עוֹף (oph)
oph
bird
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 61 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun oph designates flying creatures, encompassing birds and winged insects. It functions as a collective term for these airborne animals, appearing frequently in the creation narratives where God commands the waters to swarm with living beings and the sky to fill with wings (Genesis 1:20-22). The word highlights the vastness of created life, grouping diverse species under the shared characteristic of flight.
Its usage extends beyond simple classification into legal and prophetic contexts. In Leviticus, it distinguishes clean from unclean animals for dietary laws, while in Jeremiah, the scattering of Israel’s bones to the oph serves as a stark image of judgment and desolation (Jeremiah 7:33). This dual role shows how the term anchors both ritual purity and divine warning.
Etymologically, the word derives from a root meaning to fly or flutter. This connection emphasizes movement and agility rather than just physical form. Translators often render it as fowl or birds, but the Hebrew scope is broader, including insects that take to the air, reflecting an ancient categorization based on habitat and motion.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word oph covers all winged creatures that fly through the sky. In Genesis, God fills the heavens with these living beings, showing His care for every part of creation. This includes not just songbirds, but also insects and other flying things. It reminds us that God’s attention extends to the smallest fluttering life as well as the largest.
Later in Scripture, this word helps define what is clean or unclean for food. It also appears in warnings about judgment, where birds scattering over bones shows how complete a loss can be. Yet even in these serious moments, the focus remains on God’s sovereignty over all life. We see that nothing escapes His notice.
For your daily walk, this word invites you to look up and appreciate the diversity around you. Whether you are eating or observing nature, remember that every creature reflects its Creator. This awareness can deepen your gratitude for the world He made and sustained.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 61 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] bird[s] of9×
- <the> bird of6×
- the/ bird[s]5×
- to/ [the] bird[s] of4×
- for/ [the] bird[s] of3×
- and/ the/ bird[s]3×
- among the/ bird[s]3×
- <the>/ wing3×
- <the>/ bird3×
- bird of2×
- and/ over/ [the] bird[s] of2×
- and/ bird[s]2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ע֣וֹף7×
- הָ/ע֔וֹף7×
- לְ/ע֥וֹף6×
- ע֥וֹף5×
- וּ/בְ/ע֣וֹף3×
- עוֹף\־2×
- ע֨וֹף2×
- ע֤וֹף2×
- וּ/מֵ/ע֖וֹף2×
- הָ/ע֣וֹף2×
- הָ/ע֛וֹף2×
- בָּ/ע֧וֹף2×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 1:20
God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”
This verse marks the first time oph appears, showing God actively filling the sky with flying life during creation.
-
Leviticus 11:13
“‘You shall detest these among the birds; they shall not be eaten because they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture,
Here the word lists specific unclean birds, helping readers understand dietary laws and ritual purity in ancient Israel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does oph mean in the Bible?
Is oph only about birds?
Why is oph important in Leviticus?
Every Occurrence (61 verses across 13 books)
Genesis 22 verses
God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the…
Genesis 1:21God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their…
Genesis 1:22God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the…
Genesis 1:26God said, “Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over…
Genesis 1:28God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish…
Genesis 1:30To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there…
Genesis 2:19Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man…
Genesis 2:20The man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there…
Genesis 6:7Yahweh said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground—man, along with animals, creeping…
Genesis 6:20Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind,…
Genesis 7:3Also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth.
Genesis 7:8Clean animals, unclean animals, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground
Genesis 7:14they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the…
Genesis 7:21All flesh died that moved on the earth, including birds, livestock, animals, every creeping thing that creeps on the…
Genesis 7:23Every living thing was destroyed that was on the surface of the ground, including man, livestock, creeping things, and…
Genesis 8:17Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping…
Genesis 8:19Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatever moves on the earth, after their families, went out of the…
Genesis 8:20Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and took of every clean animal, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on…
Genesis 9:2The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything…
Genesis 9:10and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of…
Genesis 40:17In the uppermost basket there were all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my…
Genesis 40:19Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will…