Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Usage:The term "straighten" in biblical context often refers to making something right, correcting a path, or aligning with God's will. It can be both literal, as in making a physical path straight, and metaphorical, as in correcting one's life or actions to align with divine principles.
Biblical References:1.
Isaiah 40:3-4 : "A voice of one calling: 'Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain.'"
· This passage is often associated with John the Baptist's ministry, emphasizing the preparation for the coming of the Lord by making paths straight. It signifies the removal of obstacles and the call to repentance and righteousness.
2.
Proverbs 3:5-6 : "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
· Here, the promise of God is to straighten the paths of those who trust and acknowledge Him. It highlights the importance of reliance on divine wisdom rather than human understanding.
3.
Luke 3:4-5 : "As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: 'A voice of one calling in the wilderness, "Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight paths for Him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth."'"
· This New Testament reference reiterates the prophecy from Isaiah, underscoring the mission of John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus by calling people to repentance and moral rectitude.
Theological Implications:·
Repentance and Righteousness: The concept of straightening is closely tied to repentance and the pursuit of righteousness. It involves turning away from sin and aligning one's life with God's commandments and teachings.
·
Divine Guidance: The promise that God will make paths straight for those who trust in Him suggests a divine intervention in the lives of believers, guiding them through life's complexities and challenges.
·
Preparation for the Messiah: The call to make paths straight is a preparatory action for the coming of the Messiah, both in the historical context of Jesus' first coming and in the eschatological anticipation of His return.
Practical Application:·
Personal Reflection: Believers are encouraged to examine their lives and identify areas that need correction or alignment with God's will. This involves a commitment to spiritual growth and moral integrity.
·
Community and Ministry: The call to straighten paths can also be applied to communal and ministerial efforts, where believers work together to remove obstacles that hinder the spread of the Gospel and the establishment of God's kingdom on earth.
In summary, the biblical concept of "straighten" encompasses both a personal and communal call to align with God's will, prepare for His presence, and trust in His guidance for a righteous and fulfilling life.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. t.) To make straight; to reduce from a crooked to a straight form.
2. (v. t.) To make right or correct; to reduce to order; as, to straighten one's affairs; to straighten an account.
3. (n.) A variant of Straiten.
Greek
352b. anakupto -- to lift oneself up... 352a, 352b. anakupto. 353 . to lift oneself up. Transliteration: anakupto
Short Definition:
straighten. Word Origin from ana and
...2116. euthuno -- to make straight
... make straight. From euthus; tostraighten (level); technically, to steer -- governor,
make straight. see GREEK euthus. (euthunate) -- 1 Occurrence....
1930. epidiorthoo -- to correct in addition
... set in order. From epi and a derivative of orthos; tostraighten further, ie
(figuratively) arrange additionally -- set in order. see GREEK epi....
1357. diorthosis -- a correction, a reform
... From a compound of dia and a derivative of orthos, meaning tostraighten thoroughly;
rectification, ie (specially) the Messianic restauration -- reformation....
2720. kateuthuno -- to make straight
... guide, direct. From kata and euthuno; tostraighten fully, ie (figuratively)
direct -- guide, direct. see GREEK kata. see GREEK euthuno....
461. anorthoo -- to set upright, set straight again
... set up, make straight, restore. From ana and a derivative of the base of orthos;
tostraighten up -- lift (set) up, make straight. see GREEK ana....
Strong's Hebrew
8626. taqan -- to become straight... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to become straight NASB Word Usage arranged
(1),
straighten (1), straightened (1). set in order, make straight.
...8627. teqan -- to be in order
... establish. (Aramaic) corresponding to taqan; tostraighten up, ie Confirm -- establish.
see HEBREW taqan. 8626, 8627. teqan. 8628 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
Internal Foes.
... Christianity isn't worth a snap of your finger if it doesn'tstraighten out your
character. I have got tired of all mere gush and sentiment....
Christ and the Little Children
... We find it getting crooked; but with the gentlest touch of thumb and finger, we
canstraighten it out.... We try tostraighten it out; but in vain....
The Worst Things Work for Good to the Godly
... As we sometimes hold a crooked rod over the fire tostraighten it; so God holds
us over the fire of affliction to make us more straight and upright....
Introduction
... those first plastic three or four years, and then handing them over to the church
kindergarten-teacher for one hour a week, expecting her tostraighten out all...
Little Jennie's Sickness and Death
... out of shape it seemed. Then in a few days her little limbs were so we
could almoststraighten them. What suffering she endured...
The Church and Her Mission, or the Three Constitutional Synods...
... They had their Church constitution to frame; they had their finances tostraighten
out; they had their mission in the world to define; they had, in a word, to...
An Irresistible Plan.
... Peter "took" Jesus. A great sight surely! He slips his hand in Jesus'
arm and takes Him off to one side to"straighten"Him"out....
What I must Do.
... If I would feel Love's living glow. And I my hasty tongue must bind,. Muststraighten
what it's said amiss,. If I true peace with God would find,....
Letter ix. To Maximus the Philosopher.
... I often compare him to a woodman trying tostraighten some ill-grown sapling, pulling
so immoderately in the opposite direction as to exceed the mean, and so...
In the Country He Gives his Attention to Literature, and Explains...
... inward goads Thou didst subdue me, and how Thou didst make me low, bringing down
the mountains and hills of my imaginations, and didststraighten my crookedness...
Thesaurus
Straighten (4 Occurrences)... 2. (vt) To make right or correct; to reduce to order; as, to
straighten one's
affairs; to
straighten an account.
...Straighten (4 Occurrences).
...Straight (196 Occurrences)
... When they are of one suit, it is called straight flush. 10. (vt) Tostraighten.
Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. STRAIGHT; STRAIGHTWAY....
Infirmity (22 Occurrences)
... (WBS). Luke 13:11 Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen
years, and she was bent over, and could in no waystraighten herself up....
Fully (153 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Luke 13:11 Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen
years, and she was bent over, and could in no waystraighten herself up....
Riddle (11 Occurrences)
... gravel from sand. 2. (n.) A board having a row of pins, set zigzag, between
which wire is drawn tostraighten it. 3. (vt) To separate...
Eighteen (22 Occurrences)
... Luke 13:11 Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years,
and she was bent over, and could in no waystraighten herself up....
Bent (107 Occurrences)
... Luke 13:11 Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years,
and she was bent over, and could in no waystraighten herself up....
Crookbacked (1 Occurrence)
... agricultural labor. In these the vertebrae become altered in shape so that
it is impossible tostraighten the back. Some rabbinical...
Crook-backed (1 Occurrence)
... agricultural labor. In these the vertebrae become altered in shape so that
it is impossible tostraighten the back. Some rabbinical...
Caused (468 Occurrences)
... Luke 13:11 Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years,
and she was bent over, and could in no waystraighten herself up. (See NAS)....
Resources
What is orthopraxy/orthopraxis? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that all Cretans are liars? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Titus in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgStraighten: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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