Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, a bier was a platform or frame used for carrying a corpse to its burial site. The term is mentioned in the context of funeral practices in ancient Israel and is significant in understanding the cultural and religious customs surrounding death and burial in the biblical narrative.
Biblical References:The most notable mention of a bier in the Bible is found in the account of Jesus raising the widow's son in the town of Nain. In
Luke 7:14 , it is written: "Then He went up and touched the bier, and those carrying it stood still. 'Young man,' He said, 'I tell you, get up!'" This passage highlights the bier as a central element in the funeral procession, serving as the platform upon which the deceased was laid.
Cultural Context:In ancient Israel, the bier was typically a simple wooden frame, sometimes with handles, that allowed pallbearers to carry the body to the grave. The use of a bier was part of the broader Jewish burial customs, which emphasized the dignity and respect due to the deceased. The body was usually wrapped in linen and placed on the bier, often accompanied by mourners who would follow the procession to the burial site.
The act of Jesus touching the bier in the Gospel of Luke is significant, as it demonstrates His authority over death and His compassion for the grieving. In Jewish tradition, touching a bier or a dead body would render a person ceremonially unclean (
Numbers 19:11), yet Jesus' action underscores His power to purify and restore life.
Theological Significance:The account of the widow's son at Nain is a powerful demonstration of Jesus' divine authority and His role as the giver of life. By raising the young man from the dead, Jesus not only alleviates the widow's immediate suffering but also foreshadows His own resurrection and the promise of eternal life for believers. The bier, in this context, becomes a symbol of the transition from death to life, illustrating the transformative power of Christ's ministry.
Symbolism:In a broader theological sense, the bier can be seen as a representation of human mortality and the inevitability of death. However, through the lens of the New Testament, it also symbolizes hope and the promise of resurrection. The miracle at Nain serves as a reminder of the Christian belief in life beyond death and the ultimate victory over the grave through Jesus Christ.
In summary, the bier in biblical times was more than just a physical object; it was an integral part of the cultural and religious practices surrounding death. Its mention in the Gospel of Luke provides insight into the customs of the time and serves as a powerful testament to the life-giving power of Jesus.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
The frame on which dead bodies were conveyed to the grave (
Luke 7:14).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A portable frame on which a coffin is taken to the grave.
2. (n.) A count of forty threads in the warp or chain of woolen cloth.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
BIERber:
(1) Found in the Old Testament only in2 Samuel 3:31, "and king David followed the bier"; and in the New Testament inLuke 7:14, "and he (Jesus) came nigh and touched the bier." The Hebrew word rendered "bier" (miTTah) and its Greek equivalent (soros) mean strictly "coffin." The so-called "bier" among the ancient Hebrews was simply an open coffin or a flat wooden frame, on which the body of the dead was carried from the house to the grave.
(2) Closed coffins, so universal now in the West, were unknown to common usage among the Hebrews of olden times, though not unknown to Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.
At the burial of Abner the people were commanded to "rend their clothes" and "gird themselves with sackcloth," and the king himself in token of his grief and royal regard, "followed the bier" in the procession to the grave (2 Samuel 3:31).
(3) Of Jesus, when He met the procession that went out of the gate of the city of Nain, bearing to the grave the only son of the widowed mother, Luke says, "When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her. and he came nigh and touched the bier," and commanded the young man to arise, etc. We should recall that contact with a dead body was forbidden by the law as a source of defilement (Numbers 19:11 f); so Jesus here "came nigh" and "touched the bier" only in raising the young man, thus avoiding any criticism for infraction of the law. InJohn 11:35, as here, we have a miracle of Jesus which clearly pointed to a higher law-the eternal law of compassion which received its first full expression in the life of Jesus and forms one of the distinctive features of the gospel.
George B. Eager
Greek
4673. soros -- a cinerary urn, by anal. a coffin... a coffin. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: soros Phonetic Spelling:
(sor-os') Short Definition: a
bier, an open coffin Definition: a
bier, an
...2825. kline -- a small couch
... a small couch. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: kline Phonetic Spelling:
(klee'-nay) Short Definition: a couch, bed, mat,bier Definition: a couch...
Strong's Hebrew
4296. mittah -- a couch, bed... Word Origin from natah Definition a couch, bed NASB Word Usage bed (21), bedroom*
(2), beds (1),
bier (1), couch (3), couches (1). bedchamber,
bier.
...4904. mishkab -- place of lying, a couch, act of lying
... From shakab; a bed (figuratively, abier); abstractly, sleep; by euphemism, carnal
intercourse -- bed((-chamber)), couch, lieth (lying) with. see HEBREW shakab....
Library
Jesus at theBier
... LUKE Chaps. I to XII JESUS AT THEBIER.... And He came and touched thebier: and they
that bare him stood still. And He said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise....
By theBier of a Friend.
... Of Death, the Last Day, and Eternal Life. BY THEBIER OF A FRIEND. On thybier
how calm thou'rt sleeping Yet thou livest, oh our crown!...
Jesus Raises the Widow's Son.
... answers; but we get our best blessings when our afflictions cry unto him and his
compassion replies.] 14 And he came nigh and touched thebier: and the bearers...
Imperial Tombs.
... mind, Suetonius thinks this was a vision or premonition of an approaching event,
because forty praetorian soldiers were really to carry thebier in the funeral...
Of the Places of Burial.
... To those that entered into the sepulchral cave, and carried thebier, there was
first a floor, where they stood, and set down thebier, in order to their...
The Raising of the Young Man of Nain - the Meeting of Life and...
... laid low. Outside, the funeral orator, if such was employed, preceded thebier,
proclaiming the good deeds of the dead. [2653] Immediately...
The Centurion
... On an openbier carried in front is the body of the dead, and about it are
the mourners, filling the air with their wailing cries....
Second Latin Form.
... Behold, said He, a palm branch"I have brought it to thee from the paradise of the
Lord"which thou wilt cause to be carried before thybier, when on the...
In Death and after Death
... Secondly, we know that, as at Nain, the body was generally carried open on abier,
or else in an open coffin, the bearers frequently changing to give an...
The Teaching of Simon Cephas in the City of Rome.
... Then Simon reluctantly drew near to the dead person; and they set down thebier
before him; and he looked to the right hand and to the left, and gazed up into...
Thesaurus
Bier (3 Occurrences)... the grave. 2. (n.) A count of forty threads in the warp or chain of woolen
cloth. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
BIER. ber: (1) Found
...Burial (25 Occurrences)
... The corpse, dressed in such clothes as were worn in life, is stretched on abier
with a cloth thrown over it, until carried forth for burial" (Eastern Customs...
Big (21 Occurrences)
Abner (54 Occurrences)
... "Know ye not," he addressed his servants, "that there is a prince and a great
man fallen this day in Israel?" He followed thebier in person....
Youth (169 Occurrences)
... Of him they laid hold, (WEY). Luke 7:14 and coming up he touched thebier, and the
bearers stopped. And he said, Youth, I say to thee, Wake up. (DBY)....
Jo'ab (120 Occurrences)
... King David followed thebier. (See RSV). 2 Samuel 8:16 Joab the son of Zeruiah was
over the army; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; (See RSV)....
Lament (44 Occurrences)
... Abner. King David followed thebier. (See NAS). 2 Samuel 3:33 The king lamented
for Abner, and said, "Should Abner die as a fool dies?...
Wake (34 Occurrences)
... Luke 7:14 Then He went close and touched thebier, and the bearers halted.
"Young man," He said, "I command you, wake!" (WEY DBY)....
Wail (50 Occurrences)
... gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the
bier. (See JPS). Psalms 137:3 For there they that carried...
Funeral (3 Occurrences)
... As a rule the burial (qv) took place on the very day of the death (Acts 5:6, 10),
and the body was removed to the grave in an open coffin or on abier (Luke 7...
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