Original Word: אֶבְרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: ebrah
Pronunciation: ehv-raw'
Phonetic Spelling: (eb-raw')
NASB: pinions, pinion
Word Origin: [feminine of H83 (אֵבֶר - wings)]

1. feather, wing

feather, wing

Feminine of 'eber -- feather, wing.

see HEBREW 'eber

Word Origin
fem. of eber
Definition
a pinion
NASB Translation
pinion (1), pinions (3).

אֶבְרָה noun feminine pinion (noun of individual meaning, in poetry) of ostrich Job 39:13; אֶבְרָתוֺ of eagle, simile for ׳י Deuteronomy 32:11; metaphor of ׳י Psalm 91:4; אֶבְרוֺתֶיהָ of dove Psalm 68:14; (all "" כּנף).

Created Image of Strength and Tender Care

אֶבְרָה portrays the broad, strong pinion of a bird. Scripture chooses this striking part of avian anatomy to hold together two seemingly opposite ideas—immense power and gentle shelter. By highlighting the pinion rather than the softer plumage, the text stresses that divine protection is not merely comforting but also unassailable.

Biblical Occurrences and Contexts

Deuteronomy 32:11 compares the LORD’s guardianship of Israel in the wilderness to an eagle that “carries them on His pinions”. The verse stands in the Song of Moses, a national hymn of covenant faithfulness. The pinion image affirms covenant security; Israel’s survival rests not on its own strength but on the unwavering support of God’s mighty wings.

Job 39:13 contrasts the flapping wings of the ostrich with “the pinions and feathers of the stork”. In Yahweh’s speech, Job learns that only the Creator allocates strength and vulnerability in His creatures. אֶבְרָה here underscores divine sovereignty in design—each living being receives precisely the measure of capability God appoints.

Psalm 68:13 evokes a victorious procession: “the wings of the dove are sheathed with silver, and her feathers with shimmering gold”. The imagery speaks of spoils after battle and of Israel’s transformation from weakness to radiant glory. By choosing אֶבְרָה, the psalmist ties national triumph to the protective might that delivered it.

Psalm 91:4 offers one of Scripture’s most beloved assurances: “He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge.” Shelter beneath the pinion becomes shorthand for absolute security amid plague, terror, and warfare (Psalm 91:5–7). The promise rests on God’s faithfulness, which functions as both “shield and rampart.”

Theology of Refuge

Across all four passages, אֶבְרָה communicates covenant refuge. Whether rescuing Israel (Deuteronomy 32), preserving an individual (Psalm 91), or directing the animal kingdom (Job 39), God’s protective capacity is never detached from His relational commitment. The term therefore supports a theology in which protection is not a random benefit but an extension of God’s loyal love (hesed).

Worship and Liturgical Use

Because two occurrences lie in Psalms, אֶבְרָה enriches corporate worship vocabulary. Congregations singing Psalm 91 or Psalm 68 rehearse the truth that divine strength overshadows every worshiper. Early synagogue liturgy and later Christian hymnody often echo these images (“Under His wings I am safely abiding”), demonstrating a continuous thread of devotional application.

Christological Resonance

Jesus appropriated the wing motif when He lamented over Jerusalem: “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Matthew 23:37). Though אֶבְרָה does not appear in Greek, the conceptual link is transparent. Christ embodies the same covenant refuge depicted in the Hebrew Scriptures, thereby affirming His divine identity and compassion.

Historical and Cultural Background

In the Ancient Near East, wings symbolized divine presence on royal and temple iconography (e.g., cherubim over the mercy seat). Israel’s Scriptures recast that imagery, relocating ultimate protection from human kings or idols to the LORD alone. The specific choice of the pinion—recognized by ancient observers as the strongest part of the wing—heightens the claim that no other protector is comparable.

Pastoral and Discipleship Implications

1. Assurance in Uncertain Times: Meditating on Psalm 91 equips believers to face disease or conflict without fear, grounding confidence in God’s unbreakable pinion rather than in worldly stability.
2. Missional Comfort: Deuteronomy 32 empowers missionaries and church planters; as Israel was borne out of bondage, so the Church is carried into every nation by the same mighty wing.
3. Humility Before the Creator: Job 39 calls disciples to surrender questions of “Why?” and rest in the wisdom of the One who designed both ostrich and stork.

Related Hebrew Imagery

Other terms for wing (כָּנָף, אֲפַף) emphasize breadth or surrounding motion, but אֶבְרָה singles out structural strength. This nuance encourages a multifaceted meditation: God not only surrounds but also upholds.

New Testament Echoes

Revelation 12:14 depicts the woman given “the two wings of a great eagle” for flight into the wilderness—a deliberate reminiscence of Exodus 19:4 and Deuteronomy 32:11. The apocalyptic vision reaffirms that the protective pinion will endure until redemptive history reaches its climax.

Conclusion

אֶבְרָה distills a core biblical truth: the covenant God is both mighty and tender. Whether in national deliverance, individual refuge, or cosmic consummation, His pinions never fail.

אֶ֝בְרָ֗ה אֶבְרָתֽוֹ׃ אברה אברתו׃ בְּאֶבְרָת֨וֹ ׀ בִּֽירַקְרַ֥ק באברתו בירקרק ’eḇ·rā·ṯōw ’eḇ·rāh ’eḇrāh ’eḇrāṯōw bə’eḇrāṯōw bə·’eḇ·rā·ṯōw beevraTo bî·raq·raq birakRak bîraqraq evRah evraToInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts