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The spiritual meaning of crows differs across the belief systems of various cultures. However, to understand their true significance as spiritual symbols, it is essential to view them through a biblical lens. The Bible frequently references their close relative, the raven, to convey deeper spiritual truths. These references illustrate themes of God’s provision, care, and judgment.
By exploring the symbolism of crows in Scripture, we can uncover their profound messages and relevance to our spiritual journeys in faith in Jesus Christ.
The Spiritual Meaning of Crows in Culture
Various cultures have various views on the “spirit world,” whether they be surface level and just for fun or spiritual beliefs deeply rooted in cultural practices and traditions. Crows are one of those things that have different meanings depending on who you ask. Some may say that crows are symbols of death, while others say they are a positive sign of good luck, while another says that crows are some sort of spiritual guide to help with personal growth. Some might even say there is no special meaning to crows whatsoever.
Across the board in different cultures, crows have always represented a sort of intelligence or a symbol of wisdom, as they are themselves very intelligent birds, able to recognize human faces!
In Western culture, a single crow is usually seen as an omen of change coming. Whether this is a good omen with a positive change or a bad omen with a negative is up to the individual and their adaptability to and welcoming of change.
It is also said that the presence of crows in a flock, or group of crows, called a murder of crows (how ominous), is a message that you are surrounded by good people. Another belief about seeing a flock of crows is that it means the spirit, or soul, of a person who died that was close to you is watching over you. This particular belief is probably the one most closely connected to the spiritual realm, at least as the natural world views it.
However, we are called to have a higher perspective, viewing everything through a biblical lens, not worldly or culturally, no matter what is said, done, or believed around us.
“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”
Colossians 2:8 (ESV)
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:2 (ESV)
That being said, let’s look at what’s really important: crow symbolism in the Bible.
The Spiritual Meaning of Crows in Scripture
What’s interesting is that the Bible does not actually mention crows specifically. Instead, it mainly talks of ravens. There are many other specific birds with their own meaning throughout scripture, as well as times where a general term, “birds of the air,” is referred to. For the sake of this blog, we are going to stick to ravens as they are the most closely related to crows.
Ravens and crows in the Bible are inferred to be the same thing based on the language used in the original translation. “The raven is mentioned just twice in the kashrut (dietary rules) lists (Leviticus 11:15; Deuteronomy 14:14), where it prohibits the eating of “every raven of any kind,” by which we can assume that עֹרֵב (oעֹרֵב (orev) is being used here generically to refer to the corvidae family. It should be noted that in Antiquity classification of birds and animals could be quite elastic compared with the taxonomy and classifications of the modern era.”
As stated earlier, the spiritual significance of crows in scripture is juxtaposing, not just one singular spiritual significance, but two different things: God’s provision and care for us, as well as God’s judgement, that come with two different connotations.
God’s Provision and Care For Us
The more beautiful and comforting aspect of crow symbolism in the Bible is their use in expressing God’s provision over our lives, and His care for us in the process.
“Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!”
Luke 12:24 (ESV)
This verse is contained in a section of teaching by Jesus to his disciples, telling them not to be anxious about the superficial things of life, such as food, shelter, clothing, etc. Though those things seem very important, not superficial at all to us, that is not the part of life we are to put all of our efforts towards. Rather, we are to focus solely on following Jesus and God will take care of the rest. If God takes care of the ravens who are of little, if any, value to the Kingdom, won’t he take care of his children?
This section of Luke also contains the widely known verse “consider the lilies” (Luke 12:27).
“He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry.”
Psalm 147:9 (ESV)
This passage is an outpouring of praise to God the Father, the creator and protector of all things. The author seems to be in absolute awe of everything the Lord does to keep the physical world going around. Part of that is providing for even the creatures of the earth. Similarly to the last verse in Luke, if God provides for the ravens when they cry out for food, He will provide for us when we cry out for help.
“Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God for help, and wander about for lack of food?”
Job 38:41 (ESV)
For context, the story of Job is a profound narrative that explores the themes of suffering, faith, and divine justice. Job is described as a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil. He is blessed with great wealth, a large family, and good health. One day, Satan challenges Job’s righteousness, suggesting that Job is faithful only because of his success and riches. As a defense for the condition of Job’s heart, God allows Satan to test Job so long as he does not cause him physical harm.
As part of the test. Job loses his livestock, servants, and all ten of his children. Despite his immense grief, Job still does not sin or blame or doubt God. Satan then strikes Job with painful sores all over his body. At this point, even Job’s wife urges him to curse God and die, yet Job again remains steadfast in his faith.
Three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, come to comfort Job, arguing that his suffering must be a punishment for some hidden sin in his life. However, Job insists on his innocence and laments his suffering, questioning why the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper. Another friend, Elihu, later joins the conversation, also asserting that suffering can be a way for God to purify and instruct.
In Job chapter 38, the narrative takes a pivotal turn as God finally responds directly to Job after a lengthy period of silence. This chapter marks the beginning of God’s speeches, delivered from within a whirlwind. Instead of providing a direct answer to Job’s questions about his suffering, God challenges Job’s understanding and knowledge.
However, God’s mission in questioning Job is not just to challenge his faith, but to comfort him as well. In verse 41, God reminds Job that all of creation is in His hands as God the Father and Creator. He provides for the most minute of creatures when they cry out for food, let alone mankind.
“You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.”
1 Kings 17:4-6 (ESV)
Elijah is a powerful prophet who suddenly emerges in 1 Kings 17 to confront the wicked King Ahab who reigned over the northern kingdom from 874 to 853 BC. In a bold move, Elijah prophesies a devastating drought as a result of Ahab’s evil actions. God warns Elijah to take refuge near the brook of Cherith.
Elijah obeys, and he receives sustenance from ravens in his hiding. As the land struggles with the drought and famine that Elijah prophesied, Elijah journeys to a neighboring country and meets a widow. Through her obedience to a request of Elijah’s, God provides an endless supply of food for Elijah, the widow, and her son. The widow’s barrel of flour and jar of oil miraculously never lack.
What is different about the use of ravens in this passage as compared to the others we have looked at so far is that this time the ravens are used literally. Instead of being an analogy for or symbol of God’s care for us, the ravens were used to directly provide for the prophet Elijah, which of course was an act of God.
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God’s Judgement
Less comforting and more convicting is the use of the crow to portray God’s judgment.
“At the end of the forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her brought her into the ark with him.”
Genesis 8: 6-9 (ESV)
We all know the story of Noah’s ark. God instructed Noah to build an ark and take his family along with male and female pairs of animals so that they may be spared from the 40 days and nights of rainfall and flooding that God cast upon the earth to wipe it clean of corruption. After the flood, Noah had to figure out when it was safe for his family and the animals to exit the ark and reinhabit the earth. He did this by sending a raven and a dove. The raven first told Noah through its lack of return that the land was not yet habitable.
The raven let Noah know, for lack of better words, that the earth was full of death. This serves as a testament to the lengths of God’s wrath and judgment on sin and evil, as the masses of corpses, both dead humans and dead animals were a result of God wiping the earth clean of the great corruption He saw in it.
Lesson Learned
This juxtaposition in the spiritual meaning of crows serves to offer a deeper understanding of the nature of our relationship with God through the good news of the saving work of Jesus Christ.
The judgement of God that the appearance of a crow/raven in the story of Noah and the ark represents is the God we face before salvation. God hates sin, so much so that He cannot be in the presence of sin. In fact, man cannot see God’s face with sin on his heart without literally dying.
“But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”
Exodus 33:20 (ESV)
However, this was said before Jesus’ life was offered as the ultimate atonement for our sins, thus covering those who believe in his own righteousness so that they may be in relationship with the Heavenly Father.
Before Jesus, we were eternally separated from God, unable to be in his presence because of the evil of our flesh. We faced God’s judgement and wrath, and therefore eternal damnation. But this is not what God wanted for us. He wants to be in intimate relationship with his creation.
And that is why He sent Jesus to live a perfect life yet face brutal death on the cross. So that we could be covered in His righteousness and therefore justified before God, able to walk in relationship with Him, where He provides and cares for us as we look forward to eternity in his presence, living in a special place prepared for us by the Father himself.
The juxtaposing symbolic meanings of crows in the Bible, primarily through their close relative, the raven, provides a profound insight into the nature of our relationship with God. While cultural interpretations vary, Scripture reveals crows and ravens as symbols of both divine provision and judgment.
These birds illustrate God’s care and sustenance, as seen in His provision for the prophet Elijah and His assurances in Luke and Psalms. Conversely, they also signify God’s judgment, as depicted in the story of Noah’s ark, where they gave Noah a sign of death on the earth. This dual symbolism reflects the complexity of our spiritual journey, highlighting the importance of seeking God’s guidance and understanding His ways through the lens of Scripture.
Ultimately, the biblical portrayal of crows and ravens underscores the need for faith in God’s provision and recognition of His righteous judgment, offering a deeper understanding of His merciful yet wrathful character as well as our place in His creation.
ESV – “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”