### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **qâʼath**, represented by `{{H6893}}`, is defined as **probably the pelican (from vomiting); cormorant**. It is a specific term for an unclean bird that appears **5 times** across **5 unique verses** in the Bible. Its usage consistently associates it with themes of desolation, loneliness, and ritual impurity.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical usage, `{{H6893}}` appears in two primary contexts. First, it is listed among the unclean birds that the Israelites were forbidden to eat, establishing its place within the legal codes of the Torah ([[Leviticus 11:18]], [[Deuteronomy 14:17]]). Second, it serves as a powerful symbol in prophetic and poetic literature. In prophecies of judgment, the **cormorant** or **pelican** is named as an inhabitant of ruined and desolate lands, signifying complete abandonment ([[Isaiah 34:11]], [[Zephaniah 2:14]]). The psalmist also uses it as a metaphor for profound personal sorrow, lamenting, "I am like a **pelican** of the wilderness" [[Psalms 102:6]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several other terms for birds are closely associated with `{{H6893}}`, often appearing in the same verses to paint a picture of ruin or to complete a list of unclean animals:
* `{{H7090}}` **qippôwd** (bittern): This word appears alongside `{{H6893}}` in prophecies of judgment, with the **cormorant** and the **bittern** set to possess desolate places together ([[Isaiah 34:11]], [[Zephaniah 2:14]]).
* `{{H7360}}` **râchâm** (gier-eagle): This bird is listed directly with the **pelican** in the lists of unclean animals found in both Leviticus and Deuteronomy ([[Leviticus 11:18]], [[Deuteronomy 14:17]]).
* `{{H7994}}` **shâlâk** (cormorant): This term, defined as a bird of prey often thought to be a pelican or **cormorant**, appears in the same list as `{{H6893}}` in Deuteronomy, highlighting the specific categorization of waterfowl considered unclean [[Deuteronomy 14:17]].
### Theological Significance
The symbolic weight of `{{H6893}}` is focused and potent, conveying specific states of being.
* **Symbol of Judgment and Desolation:** Its presence in a formerly inhabited place is a sign of God's judgment. In Isaiah's prophecy, the **cormorant** taking possession of a land marks it as a place of "confusion" and "emptiness" [[Isaiah 34:11]].
* **Emblem of Loneliness and Grief:** The word is used to express deep personal anguish. The psalmist's comparison of himself to a **pelican** in the wilderness evokes an image of solitary sorrow in a barren landscape [[Psalms 102:6]].
* **A Sign of Ritual Uncleanness:** As part of the list of forbidden foods in the Mosaic Law, `{{H6893}}` represents that which is outside the sphere of the clean and consecrated, unfit for God's people [[Leviticus 11:18]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6893}}` is more than just the name of a bird. Whether translated as "pelican" or "cormorant," its scriptural role is consistent. It serves as a legal marker of impurity within the Torah and as a powerful poetic and prophetic symbol for utter desolation, divine judgment, and profound personal sorrow. The appearance of this bird in a biblical scene invariably signals a state of ruin or grief.
TRV