Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical terms, the concept of "strain" can be understood in both a literal and metaphorical sense. It often refers to the act of filtering or sifting, as well as the exertion or tension experienced in various contexts. The term is not directly used in the Berean Standard Bible , but the idea is present in several passages and themes throughout Scripture.
Straining at a GnatOne of the most well-known references to the concept of straining is found in the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. In
Matthew 23:24 , Jesus criticizes the Pharisees and teachers of the law for their hypocrisy, saying, "You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." Here, the act of straining is used metaphorically to describe the Pharisees' meticulous attention to minor details of the law while neglecting more significant matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. The imagery of straining out a gnat, a tiny insect, while swallowing a camel, a much larger animal, highlights the absurdity of their misplaced priorities.
Strain in Labor and ToilThe concept of strain is also evident in the biblical understanding of labor and toil. After the fall of man, God pronounces a curse upon the ground, making work laborious and strenuous.
Genesis 3:17-19 describes this curse: "Cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground." This passage reflects the physical and emotional strain that humanity experiences as a result of sin, emphasizing the effort and hardship involved in daily labor.
Spiritual Strain and PerseveranceIn the New Testament, the idea of strain is also associated with spiritual perseverance and endurance. The Apostle Paul frequently uses athletic metaphors to describe the Christian life, emphasizing the need for discipline and effort. In
Philippians 3:13-14 , Paul writes, "Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus." Here, the term "straining" conveys the intense effort and focus required to pursue spiritual maturity and the ultimate prize of eternal life with Christ.
Strain in RelationshipsThe Bible also addresses the strain that can occur in human relationships, particularly when there is conflict or misunderstanding.
Proverbs 17:14 warns, "Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out." This proverb highlights the potential for relational strain to escalate into more significant conflict, urging individuals to seek peace and reconciliation before tensions rise.
Strain and God's StrengthDespite the various forms of strain experienced in life, Scripture consistently points to God's strength and provision as the ultimate source of relief and support.
Isaiah 40:29-31 offers comfort and hope: "He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint." This passage reassures believers that, in the midst of life's strains, reliance on God provides the strength needed to endure and overcome.
In summary, while the term "strain" itself may not appear frequently in the Bible, the concept is woven throughout Scripture, illustrating both the challenges of human existence and the divine assistance available to those who seek God's guidance and strength.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Strain at
Simply a misprint for "strain out" (Matthew 23:24).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) Race; stock; generation; descent; family.
2. (n.) Hereditary character, quality, or disposition.
3. (n.) Rank; a sort.
4. (v.) To draw with force; to extend with great effort; to stretch; as, to strain a rope; to strain the shrouds of a ship; to strain the cords of a musical instrument.
5. (v.) To act upon, in any way, so as to cause change of form or volume, as forces on a beam to bend it.
6. (v.) To exert to the utmost; to ply vigorously.
7. (v.) To stretch beyond its proper limit; to do violence to, in the matter of intent or meaning; as, to strain the law in order to convict an accused person.
8. (v.) To injure by drawing, stretching, or the exertion of force; as, the gale strained the timbers of the ship.
9. (v.) To injure in the muscles or joints by causing to make too strong an effort; to harm by overexertion; to sprain; as, to strain a horse by overloading; to strain the wrist; to strain a muscle.
10. (v.) To squeeze; to press closely.
11. (v.) To make uneasy or unnatural; to produce with apparent effort; to force; to constrain.
12. (v.) To urge with importunity; to press; as, to strain a petition or invitation.
13. (v.) To press, or cause to pass, through a strainer, as through a screen, a cloth, or some porous substance; to purify, or separate from extraneous or solid matter, by filtration; to filter; as, to strain milk through cloth.
14. (v. i.) To make violent efforts.
15. (v. i.) To percolate; to be filtered; as, water straining through a sandy soil.
16. (n.) The act of straining, or the state of being strained.
17. (n.) A violent effort; an excessive and hurtful exertion or tension, as of the muscles; as, he lifted the weight with a strain; the strain upon a ship's rigging in a gale; also, the hurt or injury resulting; a sprain.
18. (n.) A change of form or dimensions of a solid or liquid mass, produced by a stress.
19. (n.) A portion of music divided off by a double bar; a complete musical period or sentence; a movement, or any rounded subdivision of a movement.
20. (n.) Any sustained note or movement; a song; a distinct portion of an ode or other poem; also, the pervading note, or burden, of a song, poem, oration, book, etc.; theme; motive; manner; style; also, a course of action or conduct; as, he spoke in a noble strain; there was a strain of woe in his story; a strain of trickery appears in his career.
21. (n.) Turn; tendency; inborn disposition. Cf. 1st Strain.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
STRAINstran (diulizo, "to strain off," "to filter"):Matthew 23:24, "Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel" The imagery is that of a drinking-vessel full of liquid, from which tiny impurities are carefully removed while immense masses of other impure matter (Leviticus 11:4) are overlooked (compareMatthew 7:3). The first edition of the King James Version read the same as the Revised Version (British and American), but in the later editions a misprint converted "strain out" into "strain at," an error that has never been corrected.
Greek
1368. diulizo -- tostrain thoroughly,strain out... to
strain thoroughly,
strain out. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: diulizo
Phonetic Spelling: (dee-oo-lid'-zo) Short Definition: I
strain, put through a
...1971. epipotheo -- to long for
... to long for. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epipotheo Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ee-poth-eh'-o) Short Definition: I long for,strain after, desire greatly...
5005. talaiporos -- distressed, miserable
... 5005 (an adjective, derived from , "to bear, undergo" and , "a callous," J. Thayer) --
properly, (beaten-down) from continuedstrain, leaving a person...
1901. epekteino -- to extend, mid. to stretch forward
... to stretch forward. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epekteino Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ek-ti'-nom-ahee) Short Definition: Istrain after Definition: I...
4102. pistis -- faith, faithfulness
... with faith, there is nostrain or tension; rather, it has the element of assurance
and confidence in it . . . if there isstrain or tension . . ....
816. atenizo -- to look fixedly, gaze
... 816 (from , "to stretch,strain," prefixed by "," 1 ) -- properly, fixed (fixated);
to at because with ("taken by"); to observe with great interest and a...
Strong's Hebrew
2212. zaqaq -- to refine, purify... fine, pour down, purge, purify, refine. A primitive root; to
strain, (figuratively)
extract, clarify -- fine, pour down, purge, purify, refine. 2211, 2212.
...Library
He Continues in thisStrain: "If He had Determined Upon These...
... Chapter XXIII. He continues in thisstrain: "If he had determined upon these
things? He continues in thisstrain: "If he had determined...
AStrain of the Judgment of the Lord.
... X. Appendix. [Translated by the Rev. S. Thelwall.] 4. AStrain of the Judgment of
the Lord. (Author Uncertain.) [1281] Who will for me in fittingstrain adapt....
AStrain of Sodom.
... X. Appendix. [Translated by the Rev. S. Thelwall.] 2. AStrain of Sodom.
(Author Uncertain.) Already had Almighty God wiped off....
AStrain of Jonah the Prophet.
... [Translated by the Rev. S. Thelwall.] 1. AStrain of Jonah the Prophet. [1198].
1. AStrain of Jonah the Prophet. After the living, aye"enduring death....
That a Man Shall not Take Ensample at the Bodily Ascension of...
... HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER That a man shall not take ensample
at the bodily ascension of Christ, for tostrain his imagination upwards bodily...
That a Man Shall not Take Ensample of Saint Martin and of Saint...
... HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER That a man shall not take ensample
of Saint Martin and of Saint Stephen, for tostrain his imagination bodily...
Easter Day 170. Come, Ye Faithful, Raise theStrain
... II. THE CHRISTIAN YEAR Easter Day 170. Come, ye faithful, raise thestrain.
7.6.7.6.D. [664]St.... Come, ye faithful, raise thestrain. Of triumphant gladness;...
Other Absurd Theories Respecting Matter and Its Incidents Exposed...
... Chapter XXXVI."Other Absurd Theories Respecting Matter and Its Incidents Exposed
in an IronicalStrain. Motion in Matter. Hermogenes' Conceits Respecting It....
A Rationale of Sleep, of Yawning, and of Dreams .
... 2. For instance, emptying succeeds fulness, and on the other hand after emptiness
comes in turn a process of filling: sleep relaxes thestrain of waking, and...
The Blessings of Peace.
... 1 Peace! the welcome sound proclaim, Dwell with rapture on the theme; Loud, still
louder, swell thestrain: Peace on earth, good will to men. 2 Breezes!...
Thesaurus
Strain (5 Occurrences)... Easton's Bible Dictionary
Strain at. Simply a misprint for "
strain out" (Matthew
23:24). Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) Race; stock
...Gnat (1 Occurrence)
... Our Lord alludes here to the gnat in a proverbial expression probably in common
use, "whostrain out the gnat;" the words in the Authorized Version, "strain at...
Stretch (73 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To make tense; to tighten; to distend forcibly. 5. (vt) To draw or pull
out to greater length; tostrain; as, to stretch a tendon or muscle....
Stress (3 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Distress. 2. (n.) Pressure,strain; -- used chiefly of immaterial things;
except in mechanics; hence, urgency; importance; weight; significance....
Camel (13 Occurrences)
... Tostrain at (rather, out) a gnat and swallow a camel was also a proverbial expression
(Matthew 23:24), used with reference to those who were careful to avoid...
Wring (4 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To twist and compress; to turn andstrain with violence; to writhe;
to squeeze hard; to pinch; as, to wring clothes in washing....
Flourish (26 Occurrences)
... 6. (vi) To execute an irregular or fancifulstrain of music, by way of
ornament or prelude. 7. (vi) To boast; to vaunt; to brag....
Drink (414 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 11:20, 23, 41, 42. (See Matthew 23:24. "Strain at" should be "strain
out."). Drink, strong: (Hebrews shekar'), an intoxicating...
Force (250 Occurrences)
... 14. (n.) To put in force; to cause to be executed; to make binding; to enforce.
15. (n.) To exert to the utmost; to urge; hence, tostrain; to urge to excessive...
Proverb (24 Occurrences)
... AS UNIT OF ASTRAIN OF LITERATURE 1. From Detachment to Continuity 2. The Conception
of Wisdom 3. In Later Times By this term mainly, but sometimes by the term...
Resources
What does the Bible say about stress? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is a community church? | GotQuestions.orgWho was John of Damascus? | GotQuestions.orgStrain: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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