Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, the term "rattling" is often associated with sounds that signify movement, life, or divine intervention. The most notable instance of rattling in the Bible is found in the vision of the Valley of Dry Bones in the book of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel's Vision of the Valley of Dry BonesThe prophet Ezekiel, during the Babylonian exile, received a vision from God that is recorded in
Ezekiel 37:1-14. In this vision, Ezekiel is brought by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with dry bones. God commands Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones, and as he does so, a remarkable event occurs:
"So I prophesied as I had been commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone" (
Ezekiel 37:7).
The rattling sound signifies the miraculous reassembly of the bones, symbolizing the restoration of the nation of Israel. This rattling is not merely a physical phenomenon but a divine act that heralds the renewal and revival of God's people. The sound serves as an auditory marker of God's power to bring life from death and hope from despair.
Symbolism and Theological SignificanceThe rattling in Ezekiel's vision is rich with symbolic meaning. It represents the initial stage of God's redemptive work, where He begins to restore and reanimate what was once lifeless. Theologically, this rattling can be seen as a precursor to the breath of life that God subsequently commands Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones, resulting in the full resurrection of the bodies.
This vision, and the accompanying rattling sound, is often interpreted as a metaphor for spiritual renewal and the promise of resurrection. It underscores the belief in God's sovereignty and His ability to restore life, both physically and spiritually. The rattling is a testament to the transformative power of God's word and His commitment to His covenant people.
Other Biblical ReferencesWhile the specific term "rattling" is not frequently used elsewhere in the Bible, the concept of noise or sound accompanying divine action is a recurring theme. For instance, in the New Testament, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is accompanied by a "sound like a mighty rushing wind" (
Acts 2:2), which, similar to the rattling in Ezekiel, signifies a divine presence and action.
ConclusionThe rattling in Ezekiel's vision serves as a powerful symbol of God's ability to restore and renew. It is a reminder of the hope and life that God offers to His people, even in the most desolate circumstances. Through the sound of rattling bones, the Bible communicates a profound message of resurrection, renewal, and divine intervention.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
p. pr. & vb. n.) of Rattle.
Strong's Hebrew
7494. raash -- a quaking, shaking... Word Origin from raash Definition a quaking, shaking NASB Word Usage commotion
(1), earthquake (7),
rattling (3), rumbling (2), shaking (1), trembling (1
...4517. menaanea -- probably (a kind of musical) rattle
... cornet. From nuwa'; a sistrum (so called from itsrattling sound) -- cornet. see
HEBREW nuwa'. 4516, 4517. menaanea. 4518 . Strong's Numbers.
6767. tslatsal -- whirring, buzzing
... From tsalal reduplicated; a clatter, ie (abstractly) whirring (of wings); (concretely)
a cricket; also a harpoon (asrattling), a cymbal (as clanging) -- cymbal...
Library
Appendix.
... [1106] "rattling their arms; sucks a she-goat's dugs; flays her; clothes himself
in her hide; and (thus) uses his own nurse's hide, after killing her, to be...
Two Fortresses
... tribes behind their stockades or crowding at the back of a little turf wall, or
in some old tumble-down fort that the first shot will bringrattling down about...
Survival of the Fittest
... awful event in its verity: "Bat-like, out of the holes and caverns and shadows of
the earth, the bones gather, and the clay-heaps heave,rattling and adhering...
Tobacco.
... When the Intruder Tobacco comes, he comes boisterously,rattling the windows and
jostling the furniture, so that the inmates of the house set up a life-and...
The Romance of Orthodoxy
... Long words gorattling by us like long railway trains. We know they are carrying
thousands who are too tired or too indolent to walk and think for themselves....
The Adventures of Saint Andrew of Scotland.
... he found himself in a dismal vale, the air still dark as Erebus, where he heard
the blowing of unseen furnaces, the boiling of cauldrons, therattling or armour...
The Dark was Lifting as Vergilius Entered the Field of Mars. ...
... and postal train bound for Rome was expected shortly, and, before eating, Vergilius
wrote a letter and had it ready when the wagons camerattling in a deep...
The Little Match Girl
... were they. The little maid lost them as she slipped across the road, where
two carriages wererattling by terribly fast. One slipper...
The Religious Uses of Memory
... The swift rain of questions, like bulletsrattling against a cuirass, of which my
text is one, shows how much He was moved, if not to impatience or anger, at...
Stilling the Storms.
... It came sweeping down upon them from the hills,rattling the ropes and swelling
the sails so that they had to bring them down and fasten them, and then take...
Thesaurus
Rattling (4 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Rattling (4 Occurrences). Job 39:13 The wing of the
rattling ones exulteth, Whether the pinion of the ostrich or hawk. (YLT).
...Rattle (2 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To cause to make arattling or clattering sound; as, to rattle a chain.
5. (vt) To assail, annoy, or stun with arattling noise....
Clatter (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (vi) To make arattling sound by striking hard bodies together; to make a succession
of abrupt,rattling sounds.... 3. (vt) To make arattling noise with....
Ravage (9 Occurrences)
Javelins (5 Occurrences)
... of the oak. (See NIV). Job 41:29 Clubs are accounted as stubble; he laugheth
at therattling of the javelin. (See RSV). Jeremiah 46...
Jar (45 Occurrences)
... 8. (n.) Arattling, tremulous vibration or shock; a shake; a harsh sound;
a discord; as, the jar of a train; the jar of harsh sounds....
Jolting (1 Occurrence)
... Jolting (1 Occurrence). Nahum 3:2 The noise of the whip, the noise of therattling
of wheels, prancing horses, and bounding chariots, (See NIV)....
Galloping (4 Occurrences)
... Nahum 3:2 The noise of the whip, the noise of therattling of wheels, prancing
horses, and bounding chariots, (See NAS RSV NIV)....
Whips (6 Occurrences)
... Nahum 3:2 The sound of a whip, And the sound of therattling of a wheel, And of
a prancing horse, and of a bounding chariot, Of a horseman mounting. (See NIV)....
Rumble (3 Occurrences)
... See NIV). Nahum 3:2 The noise of the whip, the noise of therattling of
wheels, prancing horses, and bounding chariots, (See RSV)....
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