Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical context, the concept of a "guide" encompasses both the literal and metaphorical sense of leading, directing, or advising individuals or groups. The role of a guide is often associated with wisdom, discernment, and the ability to lead others in accordance with God's will.
Old Testament ReferencesIn the Old Testament, the idea of guidance is frequently linked to God's leadership of His people. One of the most prominent examples is the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that guided the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt (
Exodus 13:21-22): "And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night."
The Psalms often reflect a deep reliance on God's guidance.
Psalm 23:3 states, "He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name." This verse highlights the shepherd-like guidance of God, leading His people toward righteousness.
Proverbs also emphasizes the importance of seeking divine guidance.
Proverbs 3:5-6 advises, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." This passage underscores the necessity of trusting in God's wisdom rather than relying solely on human understanding.
New Testament ReferencesIn the New Testament, Jesus Christ is portrayed as the ultimate guide. He refers to Himself as the "Good Shepherd" in
John 10:11 : "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." As the Good Shepherd, Jesus provides spiritual guidance and protection for His followers.
The Holy Spirit is also described as a guide for believers. In
John 16:13 , Jesus promises, "However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come." The Holy Spirit's role is to lead believers into truth and understanding, continuing the guidance that Jesus provided during His earthly ministry.
Role of Human GuidesThe Bible also acknowledges the role of human guides, such as prophets, priests, and leaders, who are called to guide others in accordance with God's commandments. In the early church, apostles and elders served as guides to the fledgling Christian communities, providing teaching and oversight.
The Apostle Paul, in his letters, often acted as a guide to the churches he established. In
1 Corinthians 11:1 , he exhorts, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." Here, Paul positions himself as a guide, pointing others to Christ through his own example.
Spiritual GuidanceThe concept of guidance extends to the spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation on Scripture, and seeking counsel from mature believers.
James 1:5 encourages believers to seek wisdom from God: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
In summary, the biblical understanding of a guide encompasses divine guidance through God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, as well as the role of human leaders who direct others in accordance with God's will. The Scriptures consistently emphasize the importance of seeking and following divine guidance in all aspects of life.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The leather strap by which the shield of a knight was slung across the shoulder, or across the neck and shoulder.
2. (v. t.) To lead or direct in a way; to conduct in a course or path; to pilot; as, to guide a traveler.
3. (v. t.) To regulate and manage; to direct; to order; to superintend the training or education of; to instruct and influence intellectually or morally; to train.
4. (n.) A person who leads or directs another in his way or course, as in a strange land; one who exhibits points of interest to strangers; a conductor; also, that which guides; a guidebook.
5. (n.) One who, or that which, directs another in his conduct or course of life; a director; a regulator.
6. (v. t.) Any contrivance, especially one having a directing edge, surface, or channel, for giving direction to the motion of anything, as water, an instrument, or part of a machine, or for directing the hand or eye, as of an operator
7. (n.) A blade or channel for directing the flow of water to the wheel buckets.
8. (n.) A grooved director for a probe or knife.
9. (n.) A strip or device to direct the compositor's eye to the line of copy he is setting.
10. (n.) A noncommissioned officer or soldier placed on the directing flank of each subdivision of a column of troops, or at the end of a line, to mark the pivots, formations, marches, and alignments in tactics.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
GUIDEgid ('alluph, nachal, nachah; hodegos, hodegeo): "Guide" (noun) is the translation of 'alluph, "an intimate," "a friend," the leader of a family or tribe:Psalm 55:13, "a man mine equal, my guide," the Revised Version (British and American) "my companion";Proverbs 2:17, "the guide of her youth," the Revised Version (British and American) "friend," margin "or guide";Jeremiah 3:4, "My father, thou (art) the guide of my youth," the Revised Version, margin "companion";Micah 7:5, "Put ye not confidence in a guide," the American Standard Revised Version "in a friend," margin "confidant" (which the context shows to be the meaning), the English Revised Version "guide," margin "familiar friend"; once of katsin, "a judge," "a military leader or commander" (compareJoshua 10:24Daniel 11:18);Proverbs 6:7, the Revised Version (British and American) "chief," margin "judge"; once nahagh, "to lead," is translated "guide" (Psalm 48:14). In the New Testament hodegos, "a way-leader," is translated "guide" (Matthew 23:16, "ye blind guides";Matthew 23:24Acts 1:16Romans 2:19); "to guide" is the translation of nachah, "to lead forth" (Job 38:32Psalm 73:24); once of 'ashar, Piel, "to guide" or "lead straight (Proverbs 23:19); of ya`ats, "to command," "to give counsel" ("I will guide thee with mine eye," the Revised Version (British and American) "I will counsel thee with mine eye upon thee,"Psalm 32:8); of kul, "to contain," "to sustain" (Psalm 112:5, "He will guide his affairs with discretion," the Revised Version (British and American) "He shall maintain his cause in judgment"); of nahagh, "to drive," "to lead" (Psalm 78:52); of hodegeo, "to show the way," "guide" (John 16:13, "He shall guide you into all truth," the Revised Version (British and American) "the truth";Acts 8:31); oikodespoteo is translated "to guide the house" the Revised Version (British and American) "rule the household" (1 Timothy 5:14); the word means literally, to be a house-master (the head of the house).
The Revised Version (British and American) has "guide" for "lead" (Psalm 25:5Matthew 15:14Luke 6:39Revelation 7:17); "a guide to" for "more excellent than" (Proverbs 12:26); "guided" for "brought in" (Psalm 78:26); "guideth" for "maketh" (2 Samuel 22:33), for "leadeth" (Psalm 23:3); "my heart yet guiding me," margin "holding its course," for "yet acquainting mine heart" (Ecclesiastes 2:3).
"Guide-posts" is substituted for "high heaps" (Jeremiah 31:21).
W. L. Walker
Greek
3595. hodegos -- a leader,guide... a leader,
guide. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: hodegos Phonetic
Spelling: (hod-ayg-os') Short Definition: a leader,
guide Definition: a leader
...3594. hodegeo -- to lead,guide, teach
... to lead,guide, teach. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: hodegeo Phonetic Spelling:
(hod-ayg-eh'-o) Short Definition: I lead,guide Definition: I lead,guide...
2720. kateuthuno -- to make straight
... achievement. [The prefix () lends the idea " direct orguide" -- literally
"down to without unnecessary deviation."].... 1).guide, direct....
2519. kathegetes -- a teacher
... Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: kathegetes Phonetic Spelling:
(kath-ayg-ay-tace') Short Definition: a leader, teacher,guide Definition: a...
2116. euthuno -- to make straight
... to make straight. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: euthuno Phonetic Spelling:
(yoo-thoo'-no) Short Definition: I make straight,guide, steer Definition: (a...
3329. metago -- to turn about, to direct
... Word Origin from meta and ago Definition to turn about, to direct NASB Word
Usage direct (1), directed (1). toguide, direct. From...
2232. hegemon -- a leader, governor
... Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: hegemon Phonetic Spelling:
(hayg-em-ohn') Short Definition: a governor Definition: a leader,guide; a commander...
2942. kubernetes -- a steersman, pilot
... Transliteration: kubernetes Phonetic Spelling: (koo-ber-nay'-tace) Short Definition:
a steersman, pilot Definition: a steersman, pilot; met: aguide, governor....
2941. kubernesis -- steering, government, administration
... (). Word Origin from kubernao (to steer,guide, govern) Definition steering, government,
administration NASB Word Usage administrations (1). government....
4165. poimaino -- to act as a shepherd
... the flock and is only provided (ultimately) by Jesus Christ -- Shepherd, who calls
under-shepherds (such as elder-overseers) to guard andguide His people by...
Strong's Hebrew
5095. nahal -- to lead orguide to a watering place, bring to a...... to lead or
guide to a watering place, bring to a place of rest, refresh.
Transliteration: nahal Phonetic Spelling: (naw-hal') Short Definition:
guide.
...5148. nachah -- to lead,guide
... to lead,guide. Transliteration: nachah Phonetic Spelling: (naw-khaw') Short Definition:
lead.... bestow, bring, govern,guide, lead forth, put, straiten....
833. ashar -- to go straight, go on, advance
... to go straight, go on, advance. Transliteration: ashar Phonetic Spelling: (aw-shar')
Short Definition:guide.... call, be blessed, happy, go,guide, lead, relieve....
5090. nahag -- to drive, conduct
... acquaint, bring away, carry away, drive away, lead away, forth, beguide,
lead away, A primitive root; to drive forth (a person, an...
1869. darak -- to tread, march
... root Definition to tread, march NASB Word Usage aimed (1), aims (1), archers* (1),
bend (6), bends his bend (1), bent (6), come (1),guide (1), lead (1), leads...
3557. kul -- to comprehend, contain
... be able to, can abide, bear, comprehend, contain, feed, forbearing,guide,.
A primitive root; properly, to keep in; hence, to measure...
7101. qatsin -- a chief, ruler
... captain,guide, prince, ruler. From qatsah in the sense of determining; a magistrate
(as deciding) or other leader -- captain,guide, prince, ruler....
8446. tur -- to seek out, spy out, explore
... root Definition to seek out, spy out, explore NASB Word Usage explore (1), explored
(1), explores (1), follow (1),guide (1), investigate (1), seek (2...
441. alluwph -- tame
... alluwph. 441a . tame. Transliteration: alluwph Phonetic Spelling: (al-loof') Short
Definition: captain. captain, duke, chief friend, governor,guide, ox...
5090a. nahag -- to drive, conduct
... Word Usage carried off (1), carrying away (1), directed (2), drive (2), drive away
(1), driven (1), drives (3), drove (2), drove away (1),guide (1), guided (1...
Library
The SpiritualGuide which Disentangles the Soul
The SpiritualGuide which Disentangles the Soul. <. The SpiritualGuide which
Disentangles the Soul Miguel de Molinos. Table of Contents. Title Page....
The SpiritualGuide,
The SpiritualGuide which Disentangles the Soul. <.... THE Spiritual
Guide,. Which disentangles the Soul, and by the inward...
God OurGuide.
... GOD OURGUIDE. This is a dark world of sin, error, and uncertainties.... We are invited
to commit our way unto him. He has promised toguide us with his eye....
A CondensedGuide for Life
... THE PROVERBS A CONDENSEDGUIDE FOR LIFE. 'My son, if... off.19. Hear thou, my
son, and be wise, andguide thine heart in the way.20. Be...
June the Second Our SpiritualGuide
... JUNE The Second OUR SPIRITUALGUIDE. "When He, the Spirit of truth, is
come, He willguide you into all truth." "John 16:7-14....
TheGuide into all Truth
... THEGUIDE INTO ALL TRUTH. 'I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye
cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth...
In Internal Contemplative Ways aGuide is Necessary, and Why? 2...
... THE SECOND SECTION OF THE FIRST TREATISE, IN WHICH IS DECLARED AND PROVED THAT GOD
ONLY BY HIS HOLY INSPIRATIONS IS THEGUIDE AND DIRECTOR IN AN INTERNAL...
The Blind Man'sGuide
... THE BLIND MAN'SGUIDE.... 4. The clearing away of hindrances. 'Crooked things straight.'
A carefulguide lifts stones out of a blind man's way....
Why an ExternalGuide is Necessary in the Beginning. ...
... THE SECOND SECTION OF THE FIRST TREATISE, IN WHICH IS DECLARED AND PROVED THAT GOD
ONLY BY HIS HOLY INSPIRATIONS IS THEGUIDE AND DIRECTOR IN AN INTERNAL...
I Would not have a Hand toGuide
... HYMNS OF THE EARLY CHURCH I would not have a hand toguide. 8,3,8,8,3. I would not
have a hand toguide. But Thine; For Thou hast trod where sinners stray,....
Thesaurus
Guide (89 Occurrences)... 2. (vt) To lead or direct in a way; to conduct in a course or path; to pilot;
as, to
guide a traveler.
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
GUIDE.
...Guide-posts (1 Occurrence)
Guide-posts. Guideposts,Guide-posts. Guides . Multi-Version
ConcordanceGuide-posts (1 Occurrence). Jeremiah 31:21...
Guides (24 Occurrences)
... Matthew 15:14 Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind
guide the blind, both will fall into a pit." (WEB WEY ASV BBE YLT NAS RSV NIV)....
Rule (291 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) That which is prescribed or laid down as aguide for conduct or action;
a governing direction for a specific purpose; an authoritative enactment; a...
Direct (58 Occurrences)
... 7. (vt) To point out or show to (any one), as the direct or right course or way;
toguide, as by pointing out the way; as, he directed me to the left-hand road...
Guidance (9 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) The act or result of guiding; the superintendence
or assistance of aguide; direction; government; a leading....
Keeper (72 Occurrences)
... John 10:16 And I have other sheep which are not of this field: I will be theirguide
in the same way, and they will give ear to my voice, so there will be one...
Glide (2 Occurrences)
... from vowel to consonant or consonant to vowel in a syllable, or from one component
to the other of a double or diphthongal consonant (seeGuide to Pronunciation...
Waymark
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) A mark toguide in traveling. Int. Standard
Bible Encyclopedia. WAYMARK. wa'-mark (tsyun): In Jeremiah...
Teach (172 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To direct, as an instructor; to manage, as a preceptor; toguide the studies
of; to instruct; to inform; to conduct through a course of studies; as, to...
Resources
What are spirit guides? Should Christians consult spirit guides? | GotQuestions.orgWhat are the names and titles of the Holy Spirit? | GotQuestions.orgIs papal infallibility biblical? | GotQuestions.orgGuide: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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