Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and ConceptIn biblical terms, "overflow" often signifies abundance, excess, or a state of being filled beyond capacity. It can refer to both material and spiritual blessings, as well as the consequences of sin or judgment. The concept of overflow is used to illustrate God's provision, the abundance of His grace, and the outpouring of His Spirit.
Old Testament UsageThe idea of overflow is frequently associated with God's blessings and judgment. In
Deuteronomy 28:2, the blessings of obedience are described as overtaking the Israelites: "And all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God." This suggests an overflow of divine favor as a result of faithfulness.
In the context of judgment, overflow can denote destruction or calamity.
Isaiah 8:7-8 speaks of the Assyrian invasion as an overflowing river: "Therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria with all his pomp. It will overflow all its channels and run over all its banks."
New Testament UsageIn the New Testament, overflow is often linked to the abundance of God's grace and the work of the Holy Spirit. In
John 7:38, Jesus speaks of the living water that believers will receive: "Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." This metaphor of overflowing water represents the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence and the spiritual vitality it brings.
Romans 15:13 highlights the overflow of hope through the Holy Spirit: "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Here, overflow signifies the abundant hope and joy that believers experience through faith.
Spiritual ImplicationsThe concept of overflow in Scripture underscores the boundless nature of God's blessings and the transformative power of His Spirit. It serves as a reminder of the richness of life in Christ, where believers are called to experience and share the abundance of God's love and grace.
Overflow also challenges believers to live lives marked by generosity and service, reflecting the overflow of God's blessings in their own actions. As seen in
2 Corinthians 9:8, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
Practical ApplicationBelievers are encouraged to cultivate a life that overflows with gratitude, love, and service. This involves recognizing the abundance of God's provision and allowing it to impact every aspect of life. The overflow of God's grace should inspire a response of worship, generosity, and a commitment to sharing the Gospel with others.
In summary, the biblical theme of overflow encompasses both the blessings and judgments of God, emphasizing His abundant provision and the transformative power of His Spirit in the lives of believers.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. t.) To flow over; to cover with, or as with, water or other fluid; to spread over; to inundate; to overwhelm.
2. (v. t.) To flow over the brim of; to fill more than full.
3. (v. i.) To run over the bounds.
4. (v. i.) To be superabundant; to abound.
5. (n.) A flowing over, as of water or other fluid; an inundation.
6. (n.) That which flows over; a superfluous portion; a superabundance.
7. (n.) An outlet for the escape of surplus liquid.
Greek
5240. huperekchunno -- to pour out over, tooverflow... to pour out over, to
overflow. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: huperekchunno
Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-er-ek-khoo'-no) Short Definition: I pour out so that
...401. anachusis -- a pouring out,overflow
... a pouring out,overflow. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: anachusis
Phonetic Spelling: (an-akh'-oo-sis) Short Definition: outpouring, excess...
2626. katakluzo -- to inundate
...overflow, flood, inundate. From kata and the base of kludon; to dash (wash) down,
ie (by implication) to deluge --overflow. see GREEK kata. see GREEK kludon....
5248. huperperisseuo -- to abound more exceedingly
... Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: huperperisseuo Phonetic Spelling:
(hoop-er-per-is-syoo'-o) Short Definition: I abound exceedingly,overflow Definition: (...
4482. rheo -- to flow
... rheo. 4483 . to flow. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: rheo Phonetic Spelling:
(hreh'-o) Short Definition: I flow Definition: I flow,overflow with....
4051. perisseuma -- superfluity
... Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: perisseuma Phonetic Spelling:
(per-is'-syoo-mah) Short Definition: abundance Definition: abundance,overflow....
4052. perisseuo -- to be over and above, to abound
... Spelling: (per-is-syoo'-o) Short Definition: I exceed, am left over Definition:
(a) intrans: I exceed the ordinary (the necessary), abound,overflow; am left...
5250. huperpleonazo -- to abound exceedingly
...overflow. From huper and pleonazo; to superabound -- be exceeding abundant. see
GREEK huper. see GREEK pleonazo. (uperepleonasen) -- 1 Occurrence. 5249, 5250...
3632. oinophlugia -- drunkenness, debauchery
... drunkenness. From oinos and a form of the base of phluaros; anoverflow (or surplus)
of wine, ie Vinolency (drunkenness) -- excess of wine. see GREEK oinos....
Strong's Hebrew
7857. shataph -- tooverflow, rinse or wash off... shataph. 7858 . to
overflow, rinse or wash off. Transliteration: shataph Phonetic
Spelling: (shaw-taf') Short Definition:
overflow. Word Origin a prim.
...6327b. puts -- to flow,overflow
... puts. 6328 . to flow,overflow. Transliteration: puts Short Definition:overflow....
root Definition to flow,overflow NASB Word Usageoverflow (1). 6327a, 6327b...
6687. tsuph -- to flow,overflow
... tsuph. 6688 . to flow,overflow. Transliteration: tsuph Phonetic Spelling: (tsoof)
Short Definition: engulf. Word Origin a prim.... make tooverflow, swim....
5678. ebrah --overflow, arrogance, fury
... 5677, 5678. ebrah. 5679 .overflow, arrogance, fury. Transliteration: ebrah
Phonetic Spelling: (eb-raw') Short Definition: wrath. Word Origin fem....
7783. shuq -- probably to be abundant
... shuq. 7784 . probably to be abundant. Transliteration: shuq Phonetic Spelling:
(shook) Short Definition:overflow. Word Origin a prim....overflow, water....
3332. yatsaq -- to pour, cast, flow
... cast, cleave fast, be as firm, grow, be hard, lay out, molten,overflow,.
A primitive root; properly, to pour out (transitive or...
1101. balal -- to mingle, mix, confuse, confound
... A primitive root; tooverflow (specifically with oil.); by implication, to mix;
also (denominatively from bliyl) to fodder -- anoint, confound, X fade, mingle...
5674a. abar -- to pass over, through, or by, pass on
... led across (1), led through (3), left (1), liquid (2), made (1), mates (1), means
cross over (1), offer (1), over (4), overcome (1),overflow (1), overflowing...
6231. ashaq -- to oppress, wrong, extort
... A primitive root (compare asaq); to press upon, ie Oppress, defraud, violate,overflow
-- get deceitfully, deceive, defraud, drink up, (use) oppress((-ion...
6555. parats -- to break through
... 1), employ violence (1), everywhere (1), increase (1), increased (3), infrequent*
(1), made (1), made an outburst (1), outburst* (2),overflow (1), sinks (1...
Library
Something Different from the New Birth.
... "Egypt always has the Nile," as some one has said, "but Egypt waits every year for
itsoverflow;" having the Nile is one thing, but having the Nile overflowing...
Preaching (iii. ).
... Eternal Fulness,overflow to me Till I, Thy vessel,overflow for Thee; For sure
the streams that make Thy garden grow Are never fed but by anoverflow: Not...
Submission.
... Then sighs of sorrow in my soul would rise,. Then silent tears wouldoverflow
my eyes!... Then rushing tears wouldoverflow my eyes!...
Whether this Clarity was the Clarity of Glory?
... That the glory of His soul did notoverflow into His body from the first moment
of Christ's conception was due to a certain Divine dispensation, that, as...
Whether Clarity is Becoming to the Glorified Body?
... Since, however, this is absurd, as we have often remarked ([5098]Q[84], A[1]), it
is better to say that this clarity will result from theoverflow of the...
Whether the Four Cardinal virtues Differ from one Another?
... It may also be said that these four virtues qualify one another by a kind
ofoverflow. For the qualities of prudenceoverflow on...
How Does it Come?
... This too is the explanation of the "overflow," the flowing "Rivers" of John
7:38. It is theoverflow, and only theoverflow, that blesses....
Cups Running Over
... His life, too, willoverflow through us to lost souls in a real concern for their
salvation, and to our fellow Christians in a deep desire for their blessing....
A Changed Life
... But it is all the more interesting to us because it presents a picture of what may
be called theoverflow ministry of Jesus, of which there are many instances...
The Third Theological Oration.
... For we shall not venture to speak of "anoverflow of goodness," as one of the Greek
Philosophers dared to say, as if it were a bowl overflowing, and this in...
Thesaurus
Overflow (43 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Overflow (43 Occurrences). Matthew
... evil? For it is from
the
overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks. (WEY NIV).
...Vats (5 Occurrences)
... Proverbs 3:10 so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will
overflow with new wine. (WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV NIV)....
Overwhelm (18 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To cover over completely, as by a great wave; tooverflow and bury beneath;
to engulf; hence, figuratively, to immerse and bear down; to overpower; to...
Sweep (34 Occurrences)
... It willoverflow and pass through; it will reach even to the neck; and the stretching
out of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, Immanuel....
Overflowing (54 Occurrences)
... 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) ofOverflow. 2. (n.) Anoverflow; that which overflows; exuberance;
copiousness. Multi-Version Concordance Overflowing (54 Occurrences)....
Rush (35 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Job 40:23 Behold, if a riveroverflow, he trembleth not; He is confident,
though a Jordan swell even to his mouth. (See JPS BBE NAS RSV)....
Overflowed (14 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) ofOverflow. Multi-Version Concordance
Overflowed (14 Occurrences). Romans 1:29 Their hearts...
Redound (2 Occurrences)
... to conduce; to contribute. 2. (vi) To be in excess; to remain over and above;
to be redundant; tooverflow. 3. (n.) The coming back...
Engulf (5 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 11:4 and what he did to the army of Egypt, to their horses, and to their
chariots; how he made the water of the Red Sea tooverflow them as they...
Drip (12 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). Psalms 65:11 You crown the year with your bounty. Your cartsoverflow
with abundance. (See NAS RSV). Psalms 65:12 The wilderness grasslandsoverflow....
Resources
Why does Amos keep repeating “for three sins . . . even for four” in chapters 1 2? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is Christian discipleship? | GotQuestions.orgHow can I increase my faith? | GotQuestions.orgOverflow: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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