Topical Encyclopedia
The term "sheer" does not appear as a direct entry in the Bible; however, it can be understood in various contexts related to biblical themes and narratives. In a biblical sense, "sheer" often conveys the idea of purity, transparency, or something that is unadulterated and clear. This concept can be applied to several biblical principles and teachings.
Purity and HolinessThe notion of purity is central to the biblical narrative, particularly in the context of holiness and the relationship between God and His people. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were called to be a holy nation, set apart for God's purposes.
Leviticus 19:2 states, "Speak to the entire congregation of the Israelites and tell them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.’" This call to holiness implies a life that is sheer, free from the impurities of sin and idolatry.
Transparency and TruthIn the New Testament, the concept of living a life that is sheer can be associated with transparency and truthfulness. Jesus Christ, in His teachings, emphasized the importance of sincerity and integrity. In
Matthew 5:8 , Jesus says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Here, purity of heart can be understood as a sheer, unblemished devotion to God, free from hypocrisy and deceit.
The Sheer Nature of God's WordThe Word of God is often described as pure and unadulterated.
Psalm 12:6 declares, "The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold." This verse highlights the sheer nature of God's Word, emphasizing its reliability and truth. Believers are encouraged to approach Scripture with reverence, recognizing its purity and authority.
Sheer Faith and Dependence on GodThe life of faith is one of sheer dependence on God, trusting in His promises and provision.
Hebrews 11 provides numerous examples of individuals who lived by faith, demonstrating sheer reliance on God's faithfulness.
Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see." This assurance is a sheer confidence in God's character and His ability to fulfill His promises.
ConclusionWhile the term "sheer" may not be explicitly mentioned in the Bible, its implications are woven throughout the biblical narrative. Whether in the call to holiness, the pursuit of truth, the purity of God's Word, or the life of faith, the concept of sheer reflects a life aligned with God's will, characterized by purity, transparency, and unwavering trust in the Lord.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
a.) Utter; complete; steep; thin or transparent; -- applied to fabrics.
2. (v. i.) Very thin or transparent; -- applied to fabrics; as, sheer muslin.
3. (v. i.) Being only what it seems to be; obvious; simple; mere; downright; as, sheer folly; sheer nonsense.
4. (v. i.) Straight up and down; vertical; perpendicular.
5. (adv.) Clean; quite; at once.
6. (v. t.) To shear.
7. (v. i.) To decline or deviate from the line of the proper course; to turn aside; to swerve; as, a ship sheers from her course; a horse sheers at a bicycle.
8. (n.) The longitudinal upward curvature of the deck, gunwale, and lines of a vessel, as when viewed from the side.
9. (n.) The position of a vessel riding at single anchor and swinging clear of it.
10. (n.) A turn or change in a course.
11. (n.) Shears See Shear.
Strong's Hebrew
7607.sheer -- flesh... 7606, 7607.
sheer. 7608 . flesh. Transliteration:
sheer Phonetic Spelling:
(sheh-ayr') Short Definition: relative.
... 7606, 7607.
sheer. 7608 . Strong's Numbers
7892. shiyr -- song
... 7891, 7892. shiyr. 7892a . song. Transliteration: shiyr Phonetic Spelling:
(sheer) Short Definition: musical. musicalick, singer song...
7534. raq -- thin, only, altogether, surely
... 4), except* (1), gaunt* (1), however (6), lean (2), moreover (1), never be anything
(1), nevertheless (5), nothing (2), only (64), only* (1),sheer (1), still...
6223. ashir -- rich
... 6222, 6223. ashir. 6224 . rich. Transliteration: ashir Phonetic Spelling:
(aw-sheer') Short Definition: rich. Word Origin from ashar...
7891. shir -- to sing
... 7890, 7891. shir. 7892 . to sing. Transliteration: shir Phonetic Spelling:
(sheer) Short Definition: singers. Word Origin denominative...
7608. shaarah -- near kinswomen
... near kinswomen. Transliteration: shaarah Phonetic Spelling: (shah-ar-aw') Short
Definition: kinswomen. Word Origin fem. ofsheer, qv. near kinswomen...
7609. Sheerah -- an Ephraimite woman
... Word Origin from the same assheer Definition an Ephraimite woman NASB Word Usage
Sheerah (1). Sherah. The same as sha'arah; Sheerah, an Israelitess -- Sherah....
Library
Infants' Faults Spring from theirSheer Ignorance.
... A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants
Chapter 66."Infants' Faults Spring from TheirSheer Ignorance....
In the Next Place, Celsus, after Heaping Together, Simply as Mere...
... the prophets, who have left to us our books, not knowing at all what the nature
of the world is, and of man, have woven together a web ofsheer nonsense." [4533...
Article xxii (X): of Both Kinds in the Lord's Supper.
... "The reason must not be asked but let whatever the theologians say be law."
[Is whatever you wish and whatever you say to besheer truth?...
It is Said that on a Recent Occasion Where the Letters of...
... but confessing that he shared my opinion; or else, if he praised me before as orthodox,
his present accusations come to nothing, and are due tosheer malice....
The First Book
... Since even men outside our faith have been compelled bysheer necessity to say that
all things are known by God and are moved and ruled by him, how is it that...
Knox in Scotland: Lethington: Mary of Guise: 1555-1556
... To us it may seem that the sudden denunciation of a Christian ceremony, even what
may be deemed a perverted Christian ceremony, assheer "idolatry," equivalent...
Ears and no Ears
... voice to us. And then there are some of us who, out ofsheer listlessness,
do not hear. It is not because we are too busy. It is...
Foundation of Moral Obligation.
... His religion, if he have any, must besheer superstition, inasmuch as he neither
knows the true God, nor the true reason why he should love, believe, obey, or...
Second Tractate. On virtue.
... they ennoble us by setting bound and measure to our desires and to our entire
sensibility, and dispelling false judgement " and this bysheer efficacy of the...
Accidental Causes of Corruption.
... as the context proves. It has been the result ofsheer accident
moreover,"as I proceed to explain. St. John certainly wrote the...
Thesaurus
Sheer (2 Occurrences)... 2. (vi) Very thin or transparent; -- applied to fabrics; as,
sheer muslin.
... 11. (n.)
Shears See Shear. Multi-Version Concordance
Sheer (2 Occurrences).
...Quicken (16 Occurrences)
... 3. (v.) To shorten the radius of (a curve); to make (a curve) sharper; as, to
quicken thesheer, that is, to make its curve more pronounced....
Ladder (1 Occurrence)
... of armies, or even caravans, since the approach is precipitous on either side, and
at Ras el-`Abyadh the road skirts the edge of asheer precipice, where a...
Gossamer (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A fine, flimsy,sheer fabric or substance, like
cobwebs, floating in the air, in calm, clear weather, especially in autumn....
Drift (1 Occurrence)
... 19. (n.) The place in a deep-waisted vessel where thesheer is raised and the rail
is cut off, and usually terminated with a scroll, or driftpiece. 20....
Main (17 Occurrences)
... 12. (a.) Vast; huge. 13. (a.) Unqualified; absolute; entire;sheer. 14. (a.)
Principal; chief; first in size, rank, importance, etc. 15....
Bethulia
... The rock on the summit of which it stands risessheer from the edge of Merj
el-Ghariq, on the main highway, some 7 miles South of Jenin....
Bearing (150 Occurrences)
... 14. (n.) The widest part of a vessel below the plank-sheer. 15. (n.) The line of
flotation of a vessel when properly trimmed with cargo or ballast....
Creator (19 Occurrences)
... But the creative process is not a case ofsheer almightiness, creating something
out of nothing, but an expression of God, as the Absolute Reason, under the...
Architecture
... The engineering skill displayed in the construction of aqueducts and other water
systems was forced out of them bysheer necessity, and proved the existence of...
Resources
What does it mean that God makes our feet like the feet of a deer (Habakkuk 3:19)? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is hellfire preaching? Is hellfire preaching biblical? | GotQuestions.orgWhat age was Jehoiachin when he began his reign? | GotQuestions.orgSheer: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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