Topical Encyclopedia
The stylus, an ancient writing instrument, is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, but its use is implied in the context of writing practices during biblical times. The stylus was typically a pointed tool used for inscribing on various surfaces, such as clay tablets, wax tablets, or parchment. It played a crucial role in the recording and transmission of texts, including sacred scriptures.
Historical ContextIn the ancient Near East, writing was a vital part of administration, communication, and religious practice. The stylus was an essential tool for scribes, who were responsible for documenting legal transactions, historical records, and religious texts. The use of a stylus is evidenced in archaeological findings, such as clay tablets from Mesopotamia, which were inscribed with cuneiform script using a reed stylus.
Biblical References and ImplicationsWhile the Bible does not directly mention the stylus, it does refer to the act of writing and the importance of written records. For example, in
Jeremiah 17:1 , it is written: "The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus; it is engraved with a diamond point on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars." This metaphorical use of the stylus highlights the permanence and seriousness of Judah's sin, suggesting the indelible nature of what is inscribed.
In the New Testament, the emphasis on written scripture is evident. The Apostle Paul, in his letters, often refers to the importance of the written word. In
2 Timothy 3:16 , Paul states, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness." The preservation and dissemination of these scriptures would have involved the use of writing tools like the stylus.
Symbolic SignificanceThe stylus, as a tool for writing, symbolizes the transmission of divine revelation and the preservation of God's word. The act of writing in the biblical context is often associated with authority and authenticity. In
Exodus 31:18 , it is noted that God gave Moses the tablets of the covenant, "inscribed by the finger of God." This divine inscription underscores the sacredness and authority of the written law.
Cultural and Religious ImpactThe use of the stylus and the practice of writing had a profound impact on the development of Jewish and Christian traditions. The ability to record and preserve the teachings and laws of God allowed for the continuity and spread of the faith. The written word became a cornerstone of religious education and worship, as seen in the practice of reading from the Torah in Jewish synagogues and the public reading of epistles in early Christian gatherings.
In summary, while the stylus itself is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, its role as a writing instrument is integral to the historical and cultural context of the biblical narrative. The act of writing, facilitated by tools like the stylus, is central to the preservation and communication of God's word throughout history.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) An instrument for writing. See Style.
2. (n.) That needle-shaped part at the tip of the playing arm of phonograph which sits in the groove of a phonograph record while it is turning, to detect the undulations in the phonograph groove and convert them into vibrations which are transmitted to a system (since 1920 electronic) which converts the signal into sound; also called needle. The stylus is frequently composed of metal or diamond.
3. (n.) The needle-like device used to cut the grooves which record the sound on the original disc during recording of a phonograph record.
4. (n.) A pen-shaped pointing device used to specify the cursor position on a graphics tablet.
Strong's Hebrew
5842. et -- astylus... 5841, 5842. et. 5843 . a
stylus. Transliteration: et Phonetic Spelling:
(ate) Short Definition: pen. Word Origin of uncertain derivation
...8279. sered -- astylus
... 8278, 8279. sered. 8280 . astylus. Transliteration: sered Phonetic Spelling:
(seh'-red) Short Definition: chalk. Word Origin from...
6856. tsipporen -- fingernail,stylus point
... 6855, 6856. tsipporen. 6857 . fingernail,stylus point. Transliteration: tsipporen
Phonetic Spelling: (tsip-po'-ren) Short Definition: nails....
2747. cheret -- engraving tool,stylus
... 2746, 2747. cheret. 2748 . engraving tool,stylus. Transliteration: cheret
Phonetic Spelling: (kheh'-ret) Short Definition: tool....
Library
Conclusion.
... Think you that of the thirty thousand Jews whom the humane Titus by a mere stroke
of hisstylus condemned to be crucified round the walls of Jerusalem forty...
Episcopal Conspirators
... BOOK IV CHAPTER XLV EPISCOPAL CONSPIRATORS. Slander thestylus, Treason plied
the knife; And, preaching peace, Religion practised strife....
Sin's Writing and Its Erasure
... heart. The 'red- leaved tablets of the heart' are like waxen tables on which
an ironstylus makes a deep mark, an ineradicable scar....
When He Wrote his Treatises against Jovinian, and Some one had...
... was foolish, it appears, in me to think that I could not know all these things without
the philosophers, and to look upon the end of thestylus which strikes...
The Birth and Early Life of John the Baptist.
... but were usually small wooden boards, either smeared with wax, or having sand sprinkled
over them, on which words were written with an ironstylus or pencil...
The Great Reparation
... inkstand which had once been used by Arcadius himself"the very one, as Philip
remembered, into which he had seen the late Emperor dip hisstylus at his first...
Preface to Part ii. Of the Oxford Edition.
... Chrysostom's: quodstylus concisum quiddam et abruptum habeat, id quod a phrasi
Chrysostomi videtur alienum: si docti tamen censebunt opus Chrysostomo dignum...
A Prince's Bride
... A second servitor now approached with papers which the merchant inspected
and signed hastily with ink andstylus which the clerk bore....
Chaldaean Civilization
... the plan can be seen the ruler marked with the divisions used by the architect for
drawing his designs to the desired scale; the scribe'sstylus is represented...
Apostolic Exhortation
... On these tablets of wax, they indented marks which recorded the debts, and when
these debts were paid, they took the blunt end of thestylus or pencil, and...
Thesaurus
Stylus (2 Occurrences)... called needle. The
stylus is frequently composed of metal or diamond. 3
... tablet.
Multi-Version Concordance
Stylus (2 Occurrences). Job 19
...Elamarna
... B 149-52) seem to have been written in a totally different way from the others;
those from Western Asia appear to have been written with thestylus held as we...
Tablets (31 Occurrences)
... B 149-52) seem to have been written in a totally different way from the others;
those from Western Asia appear to have been written with thestylus held as we...
El-amarna
... B 149-52) seem to have been written in a totally different way from the others;
those from Western Asia appear to have been written with thestylus held as we...
Tell (3056 Occurrences)
... B 149-52) seem to have been written in a totally different way from the others;
those from Western Asia appear to have been written with thestylus held as we...
Style (5 Occurrences)
Zebulun (46 Occurrences)
... The `rod of the scribe' on the Assyrian monuments was thestylus of wood or metal,
with the help of which the clay tablet was engraved, or the papyrus...
Nail (9 Occurrences)
... In a figurative sense the word is used of the hard point of astylus or engraving
tool: "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point...
Tools (3 Occurrences)
... been invented. The pencil of Isaiah 44:13 is probably astylus, for engraving
as well as for marking out lines. For engraving on...
Pen (16 Occurrences)
... Also, originally, astylus or other instrument for scratching or graving. 4.
(n.) Fig.: A writer, or his style; as, he has a sharp pen....
Resources
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