Bible Encyclopedia: Partridge

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

PARTRIDGE

par'-trij (qore; Latin perdix; Septuagint, 1 Samuel 26:20, nuktikorax, "owl," Jeremiah 17:11, perdix): a bird of the family Tetraonidae. The Hebrew word for this bird, qore', means "a caller," and the Latin perdix is supposed to be an imitation of its cry, and as all other nations base their name for the bird on the Latin, it becomes quite evident that it was originally named in imitation of its call. The commonest partridge of Palestine, very numerous in the wilderness and hill country, was a bird almost as large as a pheasant. It had a clear, exquisite cry that attracted attention, especially in the mating season. The partridge of the wilderness was smaller and of beautifully marked plumage. It made its home around the Dead Sea, in the Wilderness of Judea and in rocky caverns. Its eggs were creamy white; its cry very similar to its relatives'. The partridge and its eggs were used for food from time immemorial.

The first reference to it is found in 1 Samuel 26:20: "Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Yahweh: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains." David in this dialogue with Saul clearly indicates that if he did not hunt the partridge himself, he knew how it was done. The birds were commonly chased up the mountains and stunned or killed with "throw sticks." David knew how deft these birds were at hiding beside logs and under dry leaves colored so like them as to afford splendid protection; how swiftly they could run; what expert dodgers they were; so he compared taking them with catching a flea. The other reference is found in Jeremiah 17:11: "As the partridge that sitteth on eggs which she hath not laid, so is he that getteth riches, and not by right; in the midst of his days they shall leave him, and at his end he shall be a fool." If this reference is supposed to indicate that partridges are in the habit of brooding on the nest of their kind or of different birds, it fails wholly to take into consideration the history of the bird. Partridges select a location, carefully deposit an egg a day for from 10 to 15 days, sometimes 20, and then brood, so that all the young emerge at one time. But each bird knows and returns to its nest with unfailing regularity. It would require the proverbial "Philadelphia lawyer" to explain this reference to a "partridge sitting on eggs she had not laid." No ornithologist ever could reconcile it to the habits or characteristics of the birds. the King James Version translated these lines, "As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not." This was easy to explain clearly. The eggs of the partridge were delicious food, and any brooding bird whose nest was discovered after only a few days of incubation did not hatch, because she lost her eggs. Also the eggs frequently fall prey to other birds or small animals. Again, they are at the mercy of the elements, sometimes being spoiled by extremely wet cold weather. Poultry fanciers assert that a heavy thunder storm will spoil chicken eggs when hatchingtime is close; the same might be true with eggs of the wild. And almost any wild bird will desert its nest and make its former brooding useless, if the location is visited too frequently by man or beast.

There is also a partridge reference in the Book of Ecclesiasticus 11:29; the Revised Version (British and American)): "Bring not every man into thine house; for many are the plots of the deceitful man. As a decoy partridge in a cage, so is the heart of a proud man; and as one that is a spy, he looketh upon thy falling. For he lieth in wait to turn things that are good into evil; and in things that are praiseworthy he will lay blame." The reference is to confining a tame partridge in a hidden cage so that its calls would lure many of its family within range of arrows or "throw sticks" used by concealed hunters.

Gene Stratton-Porter

Strong's Hebrew

7124. qore -- a partridge
... 7123, 7124. qore. 7125 . a partridge. Transliteration: qore Phonetic
Spelling: (ko-ray') Short Definition: partridge. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/7124.htm - 6k

1031. Beth Choglah -- "place of partridge," a place in Benjamin
... Beth Choglah. 1032 . "place of partridge," a place in Benjamin. Transliteration:
Beth Choglah Phonetic Spelling: (bayth chog-law') Short Definition: Beth-hoglah ...
/hebrew/1031.htm - 6k

2295. Choglah -- "partridge," a female descendant of Manasseh
... 2294, 2295. Choglah. 2296 . "partridge," a female descendant of Manasseh.
Transliteration: Choglah Phonetic Spelling: (khog-law') Short Definition: Hoglah. ...
/hebrew/2295.htm - 6k

Library

That we have a Natural Inclination to Love God Above all Things.
... and behold a strange thing, yet well supported by testimony!"the young one which
was hatched and nourished under the wings of a stranger partridge, at the ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xvi that we have.htm

On the Animals
... [Cant.5:11]. The partridge is the devil; in the prophet: the partridge has cried,
it has gathered that which it has not sown. [Jer.17:11]. ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/iv on the animals.htm

The Sweet Uses of Adversity
... After a dead dog: after a flea?" Wilt thou hunt the partridge on the mountains with
an army, and wilt thou go forth against a gnat with shield and spear? ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the sweet uses of adversity.htm

Faustus Asserts that Even if the Old Testament could be Shown to ...
... among Christians should occur, Jeremiah, observing this order in his prophecy,
immediately adds in the passage already quoted: "The partridge is clamorous ...
/.../faustus asserts that even if.htm

Introduction.
... He is "hunted like a partridge upon the mountains," a fugitive and half a freebooter,
taking service at foreign courts, and lurking on the frontiers with a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/the life of david/i introduction.htm

Kept from Iniquity
... He had to fly for his life, like a partridge upon the mountains, and all the while,
no doubt, Saul and his partisans accused him of all manner of evil. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 41 1895/kept from iniquity.htm

The Gospel According to St. John
... We are told by other writers how he reclaimed a robber, how he played with a tame
partridge, how when too old to preach he was carried into church and would ...
/.../pullan/the books of the new testament/chapter vi the gospel according.htm

Letter P
... Received 1830 * Parsons, George "Received 1837 * Parsons, James "Received 1812 *
Parsons, John W. "Received 1837 * Partridge, William "Received 1780 ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bangs/an alphabetical list of m e preachers/letter p.htm

Christian Names.
... "He specified the partridge by her cry, and the forest prowler by his roving, The
tree by its use, and the flower by its beauty, and everything according to ...
/.../philips/the christian home/chapter xii christian names.htm

I an African Free-Town Subject to Rome
... especially forest. It is a hunter's country. Game is plentiful there"boar,
hare, redwing, quail, partridge. In Augustin's time ...
/.../bertrand/saint augustin/i an african free-town subject.htm

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Partridge

(Heb. kore) occurs only (1 Samuel 26:20) and Jere 17:11 The "hunting this bird upon the mountains," (1 Samuel 26:20) entirely agrees with the habits of two well-known species of partridge, viz. Caccabis saxatilis , the Greek partridge (which is the commonest partridge of the holy land), and Ammoperdix heyii . Our common partridge, Perdix cinerea , does not occur in Palestine. (The Greek partridge somewhat resembles our red-legged partridge in plumage, but is much larger. In every part of the hill country it abounds, and its ringing call-note in early morning echoes from cliff to cliff alike amid the barrenness of the hills of Judea and in the glens of the forest of Carmel. Tristram's Nat. Hist. of Bible . The flesh of the partridge and the eggs are highly esteemed as food, and the search for the eggs at the proper time of the year is made a regular business.-ED.)

ATS Bible Dictionary

Partridge

A well-known bird, three varieties of which are found in Palestine. Saul's hunting of David like a partridge upon the mountain, 1 Samuel 26:20, may be illustrated by an occasional practice of the Arabs, who, observing that this bird becomes languid on being started several times in quick succession, at length rush suddenly in upon it and knock it over with their clubs. In Jeremiah 17:11, we may best render, as the partridge gathereth eggs which she hath not laid; the meaning being that she loses her toil since the young birds, when hatched, forsake her.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

(Hebrews kore, i.e., "caller"). This bird, unlike our own partridge, is distinguished by "its ringing call-note, which in early morning echoes from cliff to cliff amidst the barrenness of the wilderness of Judea and the glens of the forest of Carmel" hence its Hebrew name. This name occurs only twice in Scripture.

In 1 Samuel 26:20 "David alludes to the mode of chase practised now, as of old, when the partridge, continuously chased, was at length, when fatigued, knocked down by sticks thrown along the ground." It endeavours to save itself "by running, in preference to flight, unless when suddenly started. It is not an inhabitant of the plain or the corn-field, but of rocky hill-sides" (Tristram's Nat. Hist.).

In Jeremiah 17:11 the prophet is illustrating the fact that riches unlawfully acquired are precarious and short-lived. The exact nature of the illustration cannot be precisely determined. Some interpret the words as meaning that the covetous man will be as surely disappointed as the partridge which gathers in eggs, not of her own laying, and is unable to hatch them; others (Tristram), with more probability, as denoting that the man who enriches himself by unjust means "will as surely be disappointed as the partridge which commences to sit, but is speedily robbed of her hopes of a brood" by her eggs being stolen away from her.

The commonest partridge in Palestine is the Caccabis saxatilis, the Greek partridge. The partridge of the wilderness (Ammo-perdix heyi) is a smaller species. Both are essentially mountain and rock birds, thus differing from the English partridge, which loves cultivated fields.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) Any one of numerous species of small gallinaceous birds of the genus Perdix and several related genera of the family Perdicidae, of the Old World. The partridge is noted as a game bird.

2. (n.) Any one of several species of quail-like birds belonging to Colinus, and allied genera.

3. (n.) The ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus).

Thesaurus

Partridge (2 Occurrences)
... This bird, unlike our own partridge, is distinguished by "its ringing call-note,
which in early morning echoes from cliff to cliff amidst the barrenness of the ...
/p/partridge.htm - 13k

Quail (5 Occurrences)
... Quail and partridges are near relatives, the partridge a little larger and of
brighter color. Quail are like the gray, brown and tan of earth. ...
/q/quail.htm - 13k

Flea (2 Occurrences)
... the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge
in the mountains." The flea is here used as a symbol of David's insignificance ...
/f/flea.htm - 10k

Beth-hoglah (2 Occurrences)
... beth-hog'-la (beth-choghlah; Septuagint Baithaglaam, "house of partridge"): Mentioned
in Joshua 15:6; Joshua 18:19, identified with Ain Haijab ("partridge...
/b/beth-hoglah.htm - 8k

Bethhoglah (1 Occurrence)
... beth-hog'-la (beth-choghlah; Septuagint Baithaglaam, "house of partridge"): Mentioned
in Joshua 15:6; Joshua 18:19, identified with Ain Haijab ("partridge...
/b/bethhoglah.htm - 7k

Samson (37 Occurrences)
... Samson being thirsty, Yahweh provided water for him at a place called En-hakkore,
or "Partridge Spring," or "the Spring of the Caller"-another name for ...
/s/samson.htm - 37k

Hunting (9 Occurrences)
... her two whelps (Ezekiel 19:1-9; compare Job 10:16); of the antelope or oryx
(Deuteronomy 14:5 Isaiah 51:20); of the roe (Proverbs 6:5); of the partridge in ...
/h/hunting.htm - 22k

Hoglah (7 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Partridge, one of the daughters of Zelophehad the Gileadite,
to whom portions were assigned by Moses (Numbers 26:33; 27:1; 36:11). ...
/h/hoglah.htm - 9k

Zoology
... Little Owl, Horned Owl, Eagle, Vulture, Gier-Eagle, Osprey, Kite, Glede, Hawk, Falcon
COLUMBAE: Dove, Turtle-Dove GALLINAE: Cock, Partridge, Quail, Peacock ...
/z/zoology.htm - 18k

Kore (4 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Partridge. (1.) A Levite and temple-warder of
the Korahites, the son of Asaph. He was father of Shallum ...
/k/kore.htm - 10k

Bible Concordance

Partridge (2 Occurrences)

1 Samuel 26:20 Now therefore, don't let my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of Yahweh; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 17:11 As the partridge that sits on eggs which she has not laid, so is he who gets riches, and not by right; in the midst of his days they shall leave him, and at his end he shall be a fool.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Partridge

Partridge: General Scriptures Concerning

Related Terms

Quail (5 Occurrences)

Flea (2 Occurrences)

Beth-hoglah (2 Occurrences)

Bethhoglah (1 Occurrence)

Samson (37 Occurrences)

Hunting (9 Occurrences)

Hoglah (7 Occurrences)

Zoology