Genesis - Birds & Insects
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How do we know that the “flying creature” in Genesis 1:20 is not a bird?

The word for bird is different than the word used in Genesis 1.  “op” basically means an insect and in 1:20 the word flying is put in front of it (kanaph means winged).   

So we have winged insects.

 Now I realize that many translators say “birds.”  They are wrong.  Go back to the KJV and you’ll see they didn’t translate it as bird, but as “fowl.” 

 Why?  Because the Hebrew word for bird is a DIFFERENT WORD.  The Hebrew for bird is tsippowr  not op.

 Don’t take my word for it, look up Genesis 7:14 in your favorite translation.  Here Noah is getting his flocks together.   

7:14

They [came] along with every separate kind of beast, every separate kind of livestock, every separate kind of land animal, and every separate kind of flying creature - every bird [and] every winged animal.


Hemah vechol-hachayah leminah vechol-habehemah leminah vechol haremes haromes al-ha'arets leminehu vechol-ha'of leminehu kol tsipor kol-kanaf.

 Two separate creatures:  birds (tsippowr) and flying insects / creatures / animals (things that fly that are not birds). 

Then read Leviticus 11:20 

11:20

Every flying insect that uses four legs for walking shall be avoided by you.
Kol sherets ha'of haholech al-arba shekets hu lachem.

 (Here “of” is the same as “op” or “owpf” – that is the problem with transliteration).  

11:21

The only flying insects with four walking legs that you may eat are those which have knees extending above their feet, [using these longer legs] to hop on the ground.
Ach et-zeh tochlu mikol sherets ha'of haholech al-arba asher-lo chra'ayim mima'al leraglav lenater bahen al-ha'arets.

 (“of” again meaning insect). 

11:22

Among these, you may [only] eat members of the red locust family, the yellow locust family, the spotted grey locust family, and the white locust family.
Et-eleh mehem tochelu et-ha'arbeh lemino ve'et-hasal 'am leminehu ve'et-hachargol leminehu ve'et-hechagav leminehu.

 

11:23

All other flying insects with four feet [for walking] must be avoided by you.
Vechol sherets ha'of asher-lo arba raglayim shekets hu lachem.

 So in these passages “of” “owph” “op” is clearly translated as “insects.”

 Not birds in Genesis 1:20 but insects.

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