Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of the Bible, the term "native" often refers to individuals who are indigenous to a particular land or region. This concept is significant in understanding the cultural, social, and religious dynamics present in biblical narratives. The Bible frequently addresses the relationship between the Israelites and the native inhabitants of the lands they encounter, particularly in the context of the Promised Land.
Native Inhabitants of CanaanThe land of Canaan, promised to the descendants of Abraham, was inhabited by various native groups, including the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These groups are often collectively referred to as the Canaanites. The Israelites' interactions with these native peoples are a recurring theme in the Old Testament. God commanded the Israelites to drive out the native inhabitants to avoid being led astray by their idolatrous practices. In
Exodus 23:31-33 , God instructs, "I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods."
Native Customs and PracticesThe Bible often contrasts the customs and religious practices of native peoples with those commanded by God to the Israelites. The native inhabitants of Canaan practiced idolatry and other rituals that were abominable to the Lord.
Leviticus 18:24-25 warns the Israelites, "Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its iniquity, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants."
Treatment of Native PeoplesWhile the Israelites were commanded to conquer the land of Canaan, the Bible also provides guidelines for the treatment of native peoples who lived among them. The Israelites were instructed to treat foreigners and sojourners with justice and compassion.
Leviticus 19:33-34 states, "When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God."
Native IsraelitesThe term "native" is also used to describe those who are naturally born into the Israelite community. This distinction is important in the context of religious observances and covenantal identity. For example, in the observance of the Passover,
Exodus 12:48 specifies, "If a foreigner residing among you wants to celebrate the LORD’s Passover, all the males in his household must be circumcised; then he may take part, like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised man may eat of it."
Spiritual ImplicationsThe concept of being "native" in the biblical sense extends beyond ethnicity or birthplace. It encompasses a spiritual identity rooted in the covenant relationship with God. The New Testament expands this idea, emphasizing that through faith in Christ, believers become part of the spiritual "Israel," regardless of their ethnic or national origin.
Galatians 3:28-29 declares, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise."
In summary, the biblical concept of "native" encompasses both the physical inhabitants of a land and the spiritual identity of those who belong to God's covenant community. The Bible provides a framework for understanding the complex interactions between native peoples and the Israelites, emphasizing themes of obedience, justice, and inclusion in God's redemptive plan.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
a.) Arising by birth; having an origin; born.
2. (a.) of or pertaining to one's birth; natal; belonging to the place or the circumstances in which one is born; -- opposed to foreign; as, native land, language, color, etc.
3. (a.) Born in the region in which one lives; as, a native inhabitant, race; grown or originating in the region where used or sold; not foreign or imported; as, native oysters, or strawberries.
4. (a.) Original; constituting the original substance of anything; as, native dust.
5. (a.) Conferred by birth; derived from origin; born with one; inherent; inborn; not acquired; as, native genius, cheerfulness, simplicity, rights, etc.
6. (a.) Naturally related; cognate; connected (with).
7. (a.) Found in nature uncombined with other elements; as, native silver.
8. (a.) Found in nature; not artificial; as native sodium chloride.
9. (n.) One who, or that which, is born in a place or country referred to; a denizen by birth; an animal, a fruit, or vegetable, produced in a certain region; as, a native of France.
10. (n.) Any of the live stock found in a region, as distinguished from such as belong to pure and distinct imported breeds.
Greek
961a. Beroiaios -- Berean, anative of Berea... 961, 961a. Beroiaios. 961b . Berean, a
native of Berea. Transliteration:
Beroiaios Short Definition: Berea. Word Origin from Beroia
...961. Beroiaios -- Berean, anative of Berea
... Berean, anative of Berea. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: Beroiaios
Phonetic Spelling: (ber-oy-ah'-yos) Short Definition: belonging to Berea, Berean...
1786. entopios -- of a place, a resident
... Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: entopios Phonetic Spelling:
(en-top'-ee-os) Short Definition: belonging to the place,native, resident Definition...
3968. patris -- of one's fathers, fatherland
... Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: patris Phonetic Spelling: (pat-rece')
Short Definition: fatherland Definition: fatherland, one'snative place....
4853. sumphuletes -- a fellow tribesman or countryman
... countryman. From sun and a derivative of phule; a co-tribesman, ieNative of
the same country -- countryman. see GREEK sun. see GREEK phule....
5478. Chananaios -- Canaanite, a Gentile of Pal.
... NASB Word Usage Canaanite (1). of Canaan. From Chanaan; a Chanaanoean (ie Kenaanite),
ornative of gentile Palestine -- of Canaan. see GREEK Chanaan....
3794. ochuroma -- a stronghold, fortress
... In its use here there may lie a reminiscence of the rock-forts on the coast of Paul's
native Cilicia, which were pulled down by the Romans in their attacks on...
4948. Suros -- Syrian
... Syrian. From the same as Suria; a Syran (ie Probably Tyrian), anative of Syria --
Syrian. see GREEK Suria. (suros) -- 1 Occurrence. 4947, 4948. Suros. 4949...
2203. Zeus -- Zeus, the greatest of the pagan Gk. gods
... Zeus Definition: Zeus, the Greek god of the sky in all its manifestations,
corresponding to the Roman Jupiter and to the leading god of thenative Lycaonians....
4847. sumpolites -- a fellow citizen
... fellow- citizen. From sun and polites; anative of the same town, ie (figuratively)
co-religionist (fellow-Christian) -- fellow- citizen. see GREEK sun....
Strong's Hebrew
249. ezrach -- anative... 248, 249. ezrach. 250 . a
native. Transliteration: ezrach Phonetic Spelling:
(ez-rawkh') Short Definition:
native. Word Origin from
...1622. Girgashi -- anative tribe of Canaan
... 1621, 1622. Girgashi. 1623 . anative tribe of Canaan. Transliteration: Girgashi
Phonetic Spelling: (ghir-gaw-shee') Short Definition: Girgashite....
701. Arbi -- anative of Arab
... anative of Arab. Transliteration: Arbi Phonetic Spelling: (ar-bee') Short Definition:
Arbite.... Arbite. Patrial from 'Arab; an Arbite ornative of Arab -- Arbite....
757. Arki -- anative of a place in Palestine
... 756, 757. Arki. 758 . anative of a place in Palestine. Transliteration:
Arki Phonetic Spelling: (ar-kee') Short Definition: Archite....
512. Elqoshi -- anative of Elkosh
... 511, 512. Elqoshi. 513 . anative of Elkosh. Transliteration: Elqoshi
Phonetic Spelling: (el-ko-shee') Short Definition: Elkoshite....
1629b. Girzi -- member of anative tribe in Pal
... 1629a, 1629b. Girzi. 1630 . member of anative tribe in Pal.
Transliteration: Girzi Short Definition: Girzites. Word Origin from...
4138. moledeth -- kindred, birth, offspring
... Word Origin from yalad Definition kindred, birth, offspring NASB Word Usage birth
(7), born (3), kindred (3),native (2), offspring (1), relatives (6)....
756. Arkevaye -- inhab. of Erech
... of Erech NASB Word Usage men of Erech (1). Archevite. (Aramaic) patrial from 'Erek;
an Arkevite (collectively) ornative of Erek -- Archevite. see HEBREW 'Erek....
1273. Barchumi -- Barhumite
... for Bacharumi, qv. Barhumite By transposition for Bacharuwmiy; a Barchumite, or
native of Bachurim -- Barhumite. see HEBREW Bacharuwmiy. 1272, 1273....
2577. Chamathi -- descendant of Canaan
... of Canaan NASB Word Usage Hamathite (1), Hamathites (1). Hamathite. Patrial from
Chamath; a Chamathite ornative of Chamath -- Hamathite. see HEBREW Chamath....
Library
Native Christians.
...NATIVE CHRISTIANS.... In Southern India and Ceylon there is a large body ofnative
Christians, the descendants of the many baptized by Xavier and his companions....
Native Christians (Continued).
...NATIVE CHRISTIANS (Continued).... Very different is the general character of thenative
Christians connected with the various missions in Northern India....
The FirstNative Converts and Christian Schools
... LIFE OF WILLIAM CAREY, DD CHAPTER VI THE FIRSTNATIVE CONVERTS AND CHRISTIAN
SCHOOLS. 1800-1810 A carpenter the first Bengali convert...
National Days 428. God Bless OurNative Land
... IV. SPECIAL OCCASIONS National Days 428. God bless ournative land. 6.6.4.6.6.6.
4... John S. Dwight, 1844. God bless ournative land; Firm may she ever stand....
His Arrival in hisNative Land and the virtues Practised There...
... CHAPTER VIII HIS ARRIVAL IN HISNATIVE LAND AND THE VIRTUES PRACTISED THERE"HIS
JOURNEY INTO SPAIN AND ITALY"THE FAMOUS APPARITION AND HIS LIFE IN THE SAME...
Ignatius Leaves hisNative Land --What He did at Montserrat and at...
... CHAPTER II IGNATIUS LEAVES HISNATIVE LAND"WHAT HE DID AT MONTSERRAT AND
AT MANRESA. Ignatius, starting from his father's house...
In those Years when I First Began to Teach Rhetoric in MyNative...
... Book IV Chapter IV In those years when I first began to teach rhetoric
in mynative town? In those years when I first began to...
Moral Depravity.
... In this use of the word there is a general agreement. But what is the meaning
ofnative, or natural?... "Native. Produced by nature....
God Spelling Himself Out in Jesus.
... He left home. He left hisnative land, Eden, where he lived with God. He emigrated
from God.... A language always changes away from itsnative land....
The Swiss Reformer.
... majesty of God. The history of the brave deeds achieved upon hisnative
mountains, kindled his youthful aspirations. And at the...
Thesaurus
Native (35 Occurrences)... a.) of or pertaining to one's birth; natal; belonging to the place or the circumstances
in which one is born; -- opposed to foreign; as,
native land, language
...Native-born (16 Occurrences)
Native-born.Native,Native-born. Natives . Multi-Version Concordance
Native-born (16 Occurrences). Exodus 12:19 seven...
Lystra (6 Occurrences)
... consisted of the local aristocracy of Roman soldiers who formed the garrison of
the colonia, of Greeks and Jews (Acts 16:1, 3), and ofnative Lycaonians (Acts...
Bay (8 Occurrences)
... The Hebrew word so rendered is ereh, which simply means "native born", ie, a tree
not transplanted, but growing on itsnative soil, and therefore luxuriantly....
Sojourning (35 Occurrences)
... thirty years. (KJV WBS). Exodus 12:49 one law is to anative, and to a sojourner
who is sojourning in your midst.' (YLT). Leviticus 16...
Timothy (28 Occurrences)
... and in 1 Timothy 1:2 he writes to "Timothy my true child in faith"; and in 2 Timothy
1:2 he addresses him as "Timothy my beloved child." 2. ANative of Lystra...
Alien (102 Occurrences)
... statute to you forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you
shall afflict your souls, and shall do no manner of work, thenative-born, or...
Elamarna
... melons will never be known. This time someone's curiosity was aroused, and
anative dealer secured the tablets. Knowledge of the "find...
Tablets (31 Occurrences)
... melons will never be known. This time someone's curiosity was aroused, and
anative dealer secured the tablets. Knowledge of the "find...
El-amarna
... melons will never be known. This time someone's curiosity was aroused, and
anative dealer secured the tablets. Knowledge of the "find...
Resources
What are the religious / spiritual beliefs of Native Americans? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the insider movement? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is structuralism? | GotQuestions.orgNative: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
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