Bats

Bats are only mentioned a few times in the Bible. Bats are listed among those types of winged creatures that the people of Israel were forbidden to eat.

• Leviticus 11:14-18 HCSB "You are to detest these birds. They must not be eaten because they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, 14 the kite, the various kinds of falcon, 15 every kind of raven, 16 the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the gull, the various kinds of hawk, 17 the little owl, the cormorant, the long-eared owl, 18 the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, 19 the stork, the various kinds of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.

· Deuteronomy 14:11- 18 HCSB You may eat every clean bird, 12 but these are the ones you may not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, 13 the kite, the various kinds of falcon, 14 every kind of raven, 15 the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the gull, the various kinds of hawk, 16 the little owl, the long-eared owl, the white owl, 17 the desert owl, the osprey, the cormorant, 18 the stork, the various kinds of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.

Some controversy can arise with these two passages because they include bats in a list of birds which is not scientifically accurate. This matter is easily laid to rest when one realizes that the term translated as “bird” in both cases is the Hebrew word “’ofe” (Strong’s #5774; pronounced like “oaf”). ‘Ofe literally means “winged creature and can include fowl, birds, winged insects and bats.

For instance, in Genesis 1:20-22, 26, 28, 30, all verses that deal very generally with every type of creature that is able to fly, ‘ofe is used in every occasion.

As another example, consider the very same two passages. Mere verses later, the same word ‘ofe is translated as winged insects.

• Leviticus 11:20-23 HCSB "All winged insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you. 21 But you may eat these kinds of all the winged insects that walk on all fours: those that have jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground. 22 You may eat these: the various kinds of locust, the various kinds of katydid, the various kinds of cricket, and the various kinds of grasshopper. 23 All [other] winged insects that have four feet are to be detestable to you.
• Deuteronomy 14:19-20 HCSB All winged insects are unclean for you; they may not be eaten. 20 But you may eat every clean flying creature.

The passage in Isaiah is pretty straight forward. On the Day of the Lord, people will apparently spend so much time underground hiding their religion will begin incorporating subterranean creatures.

· Isaiah 2:19-20 HCSB People will go into caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from His majestic splendor, when He rises to terrify the earth. 20 On that day people will throw their silver and gold idols, which they made to worship, to the moles and the bats.