Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of the Bible, the term "shattered" often conveys the idea of destruction, brokenness, or the complete dismantling of something once whole. This concept can be applied both physically and metaphorically throughout the Scriptures, illustrating the consequences of sin, divine judgment, and the transformative power of God.
Physical DestructionThe Bible frequently uses the imagery of shattering to describe the physical destruction of objects, cities, or nations as a result of divine judgment or human conflict. For instance, in
Jeremiah 19:11, God instructs the prophet to break a clay jar as a symbol of how He will shatter Jerusalem and its people: "Then you are to shatter the jar in the presence of the men who accompany you, and you are to say to them, ‘This is what the LORD of Hosts says: I will shatter this nation and this city like one shatters a potter’s jar, which cannot be repaired.’" . This act serves as a powerful visual representation of the irreversible judgment that would come upon the city due to its persistent disobedience.
Metaphorical BrokennessBeyond physical destruction, "shattered" is also used metaphorically to describe the brokenness of the human spirit or the collapse of pride and self-reliance. In
Psalm 51:17, David speaks of a "broken and contrite heart" as being pleasing to God: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." . Here, the shattering of the heart signifies repentance and humility, essential attitudes for receiving God's forgiveness and grace.
Divine Judgment and RestorationThe theme of being shattered is often linked with divine judgment, where God allows or causes the breaking down of individuals or nations as a consequence of sin. However, this is not the end of the account. The Bible also speaks of God's ability to restore and rebuild what has been shattered. In
Ezekiel 34:16, God promises to seek out the lost and bring back the strayed, binding up the injured and strengthening the weak: "I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak. But the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice." . This passage highlights God's redemptive power to heal and restore those who turn back to Him.
Prophetic ImageryProphets often used the imagery of shattering to convey messages of warning and hope. In
Isaiah 30:14, the prophet describes the shattering of a wall as a metaphor for the impending judgment on those who rely on their own strength rather than on God: "It will break in pieces like a potter’s jar, shattered so that no fragment can be found among its broken pieces to scoop coals from a hearth or to ladle water from a cistern." . This vivid imagery serves as a caution against self-reliance and a call to trust in God's provision and protection.
Christ as the Healer of the ShatteredIn the New Testament, Jesus Christ is portrayed as the ultimate healer of the shattered. His ministry was marked by acts of restoration and healing, both physically and spiritually. In
Luke 4:18, Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah, declaring His mission: "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed." . Through His life, death, and resurrection, Christ offers hope and restoration to all who are broken and shattered by sin.
ConclusionThe concept of being shattered in the Bible serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of sin and the reality of divine judgment. Yet, it also points to the hope of restoration and healing through repentance and faith in God. The imagery of shattering underscores the transformative power of God's grace, which can rebuild and restore even the most broken of lives.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
imp. & p. p.) of Shatter.
Strong's Hebrew
2865. chathath -- to be shattered or dismayed... chathath. 2866 . to be
shattered or dismayed. Transliteration: chathath Phonetic
Spelling: (khaw-thath') Short Definition: dismayed. Word Origin a prim.
... 2844b. chath -- shattered, dismayed
... 2844a, 2844b. chath. 2845 . shattered, dismayed. Transliteration: chath Short
Definition: shattered. Word Origin from chathath Definition ...
1855. deqaq -- to be shattered, fall to pieces
... 1854, 1855. deqaq. 1856 . to be shattered, fall to pieces. Transliteration:
deqaq Phonetic Spelling: (dek-ak') Short Definition: crushed. ...
3807. kathath -- to beat, crush by beating
... battered (1), beat (2), beat them down (1), broke in pieces (1), broken in pieces
(1), crush (1), crushed (4), defeated (1), hammer (2), shattered (1), smashed ...
5310a. naphats -- to shatter
... root Definition to shatter NASB Word Usage broken (1), dash (1), dashes (1), pulverized
(1), shatter (11), shattered (1), shattering (1), smashed (1). ...
4272. machats -- to smite through, wound severely, shatter
... root Definition to smite through, wound severely, shatter NASB Word Usage crush
through (1), shatter (6), shattered (4), struck (1), wounded (1), wounds (1). ...
7665. shabar -- to break, break in pieces
... demolished (1), destroy (2), fractured (1), hurt (2), injured (1), pieces (1), placed
(1), point of birth (1), quench (1), shatter (2), shattered (13), smash (3 ...
6565a. parar -- to break, frustrate
... away (1), fail (1), frustrate (2), frustrated (2), frustrates (1), indeed annuls
(2), ineffective (1), made my void (1), nullifies (1), shattered (1), thwart (2 ...
6483a. patsats -- to break
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to break NASB Word Usage shaken me to pieces
(1), shattered (1), shatters (1). 6483, 6483a. patsats. 6483b . ...
Library
And, Behold, Suddenly Hades Trembled, and the Gates of Death and ...
... Latin. Second Version. Chapter 8 (24). And, behold, suddenly Hades trembled,
and the gates of death and the bolts were shattered? ...
He Refutes Another Argument of Nestorius, in which He Tried to ...
... your pestilent treatises you have maintained and said that "Since man is the image
of the Divine nature, and the devil dragged this down and shattered it, God ...
The Risen Lord's Self-Revelation to Wavering Disciples
... The stranger assumes ignorance, in order to win to a full outpouring. Jesus wishes
us to put all fears and doubts and shattered hopes into plain words to Him. ...
Conflagration
... bishop was being seized by violence, began to batter furiously upon the principal
gates, which at last they partly burst open, and partly shattered to fragments ...
The Suicide of Thought
... When a religious scheme is shattered (as Christianity was shattered at the
Reformation), it is not merely the vices that are let loose. ...
Letter iii. To Rufinus the Monk.
... am unworthy (not that you should so come to me but) that I should so come to you,
and because my poor body, weak even when well, has been shattered by frequent ...
But Seeing that Paradise is the Home of Living Spirits...
... If, then, death cannot pass beyond virginity, but finds his power checked and shattered
there, it is demonstrated that virginity is a stronger thing than death ...
The Peaceable Fruits of Sorrows Rightly Borne
... If so regarded, it would hopelessly be shattered against facts; for the world is
full of instances of saintly men and women who have not experienced in their ...
How St Francis Converted Certain Robbers and Assassins, who Became ...
... pushed him with such violence, that he fell into the abyss, and rolling down from
stone to stone and from rock to rock, he reached the bottom shattered all to ...
The Way of Transgressors.
... Without great care and prudence during that time, her constitution may be
shattered so as to set all remedial efforts at defiance.". ...
Thesaurus
Shattered (42 Occurrences)... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Shatter. Multi-Version Concordance
Shattered (42 Occurrences). Mark 5:4 because he had been
...Shatter (26 Occurrences)
... violently into fragments; to rend into splinters; as, an explosion shatters a rock
or a bomb; too much steam shatters a boiler; an oak is shattered by lightning ...
Uproar (33 Occurrences)
... pieces! Listen, all you from far countries: dress for battle, and be shattered!
Dress for battle, and be shattered! (WEB JPS ASV). ...
Countries (86 Occurrences)
... Listen, all you from far countries: dress for battle, and be shattered! Dress
for battle, and be shattered! (WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS RSV). ...
Vines (39 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV). Psalms 105:33 He struck their vines and
also their fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country. ...
Repair (26 Occurrences)
... injury, dilapidation, or partial destruction; to renew; to restore; to mend; as,
to repair a house, a road, a shoe, or a ship; to repair a shattered fortune. ...
Removing (24 Occurrences)
... of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made
in the two courts of the house of Jehovah, and he shattered them, removing ...
Mallet (1 Occurrence)
... 5:26 She put her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workmen's mallet;
she struck Sis'era a blow, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced ...
Powder (14 Occurrences)
... of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made
in the two courts of the house of Jehovah, and he shattered them, removing ...
Cilicia (8 Occurrences)
... Alexander was one of the most renowned leaders of such expeditions, and at
Issus he met and shattered the power of the Persian empire. ...
Resources
What is the Society of Jesus? Who are the Jesuits, and what do they believe? | GotQuestions.orgWhat can we learn from what the Bible says about Jesus and women? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that we live in a fallen world? | GotQuestions.orgShattered: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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