Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, the term "smooth" is often used both literally and metaphorically, conveying various meanings depending on the context. The word appears in descriptions of physical objects, speech, and character traits, each carrying its own theological and moral implications.
1.
Physical Description: The term "smooth" is used to describe surfaces that are even and free from roughness. In
Genesis 27:11, Jacob expresses concern to his mother Rebekah about deceiving his father Isaac, saying, "But my brother Esau is a hairy man, while I am a smooth man." Here, "smooth" refers to the texture of Jacob's skin, contrasting with Esau's hairiness. This physical description plays a crucial role in the narrative of Jacob receiving Isaac's blessing, highlighting themes of deception and identity.
2.
Speech and Deception: Smoothness in speech often carries a negative connotation, associated with deceit and flattery. In
Psalm 55:21, the psalmist laments, "His speech is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords." This verse illustrates the danger of smooth words that mask malicious intent, warning believers to be discerning of those who use flattery for manipulation.
3.
Moral and Ethical Implications: The Bible frequently warns against those who use smooth words to lead others astray. In
Romans 16:18, Paul cautions the church, "For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive." This admonition underscores the importance of spiritual vigilance and the need to adhere to sound doctrine, as smooth talkers may distort the truth for personal gain.
4.
Contrast with Righteousness: The concept of smoothness is often juxtaposed with the straightforwardness and integrity expected of the righteous.
Proverbs 26:28 states, "A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin." Here, smooth, flattering speech is contrasted with the honest and upright communication that characterizes a life of righteousness.
5.
Symbolism and Imagery: In prophetic literature, smoothness can symbolize false security and misplaced trust.
Isaiah 30:10-11 describes a rebellious people who say to the seers, "Do not see visions," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us the truth. Speak to us pleasant things, prophesy illusions." The desire for smooth, comforting messages rather than the hard truth reflects a rejection of God's guidance and a preference for self-deception.
In summary, the biblical use of "smooth" serves as a multifaceted term that can describe physical attributes, speech, and moral character. It often carries a cautionary tone, warning against deception and encouraging believers to seek truth and integrity in their interactions and spiritual lives.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
superl.) Having an even surface, or a surface so even that no roughness or points can be perceived by the touch; not rough; as, smooth glass; smooth porcelain.
2. (superl.) Evenly spread or arranged; sleek; as, smooth hair.
3. (superl.) Gently flowing; moving equably; not ruffled or obstructed; as, a smooth stream.
4. (superl.) Flowing or uttered without check, obstruction, or hesitation; not harsh; voluble; even; fluent.
5. (superl.) Bland; mild; smoothing.
6. (superl.) Causing no resistance to a body sliding along its surface; frictionless.
7. (adv.) Smoothly.
8. (n.) The act of making smooth; a stroke which smoothes.
9. (n.) That which is smooth; the smooth part of anything.
10. (v.) To make smooth; to make even on the surface by any means; as, to smooth a board with a plane; to smooth cloth with an iron.
11. (v.) To free from obstruction; to make easy.
12. (v.) To free from harshness; to make flowing.
13. (v.) To palliate; to gloze; as, to smooth over a fault.
14. (v.) To give a smooth or calm appearance to.
15. (v.) To ease; to regulate.
16. (v. i.) To flatter; to use blandishment.
Greek
3006. leios --smooth...smooth. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: leios Phonetic Spelling:
(li'-os) Short Definition:
smooth, level Definition:
smooth, level, plain.
...5542. chrestologia --smooth speech
...smooth speech. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: chrestologia Phonetic
Spelling: (khrase-tol-og-ee'-ah) Short Definition: a kind address Definition...
5586. psephos -- a smallsmooth stone, a pebble
... a smallsmooth stone, a pebble. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
psephos Phonetic Spelling: (psay'-fos) Short Definition: a pebble, a vote...
3582. xestes -- a sextarius (about a pint), a pitcher (of wood or...
... As if from xeo (properly, tosmooth; by implication, (of friction) to boil or heat);
a vessel (as fashioned or for cooking) (or perhaps by corruption from the...
5259. hupo -- by, under
... subordinate ( someone/something else). [5259 (), before asmooth breathing mark
becomes .]. Word Origin a prim. preposition Definition by...
1813. exaleipho -- to wipe out, erase, obliterate
... [1813 () originally meant, "to plaster, rubsmooth, or whitewash." Later it referred
to "wiping out" in the sense of "to " (rubbing out a writing or seal...
858. aphelotes -- simplicity
... Word Origin from apheles (without a stone, even,smooth) Definition simplicity
NASB Word Usage sincerity (1). singleness, simplicity....
3756. ou, ouk, ouch -- not, no
... 3756 -- ("not"). 3756 () negates a statement, " as .". [3756 () is written before
smooth breathings and before a rough breathing.]. Word Origin a prim....
Strong's Hebrew
2512. challuq --smooth...smooth. Transliteration: challuq Phonetic Spelling: (khal-look') Short Definition:
smooth. Word Origin from chalaq Definition
smooth NASB Word Usage
smooth (1).
...3474. yashar -- to besmooth, straight, or right
... yashar. 3475 . to besmooth, straight, or right. Transliteration: yashar Phonetic
Spelling: (yaw-shar') Short Definition: pleased. Word Origin a prim....
2509. chalaq --smooth
... 2508, 2509. chalaq. 2510 .smooth. Transliteration: chalaq Phonetic Spelling:
(khaw-lawk') Short Definition: flattering.... flattering,smooth....
2511. challaq --smooth
... 2510, 2511. challaq. 2512 .smooth. Transliteration: challaq Phonetic Spelling:
(khal-lawk') Short Definition:smooth....smooth From chalaq;smooth --smooth....
2513b. chelqah --smooth part, smoothness, flattery
... 2513a, 2513b. chelqah. 2514 .smooth part, smoothness, flattery.
Transliteration: chelqah Short Definition: flattering. Word Origin...
4452. malats -- probably to besmooth or slippery
... malats. 4453 . probably to besmooth or slippery. Transliteration: malats Phonetic
Spelling: (maw-lats') Short Definition: sweet. Word Origin a prim....
4803. marat -- to makesmooth, bare or bald, to scour, polish
... 4802, 4803. marat. 4804 . to makesmooth, bare or bald, to scour, polish.
Transliteration: marat Phonetic Spelling: (maw-rat') Short Definition: polished....
2510. Chalaq -- "smooth," a mountain South of the Dead Sea
... 2509, 2510. Chalaq. 2511 . "smooth," a mountain South of the Dead Sea.
Transliteration: Chalaq Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-lawk') Short Definition: Halak....
8205. shephi -- bareness, asmooth or bare height
... 8204, 8205. shephi. 8206 . bareness, asmooth or bare height. Transliteration:
shephi Phonetic Spelling: (shef-ee') Short Definition: heights....
6245a. ashath -- to besmooth or shiny
... ashath. 6245b . to besmooth or shiny. Transliteration: ashath Short Definition:
sleek.... root Definition to besmooth or shiny NASB Word Usage sleek (1)....
Library
Against Men who Embellish Themselves.
... being men. Such are those addicted to base passions, whose whole body is
madesmooth by the violent tuggings of pitch-plasters. It...
Of the Sparkling Stone, and of the New Name Written in the Book of...
... it. This stone is shining white and red like a flame of fire; and it is
small and round, andsmooth all over, and very light. By...
The Song of Two Cities
... upon the crash, and in verse 7 gathers its lessons into a kind of proverbial saying,
which is perhaps best translated 'The path of the just issmooth (or "plain...
The victory of Unarmed Faith
... And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him fivesmooth stones out of the brook,
and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his...
The Two Sons.
... This son, rebellious in heart, and not trained to cover his disobedience under a
smooth profession, meets his father's command with a rude, blunt refusal....
Practical Hints for Speakers
... concise, trenchant, vigorous, impressive, lively, figurative, polished, graceful,
fluent, rhythmical, copious, elevated, flexible,smooth, dignified, terse...
Transcriber's Note
... Chapter I. "Under the smoothe" corrected to "Under thesmooth". Chapter II.... "to smoothe
those English" corrected to "tosmooth those English". Chapter VI....
What Yokes are For
... He knew the difference between asmooth yoke and a rough one, a bad fit and a good
fit;the difference also it made tothe patient animal which had to wear it....
On Sleep.
... Magnificence of bed-clothes, gold-embroidered carpets, andsmooth carpets worked
with gold, and long fine robes of purple, and costly fleecy cloaks, and...
Argument: Octavius, Displeased at the Act of this Superstitious...
... This play is: To choose a shell from the shore, rubbed and madesmooth by the tossing
of the waves; to take hold of the shell in a horizontal position with the...
Thesaurus
Smooth (39 Occurrences)... 1. (superl.) Having an even surface, or a surface so even that no roughness or points
can be perceived by the touch; not rough; as,
smooth glass;
smooth...Smooth-skinned (2 Occurrences)
Smooth-skinned. Smooths,Smooth-skinned.Smooth-sounding .
Multi-Version ConcordanceSmooth-skinned (2 Occurrences)....
Smooth-sounding (1 Occurrence)
Smooth-sounding.Smooth-skinned,Smooth-sounding. Smote .
Multi-Version ConcordanceSmooth-sounding (1 Occurrence)....
Sleek (7 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (superl.) Having an even,smooth surface;smooth; hence,
glossy; as, sleek hair.... 4. (n.) That which makessmooth; varnish....
Glossy (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (superl.)Smooth and shining; reflecting luster from asmooth surface; highly
polished; lustrous; as, glossy silk; a glossy surface....
Table (125 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Asmooth, flat surface, like the side
of a board; a thin, flat,smooth piece of anything; a slab....
Polish (1 Occurrence)
... 3. (vt) To makesmooth and glossy, usually by friction; to burnish; to overspread
with luster; as, to polish glass, marble, metals, etc....
Halak (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible DictionarySmooth; bald, a hill at the southern extremity
of Canaan (Joshua 11:17). It is referred to as if it were...
Lizard (3 Occurrences)
... By means of adhesive disks on the under sides of its toes, it clings with
ease tosmooth walls which other lizards cannot scale....
File (1 Occurrence)
... 12. (n.) Anything employed tosmooth, polish, or rasp, literally or figuratively.
13.... 15. (vt) Tosmooth or polish as with a file. 16....
Resources
Why did David choose five smooth stones before going to fight Goliath? | GotQuestions.orgWhat should we learn from the walls of Jericho falling down? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is false doctrine? | GotQuestions.orgSmooth: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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