Eagle

The eagle (the Hebrew term also covers the great vulture) was the largest and most powerful bird the Israelites saw — soaring effortlessly on mountain winds, with legendary eyesight and speed in the dive.

Its strength made it an image of empires that swoop on their prey: Babylon's armies are described as flying “as the eagle that hasteth to eat.” But the same bird also pictures tender care. God describes carrying Israel out of Egypt “on eagles' wings,” evoking the way an eagle stirs its nest and bears its young aloft.

Isaiah turns the eagle into a promise for the weary: “they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.” The eagle therefore speaks both of God's unstoppable power in judgment and his uplifting, renewing strength for those who trust him.