Kites have the ability to ride the wind in an almost endless search. Did it look to Adam as if they were futile in their search? "Where?" is a question of the heathen [12] and the flesh [13]. The kite represents the doubters.

The word 'oreb' ערב has many meanings: awakened, being aroused, city, wildwood (raised from the dead), skin, blind, colt, rousing, naked, mix.

God is Holy [16] and he is Love [17]. Since no man has seen the Father except the Son [18], no one can adequately explain God but the Son. The laws prohibiting mixing, are dinner theater to teach that we cannot mix law and grace, holiness and love, but must wait until we see it properly mixed on the cross.

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This is a difficult riddle. The rhetorical "why?" is an indication of an unwillingness to obey. Perhaps this has the sense of that. But ya יע means 'shovel'. So the owl is the house בת of the shovel יע of the Son of Man נ, which is not understood ה.

It represents the work, in the flesh, of Christ to accomplish the purposes of the Father in his total devotion and sacrifice. With that information we can say it is something more like 'not understanding that Christ laid down his own life'. The scoffer does not understand 'Why'.

I'm not sure what Adam saw a Night Hawk doing, but he gave him the name 'must do violence'. God hates those who love to do violence [20]. The night hawk is a symbol of those.

Some cuckows nest on the ground in shrubs. Their name can mean 'shrub death'. Adam may have named them because of that. But the word also means emaciated, or wasted away. By word play, the cuckow could be called 'emaciated'.

There are many instances in the riddles where referring to the death of Christ is a 'bad' thing, where referring to his resurrection is the 'good' thing. An example is that of the 'shibboleth' [23] Those who referred to a single grain [24], were put to death, but those who referred to a whole ear or stream [25], lived. The word 'hawk' refers to his death.

This is a difficult riddle because the symbol of the cup has not been understood. Here are the clues:

The cup is the cross. The hedge protects and hides something. The opposite cup is the exposure of wrath as it is poured out or the display of blessing as it overflows. The cross is both.

Perhaps Adam saw an owl nesting in hole in a tree and named him 'cup' since it looked like he was siting in a cup.

The cormorant is an aquatic bird. It has webbed feet and swims under the water. It eats the fish which are swimming in the water. This is like the lobster that preys on the fish. When it dives into the water it looks as it been cast out of the heavens. Adam named the cormorant 'cast out'.

Those who have been cast out are not a good source for teaching. [28] The cormorant represents those under such judgement.

'Darkness' is a difficult riddle because we usually use a secondary metaphor which appears to be opposite the primary metaphor. It's not, when properly explained. It is complicated by the false teaching within the church that the great duality on earth is between good and evil. It's not. Evil is not equal but opposite of good.

Here are the clues:

Evaluating the clues:

When God created, he covered his creation in love. [30] [31]

The Great Owl represents those in the dark who should not be our teachers [32].

The swan, as a large bird, is not subject to being killed in large numbers by natural predators. Their numbers can swell until they are destructive to an environment. Those who are destructive should not be a source for our learning [33].

Perhaps Adam watched a pelican scoop up his meal, and then vomit up the shell and rocks. He named it 'vomit after'

Vomit, like spit is a symbol of rejection. Those who reject the word should not be teachers of the word.

Some commentators notice the Hebrew root 'to love' in the name of this bird. They surmise it comes from the fact that the birds are mated and seldom separated. This maybe part of what he saw, but if this was all, we would have difficulty understanding why it is an unclean bird. The gier eagle eats almost nothing but carrion.

Paul teaches that if we don't have love, our faith, generosity, and sacrifices mean nothing [35] [36].

Storks are primarily carnivorous eating reptiles, small mammals, insects, fish, amphibians and other small invertebrates. It is perhaps this devoring of living things that Adam observed when he named the stork "not understanding holiness and mercy". These are the attributes of God, so he named it "Not understanding God".

The main purpose of God is to teach us that He is Holy [37]; He alone is God. He also teaches that He is Love [38]. The Hebrew word for 'stork' means not understanding either 'holy' or 'mercy'.

Jesus said that if we were angry, we were guilty of murder [40] . Perhaps the wild headdress of the heron made it look angry to Adam.

The lapwing is known for the irregular pattern of beating it's wings.

God commanded Moses to strike the rock for water the first time. The second time he told him to speak to it, but Moses struck it (an irregular beating?) and forfeited the privilege of entering into the promised land. [42]

As mentioned previously, the Bible does not say the bat is a bird. It says that it is a 'flying thing'. 'Bird' is a poor translation.

Bats are known for their irregular flight patterns. The name of the bat suggests one who wanders from the path or deviates from God's will. These should not be our teachers.