Topical Encyclopedia
The term "befallen" refers to events or circumstances that have occurred or come upon someone, often unexpectedly or as part of divine providence. In the context of the Bible, it is used to describe occurrences that are often seen as part of God's sovereign plan or as a result of human actions and decisions.
Biblical Usage and ContextThe concept of events befalling individuals or nations is prevalent throughout the Scriptures, illustrating the unfolding of God's will and the consequences of human behavior. The Bible often portrays these events as either blessings or judgments, depending on the faithfulness or disobedience of the people involved.
Old Testament Examples1.
Job's Trials: The account of Job is a profound example of calamities befalling a righteous man.
Job 1:13-19 describes a series of devastating events that befall Job, including the loss of his livestock, servants, and children. These events are permitted by God to test Job's faithfulness, illustrating the theme of divine sovereignty and human suffering.
2.
Israel's Exile: The befalling of Israel into exile is a significant theme in the Old Testament. Due to their persistent disobedience and idolatry, God allows foreign nations to conquer and exile the Israelites. This is seen as a fulfillment of the warnings given through the prophets, such as in
2 Kings 17:6-23, where the fall of the Northern Kingdom to Assyria is recounted.
3.
Joseph's Journey: In
Genesis 37-50, the events that befall Joseph, including being sold into slavery by his brothers and later rising to power in Egypt, demonstrate God's providential care and the fulfillment of His promises. Joseph himself acknowledges this in
Genesis 50:20 : "As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people."
New Testament Examples1.
Paul's Shipwreck: In
Acts 27, the Apostle Paul experiences a shipwreck on his journey to Rome. Despite the perilous circumstances that befall him and his companions, God's protection is evident, and Paul reassures the crew of their safety, as seen in
Acts 27:22-24 : "But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not a single life will be lost, only the ship. For just last night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.'"
2.
Persecution of the Early Church: The early Christians faced numerous trials and persecutions, as described in the Book of Acts and the Epistles. These events befalling the church are seen as both a test of faith and a means of spreading the Gospel. In
Acts 8:1-4, the persecution following Stephen's martyrdom leads to the scattering of believers, who then preach the word wherever they go.
Theological ImplicationsThe occurrences that befall individuals and nations in the Bible are often interpreted as manifestations of God's justice, mercy, and ultimate plan for redemption. They serve as reminders of the importance of faithfulness, repentance, and trust in God's sovereignty. The biblical narrative consistently points to the reality that, while humans may not always understand the reasons behind the events that befall them, they are called to remain steadfast in their faith and obedience to God.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
p. p.) of Befall.
Strong's Hebrew
4745. miqreh -- accident, chance, fortune... happened* (1). something
befallen, befall, chance, event, happen. From qarah;
something met with, ie An accident or fortune -- something
...7122. qara -- to encounter, befall
... root Definition to encounter, befall NASB Word Usage against (16), befall (4),befallen
(2), came (1), chance (1), come (1), down* (1), encounter (2), engage (1...
1961. hayah -- to fall out, come to pass, become, be
... 1), became (85), became his and lived (1), became* (1), become (221), becomes (13),
becoming (1), been (90), been done (2), befall (1),befallen (2), being (7...
4672. matsa -- to attain to, find
... root Definition to attain to, find NASB Word Usage actually found (1), afford*
(1), befall (1),befallen (2), befell (1), came (2), caught (5), come (6), comes...
Library
To Olympias. Nothing Strange or Unnatural HasBefallen Your Piety...
... to olympias. Nothing strange or unnatural hasbefallen your Piety, but only
what is quite natural and? Nothing strange or unnatural...
Test of Astrology.
... Go to a mathematician, [860] and tell him first that such and such evils havebefallen
you at such a time, and that you wish to learn of him whence, or how, or...
Funeral Oration on Meletius .
... to the greatness of the distress, as these excellent preachers of yours have done,
who have bewailed with loud voice the misfortune that hasbefallen them in...
Psalm LXXVII.
... would not have themselves inhabited by the Lord. And therefore what hath
befallen them? "They have trembled with fear where fear...
Sapor King of Persia is Excited against the Christians. Symeon...
... heard of what had occurred, he called the eunuch to him, and inquired into the cause
of his grief, and asked him whether any calamity hadbefallen his family....
How Herod Got Away from the King of Arabia and Made Haste to Go...
... followers there. On the next day he came to Rhinocolura, and there it was
that he heard what wasbefallen his brother. Though Malehus...
Spoken in Antioch in the Old Church, as it was Called...
... Spoken in Antioch in the Old Church, as it was called, while he was a presbyter,
on the subject of the calamity that hadbefallen the city in consequence of...
Psalm LXVII.
... other men pity him perchance as being miserable, who know not what the ant hath
within to eat, and they say, miserable he whom this hathbefallen, or what...
How Alexander [Bala] in his War with Demetrius, Granted Jonathan...
... When this good fortune hadbefallen Jonathan, by the concession of Demetrius, he
came to Jerusalem, and read the king's letter in the audience of the people...
Epistle of Paul to the Philippians.
... thereby. Neither could they be unsettled in their faith, by the persecutions
which had nowbefallen their Apostolic teacher. They...
Thesaurus
Befallen (20 Occurrences)... Noah Webster's Dictionary (pp) of Befall. Multi-Version Concordance
Befallen (20 Occurrences). Matthew 8:33 And they that kept them
...Befall (25 Occurrences)
Kept (891 Occurrences)
... Matthew 8:33 And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and
told every thing, and what wasbefallen to the possessed of the devils....
Nightfall (9 Occurrences)
... LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry a man with thee this night; and
that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that hathbefallen thee from...
Well-pleasing (16 Occurrences)
... 19 And Aaron spake unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin-offering
and their burnt-offering before Jehovah; and there havebefallen me such...
Fullness (31 Occurrences)
... salvation. Romans 11:25, "A hardening. hathbefallen Israel, until the fullness
of the Gentiles be come in." Romans 13:10, "Love. is...
Forming (27 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 31:21 And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles havebefallen
them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it...
Recounted (12 Occurrences)
... See NAS). Judges 6:13 And Gideon said to him, "Pray, sir, if the LORD is
with us, why then has all thisbefallen us? And where are...
Elijah (104 Occurrences)
... 18). Jezebel, enraged at the fate that hadbefallen her priests of Baal,
threatened to put Elijah to death (1 Kings 19:1-13). He...
Befalleth (3 Occurrences)
Resources
What was Bildad the Shuhite's message to Job? | GotQuestions.orgAre apparitions of Mary, such as Lady Fatima, true messages from God? | GotQuestions.orgBefallen: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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