Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) by Michael Woodruff

While reading through Lamentations, I came across this verse:

Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, They were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than corals, Their polishing was like lapis lazuli. (Lamentations 4:7 NASB)

I immediately thought of the bird above – the Lazuli Bunting. Working with the Birds of the World, the name “Lazuli” has been seen before, so this is an attempt to find out what it really means and which birds have that color. Let’s dig around and see what we can find out.

Lazuline Sabrewing (Campylopterus falcatus) ©WikiC

The NASB has two more verses that use “lazuli”: Ezekial 1:26 and 28:13. All three use lapis with the lazuli. Checking with my eSword program in the compare mode most of the translations use “Sapphire.” and some use the lapis lazuli. They all refer to a very well polished and cut stone of the sapphire or lazuli color.

Polished Block of Lapis Lazuli from Afghanistan ©WikiC

Lazuli
Lazuline Sabrewing (Campylopterus falcatus)
Lazuli Kingfisher (Todiramphus lazuli)
Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena)

Sapphire Gem ©WikiC

Sapphire
Blue-chinned Sapphire (Chlorestes notata)
Sapphire-throated Hummingbird (Lepidopyga coeruleogularis)
Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird (Lepidopyga lilliae)
Blue-throated Sapphire (Hylocharis eliciae)
Rufous-throated Sapphire (Hylocharis sapphirina)
White-chinned Sapphire (Hylocharis cyanus)
Gilded Sapphire (Hylocharis chrysura)
Blue-headed Sapphire (Hylocharis grayi)
Humboldt’s Sapphire (Hylocharis humboldtii)
Golden-tailed Sapphire (Chrysuronia oenone)
Sapphire-spangled Emerald (Amazilia lactea)
Great Sapphirewing (Pterophanes cyanopterus)
Sapphire-vented Puffleg (Eriocnemis luciani)
Sapphire-rumped Parrotlet (Touit purpuratus)
Sapphire Flycatcher (Ficedula sapphira)
Sapphire Quail-Dove (Geotrygon saphirina)

Sapphire-vented Puffleg (Eriocnemis luciani) by Michael Woodruff

What an amazing colection of birds with a beautiful color that the Lord has given us. Not only did we get that fantastic color in stones from the Creator, but He used that color for His avian beauties also.

Hope you enjoy seeing these beautiful birds. The Bibles verses didn’t really have anything to do with birds. The verse is actually about the destruction of Jerusalem and how those that had been so well dressed in various colors were now appearing blacker than soot (Lam 4:8) because of their sin which had caused the destruction. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, was describing what had been and what they were seeing now.

We also will face judgment one day, for either rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ, at the Great White Throne judgment or for those that have accepted Him as Lord and Savior at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3:16-21 NASB)

Birds of the Bible

Torrey’s Topical Textbook – Precious Stones

The Gospel

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