Topical Encyclopedia
The term "stooped" in the Bible often conveys a physical posture that reflects a deeper spiritual or emotional condition. It is used to describe a state of humility, burden, or subjugation, and can be found in various contexts throughout Scripture.
Physical Posture and Spiritual ImplicationsIn the Bible, physical posture often symbolizes one's spiritual state. To be "stooped" can indicate a position of humility or submission before God. This is seen in the act of bowing or kneeling in prayer, which is a physical manifestation of reverence and acknowledgment of God's sovereignty. The act of stooping can also represent the weight of sin or the burdens of life that cause one to be bent low.
Isaiah 46:1-2In
Isaiah 46:1-2, the prophet speaks of the idols of Babylon, Bel and Nebo, which "stoop" and "bow down" as they are carried away on beasts of burden. The passage reads: "Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary. They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity." Here, the stooping of the idols symbolizes their powerlessness and the futility of relying on false gods. It contrasts with the power and sovereignty of the God of Israel, who is able to save and sustain His people.
Psalm 38:6In
Psalm 38:6, David describes his own physical and emotional state: "I am bent and brought low; all day long I go about mourning." This verse captures the psalmist's deep sense of distress and repentance. The stooped posture reflects the weight of his sin and the resulting sorrow. It is a vivid depiction of how sin can burden the soul, leading to a posture of contrition and a plea for God's mercy.
Luke 13:11-13In the New Testament, the account of the woman with a disabling spirit in
Luke 13:11-13 provides a powerful illustration of being stooped. The passage states: "And a woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said, 'Woman, you are set free from your disability.' Then He laid His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and began to glorify God." This miraculous healing by Jesus not only addresses her physical condition but also signifies spiritual liberation. Her stooped posture is transformed into one of praise and freedom, highlighting Jesus' authority over both physical and spiritual afflictions.
Symbolism of Stooping in ServanthoodStooping is also associated with servanthood and humility in the Christian life. Jesus exemplified this in
John 13:4-5, where He stooped to wash the feet of His disciples. This act of humility and service is a model for believers, demonstrating that true greatness in the kingdom of God is found in serving others. The physical act of stooping to wash feet symbolizes the call to humble service and love for one another.
ConclusionThe concept of being "stooped" in the Bible is rich with meaning, encompassing themes of humility, burden, repentance, and servanthood. Whether describing the powerlessness of idols, the weight of sin, or the humility of service, the imagery of stooping serves as a profound reminder of the spiritual realities that shape the lives of believers.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
imp. & p. p.) of Stoop.
Greek
2634a. katakupto -- to bend down... to bend down. Transliteration: katakupto Short Definition:
stooped. Word Origin
from kata and kupto Definition to bend down NASB Word Usage
stooped down (1).
...2955. kupto -- to stoop down
... head. Word Origin probably from a prim. root kuph- Definition to stoop down
NASB Word Usage stoop down (1),stooped (1). stoop down....
3879. parakupto -- to stoop sideways, to stoop to look
... Word Origin from para and kupto Definition to stoop sideways, to stoop to look NASB
Word Usage look (1), looks intently (1),stooped and looked (1), stooping...
Strong's Hebrew
7164. qaras -- to bend down, stoop, crouch... over. Word Origin a prim. root Definition to bend down, stoop, crouch NASB
Word Usage
stooped over (1), stoops over (1). stoop. A
...Library
O Love Divine, thatStooped to Share
... III. SACRAMENTS AND RITES Visitation 400. O Love divine, thatstooped to share.
LM... Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1859. O Love divine, thatstooped to share....
Of the Places of Burial.
... Verse 5: "While they bowed down their faces to the earth, Peter ran to the sepulchre,
and, when he hadstooped down, he saw the linen-clothes"; that is, the...
The Woman Taken in Adultery.
... But Jesusstooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground.... And again
Hestooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground....
The Criminal and his Relation to Society.
... But Jesusstooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground.... And again
hestooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground....
Let He who is Without Sin among You
... But Jesusstooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard
them not.... And again hestooped down, and wrote on the ground....
Happy are Ye Whose Bodies have Been Made to Shine!
... 1. God in His mercystooped and came down,"to mingle His compassion with the
water,"and to blend the nature of His majesty"with the wretched bodies of men...
John Chapter xx. 10-29.
... Such grief, therefore, now kept the woman at the sepulchre. "And as she wept, she
stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre." Why she did so I know not....
The Story of the Adulteress.
... he would be assuming authority which belonged only to the Roman rulers, and could
therefore be accused and condemned as a usurper.] But Jesusstooped down, and...
Jesus and the Accused Woman.
... But Jesusstooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.... And again
hestooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground....
But, You Will Say, He was Cut Off by Death as Men Are. ...
... human body which He had assumed, [3368] not His own"of that which was borne, not
of the bearer; and not even this death would He [3369] havestooped to suffer...
Thesaurus
Stooped (15 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Stooped (15 Occurrences).
... But Jesus
stooped down, and wrote
on the ground with his finger. (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS).
...Wrote (74 Occurrences)
... But Jesusstooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger.... John 8:8 Again
hestooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground....
Finger (35 Occurrences)
... But Jesusstooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger.... John 8:8 Again he
stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground. (WEB ASV RSV)....
Gesture
... disciples (Mark 9:36), and how He "took (little children) in his arms, and blessed
them, laying his hands upon them" (Mark 10:16); how He "stooped down, and...
Stoop (10 Occurrences)
Ground (538 Occurrences)
... But Jesusstooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger.... John 8:8 Again
hestooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground....
Lion's (14 Occurrences)
... Genesis 49:9 Judah is a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He
stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up?...
Lioness (13 Occurrences)
... Genesis 49:9 Judah is a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He
stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up?...
Grounds (7 Occurrences)
... have to accuse him. And Jesus, havingstooped down, with the finger he
was writing on the ground, (See NAS). John 8:59 Therefore...
Whelp (4 Occurrences)
... Genesis 49:9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he
stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up...
Resources
What was Jesus writing in the dirt/sand when the Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is Roman Catholicism? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was the significance of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples? | GotQuestions.orgStooped: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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