Ulangan 32:11

32:11 Like an eagle that stirs up ¹  its nest,

that hovers over its young,

so the Lord ²  spread out his wings and took him, ³ 

he lifted him up on his pinions.

Mazmur 103:5

103:5 who satisfies your life with good things, ⁴ 

so your youth is renewed like an eagle’s. ⁵ 

Yesaya 40:31

40:31 But those who wait for the Lord’s help ⁶  find renewed strength;

they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, ⁷ 

they run without growing weary,

they walk without getting tired.

Yeremia 4:13

4:13 Look! The enemy is approaching like gathering clouds. ⁸ 

The roar of his chariots is like that of a whirlwind. ⁹ 

His horses move more swiftly than eagles.”

I cry out, ¹⁰  “We are doomed, ¹¹  for we will be destroyed!”

[32:11]  ¹ tn The prefixed verbal form is an imperfect, indicating habitual or typical behavior. The parallel verb (cf. “hovers” in the next line) is used in the same manner.

[32:11]  ² tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:11]  ³ tn The form of the suffix on this and the following verb forms (cf. “lifted him up”) indicates that the verbs are preterites, not imperfects. As such they simply state the action factually. The use of the preterite here suggests that the preceding verb (cf. “spread out”) is preterite as well.

[103:5]  ⁴ tc Heb “who satisfies with the good of your ornaments.” The text as it stands makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes an emendation of עֶדְיֵךְ (’ed’ekh, “your ornaments”) to עֹדֵכִי (’odekhiy, “your duration; your continuance”) that is, “your life” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 18).

[103:5]  ⁵ sn The expression your youth is renewed like an eagle’s may allude to the phenomenon of molting, whereby the eagle grows new feathers.

[40:31]  ⁶ tn The words “for the Lord’s help” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

[40:31]  ⁷ tn Heb “they rise up [on] wings like eagles” (TEV similar).

[4:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “he is coming up like clouds.” The words “The enemy” are supplied in the translation to identify the referent and the word “gathering” is supplied to try to convey the significance of the simile, i.e., that of quantity and of an approaching storm.

[4:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “his chariots [are] like a whirlwind.” The words “roar” and “sound” are supplied in the translation to clarify the significance of the simile.

[4:13]  ¹⁰ tn The words “I cry out” are not in the text, but the words that follow are obviously not the Lord’s. They are either those of the people or of Jeremiah. Taking them as Jeremiah’s parallels the interjection of Jeremiah’s response in 4:10 which is formally introduced.

[4:13]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Woe to us!” The words “woe to” are common in funeral laments and at the beginning of oracles of judgment. In many contexts they carry the connotation of hopelessness or apprehensiveness of inevitable doom.