Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, cords were essential tools used for various practical and symbolic purposes. The term "cord" appears in several contexts throughout the Bible, often signifying strength, measurement, or binding.
Hebrew and Greek TermsThe Hebrew word most commonly translated as "cord" is "חֶבֶל" (chebel), which can also mean rope, line, or territory. In the New Testament, the Greek word "σχοινίον" (schoinion) is used, particularly in the context of a small rope or cord.
Practical UsesCords were used in everyday life for tasks such as binding, measuring, and construction. In
Exodus 35:18, cords are mentioned as part of the tabernacle's construction: "the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, along with their ropes." Here, cords were essential for securing the structure, highlighting their practical importance in ancient Israelite society.
Symbolic UsesCords also carry symbolic meanings in Scripture. In
Ecclesiastes 4:12, the strength of unity is illustrated with the metaphor of a cord: "Though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken." This passage emphasizes the strength found in unity and companionship, using the imagery of a multi-stranded cord to convey resilience and support.
Cords in Judgment and DeliveranceCords are sometimes associated with judgment or deliverance. In
Psalm 18:4-5, David uses the imagery of cords to describe his peril and subsequent deliverance by God: "The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me. The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me." Here, cords symbolize the entrapment and danger from which God rescues the faithful.
Cords in ProphecyIn prophetic literature, cords can symbolize the binding or loosening of nations and individuals. In
Isaiah 5:18, cords are used metaphorically to describe those who draw sin to themselves: "Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of deceit and pull sin along with cart ropes." This imagery underscores the deliberate and binding nature of sin.
New Testament ReferencesIn the New Testament, cords appear in the context of Jesus cleansing the temple.
John 2:15 states, "So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables." Here, the cords are part of a whip used by Jesus to assert His authority and purify the temple, symbolizing righteous indignation and the call to holiness.
ConclusionThroughout the Bible, cords serve as powerful symbols and practical tools, representing strength, unity, judgment, and deliverance. Their varied uses and meanings reflect the rich tapestry of biblical narrative and theology.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
CordThe materials of which cord was made varied according to the strength required; the strongest rope was probably made of strips of camel hide, as still used by the Bedouins. The finer sorts were made of flax, (Isaiah 19:9) and probably of reeds and rushes. In the New Testament the term is applied to the whip which our Saviour made, (John 2:15) and to the ropes of a ship. (Acts 27:32)
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Frequently used in its proper sense, for fastening a tent (
Exodus 35:18;
39:40), yoking animals to a cart (
Isaiah 5:18), binding prisoners (
Judges 15:13;
Psalm 2:3;
129:4), and measuring ground (
2 Samuel 8;2;
Psalm 78:55). Figuratively, death is spoken of as the giving way of the tent-cord (
Job 4:21. "Is not their tent-cord plucked up?" R.V.). To gird one's self with a cord was a token of sorrow and humiliation. To stretch a line over a city meant to level it with the ground (
Lamentations 2:8). The "cords of sin" are the consequences or fruits of sin (
Proverbs 5:22). A "threefold cord" is a symbol of union (
Ecclesiastes 4:12). The "cords of a man" (
Hosea 11:4) means that men employ, in inducing each other, methods such as are suitable to men, and not "cords" such as oxen are led by. Isaiah (
5:18) says, "Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope." This verse is thus given in the Chaldee paraphrase: "Woe to those who begin to sin by little and little, drawing sin by cords of vanity: these sins grow and increase till they are strong and are like a cart rope." This may be the true meaning. The wicked at first draw sin with a slender cord; but by-and-by their sins increase, and they are drawn after them by a cart rope. Henderson in his commentary says: "The meaning is that the persons described were not satisfied with ordinary modes of provoking the Deity, and the consequent ordinary approach of his vengeance, but, as it were, yoked themselves in the harness of iniquity, and, putting forth all their strength, drew down upon themselves, with accelerated speed, the load of punishment which their sins deserved."
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A string, or small rope, composed of several strands twisted together.
2. (n.) A solid measure, equivalent to 128 cubic feet; a pile of wood, or other coarse material, eight feet long, four feet high, and four feet broad; -- originally measured with a cord or line.
3. (n.) Fig.: Any moral influence by which persons are caught, held, or drawn, as if by a cord; an enticement; as, the cords of the wicked; the cords of sin; the cords of vanity.
4. (n.) Any structure having the appearance of a cord, esp. a tendon or a nerve. See under Spermatic, Spinal, Umbilical, Vocal.
5. (n.) See Chord.
6. (v. t.) To bind with a cord; to fasten with cords; to connect with cords; to ornament or finish with a cord or cords, as a garment.
7. (v. t.) To arrange (wood, etc.) in a pile for measurement by the cord.
8. (imp. & p. p.) of Core
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
CORDkord (chebhet, yether, methar, `abhoth; schoinion):
(1) The Arabic chab'l corresponds to the Hebrew chebhel and is still the common name for cord or rope throughout the East. Such ropes or cords are made of goat's or camel's hair, first spun into threads and then twisted or plaited into the larger and stronger form. Chebhel is translated rather inconsistently in the Revised Version (British and American) by "cord" (Joshua 2:15Job 36:8, etc.); by "line" (2 Samuel 8:2Micah 2:5Psalm 16:6;Psalm 78:55Amos 7:17Zechariah 2:1); by "ropes" (1 Kings 20:31), and by "tacklings" (Isaiah 33:23).
(2) Yether corresponds to the Arabic wittar, which means catgut. With a kindred inconsistency it is translated the Revised Version (British and American) by "withes" (Judges 16:7 the Revised Version, margin "bowstring"); by "cord" (Job 30:11), where some think it may mean "bowstring," or possibly "rein" of a bridle, and by "bowstring" (Psalm 11:2), doubtless the true meaning.
(3) Methar is considered the equivalent of Arabic atnab, which means tent ropes, being constantly so used by the Bedouin. They make the thing so called of goat's or camel's hair. It is used of the "cords" of the tabernacle (Jeremiah 10:20), of the "cords" of the "hangings" and "pillars" of the courts of the tabernacle in Exodus and Numbers, and figuratively byIsaiah 54:2, "Lengthen thy cords," etc.
(4) `Abhoth is thought to have its equivalent in the Arabic rubuts, which means a band, or fastening. SeeBAND. It is translated by "cords" inPsalm 118:27;Psalm 129:4; by "bands" inEzekiel 3:25Job 39:10Hosea 11:4; by "ropes" inJudges 15:13, 14, and by "cart rope" inIsaiah 5:18. SeeCART. See alsoNumbers 15:38 and AMULET. It See ms to have the meaning of something twisted or interlaced.
(5) In the New Testament "cord" is found inJohn 2:15, translating schoinion, but inActs 27:32 the same Greek word is rendered "ropes."
Figurative:
(1) of affliction (Job 36:8);
(2) of God's laws (Psalm 2:3);
(3) of the artifices of the wicked (Psalm 129:4;Psalm 140:5);
(4) of sinful habits (Proverbs 5:22);
(5) of true friendship or companionship (Ecclesiastes 4:12);
(6) possibly of the spinal cord (Ecclesiastes 12:6);
(7) of falsehood (Isaiah 5:18);
(8) of the spirit of enterprise and devotion (Isaiah 54:2);
(9) of God's gentleness.
George B. Eager
Greek
4979. schoinion -- a rope (made of rushes)... a rope (made of rushes). Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: schoinion
Phonetic Spelling: (skhoy-nee'-on) Short Definition: a
cord, rope Definition: a
...1029. brochos -- a noose, halter
... Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: brochos Phonetic Spelling:
(brokh'-os) Short Definition: a noose or snare Definition: a noose or snare; acord...
Strong's Hebrew
2339. chut -- thread,cord, line... 2338, 2339. chut. 2340 . thread,
cord, line. Transliteration: chut Phonetic
Spelling: (khoot) Short Definition: thread.
...cord, fillet, line, thread.
...4340. methar --cord, string
... 4339, 4340. methar. 4341 .cord, string. Transliteration: methar Phonetic
Spelling: (may-thar') Short Definition: cords....cord, string....
8270. shor -- umbilicalcord
... 8269, 8270. shor. 8271 . umbilicalcord. Transliteration: shor Phonetic
Spelling: (shore) Short Definition: body. Word Origin from...
8615a. tiqvah --cord
... tiqvah. 8615b .cord. Transliteration: tiqvah Short Definition:cord. Word Origin
from qavah Definitioncord NASB Word Usagecord (2). 8615, 8615a....
6616. pathil --cord, thread
... 6615, 6616. pathil. 6617 .cord, thread. Transliteration: pathil Phonetic
Spelling: (paw-theel') Short Definition:cord. Word Origin...
5688. aboth --cord, rope, cordage
... aboth or aboth or abothah. 5689 .cord, rope, cordage. Transliteration: aboth
or aboth or abothah Phonetic Spelling: (ab-oth') Short Definition: cords....
2256a. chebel --cord, territory, band
... 2256, 2256a. chebel. 2256b .cord, territory, band. Transliteration: chebel
Short Definition: cords. Word Origin from chabal Definition...
8615. tiqvah --cord
... tiqvah. 8615a .cord. Transliteration: tiqvah Phonetic Spelling: (tik-vaw') Short
Definition:cord. expectation ted, hope, live, thing that I long for...
4189. moshekah -- acord
... 4188, 4189. moshekah or mosheketh. 4190 . acord. Transliteration: moshekah
or mosheketh Phonetic Spelling: (mo-shek-aw') Short Definition: cords....
3499b. yether -- acord
... 3499a, 3499b. yether. 3500 . acord. Transliteration: yether Short
Definition: cords. Word Origin from yathar Definition acord...
Library
A ThreefoldCord
... ROMANS A THREEFOLDCORD. 'And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which...
A FourfoldCord
... A FOURFOLDCORD. 'And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.' "Acts 2:42....
The ThreefoldCord of Jesus' Life.
... The "How" of Relationship The ThreefoldCord of Jesus' Life. Think for
a moment into Jesus' human life down here. His marvellous...
Five Kings in a Cave
... from them a promise in return that they would save alive her father and her mother
and her loved ones; and when she let them down by means of acord from the...
How a Little Child who had Entered the Order Saw St Francis in...
... he did in the night when he got up; and in order that he might not be overtaken
by sleep, he laid him down by St Francis, tying the end of thecord he wore...
Sunday School Union Jubilee, 1853
... Our bond of peace and amity. This is the threefoldcord that binds.... Decaying strength,
departing breath,. Can loose or break that holycord,....
And it is not Matter of Surprise that in Certain Generations There...
... Adam, He set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of
God, and the portion of the Lord was His people Jacob, Israel thecord of His...
"Therefore, Brethren, we are Debtors, not to the Flesh, to Live...
... And yet man hath cast away thiscord from him, and withdrew from that allegiance
he did owe to his Maker, by transgressing his holy commandments....
Letter xxxvi (Circa AD 1131) to the Same Hildebert, who had not...
... A threefoldcord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12). The threefold
cord of the choice of the better sort, the assent of the...
In his Father's House.
... and Jesus, as a Son in His Father's house where the servants had been unfaithful,
began clearing the court of all these things, and finding somecord on the...
Thesaurus
Cord (47 Occurrences)... Figuratively, death is spoken of as the giving way of the tent-
cord (Job
4:21. "Is not their tent-
cord plucked up?" RV). To gird
...Flax-cord (1 Occurrence)
Flax-cord. Flax, Flax-cord. Flay . Multi-Version Concordance
Flax-cord (1 Occurrence). Ezekiel 40:3 And he brought me...
Tent-cord (1 Occurrence)
Tent-cord. Tent-circles, Tent-cord. Tent-curtain . Multi-Version Concordance
Tent-cord (1 Occurrence). Job 4:21 Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them...
Rope (10 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A large, stoutcord, usually one not less than
an inch in circumference, made of strands twisted or braided together....
String (12 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A smallcord, a line, a twine, or a slender strip of leather, or other
substance, used for binding together, fastening, or tying things; acord, larger...
Line (131 Occurrences)
... 7. (n.) A linen thread or string; a slender, strongcord; also, acord of any thickness;
a rope; a hawser; as, a fishing line; a line for snaring birds; a...
Twists (12 Occurrences)
... Exodus 26:4 And you are to put twists of bluecord on the edge of the outside curtain
of the first group of five, and on the edge of the outside curtain of the...
Group (32 Occurrences)
... Exodus 26:4 And you are to put twists of bluecord on the edge of the outside curtain
of the first group of five, and on the edge of the outside curtain of the...
Tie (18 Occurrences)
... 8. (vt) To fasten with a band orcord and knot; to bind.... Job 41:1 "Can you draw out
Leviathan with a fishhook, or press down his tongue with acord? (See NIV)....
Seal (47 Occurrences)
... 63, 64). The mode of doing this was probably by stretching acord across
the stone and sealing it at both ends with sealing-clay....
Resources
Who was Amy Carmichael? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of a scarlet thread? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is a plumb line in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgCord: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
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