Topical Encyclopedia
The term "straitened" in the Bible often refers to situations of distress, difficulty, or limitation. It is used to describe circumstances where individuals or groups face constraints, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. The concept of being "straitened" can be understood as being in a state of hardship or being restricted in some capacity.
Biblical Usage:1.
Physical and Material Constraints: In the Old Testament, the term is frequently associated with physical or material limitations. For example, in times of famine or war, the people of Israel experienced straitened circumstances. These situations often served as a test of faith and reliance on God's provision. The Israelites' journey through the wilderness is a prime example, where they faced scarcity and had to depend on God's miraculous provision of manna and water.
2.
Emotional and Spiritual Distress: The concept of being straitened also extends to emotional and spiritual distress. In the Psalms, David often expresses feelings of being overwhelmed and constrained by his enemies or by his own sin.
Psalm 25:17 states, "The troubles of my heart increase; free me from my distress." Here, the psalmist pleads for deliverance from the emotional and spiritual constraints that burden him.
3.
Prophetic Context: The prophets frequently used the imagery of straitened circumstances to call the people of Israel to repentance. In
Isaiah 9:1 , the prophet speaks of a time when "there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress." This passage highlights the hope of deliverance and restoration for those who turn back to God.
4.
New Testament Application: In the New Testament, the concept of being straitened can be seen in the context of the Christian life and the challenges faced by believers. The Apostle Paul, in his letters, often speaks of the trials and persecutions that Christians endure. In
2 Corinthians 4:8 , Paul writes, "We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair." This passage reflects the tension between external pressures and the internal peace that comes from faith in Christ.
5.
Moral and Ethical Implications: The straitened path is also a metaphor for the moral and ethical life that believers are called to lead. Jesus speaks of the narrow gate and the difficult road that leads to life in
Matthew 7:14 : "But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it." This teaching emphasizes the challenges and constraints of living a life of righteousness in a world that often opposes God's ways.
Theological Significance:Theologically, the concept of being straitened underscores the human condition of dependency on God. It highlights the reality of living in a fallen world where trials and limitations are inevitable. However, it also points to the hope and assurance that God provides for His people. In times of straitened circumstances, believers are called to trust in God's sovereignty and faithfulness, knowing that He is able to deliver and sustain them.
Throughout Scripture, the theme of being straitened serves as a reminder of the need for humility, reliance on God, and perseverance in faith. It challenges believers to seek God's guidance and strength in the midst of life's constraints, trusting that He will ultimately lead them to a place of freedom and abundance in His presence.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
imp. & p. p.) of Straiten.
Greek
4434. ptochos -- (of one who crouches and cowers, hence) beggarly...... denoting absolute or public mendicancy, although also used in a qualified or relative
sense; whereas penes properly means only
straitened circumstances in
...Strong's Hebrew
3334. yatsar -- be distressed, be narrow, bestraitened in straits...... yatsar. 3335 . be distressed, be narrow, be
straitened in straits, be vexed.
Transliteration: yatsar Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-tsar') Short Definition: distressed
...4164. mutsaq -- constraint, distress
... anguish, straitness. Or muwtsaq {moo-tsawk'}; from yatsaq; narrowness; figuratively,
distress -- anguish, isstraitened, straitness. see HEBREW yatsaq....
Library
Is the Spirit of the LordStraitened?
... MICAH IS THE SPIRIT OF THE LORDSTRAITENED? 'O thou that art named the
house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lordstraitened? Are...
"Is the Spirit of the LordStraitened?"
... "Is the Spirit of the LordStraitened?". A Sermon (No.2218).... "O thou that art named
the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lordstraitened?""Micah 2:7....
Alaric the Goth. He Assaulted Rome, andStraitened it by War.
... Book IX. Chapter VI."Alaric the Goth. He assaulted Rome, andstraitened
it by War. Thus was the Eastern Empire preserved from...
What the History of Sallust Reveals Regarding the Life of the...
... Book II. Chapter 18."What the History of Sallust Reveals Regarding the Life of the
Romans, Either WhenStraitened by Anxiety or Relaxed in Security....
2 Cor. Iv. 8, 9
... Homily IX. 2 Cor. iv. 8, 9. 2 1 Corinthians 4:8, 9 We are pressed on every side,
yet notstraitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; pursued, yet not forsaken....
2 Cor. vii. 2, 3
... How come we to bestraitened in you?' for since he said above, "Ye arestraitened
in your affections;" here declaring it more clearly, he said, "make room for...
Monotony and Crises
... THE PROVERBS MONOTONY AND CRISES. 'When thou goest, thy steps shall not bestraitened;
and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.'"Proverbs 4:12....
Section 13, 14. Such a Doctrine Precludes all Real Distinctions of...
... For what is dilated is firststraitened; and what is expanded is at first contracted;
and it is what it was, and does but undergo an affection....
2 Cor. vi. 11, 12
... Our mouth is open unto you, O ye Corinthians, our heart is enlarged, ye are not
straitened in us, but ye arestraitened in your own affections....
On Daniel. vi. On Susannah.
... "I amstraitened on every side." Behold the words of a chaste woman, and one dear
to God: "I amstraitened on every side." For the Church is afflicted and...
Thesaurus
Straitened (14 Occurrences)...Straitened (14 Occurrences). Matthew 7:14 For narrow is the gate, and
straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it. (ASV DBY).
...Straiten (4 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To restrict; to distress or embarrass in respect of means or conditions
of life; -- used chiefly in the past participle; -- as, a manstraitened in his...
Bowels (40 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV). 2 Corinthians 6:12 Ye are notstraitened in us,
but ye arestraitened in your own bowels. (KJV WBS YLT)....
Anguish (75 Occurrences)
... Chiefly expressed in Old Testament, by four derivatives of tsuq, "straitened,"
"pressed," and tsar, and two derivatives signifying "straitness," "narrowness...
Tribulation (43 Occurrences)
... Hence, figuratively, ofstraitened circumstances; variously rendered "affliction,"
"tribulation," "distress" (Deuteronomy 4:30 Job 15:24; Job 30:12 Psalm 4:2...
Narrow (21 Occurrences)
... a narrow majority. 4. (superl.) Limited as to means;straitened; pinching;
as, narrow circumstances. 5. (superl.) Contracted; of...
Uppermost (11 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 42:6 For they were in three stories, and they didn't have pillars as the
pillars of the courts: therefore the uppermost wasstraitened more than the...
Gallery (2 Occurrences)
... but in terraces, did take away from the upper stories more than from the lowest
and middlemost: the upper chambers were shortened or "straitened more than the...
Wastes (33 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 49:19 Because thy wastes, and thy desolate places, And the land of thy ruins,
Surely now arestraitened because of inhabitants, And far off have been...
Runnest (1 Occurrence)
... Runnest (1 Occurrence). Proverbs 4:12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not
bestraitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble....
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