crow / raven

There is no disagreement about the meaning of these words. The Hebrew ‘orev and the two Greek words are general names given to any member of the crow family. This includes any of the three types of raven, two types of crow, and the rook, which are found in Israel. Of these the Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficolllis, the Fan-tailed Raven Corvus rhipidurus, and the Hooded Crow Corvus corone cornix are common residents. The Common Raven Corvus corax is resident but not as common in modern Israel as it must have been in ancient times. The remaining types of crow found in Israel are visiting migrants that do not stay long.

Crows and ravens are large black birds with thick strong beaks, and fairly short legs. They are highly intelligent and seem to enjoy flying. Often if there is a good thermal current of air, they will soar around in circles, riding the thermal and calling. Some varieties will congregate in great numbers in these thermals and circle around together. On sunny windy days they will sometimes spread their wings and ride the wind, not going anywhere, sometimes even anchoring themselves by hanging on to the end of a branch with one foot. They eat almost anything, including grain, fruit, insects, lizards, frogs, eggs, nestlings, and the meat of dead animals. When the raven released by Noah failed to return to the ark, this was a sign that some land had emerged from the flood and that the raven had found food, probably the carcasses of the people and creatures drowned in the flood.

Crows and ravens build their nests out of twigs and grass in the forks of trees or on ledges on cliffs. The nests are quite large and untidy. Ravens tend to keep to the rocky hills and are found near Galilee, the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea coast, the Negev, and the escarpment bordering the Aravah Rift Valley.

Ravens are unclean birds and are associated in biblical culture with death. They are thus symbols of the devastation resulting from war. They are also singled out as fed by God (Job 38:41). Even though they are unclean and have some horrible habits, they are not forgotten by God. Thus they are also a symbol of God’s kindness. Finally, for the inhabitants of Israel there was nothing blacker than the raven, which in fact is usually glossy as well as black.

Crows and ravens are very widespread around the world. Some types are not all black, but black and white, black and gray, or black and brown. In all there over one hundred species distributed throughout the world. They are usually found in mountainous areas or near towns, but seldom in dense rain forest. In Africa south of the Sahara, the Pied Crow Corvus albus is the most common, but in the mountains of eastern and southern Africa the larger White-necked Raven Corvus albicollis is also found. A relative of the Middle Eastern hooded crow, called the Australian Raven Corvus coronoides, is found in most parts of Australia. The House Crow Corvus splendens, which was originally indigenous to India, has now spread to countries as far away as Australia and South Africa.

In most parts of the world, therefore, except in those rain forest areas that have no towns, there will be local crows or ravens.

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

In Lingala it is translated in all cases as “pied crow” (see here ) because ravens are unknown in the area where Lingala speakers traditionally live. (Source: Sigurd F. Westberg in The Bible Translator 1956, p. 117ff. )

complete verse (Genesis 8:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 8:7:

  • Kankanaey: “and he released a crow. That-aforementioned crow, it did not return to the ark but rather it went wherever-it-pleased until the earth was dried-up.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “And sent out a crow. The crow was flying hither and thither until the water on the earth subsided.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “and released a raven to-go-outside. And this raven just continued flying back-and-forth until the water dried-up/subsided.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The raven flew back and forth to and from the boat until the water was completely gone.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 8:7

And sent forth a raven pictures Noah releasing this bird at the opening to let it fly out. The raven is a black bird similar to the crow. Both belong to the family corvidae. The raven is listed in Lev 11.15 as an unclean bird. It would be able to survive away from the boat by eating dead animals floating on the water. The Septuagint adds “to see whether the water had subsided,” and this is followed by New English Bible, but not by Revised English Bible and other versions. This information may be needed in some languages to complete the sense.

It went to and fro may either mean that the raven flew from the boat and returned several times, or that it flew here and there but did not return. Good News Translation interprets the expression to mean the raven “did not come back” to the boat. Bible en français courant, on the other hand, says “He sent out a raven. It left and soon returned.” A number of translations suggest that the raven did not return, by saying “it flew back and forth waiting for…” (New Jerusalem Bible), “it kept flying back and forth until…” (New International Version), “the bird continued flying to and fro until…” (New English Bible). One Pacific translation states quite clearly that the raven did not return: “This bird flew away and didn’t come back. No. It flew around and around until the water dried up and the ground appeared.” But translators may follow either interpretation.

Until the waters were dried up from the earth does not mean that the raven returned to the boat when the flood had dried, but that it remained on the land after that time, or as Bible en français courant says, “It had to wait for the water to dry up on the land.” From the earth is understood but not stated in Good News Translation and others.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .