Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of "invade" in the Bible often refers to the act of entering a land or territory with the intent to conquer or subdue it. This action is typically associated with warfare and conflict, and it is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament, where various nations and peoples engage in battles for control and dominance.
Old Testament ContextIn the Old Testament, the Israelites frequently encountered invasions from surrounding nations. These invasions were often seen as acts of divine judgment or as tests of faith and obedience. For example, the Book of Judges recounts numerous instances where Israel was invaded by neighboring peoples due to their disobedience to God.
Judges 6:3-4 describes the Midianites invading Israel: "Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples would invade the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys."
The invasion of Canaan by the Israelites under Joshua's leadership is another significant event. This invasion was commanded by God as part of His promise to give the land to the descendants of Abraham.
Joshua 1:2-3 states, "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, cross over the Jordan—you and all this people—to the land that I am giving to the children of Israel. I have given you every place where the sole of your foot will tread, just as I promised to Moses."
Prophetic Warnings and Divine JudgmentProphets in the Old Testament often warned of impending invasions as a form of divine judgment against Israel and Judah for their sins. The prophet Isaiah, for instance, warned of the Assyrian invasion as a consequence of the people's rebellion against God.
Isaiah 8:7-8 declares, "Therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria and all his pomp. It will overflow its channels and overrun its banks. It will pour into Judah, swirling and sweeping over it, reaching up to the neck; its spreading streams will cover your entire land, O Immanuel!"
Similarly, the Babylonian invasion and subsequent exile were foretold by prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel as a result of the nation's persistent idolatry and injustice.
Jeremiah 25:9 proclaims, "behold, I will send for all the families of the north,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land and against its residents and against all the surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and scorn, an everlasting desolation."
New Testament PerspectiveWhile the New Testament does not focus on physical invasions in the same way as the Old Testament, the concept of spiritual invasion is present. The New Testament emphasizes the spiritual battle against sin and the forces of evil.
Ephesians 6:12 highlights this spiritual warfare: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
The New Testament also speaks of the ultimate victory of Christ over all forms of evil and the establishment of His kingdom.
Revelation 19:11-16 depicts the return of Christ as a conquering King, leading the armies of heaven to defeat the forces of evil: "Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war."
ConclusionThe theme of invasion in the Bible serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the reality of spiritual warfare. It underscores the sovereignty of God in the affairs of nations and His ultimate plan for redemption and restoration through Jesus Christ.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. t.) To go into or upon; to pass within the confines of; to enter; -- used of forcible or rude ingress.
2. (v. t.) To enter with hostile intentions; to enter with a view to conquest or plunder; to make an irruption into; to attack; as, the Romans invaded Great Britain.
3. (v. t.) To attack; to infringe; to encroach on; to violate; as, the king invaded the rights of the people.
4. (v. t.) To grow or spread over; to affect injuriously and progressively; as, gangrene invades healthy tissue.
5. (v. i.) To make an invasion.
Strong's Hebrew
1464. gud -- toinvade, attack... 1463, 1464. gud. 1465 . to
invade, attack. Transliteration: gud Phonetic Spelling:
(goode) Short Definition: raid. Word Origin a prim.
...invade, overcome.
...6584. pashat -- to strip off, make a dash, raid
... fall upon, flay,invade, make an invasion, pull off, put off, make a road,
run upon,. A primitive root; to spread out (ie Deploy...
935. bo -- to come in, come, go in, go
... 1), go* (2), goes (17), going (8), gone (7), granted (1), had (2), harbor (1), harvest
(1), imported (1), indeed come (1), inserted (2),invade (1),invade...
1082. balag -- to gleam, smile
... A primitive root; to break off or loose (in a favorable or unfavorable sense), ie
Desist (from grief) orinvade (with destruction) -- comfort, (recover...
Library
Now those who have Been So Audacious as toInvade the Houses of...
... Canon VIII. Now those who have been so audacious as toinvade the houses
of others? Now those who have been so audacious as to...
The Conquest of Lydia.
... Reasons which induced Croesus toinvade Media."The Lacedaemonians."Embassadors to
Sparta."Preparations of Croesus."The counsel of Sardaris."The army...
Period ii. The Church from the Permanent Division of the Empire...
... of the West until his death in 408, but the Empire of the East soon began to take
a leading part, especially after the barbarians commenced toinvade the West...
Letter xxi. St. Ambrose Excuses Himself for not Having Gone to the...
... I would then willingly offer myself to the will of your piety. But if I only am
guilty of disturbance, why is there a command toinvade all other churches?...
Knox's Writings from Abroad: Beginning of the Scottish Revolution...
... The "tumults that appear to arise" are probably the dissensions between the Regent
and the mutinous nobles who refused toinvade England at her command....
Tobacco.
... of that house. Let the Foe Opium come toinvade that house and to destroy
the inmates, for every poison is a deadly Foe. At the...
The Oracles.
... Croesus began to entertain the design of raising an army and crossing the Halys,
toinvade the empire of Cyrus, thinking that that would perhaps be safer...
Importance of the Time of Youth; Difficulties and Dangers that...
... heart,"it has not at least assumed the frightful magnitude of one of those inveterate
habits, justly called habits of second nature, whichinvade and pollute...
Introduction
... Jesus Christ would not enter upon the work of the ministry without a commission,
how absurdly impudent are they who without any warrant dareinvade this holy...
The Battle of Thermopylae.
... The general boundary between these two states was mountainous, and impassable for
troops, so that each couldinvade the territories of the other only by...
Thesaurus
Invade (15 Occurrences)... gangrene invades healthy tissue. 5. (vi) To make an invasion. Multi-Version
Concordance
Invade (15 Occurrences). Deuteronomy 12:29 When
...Spoiler (11 Occurrences)
... spoil'-er (ha-shodhedh, "the spoiler"): A favorite expression of the prophet Jeremiah
by which he describes generally the enemies thatinvade and devastate a...
Invaded (20 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) ofInvade. Multi-Version Concordance
Invaded (20 Occurrences). Judges 6:3 So it was, when Israel...
Inundation (6 Occurrences)
Quiver (9 Occurrences)
... Rottenness enters into my bones, and I tremble in my place, because I must wait
quietly for the day of trouble, for the coming up of the people whoinvade us....
Quivered (1 Occurrence)
... Rottenness enters into my bones, and I tremble in my place, because I must wait
quietly for the day of trouble, for the coming up of the people whoinvade us....
Overrun (4 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To grow or spread over in excess; toinvade and occupy; to take possession
of; as, the vine overran its trellis; the farm is overrun with witch grass....
Jephthah (26 Occurrences)
... the things omitted. If diplomacy was tried, it failed to dissuade the
Ammonites from seeking toinvade Israel. Jephthah prepared...
War (529 Occurrences)
... 8. (vi) To make war; toinvade or attack a state or nation with force of
arms; to carry on hostilities; to be in a state by violence....
Inroad
... 2. (vt) To make an inroad into; toinvade. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ROAD
(INROAD). rod the King James Version (1 Samuel 27:10; compare 1 Samuel 23:27)....
Resources
Who is the king of the North in Daniel 11? | GotQuestions.orgWho is the king of the South in Daniel 11? | GotQuestions.orgWhen will the peace of Nahum 1:15 come? | GotQuestions.orgInvade: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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