raven

A glossy black corvine bird. The Hebrew word translated “raven” in the OT probably refers to the true raven as well as to other members of the crow family, which includes the rook, the jay, the fan-tailed raven, the jackdaw, and the hooded crow. Although an object of God’s care (Job 38:41; Ps 147:9; Luke 12:24), the raven is an unclean bird (Lev 11:15; Deut 14:14) mentioned for its habit of picking at the eyes of its prey (Prov 30:17) and for its tendency to live in ruins (Isa 34:11). In (Gen 8:7) Noah sends a raven out to look for land, and in (1Kgs 17:4) Elijah is fed by ravens.