SoD: “On Eagles’ Wings”
Posted on November 7, 2007
Filed Under song of the day
The verses of this popular liturgical song are a resetting of Psalm 91, with the chorus drawing on other source texts (see below). To the best of my knowledge, it has most commonly been used as a funeral or memorial service song, with the chorus’ language echoing images of heavenly regeneration.
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On Eagles’ Wings
Lyrics and music by Father Michael Joncas
Verse 1 [cf. Psalm 91:1-2]
You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life,
Say to the Lord, “My Refuge,
My Rock in Whom I trust.”
Chorus [cf. Exodus 19:4, Isaiah 40:31, Matthew 13:43]
And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
Verse 2 [cf. Psalm 91:3-4]
The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
And famine will bring you no fear;
Under His Wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield.
Verse 3 [cf. Psalm 91:5, 7]
You need not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day,
Though thousands fall about you,
Near you it shall not come.
Verse 4 [cf. Psalm 91:11-12]
For to His angels He’s given a command,
To guard you in all of your ways,
Upon their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
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For reference sake, there appears to be at least four distinct species of eagles along the east coast of the Mediterranean: (1) the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos); (2) the spotted eagle (Aquila clanga/naevia?); (3) the imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca); and (4) the short-toed eagle (Circaetus gallicus), with many more species that migrate through the area, including the steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis). It is probably impossible to know which species God had in mind when he inspired the OT authors, but despite the photo above, it is almost certainly not the ubiquitous bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) of American iconic status.
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For more on Psalm 91, see my previous comments here, here, here and here. See also Suzanne’s recent comments at Better Bibles.
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