King James Bible Dictionary

(Heb. kore, i.e., "caller"). This bird, unlike our own partridge, is distinguished by "its ringing call-note, which in early morning echoes from cliff to cliff amidst the barrenness of the wilderness of Judea and the glens of the forest of Carmel" hence its Hebrew name. This name occurs only twice in Scripture.

In 1 Samuel 26:20 "David alludes to the mode of chase practised now, as of old, when the partridge, continuously chased, was at length, when fatigued, knocked down by sticks thrown along the ground." It endeavours to save itself "by running, in preference to flight, unless when suddenly started. It is not an inhabitant of the plain or the corn-field, but of rocky hill-sides" (Tristram's Nat. Hist.).

In Jeremiah 17:11 the prophet is illustrating the fact that riches unlawfully acquired are precarious and short-lived. The exact nature of the illustration cannot be precisely determined. Some interpret the words as meaning that the covetous man will be as surely disappointed as the partridge which gathers in eggs, not of her own laying, and is unable to hatch them; others (Tristram), with more probability, as denoting that the man who enriches himself by unjust means "will as surely be disappointed as the partridge which commences to sit, but is speedily robbed of her hopes of a brood" by her eggs being stolen away from her.

The commonest partridge in Palestine is the Caccabis saxatilis, the Greek partridge. The partridge of the wilderness (Ammo-perdix heyi) is a smaller species. Both are essentially mountain and rock birds, thus differing from the English partridge, which loves cultivated fields.

1 Samuel 26:20
Jeremiah 17:11

(Heb. kore) occurs only (1 Samuel 26:20) and Jeremiah 17:11 The "hunting this bird upon the mountains," (1 Samuel 26:20) entirely agrees with the habits of two well-known species of partridge, viz. Caccabis saxatilis , the Greek partridge (which is the commonest partridge of the holy land), and Ammoperdix heyii . Our common partridge, Perdix cinerea , does not occur in Palestine. (The Greek partridge somewhat resembles our red-legged partridge in plumage, but is much larger. In every part of the hill country it abounds, and its ringing call-note in early morning echoes from cliff to cliff alike amid the barrenness of the hills of Judea and in the glens of the forest of Carmel. Tristram's Nat. Hist. of Bible . The flesh of the partridge and the eggs are highly esteemed as food, and the search for the eggs at the proper time of the year is made a regular business.-ED.)

P'ARTRIDGE, noun [Latin perdix.] A wild fowl of the genus Tatrao. Latham arranges the partridge and quail in a genus under the name of Perdix, and assigns the grous to the genus Tetrao. The partridge is esteemed a great delicacy at the table.

The term partridge is applied in Pennsylvania to the bird called quail in New England, a peculiar species of Perdix; in New England it is applied to the ruffed grous, a species of Tetrao.