The pelican is mentioned in three books of the Bible – Psalms, Isaiah, and Zephaniah. In each mention, the pelican is used symbolically to represent different ideas. Let’s take a look at the biblical references to pelicans and what they may signify.
Pelican in the Psalms
The pelican is mentioned in Psalm 102:6 (NRSV):
I am like a pelican of the wilderness, like an owl of the desert.
This psalm is a lament by someone who is afflicted and feeble. The references to a pelican and an owl evoke images of lonely, solitary birds crying out mournfully in desolate places. The psalmist uses these birds to express his feelings of being alone, abandoned, and in distress. Just as pelicans and owls frequent isolated areas, the psalmist feels cut off from God and community. His mood is bleak and melancholy like the haunting cries of these birds.
Some key points about the pelican in Psalm 102:6:
- The pelican is associated with the wilderness, portraying loneliness and isolation.
- The psalmist identifies with the pelican’s solitary nature to convey his own feelings of being alone and apart from God.
- The image suggests the psalmist’s profound sense of grief and anguish in his separation from God.
Pelican in Isaiah
Isaiah 34:11 (NRSV) states:
But the pelican and the hedgehog will possess it, the owl and the raven will dwell in it.
This verse appears in a passage pronouncing judgment against the nations, especially Edom. Edom will become a wasteland, inhabited only by desert creatures like pelicans, hedgehogs, owls, and ravens. The pelican in this verse, along with the other animals, symbolizes desolation, emptiness, and ruin. Just as pelicans live in the solitary wilderness, so too will the land of Edom become a abandoned, uninhabited wilderness.
Key points about the pelican in Isaiah 34:11:
- The pelican represents desolation – picturing the land laid waste and turned into a desert.
- Along with other desert creatures, the pelican’s presence signifies Edom’s complete destruction.
- The pelican epitomizes solitude and abandonment, like the now unoccupied land of Edom.
Pelican in Zephaniah
Zephaniah 2:14 (NRSV) offers this prophecy against Nineveh:
Herds shall lie down in it, every wild animal; the desert owl and the screech owl shall lodge on its capitals; the owl shall hoot at the window, the raven croak on the threshold; for its cedar work will be laid bare.
Here, the ruin of Nineveh is pictured as a place where flocks and wild animals take over the city. The pelican is described as the “desert owl” that roosts on the destroyed capital buildings. Along with owls, ravens, and wild animals, the pelican’s presence signals utter desolation and abandonment. With only desert birds inhabiting the city, Nineveh has become an empty wasteland.
Key points on the pelican in Zephaniah:
- The pelican (“desert owl”) inhabits the demolished capital buildings, representing abandonment.
- Grouped with other wild creatures, the pelican depicts the empty ruins of Nineveh.
- As a desert owl, the pelican embodies solitude – a city once filled now deserted.
Major Symbolic Meanings
Drawing these biblical passages together, we can identify some major symbolic meanings for the pelican:
- Loneliness – The pelican’s association with desolate places represents feelings of isolation and being abandoned.
- Grief – The psalmist’s identification with the mournful pelican conveys profound grief and sorrow.
- Ruin – The presence of pelicans inhabiting destroyed cities symbolizes emptiness, abandonment, and devastation.
- Solitude – As a wilderness bird, the pelican epitomizes being alone and apart from community.
- Desolation – Like other desert creatures, the pelican signifies lands laid waste and turned into wasteland.
So in summary, when used symbolically, the pelican poetically represents ideas like loneliness, grief, ruin, desolation, and solitude through its associations with deserted places.
Pelican Imagery in the Broader Bible
Looking more widely at the Bible, pelicans are among various birds that appear in poetic imagery:
- Job 39:13-18 – Birds like the ostrich, stork, and pelicans symbolize God’s majestic creativity.
- Psalm 50:11 – God claims ownership of all living creatures, including pelicans.
- Isaiah 13:19-22 – Desert creatures like pelicans will inhabit Babylon after its destruction.
Some common symbolic meanings of birds in the Bible include:
- Freedom – Ability to soar above restraints and obstacles.
- Hope – Transcending earthly troubles; dreams of heaven.
- Protection – Finding refuge under the shelter of God’s wings.
- Provision – God cares even for the smallest sparrow.
However, the pelican has some distinctive symbolism from other birds. As discussed above, the pelican specifically represents themes like grief, desolation, and loneliness – making it a prime example of how biblically symbolic meanings can be nuanced for different birds.
Origins of Pelican Symbolism
Why exactly did pelicans come to represent grief, loneliness, and abandonment in the Bible? Some possibilities:
- Pelicans live solitary lives in remote wilderness areas away from human communities. This loner existence may be the genesis of the abandonment and desolation themes.
- In ancient times, pelicans were associated with mournful cries that sounded distressing to human ears. Their cries may have evoked grief.
- Legends spread of parent pelicans wounding their own breasts to feed their young with their blood. This sacrificial self-harm may conjure up themes of grief and sorrow.
However, biblical symbolism does not require the attributes to accurately reflect the real-life animal’s nature. The biblical writers appropriated traits that fit meaningful spiritual metaphors. So pelicans came to symbolize loneliness, grief, and desolation based on literary usage – not necessarily biological accuracy.
Uses of Pelican Symbolism
What purposes might pelican symbolism serve in Scripture? Here are some potential functions:
- The psalms use bird imagery like the pelican poignantly to convey the inner emotions of the speaker.
- Prophetic books utilize the pelican to paint vivid pictures of desolation and abandonment resulting from God’s judgment.
- The unclean, haunting bird represents the spiritual state of those in rebellion against God.
- The pelican imagery underscores the tragic nature of separation from God.
In this way, the biblical writers use the pelican skillfully to evoke certain moods, feelings, and spiritual concepts. The symbolic meanings of the pelican serve important literary and theological purposes in Scripture.
Later Christian Symbolism
After the biblical era, pelican symbolism continued to evolve in Christianity:
- Self-sacrifice – The mythical self-wounding pelican became a symbol of Christ sacrificing himself for humanity.
- Eucharist – The pelican’s blood feeding its young symbolized the sacrament of Christ’s blood represented in communion.
- Atonement – The pelican adorning itself in its own blood depicted Christ’s passion paying the price for human sin.
So the medieval church incorporated the pelican into iconography, architecture, and heraldry as a symbol of Christ’s sacrificial atonement. This expanded on the themes of grief, loss, and self-sacrifice from earlier biblical usage.
Conclusion
In summary, the pelican has rich and multi-layered symbolism throughout the Bible and Christian tradition including:
- Desolation, solitude, and loneliness in the wilderness
- Sorrow, grief, and lament
- Ruin and devastation of judgment
- Sacrificial self-harm and atonement
This complex set of meanings centers around the pelican’s association with solitude and self-sacrifice. Biblical writers creatively utilized pelican imagery to convey spiritual truths. Later Christians expanded on those symbols to highlight Christ’s passion. So in the Judeo-Christian tradition, the pelican poignantly encapsulates themes of grief, lament, ruin, atonement, and sacrificial love through its poetic symbolism.