Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, the term "soft" can be understood in various contexts, often relating to texture, demeanor, or moral character. The word itself is not frequently used in the Bible, but its implications are woven throughout the scriptures in different forms and expressions.
1.
Physical Texture and Comfort: The concept of softness is sometimes associated with physical comfort and luxury. In the context of clothing, for example, soft garments are often linked to wealth and opulence. In
Matthew 11:8 , Jesus speaks of those who wear "soft clothing" as being found in kings' houses, indicating a life of ease and privilege: "But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Look, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces."
2.
Gentleness and Meekness: Softness can also refer to a gentle and meek spirit, which is highly valued in biblical teaching. The Apostle Paul, in his letters, often encourages believers to exhibit gentleness, a fruit of the Spirit (
Galatians 5:22-23). This gentleness is akin to a soft approach in dealing with others, characterized by humility and patience.
Proverbs 15:1 states, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger," highlighting the power of a soft response in diffusing conflict.
3.
Moral and Spiritual Implications: In a moral and spiritual sense, softness can sometimes imply weakness or lack of resolve. The Bible warns against being "soft" in terms of moral fortitude, urging believers to stand firm in their faith. In
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 , Paul lists those who will not inherit the kingdom of God, including the "effeminate" (translated in some versions as "soft"), which in this context refers to moral laxity and indulgence in sinful behaviors.
4.
Heart Condition: The Bible frequently contrasts a "soft" heart with a "hard" heart. A soft heart is open and receptive to God's word and guidance, while a hard heart is resistant and rebellious.
Ezekiel 36:26 speaks of God's promise to give His people a new heart: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Here, a heart of flesh symbolizes a soft, responsive heart that is sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
5.
Speech and Communication: The Bible encourages believers to use soft, gracious words in their communication.
Colossians 4:6 advises, "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." This reflects the importance of speaking with kindness and consideration, embodying the softness of a Christ-like character in interactions with others.
In summary, while the term "soft" may not appear frequently in the biblical text, its thematic presence is significant, encompassing ideas of gentleness, moral integrity, and spiritual receptivity. The Bible calls believers to embody a softness that reflects the character of Christ, marked by humility, compassion, and a heart attuned to God's will.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
superl.) Easily yielding to pressure; easily impressed, molded, or cut; not firm in resisting; impressible; yielding; also, malleable; -- opposed to hard; as, a soft bed; a soft peach; soft earth; soft wood or metal.
2. (superl.) Not rough, rugged, or harsh to the touch; smooth; delicate; fine; as, soft silk; a soft skin.
3. (superl.) Hence, agreeable to feel, taste, or inhale; not irritating to the tissues; as, a soft liniment; soft wines.
4. (superl.) Not harsh or offensive to the sight; not glaring; pleasing to the eye; not exciting by intensity of color or violent contrast; as, soft hues or tints.
5. (superl.) Not harsh or rough in sound; gentle and pleasing to the ear; flowing; as, soft whispers of music.
6. (superl.) Easily yielding; susceptible to influence; flexible; gentle; kind.
7. (superl.) Expressing gentleness, tenderness, or the like; mild; conciliatory; courteous; kind; as, soft eyes.
8. (superl.) Effeminate; not courageous or manly, weak.
9. (superl.) Gentle in action or motion; easy.
10. (superl.) Weak in character; impressible.
11. (superl.) Somewhat weak in intellect.
12. (superl.) Quiet; undisturbed; peaceful; as, soft slumbers.
13. (superl.) Having, or consisting of, a gentle curve or curves; not angular or abrupt; as, soft outlines.
14. (superl.) Not tinged with mineral salts; adapted to decompose soap; as, soft water is the best for washing.
15. (superl.) Applied to a palatal, a sibilant, or a dental consonant (as g in gem, c in cent, etc.) as distinguished from a guttural mute (as g in go, c in cone, etc.); -- opposed to hard.
16. (superl.) Belonging to the class of sonant elements as distinguished from the surd, and considered as involving less force in utterance; as, b, d, g, z, v, etc., in contrast with p, t, k, s, f, etc.
17. (n.) A soft or foolish person; an idiot.
18. (adv.) Softly; without roughness or harshness; gently; quietly.
19. (interj.) Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
RAIMENT, SOFT(malakos): InMatthew 11:8 English Versions of the Bible, where Jesus, speaking of John the Baptist, asks "What went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment?" where "raiment," though implied, is not expressed in the best text, but was probably added fromLuke 7:25 parallel. It is equivalent to "elegant clothing," such as courtiers wore, as shown by the words following, "Behold, they that wear soft raiment are in kings' houses." John had bravely refused to play courtier and had gone to prison for it. In the early days of Herod the Great some scribes who attached themselves to him laid aside their usual plain clothing and wore the gorgeous raiment of courtiers (Jost, in Plumptre).
George B. Eager
Greek
3120. malakos --soft, effeminate...soft, effeminate. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: malakos Phonetic Spelling:
(mal-ak-os') Short Definition:
soft, effeminate Definition: (a)
soft, (b
...527. hapalos -- tender
... tender. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: hapalos Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-al-os') Short Definition: tender Definition:soft, tender, as a shoot of a tree...
4973. sphragis -- a seal, a signet
... seal attests, the proof. Cognate: 4973 -- an etched (engraved) object pressed
intosoft wax or clay to (); a ".". "Seal" is often...
3119. malakia -- softness, weakness
... weakness, illness, sickness. 3119 (from 3120 , "soft") -- a disease or
condition that weakens ("softens") the victim. 3119 () is an...
4560. sarkinos -- of the flesh
... fleshly. From sarx; similar to flesh, ie (by analogy)soft -- fleshly. see GREEK
sarx. (sarkinais) -- 1 Occurrence. (sarkines) -- 1 Occurrence....
Strong's Hebrew
7390. rak -- tender, delicate,soft... rak. 7391 . tender, delicate,
soft. Transliteration: rak Phonetic Spelling: (rak)
Short Definition: tender.
... fainthearted,
soft, tender hearted, one, weak.
...7401. rakak -- to be tender, weak orsoft
... 7400, 7401. rakak. 7402 . to be tender, weak orsoft. Transliteration: rakak
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-kak') Short Definition: fainthearted. Word Origin a prim...
6026. anog -- to besoft, delicate, dainty
... 6025, 6026. anog. 6027 . to besoft, delicate, dainty. Transliteration: anog
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-nag') Short Definition: delight. Word Origin a prim....
7363a. rachaph -- to growsoft, relax
... rachaph. 7363b . to growsoft, relax. Transliteration: rachaph Short Definition:
tremble.... root Definition to growsoft, relax NASB Word Usage tremble (1)....
7363. rachaph -- to growsoft, relax
... 7362, 7363. rachaph. 7363a . to growsoft, relax. Transliteration: rachaph
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-khaf') Short Definition: relax. flutter, move, shake...
4127. mug -- to melt
... consume, dissolve, be fainthearted, melt away, makesoft. A primitive root;
to melt, ie Literally (to soften, flow down, disappear...
4578. meeh -- internal organs, inward parts, belly
... From an unused root probably meaning to besoft; used only in plural the intestines,
or (collectively) the abdomen, figuratively, sympathy; by implication, a...
5727. adan -- to luxuriate
... delight self. A primitive root; to besoft or pleasant; figuratively and reflexively,
to live voluptuously -- delight self. 5726, 5727. adan. 5728 ....
3409. yarek -- thigh, loin, side, base
... 1). body, loins, shaft, side, thigh. From an unused root meaning to be
soft; the thigh (from its fleshy softness); by euphem. The...
3895. lechi -- jaw, cheek
... cheek bone, jaw bone. From an unused root meaning to besoft; the cheek (from its
fleshiness); hence, the jaw-bone -- cheek (bone), jaw (bone). 3894, 3895....
Library
"WhatSoft Hair He Has"
... Chapter 5. Wesley Refused Sacraments at Epworth; Cornwall and the Scilly Isles;
Natural Amphitheater at Gwennap; Wesley in Danger "WhatSoft Hair He Has"....
"A Low,Soft, Solemn Sound"
... Chapter 19. An Ideal Circuit; Wesley in his Eighties; Wesley Visits Holland;
Incidents in Scotland "A Low,Soft, Solemn Sound". 1782....
Wesley Likes aSoft Cushion
... Chapter 11. "I do Indeed Live by Preaching"; Wesley's Advice to Travelers;
Wesley and the French Prisoners Wesley Likes aSoft Cushion....
He that Overcometh
... It is the manly summons from thesoft theory of life to the principle which
one may call that of progress through overcoming resistance....
But, if it Does not Weary You, Let the Point Out as Briefly as...
... near and set themselves against Me:" and again; "His words were made softer than
oil and yet be they very darts." What then is meant by his words were madesoft...
Matt. x. 7, 8, 9
... But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed insoft raiment; behold, they that
wearsoft clothing are in kings' houses.... a man clothed insoft raiment?...
Of the Intestines in Man, and their Use.
... For He has made a kind of intestinessoft and thin, [1886] which we call the lungs,
into which the breath might pass by an alternate interchange; [1887] and He...
The Gathering Storm
... Greeks, Romans, Jews, Syrians"had thronged to her suburbs, to fix their voluptuous
homes in scenes where they could enjoy thesoft western winds which, even...
The Broken Tryst.
... You can just hear thesoft, verysoft woodsman's cry, "Hello-alo, hello, Adam,
Aa-dam"here I am"waiting for you"I've kept my tryst"where are you...
A Passage of Jeremiah Examined.
... so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it." [2562]
For when Adam, having been formed out of clay, was stillsoft and moist...
Thesaurus
Soft (36 Occurrences)... yielding to pressure; easily impressed, molded, or cut; not firm in resisting;
impressible; yielding; also, malleable; -- opposed to hard; as, a
soft bed; a
...Raiment (75 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) An article of dress. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. RAIMENT,SOFT.... Matthew
11:8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed insoft raiment?...
Down (12601 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Fine,soft, hairy outgrowth from the skin or surface of animals or plants,
not matted and fleecy like wool. 2. (n.) Thesoft under feathers of birds....
Soften (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To makesoft or moresoft.... 10. (vi) To become
soft or softened, or less rude, harsh, severe, or obdurate....
Oven (22 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 22:20 As they put silver and brass and iron and lead and tin together inside
the oven, heating up the fire on it to make itsoft; so will I get you...
Gangrene (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (n.) A term formerly restricted to mortification of thesoft tissues which has
not advanced so far as to produce complete loss of vitality; but now applied...
Mash (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A mesh. 2. (n.) A mass of mixed ingredients reduced to asoft pulpy state
by beating or pressure; a mass of anything in asoft pulpy state....
Pad (1 Occurrence)
... 9. (n.) Asoft, or small, cushion; a mass of anythingsoft; stuffing. 10.... 15. (n.)
Asoft bag or cushion to relieve pressure, support a part, etc. 16....
Clothed (153 Occurrences)
... A man clothed insoft raiment? behold, they that wearsoft clothing are in kings'
houses. (KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT RSV).... A man clothed insoft clothing?...
Gentle (48 Occurrences)
... 5. (superl.)Soft; not violent or rough; not strong, loud, or disturbing; easy;
soothing; pacific; as, a gentle touch; a gentle gallop ....
Resources
Is it wrong for men to be effeminate or for women to be masculine? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean to pray for your enemies? | GotQuestions.orgDid John the Baptist lose his faith in Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 11:3; Luke 7:19)? | GotQuestions.orgSoft: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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