ancestor, forefather (146×)H5288 1. Youth, young man (122×)H0269 1. sister (female sibling) (113×)H1755 1. generation, contemporaries (96×)G5043 1. child, offspring (89×)G0444 2. people, humankind (86×)H3206 1. child, boy, youth (86×)H2145 1. male (human being) (79×)G3384 1. mother (77×)H6485a 1. Qal passive participle: numbered ones, enrollment (76×)H1397 1. man (strong/mighty) (65×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [אֶפְרֹחַ] n.m. Jb 39:30 young one, pl. young ones, young, of birds (Ethiopic አፍርኅት; id.);—אֶפְרֹחִים Dt 22:6(×2); sf. אֶפְרֹחָו Jb 39:30, אֶפְרֹחֶיהָ ψ 84:4.