Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of the Bible, the term "alarm" often refers to a call to attention, a signal of impending danger, or a summons to action, particularly in times of war or spiritual alertness. The concept of alarm is woven throughout Scripture, serving as both a literal and metaphorical device to awaken God's people to vigilance and readiness.
Old Testament UsageThe Hebrew word most commonly associated with "alarm" is "teru'ah," which can mean a shout or blast of a trumpet. This term is frequently used in the context of warfare and religious observance. In
Numbers 10:9 , God instructs the Israelites: "When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who is oppressing you, you are to sound short blasts of the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God and saved from your enemies." Here, the sounding of the trumpet serves as an alarm to rally the people and invoke divine intervention.
The Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah, is another significant instance where the alarm is used in a religious context.
Leviticus 23:24 commands, "In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly announced by trumpet blasts." This festival marks a time of spiritual awakening and preparation for the Day of Atonement.
Prophetic WarningsThe prophets often used the imagery of an alarm to call the people of Israel to repentance and alert them to impending judgment. In
Joel 2:1 , the prophet declares, "Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all who dwell in the land tremble, for the Day of the LORD is coming; indeed, it is near." This alarm serves as a warning of the coming day of judgment and a call to repentance.
Similarly, in
Amos 3:6 , the rhetorical question is posed, "If a ram’s horn sounds in a city, do the people not tremble? If calamity comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?" The sounding of the alarm is a signal of divine action and a prompt for the people to recognize God's sovereignty and justice.
New Testament ApplicationWhile the New Testament does not frequently use the term "alarm," the concept is present in the call to spiritual vigilance. Jesus warns His disciples to be watchful and ready for His return, as seen in
Mark 13:33 : "Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come." This echoes the Old Testament use of alarm as a call to readiness and spiritual alertness.
The Apostle Paul also emphasizes the need for spiritual vigilance in
1 Thessalonians 5:6 : "So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober." Here, the metaphorical alarm is a call to live in a state of preparedness for the Lord's return.
Spiritual SignificanceIn a broader spiritual sense, the concept of alarm in the Bible serves as a reminder of the need for constant vigilance in the Christian life. It underscores the importance of being alert to spiritual dangers, responsive to God's call, and prepared for the fulfillment of His promises. The alarm is both a warning and an invitation to draw closer to God, to seek His protection, and to align oneself with His purposes.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
A particular quivering sound of the silver trumpets to give warning to the Hebrews on their journey through the wilderness (
Numbers 10:5, 6), a call to arms, or a war-note (
Jeremiah 4:19;
49:2;
Zephaniah 1:16).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy.
2. (n.) Any sound or information intended to give notice of approaching danger; a warning sound to arouse attention; a warning of danger.
3. (n.) A sudden attack; disturbance; broil.
4. (n.) Sudden surprise with fear or terror excited by apprehension of danger; in the military use, commonly, sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise.
5. (n.) A mechanical contrivance for awaking persons from sleep, or rousing their attention; an alarum.
6. (v. t.) To call to arms for defense; to give notice to (any one) of approaching danger; to rouse to vigilance and action; to put on the alert.
7. (v. t.) To keep in excitement; to disturb.
8. (v. t.) To surprise with apprehension of danger; to fill with anxiety in regard to threatening evil; to excite with sudden fear.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
ALARMa-larm' (teru`ah): This expression is found six times in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word so rendered is derived from a verb meaning "to shout" or "blow a horn," as a signal for breaking up camp, starting on a journey or into battle, or in triumphant shout over the defeat of enemies. In a few instances it is employed of a cry of despair or distress. The noun teru`ah translated "alarm" inNumbers 10:5 refers to the signal given the people of Israel to start on their journey in the Wilderness. The passages in Jeremiah (4:19; 49:2) both refer to the summons for war. The same is true ofZephaniah 1:16. The law concerning the sounding of the alarm is fully stated inNumbers 10:1-10. Here we read that two silver trumpets of beaten work were sounded by the sons of Aaron in case of war and also "in the day of. gladness" to gather the people together for the various feasts, new moons, sacrifices and offerings.
W. W. Davies
Greek
5401. phobos -- panic flight, fear, the causing of fear, terror... Noun, Masculine Transliteration: phobos Phonetic Spelling: (fob'-os) Short Definition:
fear, terror, reverence Definition: (a) fear, terror,
alarm, (b) the
...4423. ptoesis -- a fluttering, excitement, hence terror
... Word Origin from ptoeo Definition a fluttering, excitement, hence terror NASB Word
Usage fear (1). amazement. From ptoeo;alarm -- amazement. see GREEK ptoeo....
1298. diatarasso -- to agitate greatly
... trouble. From dia and tarasso; to disturb wholly, ie Agitate (withalarm) -- trouble.
see GREEK dia. see GREEK tarasso. (dietarachthe) -- 1 Occurrence....
Strong's Hebrew
8643. teruah -- a shout or blast of war,alarm, or joy... 8642, 8643. teruah. 8644 . a shout or blast of war,
alarm, or joy. Transliteration:
teruah Phonetic Spelling: (ter-oo-aw') Short Definition: shout.
...2648. chaphaz -- to be in trepidation, hurry oralarm
... chaphaz. 2649 . to be in trepidation, hurry oralarm. Transliteration: chaphaz
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-faz') Short Definition:alarm. Word Origin a prim....
927. behal -- toalarm, dismay
... 926, 927. behal. 928 . toalarm, dismay. Transliteration: behal Phonetic
Spelling: (be-hal') Short Definition: alarmed. Word Origin...
7321. rua -- to raise a shout, give a blast
... shout in triumph (1), shout aloud (1), shout joyfully (8), shout loud (1), shouted
(8), shouted for joy (1), shouting the cry (1), sound analarm (3), sound...
8429. tevah -- to be startled or alarmed
... By implication) takealarm -- be astonied. see HEBREW tamahh. see HEBREW sha'ah.
see HEBREW tavah. 8428, 8429. tevah. 8430 . Strong's Numbers.
6343. pachad -- dread
... From pachad; a (sudden)alarm (properly, the object feared, by implication, the
feeling) -- dread(-ful), fear, (thing) great (fear, -ly feared), terror....
6342. pachad -- to dread, be in dread or in awe
... A primitive root; to be startled (by a suddenalarm); hence, to fear in general --
be afraid, stand in awe, (be in) fear, make to shake. 6341b, 6342....
6345. pachdah -- dread, (religious) awe
... Word Origin from pachad Definition dread, (religious) awe NASB Word Usage dread
(1). fear. Feminine of pachad;alarm (ie Awe) -- fear. see HEBREW pachad....
1091. ballahah -- terror, dreadful event, calamity, destruction
... terror, trouble. From balahh;alarm; hence, destruction -- terror, trouble. see
HEBREW balahh. 1090b, 1091. ballahah. 1092 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
Alarm.
... I. Solemn Addresses to Sinners. Hymn 2Alarm. John Newton 7,6,7,6,7,7,7,6.Alarm.
Stop, poor sinner! stop and think. Before you farther go!...
March the Twenty-Ninth MysticAlarm-Bells
... MARCH The Twenty-ninth MYSTICALARM-BELLS. MATTHEW xxvii.19-25. Pilate was
warned. Pilate's wife had a dream, and in the dream she...
We are not in any Great Perturbation orAlarm About the...
... Chapter I. We are not in any great perturbation oralarm about the persecutions
we suffer? [446] We are not in any great perturbation...
Treats of Several Ways Whereby Our Lord Quickens the Soul; There...
... TREATS OF SEVERAL WAYS WHEREBY OUR LORD QUICKENS THE SOUL; THERE APPEARS NO CAUSE
FORALARM IN THEM ALTHOUGH THEY ARE SIGNAL FAVOURS OF A VERY EXALTED NATURE....
Synopsis. --The Gradual Narrowing of the Miraculous Element in the...
... I SYNOPSIS."The gradual narrowing of the miraculous element in the Bible by recent
discovery and discussion."Thealarm thereby excited in the Church."The...
Petilianus Said: "But These Things do notAlarm us Christians...
... Book II. Chapter 74. " 163. Petilianus said: "But these things do not
alarm us Christians? "163. Petilianus said: "But these...
Attempts of the Sanhedrim to Corrupt andAlarm the Restored Blind...
... Attempts of the Sanhedrim to corrupt andalarm the restored Blind Man."Christ's
Conversation with him."The Sight of the Blind, and the Blindness of the...
Conscience.
... "'Wishing to arise at an early hour each morning, a gentleman purchased an
alarm-clock. He took it home, and, having set it, went to bed and slept soundly....
Conclusion
... these pages will go forth crying "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet
Him." That the masses will give neither heed nor credit to thealarm is only...
But Perhaps You Will Say to Me: "Why do You Fill Your Paper with...
... This man rouses all thisalarm in you because of such expressions of mine; but he
maintains that it is unjust to bring up similar expressions against him when...
Thesaurus
Alarm (26 Occurrences)...ALARM.
... The noun teru`ah translated "
alarm" in Numbers 10:5 refers to the signal given
the people of Israel to start on their journey in the Wilderness.
...Alarm-trumpets (1 Occurrence)
Alarm-trumpets. Alarms,Alarm-trumpets. Alas . Multi-Version
ConcordanceAlarm-trumpets (1 Occurrence). Numbers 31:6...
Startle (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling
alarm; to start. 2. (vt) To excite by suddenalarm...
Fright (3 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger; sudden
and violent fear, usually of short duration; a suddenalarm....
Fear (970 Occurrences)
... n.) A painful emotion or passion excited by the expectation of evil, or the
apprehension of impending danger; apprehension; anxiety; solicitude;alarm; dread....
Pitched (101 Occurrences)
... (KJV). Numbers 10:5 When you blow analarm, the camps that lie on the east side
shall go forward.... They shall blow analarm for their journeys. (See NAS)....
Camps (33 Occurrences)
... Numbers 10:5 When you blow analarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall
go forward.... They shall blow analarm for their journeys....
Signal (18 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Numbers 10:7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together,
you shall blow, but you shall not sound analarm. (See NIV)....
Blast (28 Occurrences)
... (See JPS). Numbers 10:5 When you blow analarm, the camps that lie on the east side
shall go forward.... They shall blow analarm for their journeys. (See NIV)....
Blow (124 Occurrences)
... Numbers 10:5 When you blow analarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall
go forward.... They shall blow analarm for their journeys....
Resources
What does it mean that all men are liars (Psalm 116:11)? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the Feast of Trumpets? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is godly sorrow? | GotQuestions.orgAlarm: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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