Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical contexts, the term "sink" can refer to both literal and metaphorical instances of sinking, often symbolizing distress, danger, or the need for divine intervention. The concept of sinking is used in various passages to illustrate human vulnerability and the necessity of faith in God's deliverance.
Literal Sinking:One of the most notable instances of literal sinking in the Bible is found in the account of Jesus walking on water. In
Matthew 14:29-30 , Peter steps out of the boat to walk toward Jesus on the water. However, when Peter sees the wind, he becomes afraid and begins to sink, crying out, "Lord, save me!" This event highlights the importance of faith and trust in Jesus, as Peter's initial faith allows him to walk on water, but his doubt leads to sinking. Jesus' response, reaching out to save Peter, underscores His power and willingness to rescue those who call upon Him.
Metaphorical Sinking:Sinking is also used metaphorically in the Psalms to describe feelings of being overwhelmed by life's challenges. In
Psalm 69:2 , the psalmist laments, "I have sunk into the miry depths, where there is no footing; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me." This vivid imagery conveys a sense of despair and helplessness, often associated with spiritual or emotional turmoil. The psalmist's cry for deliverance reflects a deep reliance on God's mercy and strength.
Symbolism and Themes:The theme of sinking in the Bible often symbolizes the human condition of vulnerability and the need for divine intervention. It serves as a reminder of the limitations of human strength and the necessity of faith in God's power to save. The act of sinking can represent the consequences of doubt, fear, or sin, while the act of being lifted or saved signifies redemption and divine grace.
In the New Testament, the concept of sinking can also be seen in the broader context of spiritual warfare and the believer's struggle against sin and temptation.
Ephesians 6:10-11 encourages believers to "be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power" and to "put on the full armor of God," suggesting that spiritual preparedness can prevent one from sinking into sin or despair.
Overall, the biblical use of "sink" serves as a powerful metaphor for the trials of life and the believer's dependence on God's saving grace. Through faith and trust in the Lord, believers are assured of His presence and deliverance, even in the most overwhelming circumstances.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. i.) To fall by, or as by, the force of gravity; to descend lower and lower; to decline gradually; to subside; as, a stone sinks in water; waves rise and sink; the sun sinks in the west.
2. (v. i.) To enter deeply; to fall or retire beneath or below the surface; to penetrate.
3. (v. i.) Hence, to enter so as to make an abiding impression; to enter completely.
4. (v. i.) To be overwhelmed or depressed; to fall slowly, as so the ground, from weakness or from an overburden; to fail in strength; to decline; to decay; to decrease.
5. (v. i.) To decrease in volume, as a river; to subside; to become diminished in volume or in apparent height.
6. (v. t.) To cause to sink; to put under water; to immerse or submerge in a fluid; as, to sink a ship.
7. (v. t.) Figuratively: To cause to decline; to depress; to degrade; hence, to ruin irretrievably; to destroy, as by dropping; as, to sink one's reputation.
8. (v. t.) To make (a depression) by digging, delving, or cutting, etc.; as, to sink a pit or a well; to sink a die.
9. (v. t.) To bring low; to reduce in quantity; to waste.
10. (v. t.) To conceal and appropriate.
11. (v. t.) To keep out of sight; to suppress; to ignore.
12. (v. t.) To reduce or extinguish by payment; as, to sink the national debt.
13. (n.) A drain to carry off filthy water; a jakes.
14. (n.) A shallow box or vessel of wood, stone, iron, or other material, connected with a drain, and used for receiving filthy water, etc., as in a kitchen.
15. (n.) A hole or low place in land or rock, where waters sink and are lost; -- called also sink hole.
Greek
1036. buthizo -- tosink, to cause tosink... to
sink, to cause to
sink. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: buthizo Phonetic
Spelling: (boo-thid'-zo) Short Definition: I cause to
sink,
sink Definition: I
...1416. duno -- to enter, tosink into
... to enter, tosink into. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: duno Phonetic Spelling:
(doo'-no) Short Definition: Isink, set Definition: Isink, set (as the sun...
907. baptizo -- to dip,sink
... to dip,sink. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: baptizo Phonetic Spelling:
(bap-tid'-zo) Short Definition: I dip, submerge, baptize Definition: lit: I dip...
2670. katapontizo -- to throw into the sea
... to throw into the sea. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: katapontizo Phonetic
Spelling: (kat-ap-on-tid'-zo) Short Definition: Isink in the sea, am drowned...
2702. kataphero -- to bring down
... overcome (1), sinking (1). fall, give,sink down. From kata and phero (including
its alternate); to bear down, ie (figuratively) overcome...
5087. tithemi -- to place, lay, set
... 1), placed (4), present (1), purposed (1), put (15), puts (2), puts...away (1),
putting (1), reached (1), serves (1), set...down (1), set down (1),sink (1)....
1931. epiduo -- to set (of the sun)
... to set (of the sun). Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epiduo Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ee-doo'-o) Short Definition: Isink, set Definition: Isink, set, set...
447. aniemi -- to send up, produce, send back
... 447 (from 303 , "up" and 2447 , "send") -- properly, so as to loosen; ("sink");
fail to uphold; to desert (abandon), especially what has already been trusted...
1744. enduno -- creep.
... creep. From ennomos and duno; tosink (by implication, wrap (compare enduo) on,
ie (figuratively) sneak -- creep. see GREEK ennomos. see GREEK duno....
1562. ekduo -- to take off, to put off
... From ek and the base of duno; to cause tosink out of, ie (specially as of clothing)
to divest -- strip, take off from, unclothe. see GREEK ek. see GREEK duno....
Strong's Hebrew
2883. taba -- tosink,sink down... 2882, 2883. taba. 2884 . to
sink,
sink down. Transliteration: taba Phonetic
Spelling: (taw-bah') Short Definition: sunk. Word Origin a prim.
...8257. shaqa -- tosink,sink down
... 8256, 8257. shaqa. 8258 . tosink,sink down. Transliteration: shaqa Phonetic
Spelling: (shaw-kah') Short Definition: died. Word Origin a prim....
6749. tsalal -- tosink, be submerged
... 6748, 6749. tsalal. 6750 . tosink, be submerged. Transliteration: tsalal Phonetic
Spelling: (tsaw-lal') Short Definition: sank. Word Origin a prim....sink....
7743. shuach -- tosink down
... 7742, 7743. shuach. 7744 . tosink down. Transliteration: shuach Phonetic Spelling:
(shoo'-akh) Short Definition: down. Word Origin a prim....
5034b. nabel -- tosink or drop down, languish, fade
... 5034a, 5034b. nabel. 5035 . tosink or drop down, languish, fade.
Transliteration: nabel Short Definition: wither. Word Origin a prim....
7503. raphah --sink, relax
... 7502, 7503. raphah. 7504 .sink, relax. Transliteration: raphah Phonetic
Spelling: (raw-faw') Short Definition: fail. Word Origin a prim....
3766. kara -- to bow down
... A primitive root; to bend the knee; by implication, tosink, to prostrate -- bow
(down, self), bring down (low), cast down, couch, fall, feeble, kneeling,sink...
5122. nevalu -- a refuse heap
... dunghill. (Aramaic) or nvaliy (Aramaic) {nev-aw-lee'}; from an unused root probably
meaning to be foul; asink -- dunghill. 5121, 5122....
4280. macharaah -- a cloaca, cesspool
... draught house. From the same as chere'; asink -- draught house. see HEBREW
chere'. 4279, 4280. macharaah. 4281 . Strong's Numbers.
5181. nacheth -- to go down, descend
... A primitive root; tosink, ie Descend; causatively, to press or lead down -- be
broken, (cause to) come down, enter, go down, press sore, settle, stick fast....
Library
Let us notSink in Hopeless Sorrow, or Break Out into Clamorous...
... 3. LET us notsink in hopeless Sorrow, or break out into clamorous Complaints,
if GOD has brought this heavy Affliction upon us....
God the Teacher.
... try to learn the statutes, laws, and commandments, and testimonies, and judgments
concerning the ship, lest by your own ignorance you shouldsink her, and be...
Interpretation of the Details in the Narrative. Application...
... to Jesus upon the waters; but being as yet of little faith, and as yet doubting,
will see that the wind is strong and will be afraid and begin tosink; but he...
Sins of Parents visited
... They willsink to the bottom of society, and become miserably poor, weak, and
of no influence, and so unable to do harm to any but themselves....
Saint George Releases the Six Champions.
... In spite of all this vigilance, however, at last she appeared without her silver
wand; and soon after they saw hersink down on a couch of rose-leaves she had...
Peter on the Waves
... what hushed expectation the other apostles looked at Peter as he let himself down
over the side of the ship, and his feet touched the surges and did notsink....
The Hand Felt Its Way up his Arm, And...
... I shall only want one arm to take care of you; the other will be quite enough to
sink the ship.".... "Then you do mean tosink the ship with the other hand?"....
Thus Far I have Made Answer About My Crimes, and Indeed in Defence...
... carried away by the tempest and nearly drowned in deep water feels for the strong
swimmer at whose foot he clutches: he is determined that I shallsink or swim...
B. The Second Period. Chs. 5:1 to 6:11
... And they came, and filled both the boats, so that they began tosink.8 But Simon
Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for...
The First and Great Commandment
... Man's law thou mayest break, and bear the penalty; but if thou breakest this the
penalty is too heavy for thy soul to endure; it willsink thee, man, it will...
Thesaurus
Sink (16 Occurrences)... fall by, or as by, the force of gravity; to descend lower and lower; to decline
gradually; to subside; as, a stone sinks in water; waves rise and
sink; the sun
...Settle (63 Occurrences)
... 7. (n.) To clear of dregs and impurities by causing them tosink; to render pure
or clear; -- said of a liquid; as, to settle coffee, or the grounds of coffee....
Swamp (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (vt) To plunge orsink into a swamp. 3. (vt) To cause (a boat) to become
filled with water; to capsize orsink by whelming with water....
Fall (522 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To Descend, either suddenly or gradually; particularly, to descend by the
force of gravity; to drop; tosink; as, the apple falls; the tide falls; the...
Bog (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (n.) A quagmire filled with decayed moss and other vegetable matter; wet spongy
ground where a heavy body is apt tosink; a marsh; a morass....
Draught (8 Occurrences)
... 17. (n.) A team of oxen or horses. 18. (n.) Asink or drain; a privy. 19. (n.) A
mild vesicatory; a sinapism; as, to apply draughts to the feet. 20....
Mire (21 Occurrences)
... (YLT NIV). Psalms 69:2 Isink in deep mire, where there is no foothold.... Psalms
69:14 Deliver me out of the mire, and don't let mesink....
Quail (5 Occurrences)
... 2. (vi) To become quelled; to become cast down; tosink under trial or apprehension
of danger; to lose the spirit and power of resistance; to lose heart; to...
Subside (5 Occurrences)
... 1. (vi) To tend downward; to become lower; to descend; as, the waves subsided.
2. (vi) Tosink or fall to the bottom; to settle, as lees....
Sunk (20 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (imp.) ofSink. 2. (pp) ofSink. 3. (v.) imp. &
pp ofSink. Multi-Version Concordance Sunk (20 Occurrences)....
Resources
What are the seven trumpets of Revelation? | GotQuestions.orgHow do we honor an abusive parent? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean to be in the presence of God? | GotQuestions.orgSink: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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