Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Context: In biblical terms, "delay" refers to the act of postponing or deferring an action or event. It can be seen as a test of faith, patience, and obedience to God's timing. Delays in the Bible often serve a divine purpose, teaching believers to trust in God's perfect plan and timing.
Biblical Instances of Delay:1.
Abraham and Sarah: One of the most notable examples of delay is the promise of a son to Abraham and Sarah. Despite God's promise, they experienced a long delay before the birth of Isaac. This period tested their faith and patience.
Genesis 21:1-2 states, "Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him."
2.
The Israelites in the Wilderness: The Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land was marked by a significant delay. What could have been a relatively short journey turned into forty years of wandering due to their disobedience and lack of faith.
Numbers 14:33-34 explains, "Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness."
3.
The Coming of the Messiah: The anticipation of the Messiah was a long-awaited hope for the people of Israel. Prophecies about the coming Savior were given centuries before Jesus' birth.
Galatians 4:4 reflects on this divine timing: "But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law."
4.
The Return of Christ: The New Testament speaks of the delay in Christ's return, urging believers to remain vigilant and faithful.
2 Peter 3:9 addresses this delay: "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
Theological Implications:·
Testing of Faith: Delays often serve as a test of faith, challenging believers to trust in God's promises despite apparent setbacks.
Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see."
·
Divine Timing: God's timing is perfect, and delays are part of His sovereign plan.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us, "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven."
·
Patience and Endurance: Delays cultivate patience and endurance in believers.
James 1:3-4 encourages, "Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
Practical Applications:·
Trust in God's Plan: Believers are encouraged to trust in God's plan and timing, even when faced with delays.
Proverbs 3:5-6 advises, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
·
Active Waiting: While waiting, believers are called to remain active in their faith, serving God and others.
Psalm 27:14 exhorts, "Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!"
·
Prayer and Reflection: Delays provide an opportunity for prayer and reflection, seeking God's guidance and wisdom.
Philippians 4:6-7 encourages, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A putting off or deferring; procrastination; lingering inactivity; stop; detention; hindrance.
2. (n.) To put off; to defer; to procrastinate; to prolong the time of or before.
3. (n.) To retard; to stop, detain, or hinder, for a time; to retard the motion, or time of arrival, of; as, the mail is delayed by a heavy fall of snow.
4. (n.) To allay; to temper.
5. (v. i.) To move slowly; to stop for a time; to linger; to tarry.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
DELAYde-la': The noun "delay" (Acts 25:17, "I made no delay"; the King James Version "without any delay") means "procrastination." The verb "to delay" (Exodus 22:29; 'achar) involves the idea "to stop for a time," the people being admonished not to discontinue a custom. The Pil. perfect of bush (Exodus 32:1), "Moses delayed to come," expresses not only the fact that he tarried, but also the disappointment on the part of the people, being under the impression that he possibly was put to shame and had failed in his mission, which also better explains the consequent action of the people. "To delay" (chronizo) is used transitively in Matthew 24:48 (the Revised Version (British and American) "My lord tarrieth") and in Luke 12:45. The meaning here is "to prolong," "to defer."
A. L. Breslich
Greek
5549. chronizo -- to spend or take time, delay ... to spend or take time,
delay. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: chronizo Phonetic
Spelling: (khron-id'-zo) Short Definition: I
delay, tarry Definition: I
... 311. anabole -- delay
... delay. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: anabole Phonetic Spelling:
(an-ab-ol-ay') Short Definition: postponement, delay, putting off Definition ...
311a. anabole -- delay
... anabole. 311b . delay. Transliteration: anabole Short Definition: delay. Word
Origin from anaballo Definition delay NASB Word Usage delay (1). 311, 311a. ...
3635. okneo -- to shrink (from doing), to hesitate (to do)
... to shrink (from doing), to hesitate (to do). Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration:
okneo Phonetic Spelling: (ok-neh'-o) Short Definition: I delay, hesitate, am ...
1019. braduno -- to retard, to be slow
... to retard, to be slow. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: braduno Phonetic Spelling:
(brad-oo'-no) Short Definition: I am slow, I delay Definition: I am slow ...
691. argeo -- to be idle
... to be idle. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: argeo Phonetic Spelling:
(arg-eh'-o) Short Definition: I linger, delay, am idle Definition: I linger, delay ...
3195. mello -- to be about to
... to. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: mello Phonetic Spelling: (mel'-lo) Short
Definition: I am about to Definition: I intend, am about to; I delay, linger. ...
5550. chronos -- time
... word Definition time NASB Word Usage age (1), all (1), delay (1), exact time (1),
long (5), long ages (2), long* (1), period (2), time (30), times (5), while (5 ...
5035. tachu -- quickly
... 6). [5035 () does not mean "immediately" or necessarily "in a very short
time" but rather "without any delay."]. Word Origin neut. ...
1907. epecho -- to hold fast, to hold toward, to stop
... to stop. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epecho Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ekh'-o) Short Definition: I hold forth, pay attention, note, delay Definition: ( ...
Strong's Hebrew
4102. mahah -- to linger, tarry... to linger, tarry. Transliteration: mahah Phonetic Spelling: (maw-hah') Short Definition:
delay. Word Origin a prim.
... delay, linger, stay selves, tarry.
... 309. achar -- to remain behind, tarry
... 308, 309. achar. 310 . to remain behind, tarry. Transliteration: achar Phonetic
Spelling: (aw-khar') Short Definition: delay. Word Origin a prim. ...
6101. atsel -- to be sluggish
... to be sluggish. Transliteration: atsel Phonetic Spelling: (aw-tsal') Short Definition:
delay. ... root Definition to be sluggish NASB Word Usage delay (1). ...
5975. amad -- to take one's stand, stand
... 15), arise (11), arisen (1), arose (3), attend* (1), attended (1), broke (1), changed
(1), confirmed (2), continue (1), defend (2), delay (2), endure (5 ...
4900. mashak -- to draw, drag
... A primitive root; to draw, used in a great variety of applications (including to
sow, to sound, to prolong, to develop, to march, to remove, to delay, to be ...
954. bosh -- to be ashamed
... to be disappointed or delayed -- (be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with,
a-)shamed(-d), be (put to) confounded(-fusion), become dry, delay, be long. ...
989. betel -- to cease
... Word Origin (Aramaic) corresponding to batal Definition to cease NASB Word Usage
ceased (1), delay (1), stop (2), stopped (2). cause, make to, cease, hinder. ...
748. arak -- to be long
... root Definition to be long NASB Word Usage continue (1), delay (1), endure* (1),
endures (1), lengthen (3), lengthened (1), lingered (2), live (2), long (5 ...
3176. yachal -- to wait, await
... root Definition to wait, await NASB Word Usage delay (1), have hope (2), hope (13),
hoped (1), wait (13), wait expectantly (2), waited (7), waste time (1). ...
3186. yachar -- tarry longer
... Word Origin the same as achar, qv. tarry longer A primitive root; to delay --
tarry longer. 3185, 3186. yachar. 3187 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
Song 13. The Danger of Delay.
... Divine Songs Song 13. The danger of delay. The danger of delay. 8,8,8,8. Why should
I say, "Tis yet too soon. "To seek for heaven or think of death?". ...
Song 13. The Danger of Delay.
... Divine Songs For Children. Song 13. The Danger of Delay. 1 Why should
I say, "`Tis yet too soon "To seek for heaven or think of ...
Of the Advantage of the Delay which Results from the Struggle ...
... II. Second Conference of Abbot Moses. Chapter XIII. Of the advantage of the delay
which results from the struggle between flesh and spirit. ...
Advantage of the Delay.
... Book I. Chapter XXI."Advantage of the Delay. To this Peter answered: "Tell
Simon in the meantime to do as he pleases, and to rest ...
To Make up for Our Delay in This, we Bring under Your Notice ...
... Chapter XX. To make up for our delay in this, we bring under your notice
something of? To make up for our delay in this, we bring ...
The Awakened Sinner Urged to Immediate Consideration and Cautioned ...
... THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF RELIGION IN THE SOUL. CHAPTER III. THE AWAKENED SINNER
URGED TO IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION AND CAUTIONED AGAINST DELAY. ...
Clii. Report of the (Bishops) of the East to the Emperor, Giving ...
... Report of the (Bishops) of the East to the Emperor, giving information of their
proceedings, and explaining the cause of the delay in the arrival of the Bishop ...
Meditations Directing a Christian How to Apply to Himself, Without ...
... THE PRACTICE OF PIETY. Meditations directing a Christian how to apply to himself,
without delay, the foresaid knowledge of God and himself. ...
Prayer and Faith
... There is bound to be much delay and long days of waiting for true faith, but faith
accepts the conditions " knows there will be delays in answering prayer ...
Spiritual Dryness.
... little. First there will be a momentary delay of spiritual duties. ... postponement.
One delay will soon be followed by another and then by another. ...
Thesaurus
Delay (47 Occurrences)... 4. (n.) To allay; to temper. 5. (vi) To move slowly; to stop for a time; to
linger; to tarry. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
DELAY.
...Delayed (18 Occurrences)
... (imp. & pp) of Delay. ... Delayed (18 Occurrences). Matthew 24:48 And, if that evil servant
may say in his heart, My Lord doth delay to come, (See RSV). ...
Respite (8 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A rest; a postponement or delay; a break. 2. (n.) Temporary intermission
of labor, or of any process or operation; interval of rest; pause; delay. ...
Defer (7 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To put off; to postpone to a future time; to delay;
as, to defer payment of a fee the execution of; to delay; to withhold. ...
Tarry (62 Occurrences)
... 2. (vi) To stay or remain behind; to wait. 3. (vi) To delay; to put off going
or coming; to loiter. ... 5. (vt) To delay; to defer; to put off. ...
Dally
... 1. (vi) To waste time in effeminate or voluptuous pleasures, or in idleness;
to fool away time; to delay unnecessarily; to tarry; to trifle. ...
Linger (7 Occurrences)
... 1. (v.) To delay; to loiter; to remain or wait long; to be slow or reluctant in
parting or moving; to be slow in deciding; to be in suspense; to hesitate. ...
Ready (451 Occurrences)
... journey. 2. (superl.) Fitted or arranged for immediate use; causing no
delay for lack of being prepared or furnished. 3. (superl ...
Deliverer (29 Occurrences)
... You are my help and my deliverer. Don't delay, my God. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS
YLT NAS RSV NIV). ... You are my help and my deliverer. Yahweh, don't delay. ...
Needy (83 Occurrences)
... You are my help and my deliverer. Don't delay, my God. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS
YLT NAS RSV NIV). ... You are my help and my deliverer. Yahweh, don't delay. ...
Resources
What does it mean that today is the day of salvation? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about procrastination? | GotQuestions.orgIs Jesus coming soon? | GotQuestions.orgDelay: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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