Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Renewed Youth

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed as the eagle’s. Psalms 103:5


This fact in the life of the eagle is given as a promise to the righteous. The eagle lives to a very great age. As he grows old his beak becomes so long that he can no longer eat; then he flies away by himself to the top of a cliff and pecks and pecks on a rock until his bill falls off, after which a new bill grows in its place.

While without the use of his bill, the bird also loses his feathers because of fasting. After the new bill grows and he again takes food, new feathers start growing, so that he looks and appears like a young eagle, going forth in a new covering with youthful beauty and strength.

(Bowen, Barbara M., Strange Scriptures that Perplex the Western Mind, WM B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1944, pg 22)

3 comments:

  1. Hello Donna,
    If I may, I have a question regarding the post on April 28 about "the ends of the earth." Does this phrase always have the same meaning of "until life ceases to exist", or can the ends of the earth also refer to all people everywhere (specifically in 2 Nephi 26:25)? Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Justin,

    I don't know all the possible levels of understanding in Hebrew thinking. The idea of it covering all people is certainly feasible.

    I was just quoting that particular book. Possibly that was the technical meaning under Babylonian law.

    Most things in scriptures are multidimensional, so I assume that there are other layers to the phrase.

    It's interesting to me that you asked about
    2 Nephi 26:25. One of my blog postings next week is about the phrase "buying without money and without price".

    ReplyDelete
  3. Okay...buying without money or price caught my attention! I am so happy to understand the eagle verse now. I look forward to next week...as long as it isn't in Greek! ;>)

    ReplyDelete