Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of the Bible, the term "rare" can be understood as something that is uncommon, precious, or of great value due to its scarcity. The concept of rarity is often associated with the divine, the sacred, and the precious materials used in worship and the construction of holy places.
1. Rare Materials in the Tabernacle and Temple:The construction of the Tabernacle and later the Temple involved the use of rare and precious materials. In
Exodus 25:3-7, God instructs Moses to collect offerings from the Israelites, including gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, fine linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red, and acacia wood. These materials were considered rare and valuable, signifying the importance and sanctity of the dwelling place of God among His people.
2. Rare Stones and Gems:The Bible frequently mentions rare stones and gems, particularly in the context of the High Priest's breastplate and the foundations of the New Jerusalem. In
Exodus 28:17-20, the breastplate of judgment is described as being adorned with twelve precious stones, each representing one of the tribes of Israel. Similarly,
Revelation 21:19-21 describes the foundations of the New Jerusalem as being decorated with every kind of precious stone, emphasizing the city's divine beauty and worth.
3. Rare Events and Miracles:The Bible records numerous rare events and miracles that demonstrate God's power and intervention in human history. These events, such as the parting of the Red Sea (
Exodus 14:21-22), the sun standing still at Gibeon (
Joshua 10:12-14), and the resurrection of Jesus Christ (
Matthew 28:5-7), are unique and unparalleled, serving as signs of God's sovereignty and faithfulness.
4. Rare Virtues and Qualities:Certain virtues and qualities are considered rare and highly esteemed in the biblical narrative.
Proverbs 31:10, for example, speaks of the "wife of noble character" as being worth far more than rubies, highlighting the rarity and value of such a virtuous woman. Similarly, in
Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus describes the narrow gate that leads to life as being found by few, indicating the rarity of true discipleship and commitment to God's ways.
5. Rare Prophetic Visions and Revelations:Prophetic visions and revelations are rare occurrences that convey God's messages to His people. In
1 Samuel 3:1, it is noted that "the word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were infrequent," indicating a period when divine communication was scarce. This rarity underscores the significance and weight of prophetic messages when they are given.
6. Rare Faith and Devotion:The Bible commends individuals who exhibit rare faith and devotion.
Hebrews 11, often referred to as the "Faith Hall of Fame," lists numerous figures who demonstrated extraordinary faith in God, despite challenges and uncertainties. Their accounts serve as examples of rare and commendable trust in God's promises.
In summary, the concept of rarity in the Bible is associated with value, significance, and divine purpose. Whether in the form of materials, events, virtues, or faith, what is rare is often linked to the sacred and the extraordinary, reflecting God's glory and the call to holiness.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
a.) Early.
2. (superl.) Nearly raw; partially cooked; not thoroughly cooked; underdone; as, rare beef or mutton.
3. (superl.) Not frequent; seldom met with or occurring; unusual; as, a rare event.
4. (superl.) of an uncommon nature; unusually excellent; valuable to a degree seldom found.
5. (superl.) Thinly scattered; dispersed.
6. (superl.) Characterized by wide separation of parts; of loose texture; not thick or dense; thin; as, a rare atmosphere at high elevations.
Greek
4943. sunupourgeo -- to help together... 4943 (from 4862 , "closely identified " and , "cooperation") -- closely cooperate
(a
rare term, even in classical Greek, used only in 2 Cor 1:11).
...422. anepaischuntos -- not to be put to shame
... [422 () is arare word and "very seldom occurs in the ancient world. It does not
appear in classical Greek at all" ().]. Word Origin from alpha (as a neg....
1737. endidusko -- to put on, be clothed with
... Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: endidusko Phonetic Spelling: (en-did-oos'-
ko) Short Definition: I put on, clothe Definition: (somewhatrare) (of clothing...
2319. theostuges -- hating God
... properly, to (His will). Thisrare term refers to people who turn against
the Lord (used only in Ro 1:30). Word Origin from theos...
3651. holoteles -- complete, perfect
... 3651 israre outside the NT, but occurs four times in Hermas (about ad 140) -- again
expressing the idea of "full continuity (unbroken, complete)" (, 5, 174).]....
1140. daimonion -- an evil spirit, a demon
... how utterly () (His plan). 1140 () is used frequently (over sixty times )
as compared to therare 1142 ().]. Word Origin from daimon...
303. ana -- as a preposition denotes upwards, up, as a prefix...
... prep.Rare in NT; prop: upwards, up; among, between; in turn; apiece, by; as
a prefix: up, to, anew, back. Word Origin a prim. preposition...
Strong's Hebrew
3368. yaqar -- precious,rare, splendid, weighty... 3367, 3368. yaqar. 3369 . precious,
rare, splendid, weighty. Transliteration:
yaqar Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-kawr') Short Definition: precious.
...3358. yaqqir -- honorable, difficult
... noble,rare. (Aramaic) corresponding to yaqqiyr -- noble,rare. see HEBREW
yaqqiyr. 3357, 3358. yaqqir. 3359 . Strong's Numbers.
2788. charer -- a parched place
... 2787, 2788. charer. 2789 . a parched place. Transliteration: charer Phonetic
Spelling: (khaw-rare') Short Definition: wastes. Word...
2690. chatsar -- to sound a trumpet
... separate from the open country; but used only in the reduplicated form chatsotser
{khast-o-tsare'}; or (2 Chronicles 5:12) chatsorer {khats-o-rare'}; as dem....
3365. yaqar -- to be precious, prized or appraised
... A primitive root; properly, apparently, to be heavy, ie (figuratively) valuable;
causatively, to makerare (figuratively, to inhibit) -- be (make) precious, be...
Library
ARare Harvest.
... Sacrifice ARare Harvest. There is a strange winsomeness about sacrifice...
Blood is arare fertilizer. They tell me that the bit of...
A Crown of Gold SurpassingRare,
... EVENING A crown of gold surpassingrare,. 8,8,8,8 tr., John Brownlie. I. A crown
of gold surpassingrare,. The western hills, in beauty, wear;...
A Crown of Gold SurpassingRare,
... HYMNS OF THE EARLY CHURCH A crown of gold surpassingrare,. 8,8,8,8. A crown
of gold surpassingrare,. The western hills, in beauty wear;...
Now Glows the Morn in BeautyRare,
... MORNING Now glows the morn in beautyrare,. 8,8,8,8 tr., John Brownlie. I. Now glows
the morn in beautyrare,. O haste my soul to fervent prayer,....
Now Glows the Morn in BeautyRare;
... MORNING"NOON"NIGHT. MORNING VIII Now glows the morn in beautyrare; 8,8,8,8. Now
glows the morn in beautyrare; Oh haste, my soul, to fervent prayer,....
Holy Offerings, Rich andRare
... V. THE CHURCH Brotherhood and Service 504. Holy offerings, rich andrare.
7.7.7.7.8.8.8.8... abr. Holy offerings, rich andrare,. Offerings of praise and prayer,....
Massillon -- the Small Number of the Elect
... In Isaiah you would see the elect asrare as the grapes which are found after the
vintage, and have escaped the search of the gatherer; asrare as the blades...
The Master's Touch.
... It is veryrare, and worth its weight in gold.... "It was ridiculous to think of
selling such arare violin for such a small sum," he said....
Letter Li to the virgin Sophia
... And that which is your own is the more precious, as it is the mostrare.
For if among men virtue israre"a "rare bird on the earth...
God's Works of Providence
... in all ages, are wholly laid aside through a misapprehension of their commonness
as if a man would despise the sun and the air, and prefer somerare piece of...
Thesaurus
Rare (8 Occurrences)... 1. (a.) Early. 2. (superl.) Nearly raw; partially cooked; not thoroughly cooked;
underdone; as,
rare beef or mutton.
...Rare (8 Occurrences).
...Rarely (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (adv.) In arare manner or degree; seldom; not often; as, things rarely seen.
2. (adv.) Finely; excellently; withrare skill. SeeRare....
Dainty (7 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) A term of fondness. 4. (superl.)Rare; valuable; costly.... xviii.456).
"Dainties," then, are luxuries, costly, delicate andrare....
Mortal (35 Occurrences)
... salvation. (See NAS NIV). Isaiah 13:12 I will make man morerare than fine
gold, even man than the pure gold of Ophir. (See NAS)....
Beauty (98 Occurrences)
... of beauty in Nature and in philosophy thereof correctly interpretative: "To the
materialist philosopher the beautiful is a mere accident, and thereforerare....
Elamites (2 Occurrences)
... Some of the rivers being salt, sea fish are also to be found, and it is not
rare to see sharks at Shuster, and eels in the lower Karun....
Elam (24 Occurrences)
... Some of the rivers being salt, sea fish are also to be found, and it is not
rare to see sharks at Shuster, and eels in the lower Karun....
Vision (106 Occurrences)
... Naturally then, his dreaming is predominantly visual; so strongly visual, we are
told, that it is notrare to find dreams defined as "trains of fantastic images...
Uncommon (2 Occurrences)
... (a.) Not common; unusual; infrequent;rare; hence, remarkable; strange; as, an uncommon
season; an uncommon degree of cold or heat; uncommon courage....
Unwonted (1 Occurrence)
... strangers. 2. (a.) Uncommon; unusual; infrequent;rare; as, unwonted changes.
Multi-Version Concordance Unwonted (1 Occurrence)....
Resources
What does the Bible say about eating/drinking blood? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about getting a sex change? | GotQuestions.orgCan monotheism be proven? | GotQuestions.orgRare: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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