Leviticus 11:13
Of birds these are they which you must not eat, and which are to be avoided by you: The eagle, and the griffon, and the osprey,
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Hæc sunt quæ de avibus comedere non debetis, et vitanda sunt vobis : aquilam, et gryphem, et haliæetum,
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Καὶ ταῦτα ἃ βδελύξεσθε ἀπὸ τῶν πετεινῶν, καὶ οὐ βρωθήσεται, βδέλυγμά ἐστιν· τὸν ἀετὸν καὶ τὸν γρύπα καὶ τὸν ἁλιάετον,
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וְאֶת אֵ֨לֶּה֙ תְּשַׁקְּצ֣וּ מִן הָע֔וֹף לֹ֥א יֵאָכְל֖וּ שֶׁ֣קֶץ הֵ֑ם אֶת הַנֶּ֨שֶׁר֙ וְאֶת הַפֶּ֔רֶס וְאֵ֖ת הָעָזְנִיָּֽה
Haydock's commentary
The griffon. Not the monster which the painters represent, which has no being upon earth; but a bird of the eagle kind, larger than the common. (Challoner)
Osprey. The sea or black eagle, which is very clear-sighted, and expert in catching fish. Pliny relates, (B. x. 3,) that it tries its young by making them look at the sun, and hurls them down if they refuse. But this seems fabulous.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
Clement of Alexandria The Instructor, Chapter XI. A Compendious View of the Christian Life
Further, He says: “Thou art not to eat a kite or swift-winged ravenous bird, or an eagle,” meaning: Thou shalt not come near men who gain their living by rapine. And other things also are exhibited figuratively.
St Athanasius Letters of Athanasius with Two Ancient Chronicles of His Life, For 335. Easter-day iv Pharmuthi, iii Kal. April; xx Moon; Ær. Dioclet. 51; Coss. Julius Constantius, the brother of Augustus, Rufinus Albinus; Præfect, the same Philagrius; viii Indict
2. When by such faith and knowledge the saints have embraced this true life, they receive, doubtless, the joy which is in heaven; for which the wicked not caring, are deservedly deprived of the blessedness arising from it. For, ‘let the wicked be taken away, so that he shall not see the glory of the Lord.’ For although, when they shall hear the universal proclamation of the promise, ‘Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,’ they shall rise and shall come even to heaven, knocking and saying, ‘Open to us;’ nevertheless the Lord will reprove them, as those who put the knowledge of Himself far from them, saying, ‘I know you not.’ But the holy Spirit cries against them, ‘The wicked shall be turned into hell, even all the nations that forget God..’ Now we say that the wicked are dead, but not in an ascetic life opposed to sin; nor do they, like the saints, bear about dying in their …