Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and ContextIn biblical terms, "bending" often refers to the physical act of bending the body, particularly in the context of worship, submission, or humility. It can also metaphorically represent the bending of one's will or heart towards God. The act of bending is frequently associated with bowing or kneeling, which are postures of reverence and supplication.
Biblical Instances and Symbolism1.
Worship and Reverence: Bending is commonly associated with worship in the Bible. In the Old Testament, bowing down or bending the knee is a physical expression of worship and reverence towards God. For instance, in
Psalm 95:6 , it is written, "Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker." This verse highlights the act of bending as a gesture of humility and acknowledgment of God's sovereignty.
2.
Submission and Obedience: Bending is also symbolic of submission and obedience to God's will. In
Philippians 2:10 , it is stated, "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth." This passage emphasizes the ultimate submission of all creation to the authority of Jesus Christ, illustrating bending as an act of acknowledging His lordship.
3.
Prayer and Supplication: The act of bending the knee is often associated with prayer. In
Ephesians 3:14 , Paul writes, "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father." Here, bending the knee signifies earnest prayer and supplication, reflecting a heart posture of dependence on God.
4.
Humility and Repentance: Bending can also represent humility and repentance. In
1 Kings 8:54 , after Solomon's prayer of dedication for the temple, it is noted, "When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and petition to the LORD, he got up from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven." Solomon's kneeling posture signifies humility and a repentant heart before God.
5.
Judgment and Consequence: In some instances, bending is used to describe the consequences of judgment. In
Isaiah 46:1-2 , it is written, "Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary. They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity." Here, the bending of idols symbolizes their powerlessness and the futility of idol worship.
Theological ImplicationsBending, as depicted in the Bible, carries deep theological significance. It is an outward expression of an inward reality—a heart that is yielded to God. The physical act of bending or bowing is a demonstration of one's recognition of God's majesty, authority, and holiness. It is a posture that reflects the believer's desire to honor God, submit to His will, and seek His presence in prayer and worship.
In the broader biblical narrative, bending serves as a reminder of the ultimate submission of all creation to God. It underscores the call for believers to live lives marked by humility, obedience, and reverence, acknowledging that every knee will ultimately bow to the Lordship of Christ.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
p. pr. & vb. n.) of Bend.
2. (n.) The marking of the clothes with stripes or horizontal bands.
Greek
3591. ogkos -- bulk, an encumbrance... weight. Probably from the same as agkale; a mass (as
bending or bulging by its load),
ie Burden (hindrance) -- weight. see GREEK agkale. (onkon) -- 1 Occurrence
...Strong's Hebrew
4742. mequtsah -- corner... Word Origin from qatsa, qv. corner From qatsa' in the denominative sense of
bending;
an angle -- corner. see HEBREW qatsa'. 4741, 4742. mequtsah. 4743 .
...7198. qesheth -- a bow
... From qashah in the original sense (of qowsh) ofbending: a bow, for shooting (hence,
figuratively, strength) or the iris -- X arch(-er), + arrow, bow((-man...
4740. miqtsoa -- a corner buttress
... Or maqtsoa {mak-tso-ah}; or (feminine) maqtso-ah {mak-tso-aw'}; from qatsa' in the
denominative sense ofbending; an angle or recess -- corner, turning....
755. arkubah -- the knee
... knee (Aramaic) from an unused root corresponding to rakab (in the sense ofbending
the knee); the knee -- knee. see HEBREW rakab. 754, 755. arkubah. 755a ....
343. ed -- distress, calamity
... calamity, destruction. From the same as 'uwd (in the sense ofbending down); oppression;
by implication misfortune, ruin -- calamity, destruction....
1869. darak -- to tread, march
... A primitive root; to tread; by implication, to walk; also to string a bow (by treading
on it inbending) -- archer, bend, come, draw, go (over), guide, lead...
16. ebeh -- reed, papyrus
... swift. From 'abah (in the sense ofbending toward); the papyrus -- swift.
see HEBREW 'abah. 15, 16. ebeh. 17 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
Fragment vii. This Custom of notBending the Knee Upon Sunday...
... Fragment VII. This custom of notbending the knee upon Sunday? This [4811]
[custom], of notbending the knee upon Sunday, is a...
Spelling God.
... This is the master-key.Bending the will affects eyes and ears and mind.... Thebending
of knees to a sharp right angle affects the will. It is easier to bend it....
Liturgy of St. Dionysius, Bishop of the Athenians .
... "Lift up your hearts." P. "We lift them to the Lord." Pr. "Let us give thanks to
the Lord." P. "It is meet and right." Priest (bending low), "For truly the...
Against Men who Embellish Themselves.
... But the using of pitch to pluck out hair (I shrink from even mentioning the
shamelessness connected with this process), and in the act ofbending back and...
Luther's Fourth Preface
... and liii.: "They call not on the Lord; there feared they where no fear was." That
is, they may have much show of humiliation and bowing andbending in worship...
Carol. CMD The Angels' Song.
... It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old, From angelsbending
near the earth, To touch their harps of gold; "Peace to the earth, good-will to...
It came Upon the Midnight Clear
... That glorious song of old,. From angelsbending near the earth,. To touch their
harps of gold:... O ye, beneath life's crushing load,. Whose forms arebending low,....
The Water-Mark of John's Gospel.
... That warm-hearted brooding mother is the word wooing. Originally wooing meansbending
towards, inclining forward or reaching out towards another....
The Disciples' Return.
... We may imagine them taking their last look upwards to heaven, and thenbending a
tearful eye down upon Bethany"its hallowed remembrances all the more hallowed...
Some Other Memorable Places of the City.
... Thencebending to the south, he shut up the mountain round, to the rock called the
Dove-cote,"and the hill beyond, which lies over the valley of Siloam....
Thesaurus
Bending (6 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Bending (6 Occurrences). Mark 15:19 And they struck his
head with a reed, and spat on him, and,
bending the knee, did him homage.
...Bow (248 Occurrences)
... The Hebrew word commonly used for bow means properly to tread (1 Chronicles 5:18;
8:40), and hence it is concluded that the foot was employed inbending the bow...
Courtesy (1 Occurrence)
... 4. (n.) An act of civility, respect, or reverence, made by women, consisting of
a slight depression or dropping of the body, withbending of the knees....
Set (6715 Occurrences)
... 47. (n.) Permanent change of figure in consequence of excessive strain, as from
compression, tension,bending, twisting, etc.; as, the set of a spring. 48....
Bends (6 Occurrences)
Knee (12 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) Abending of the knee, as in respect or courtesy. 6. (vt) To supplicate
by kneeling. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. KNEE; KNEEL....
Knees (47 Occurrences)
... is found in three places (one being a free quotation of another): Job 4:4, "Thou
hast made firm the feeble (kara`, "bending," "bowing") knees," and Hebrews 12...
Kidron (11 Occurrences)
... From this point it narrows and deepens gradually,bending slightly West of South,
and, after receiving the Tyropoeon valley, joins a little farther Southwest...
Nod (2 Occurrences)
... 5. (vt) To signify by a nod; as, to nod approbation. 6. (vt) To cause to bend. 7.
(n.) A dropping orbending forward of the upper part or top of anything....
Warp (9 Occurrences)
... deviate; to swerve. 12. (vi) To fly with abending or waving motion; to turn
and wave, like a flock of birds or insects. 13. (vi) To...
Resources
What is genuflection? What does it mean to genuflect? | GotQuestions.orgAre Mormons Christians? Are Mormons saved? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)? | GotQuestions.orgBending: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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