Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, the term "stick" often referred to a piece of wood or a branch, which held various symbolic and practical uses throughout Scripture. The Hebrew word often translated as "stick" is "maqqel" or "matteh," which can also mean staff or rod, depending on the context.
Symbolic Uses:1.
Authority and Leadership: Sticks or rods were frequently symbols of authority and leadership. In
Exodus 4:2, God asks Moses, "What is that in your hand?" to which Moses replies, "A staff." This staff becomes a symbol of divine authority as Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt. Similarly, Aaron's rod, which budded, was a sign of his God-given authority (
Numbers 17:8).
2.
Judgment and Discipline: Sticks were also used as instruments of judgment or discipline.
Proverbs 13:24 states, "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently." Here, the rod symbolizes correction and guidance, emphasizing the importance of discipline in child-rearing.
3.
Miraculous Signs: Sticks were used in miraculous events, demonstrating God's power. In
Exodus 7:10, Aaron's staff becomes a serpent before Pharaoh, showcasing God's supremacy over the Egyptian magicians. Similarly, in
2 Kings 6:6, Elisha uses a stick to make an iron axe head float, illustrating God's intervention in the natural world.
Practical Uses:1.
Support and Defense: Shepherds commonly used sticks or staffs for support and defense.
Psalm 23:4 mentions, "Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me," highlighting the protective and guiding role of a shepherd's staff, which is a metaphor for God's care and guidance.
2.
Construction and Fuel: Sticks were used in construction and as fuel for fire. In
1 Kings 17:10-12, the widow of Zarephath is gathering sticks to prepare a final meal for herself and her son, illustrating the basic and essential use of sticks in daily life.
3.
Measurement and Division: Sticks were sometimes used as tools for measurement or division. In
Ezekiel 37:16-17, God instructs the prophet to take two sticks and write on them, symbolizing the reunification of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
Cultural and Historical Context:In the ancient Near East, sticks and staffs were integral to daily life, serving both functional and symbolic purposes. They were tools of shepherds, symbols of authority for leaders, and instruments in religious rituals. The biblical use of sticks often transcends their physical properties, pointing to deeper spiritual truths and divine interventions.
Theological Implications:The use of sticks in the Bible often points to God's authority, provision, and guidance. Whether through the miraculous transformation of a staff or the comforting presence of a shepherd's rod, sticks serve as tangible reminders of God's interaction with His people. They illustrate themes of leadership, discipline, and divine power, reinforcing the belief in a God who is actively involved in the lives of His followers.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A small shoot, or branch, separated, as by a cutting, from a tree or shrub; also, any stem or branch of a tree, of any size, cut for fuel or timber.
2. (v. t.) Any long and comparatively slender piece of wood, whether in natural form or shaped with tools; a rod; a wand; a staff; as, the stick of a rocket; a walking stick.
3. (v. t.) Anything shaped like a stick; as, a stick of wax.
4. (n.) A derogatory expression for a person; one who is inert or stupid; as, an odd stick; a poor stick.
5. (n.) A composing stick. See under Composing. It is usually a frame of metal, but for posters, handbills, etc., one made of wood is used.
6. (n.) A thrust with a pointed instrument; a stab.
7. (n.) To penetrate with a pointed instrument; to pierce; to stab; hence, to kill by piercing; as, to stick a beast.
8. (n.) To cause to penetrate; to push, thrust, or drive, so as to pierce; as, to stick a needle into one's finger.
9. (n.) To fasten, attach, or cause to remain, by thrusting in; hence, also, to adorn or deck with things fastened on as by piercing; as, to stick a pin on the sleeve.
10. (n.) To set; to fix in; as, to stick card teeth.
11. (n.) To set with something pointed; as, to stick cards.
12. (n.) To fix on a pointed instrument; to impale; as, to stick an apple on a fork.
13. (n.) To attach by causing to adhere to the surface; as, to stick on a plaster; to stick a stamp on an envelope; also, to attach in any manner.
14. (n.) To compose; to set, or arrange, in a composing stick; as, to stick type.
15. (n.) To run or plane (moldings) in a machine, in contradistinction to working them by hand. Such moldings are said to be stuck.
16. (n.) To cause to stick; to bring to a stand; to pose; to puzzle; as, to stick one with a hard problem.
17. (n.) To impose upon; to compel to pay; sometimes, to cheat.
18. (v. i.) To adhere; as, glue sticks to the fingers; paste sticks to the wall.
19. (v. i.) To remain where placed; to be fixed; to hold fast to any position so as to be moved with difficulty; to cling; to abide; to cleave; to be united closely.
20. (v. i.) To be prevented from going farther; to stop by reason of some obstacle; to be stayed.
21. (v. i.) To be embarrassed or puzzled; to hesitate; to be deterred, as by scruples; to scruple; -- often with at.
22. (v. i.) To cause difficulties, scruples, or hesitation.
Greek
5434. phruganon -- a drystick... a dry
stick. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: phruganon Phonetic Spelling:
(froo'-gan-on) Short Definition: a dry
stick for burning Definition: a
...4625. skandalon -- astick for bait (of a trap), generally a snare...
... astick for bait (of a trap), generally a snare, a stumbling block, an offense.
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: skandalon Phonetic Spelling: (skan...
4475. rhapisma -- a blow (with astick or the palm of the hand)
... a blow (with astick or the palm of the hand). Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: rhapisma Phonetic Spelling: (hrap'-is-mah) Short Definition: a...
2043. ereido -- to prop, to fix firmly
... to prop, to fix firmly. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: ereido Phonetic Spelling:
(er-i'-do) Short Definition: Istick fast Definition: Istick fast, prop...
2777. kephalis -- a little head, a roll
... From kephale; properly, a knob, ie (by implication) a roll (by extension from the
end of astick on which the manuscript was rolled) -- volume....
3586. xulon -- wood
... From another form of the base of xestes; timber (as fuel or material); by implication,
astick, club or tree or other wooden article or substance -- staff...
2853. kollao -- to glue, unite
... cleave, join self, keep company. From kolla ("glue"); to glue, ie (passively or
reflexively) tostick (figuratively) -- cleave, join (self), keep company....
1385. dokos -- a beam of timber
... beam. From dechomai (through the idea of holding up); astick of timber -- beam.
see GREEK dechomai. (dokon) -- 5 Occurrences. (dokos) -- 1 Occurrence....
2925. krouo -- to strike
... Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: krouo Phonetic Spelling: (kroo'-o) Short
Definition: I knock Definition: I knock, beat a door with astick, to gain...
4464. rhabdos -- a staff, rod
... rod, scepter, staff. From the base of rhapizo; astick or wand (as a cudgel, a cane
or a baton of royalty) -- rod, sceptre, staff. see GREEK rhapizo....
Strong's Hebrew
2950. taphal -- to smear, plaster over,stick, glue... taphal. 2951 . to smear, plaster over,
stick, glue. Transliteration: taphal Phonetic
Spelling: (taw-fal') Short Definition: forged. Word Origin a prim.
...6086. ets -- tree, trees, wood
... word Definition tree, trees, wood NASB Word Usage carpenters* (4), framework (1),
gallows (9), handle (1), logs (1), shaft (3), stalks (1),stick (8), sticks (3...
1692. dabaq -- to cling, cleave, keep close
... 1), overtook (5), pursued him closely (1), pursued them closely (1), remained steadfast
(1), stay (1), stay close (1), stayed close (1),stick (1),stick...
8192. shaphah -- to sweep bare
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to sweep bare NASB Word Usage bare (1),stick
(1). high,stick out. A primitive root; to abrade, ie Bare -- high,stick out....
1695. dabeq -- a clinging, cleaving
... cleave, joining,stick closer. From dabaq; adhering -- cleave, joining,stick closer.
see HEBREW dabaq. 1694, 1695. dabeq. 1696 . Strong's Numbers.
7110b. qetseph -- probably a splinter
... 7110a, 7110b. qetseph. 7111 . probably a splinter. Transliteration: qetseph
Short Definition:stick. Word Origin from the same as...
8205. shephi -- bareness, a smooth or bare height
... high place,stick out. From shaphah; bareness; concretely, a bare hill or plain --
high place,stick out. see HEBREW shaphah. 8204, 8205. shephi. 8206 ....
4731. maqqel -- a rod, staff
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition a rod, staff NASB Word Usage rod
(1), rods (6), staff (5), staffs (1),stick (2), sticks (1), wand (1), war...
3920. lakad -- to capture, seize, take
... catch self, be frozen,stick together, take. A primitive root; to catch (in
a net, trap or pit); generally, to capture or occupy; also...
5181. nacheth -- to go down, descend
... be broken, cause to come down, enter, go down, press sore, settle,stick
fast. A primitive root; to sink, ie Descend; causatively...
Library
Of the DryStick Which, at the Bidding of his Senior, Abbot John...
... Prolegomena. Chapter XXIV. Of the drystick which, at the bidding of his
senior, Abbot John kept on watering as if it would grow....
When Lord Morley Said that the House of Lords must be Either...
... careless simile. A Socialist means a man who thinks a walking-stick like an
umbrella because they both go into the umbrella-stand. Yet...
Cast Your Eye Round the Room in which You Sit...
... among the tribes. Let me suppose that you see a knife on the table, astick
in the corner, or a fire on the hearth. About each of...
Rash Decisions.
... III. A man is right tostick to his word, if his word be right. He is right tostick
to his promise, if he have promised that over which he has a just right....
Dialogue Between a Gentleman and a Shepherd.
... The shepherd had astick in his left hand, which he laid upon his left shoulder;
in his right hand he had a long switch, and under the armpit a bag, in a small...
Whether Consent is to be Found in Irrational Animals?
... to the doing of something, belongs to the subject in whose power it is to move the
appetite: thus to touch a stone is an action suitable to astick, but to...
An Instructive Truth
... A dog, when he is struck with astick, usually bites thestick; if he had more
sense, he would try to bite the man who holds thestick....
The Struggle for Life
... An Orang-outang may now be seen in the Zoological gardens in Java which promenades
about its bower continually with the help of astick, and seems to prefer...
The Scaffolding Left in the Body
... Dr. Robinson's method was to extend to infants, generally of one hour old, his finger,
or a walkingstick, to imitate the branch of a tree, and see how long...
The Necessity of Other Preparatory Acts Besides Faith
... In fact he compared man to a "log,stick or stone." This view was shared by Amsdorf,
Flacius, and others, whereas Osiander and Butzer admitted that "inherent...
Thesaurus
Stick (47 Occurrences)... 2. (vt) Any long and comparatively slender piece of wood, whether in natural form
or shaped with tools; a rod; a wand; a staff; as, the
stick of a rocket; a
...Ox-stick (1 Occurrence)
Ox-stick. Ox-goad, Ox-stick. Ozem . Multi-Version Concordance
Ox-stick (1 Occurrence). Judges 3:31 And after him came...
Candle-stick (1 Occurrence)
Candle-stick. Candlestick, Candle-stick. Candlesticks .
Multi-Version Concordance Candle-stick (1 Occurrence). Exodus...
Ephraim's (14 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 37:16 And thou, son of man, take to thee onestick, and write on it, For
Judah, and for the sons of Israel, his companions; and take anotherstick, and...
Associated (9 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 37:16 You, son of man, take onestick, and write on it, For Judah, and for
the children of Israel his companions: then take anotherstick, and write on...
Staff (91 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A long piece of wood; astick; the long handle of an instrument or weapon;
a pole orstick, used for many purposes; as, a surveyor's staff; the staff...
Cling (35 Occurrences)
... 1. (vi) To adhere closely; tostick; to hold fast, especially by twining round or
embracing; as, the tendril of a vine clings to its support; -- usually...
Companions (58 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 37:16 You, son of man, take onestick, and write on it, For Judah, and for
the children of Israel his companions: then take anotherstick, and write on...
Judah's (18 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 37:19 Speak unto them, Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I am taking thestick
of Joseph, that 'is' in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his...
Bastinado
... 3). Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) A blow with astick or cudgel. 2.
(n.) A sound beating with astick or cudgel. Specifically...
Resources
How can a friend stick closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24)? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about smudging? | GotQuestions.orgI am a Hindu, why should I consider becoming a Christian? | GotQuestions.orgStick: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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