Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, "crags" refer to steep, rugged cliffs or rock faces that are often associated with safety, refuge, and divine protection. The term is used metaphorically and literally throughout the Scriptures to convey various spiritual truths and historical contexts.
Biblical References:1.
1 Samuel 14:4-5 · The narrative of Jonathan's daring attack on the Philistine outpost highlights the strategic significance of crags. The passage describes two sharp crags, Bozez and Seneh, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer had to navigate. These crags symbolize the formidable challenges and obstacles that can be overcome through faith and divine guidance: "On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh."
2.
Psalm 18:2 · In this psalm of David, crags are used metaphorically to describe God's protection and strength. David declares, "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Here, the imagery of crags as a place of refuge underscores the security and stability found in a relationship with God.
3.
Job 39:28 · The book of Job uses the imagery of crags to describe the natural habitat of the eagle, emphasizing the majesty and independence of God's creation: "He dwells on a cliff and lodges there; his stronghold is on a rocky crag." This depiction highlights the crags as a place of vantage and safety, reflecting the divine order in nature.
4.
Isaiah 2:21 · In a prophetic context, crags are mentioned as places where people will seek refuge during the day of the Lord's judgment: "They will flee to caverns in the rocks and crevices in the cliffs, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth." This usage illustrates the futility of seeking physical refuge from divine judgment, pointing instead to the need for spiritual repentance and reliance on God.
Theological Significance:Crags in the Bible often symbolize God's protection and the believer's reliance on divine strength. They serve as a metaphor for the security and refuge found in God amidst life's trials and adversities. The imagery of crags as a place of safety and vantage point reflects the biblical theme of God as a fortress and deliverer for His people.
In the broader biblical narrative, crags also represent the challenges and obstacles that believers may face. The accounts and metaphors involving crags encourage faith, courage, and trust in God's providence and power. They remind believers that, like Jonathan and David, they can overcome formidable challenges through faith and reliance on God.
Cultural and Historical Context:In the ancient Near East, crags and rocky terrains were common geographical features. They provided natural fortifications and were often used as places of refuge during times of conflict. The biblical authors, familiar with these landscapes, used the imagery of crags to convey spiritual truths and divine attributes effectively.
The rugged terrain of the region also served as a backdrop for many biblical events, shaping the experiences and expressions of faith for the people of Israel. The use of crags in biblical literature reflects the interplay between the physical environment and the spiritual lessons drawn from it.
Strong's Hebrew
5553. sela -- a crag, cliff... Word Origin from an unused word Definition a crag, cliff NASB Word Usage cliff
(4), cliffs (4), crag (2),
crags (3), mountain* (1), Rock (1), rock (39), rocks
... Library
Letter iii. To Rufinus the Monk.
... his dearly loved brother, and settles like a new tiller of Eden on a dangerous island,
with the sea roaring round its reefs; while its rough crags, bare rocks ...
Lessons from Nature
... the trees which shade the brooks, the birds are singing; in the tall sombre pine,
the silent storks are building their nests; on the lofty crags, virgin as yet ...
Over the Mountains. "My Beloved is Mine, and I am His: He Feedeth ...
... If they had been less craggy or difficult, she might have tried to scale them; but
these mountains are terrible, and no foot may stand upon their lone crags. ...
The Exile --Continued.
... wade through; of a guardianship which "keepeth all the bones" of the righteous,
so that neither the blows of the foe nor the perils of the crags should break ...
Introduction
... great, and though cities and villages were crowded together on the plains and in
the valleys, and perched at times on almost inaccessible crags, the difficulty ...
A Supplementary Chapter to the Bible in Spain
... been content"I have belonged solely to the irrational beings of nature, and no human
hum invaded my solitudes; the eagle nestled on my airy crags, and the ...
The Wine of Prayer
... spots. For instance, the honey. Hardly any of this delightful food was
obtainable except in the crags of Hard Trials Mountains. And ...
The Schoolboy of Madaura
... Towards the south, crumbling isolated crags appear, scattered about like gigantic
pedestals uncrowned of their statues, or like the pipes of an organ raised ...
The Wilderness.
... peninsula, between the arms of the Red Sea, with the wild desolate peaks of Mount
Horeb towering in the midst, and all around grim stony crags, with hardly a ...
The Golden Age, 1572-1603.
... His home lay at Namiest, in Moravia. He lived in a stately castle, built on two
huge crags, and surrounded by the houses of his retainers and domestics. ...
Thesaurus
Crags (10 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Crags (10 Occurrences).
... (See NAS RSV). Amos 6:12 Do
horses run on the rocky
crags? Does one plow there with oxen?
...Crag (5 Occurrences)
... As the breaking off of the undermined hard strata proceeds irregularly, there are
left projecting crags, sometimes at the top of the cliff, and sometimes lower ...
Sinai (38 Occurrences)
... devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel" (Exodus
24:17); and, indeed, the glory of the Lord still dyes the crags of Jebel ...
Craggy (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Full of crags; rugged with projecting points of rocks;
as, the craggy side of a mountain. Multi-Version Concordance ...
Nest (22 Occurrences)
... and thy nest is set in the rock." Here Balaam was thinking of the nest of an eagle,
hawk or vulture, placed on solid rock among impregnable crags of mountain ...
Rocky (14 Occurrences)
... And who cometh into our habitations? (See NAS NIV). Amos 6:12 Do horses
run on the rocky crags? Does one plow there with oxen? But ...
Eagle (27 Occurrences)
... An interesting illustration is thus recorded by Sir Humphry Davy:, "I once
saw a very interesting sight above the crags of Ben Nevis. ...
Michmash (10 Occurrences)
... village, goes down into the valley by a steep and difficult track, and crosses the
gorge by the pass, a narrow defile, with lofty, precipitous crags on either ...
Cramped (3 Occurrences)
Carmel (33 Occurrences)
... Two or three villages and some scattered cottages are found on it; its groves are
few but luxuriant; it is no place for crags and precipices or rocks of wild ...
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