Bible Dictionaries
Pelican

Holman Bible Dictionary

Any member of a family of large, web-footed birds with gigantic bills having expandable pouches attached to the lower jaw. Pelicans are found in Palestine. The Hebrew term translated pelican in Leviticus 11:18; Deuteronomy 14:17 , however, suggests a bird which regurgitates its food to feed its young. Other passages (Psalm 102:6; Isaiah 34:11; Zephaniah 2:14 ) associate the same Hebrew term with deserted ruins, an unlikely habitat for the pelican. Suggested identifications include the jackdaw (NAS margin), owl (NAS margin, NRSV), and vulture (RSV).