The term "after" in the Bible is often used to denote a sequence of events, a period following a particular event, or a condition that follows a specific action. It is a word that helps to establish the chronology and causality within the biblical narrative, providing insight into the unfolding of God's plan and the progression of His covenant with humanity.

Old Testament Usage

In the Old Testament, "after" frequently appears in historical narratives to indicate the passage of time or the order of events. For example, in Genesis 8:6, "After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark." This usage helps to mark the progression of time during the flood narrative, emphasizing the patience and obedience of Noah as he awaited God's timing.

The term is also used in covenantal contexts. In Genesis 17:7, God promises Abraham, "I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come." Here, "after" signifies the continuation and perpetuity of God's covenantal promises through Abraham's lineage.

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, "after" often appears in the context of Jesus' ministry and the early church. It is used to describe events following significant moments in Jesus' life, such as His resurrection. In Matthew 28:9, "Suddenly Jesus met them and said, 'Greetings!' They came to Him, grasped His feet, and worshiped Him." This event occurs after the resurrection, highlighting the fulfillment of prophecy and the victory over death.

The term also appears in the context of discipleship and the call to follow Christ. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus instructs His disciples, "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me." Here, "after" implies a sequence of commitment and action required of those who choose to follow Jesus, emphasizing the cost and dedication involved in discipleship.

Theological Implications

Theologically, "after" can denote the fulfillment of God's promises and the unfolding of His divine plan. It often marks the transition from one phase of God's redemptive history to another, such as the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In eschatological contexts, "after" is used to describe events that will occur following the return of Christ. In Revelation 20:3, it is written, "After that, he must be released for a brief period." This indicates a sequence of events in the end times, underscoring the sovereignty of God over history and the ultimate fulfillment of His purposes.

Practical Application

For believers, the concept of "after" serves as a reminder of the importance of patience and trust in God's timing. It encourages Christians to live in anticipation of God's promises, knowing that His plans unfold according to His perfect will. The use of "after" in Scripture reassures believers that God is faithful to complete the work He has begun, both in individual lives and in the broader scope of salvation history.1. (a.) Next; later in time; subsequent; succeeding; as, an after period of life.

2. (a.) Hinder; nearer the rear.

3. (v.) To ward the stern of the ship; -- applied to any object in the rear part of a vessel; as the after cabin, after hatchway.

4. (prep.) Behind in place; as, men in line one after another.

5. (prep.) Below in rank; next to in order.

6. (prep.) Later in time; subsequent; as, after supper, after three days. It often precedes a clause. Formerly that was interposed between it and the clause.

7. (prep.) Subsequent to and in consequence of; as, after what you have said, I shall be careful.

8. (prep.) Subsequent to and notwithstanding; as, after all our advice, you took that course.

9. (prep.) Moving toward from behind; following, in search of; in pursuit of.

10. (prep.) Denoting the aim or object; concerning; in relation to; as, to look after workmen; to inquire after a friend; to thirst after righteousness.

11. (prep.) In imitation of; in conformity with; after the manner of; as, to make a thing after a model; a picture after Rubens; the boy takes after his father.

12. (prep.) According to; in accordance with; in conformity with the nature of; as, he acted after his kind.

13. (prep.) According to the direction and influence of; in proportion to; befitting.

14. (adv.) Subsequently in time or place; behind; afterward; as, he follows after.

AFTER; AFTERWARD

aft'-er, aft'-er-werd: The fundamental thought, in which all shades of meaning unite, is that of succession either in time or place. This succession may be immediate or remote. A very common adaptation of this conception the use of "after" to denote "according to," "after the manner of," or "in the order of," as in Genesis 1:26 Ephesians 4:24 Luke 1:59 Romans 5:14 Hebrews 4:11 (the Revised Version, margin "unto"), and in many passages where the Greek uses the preposition kata, as Matthew 23:3 Romans 8:4 1 Corinthians 1:26, etc. "In proportion to": Psalm 28:4; compare Psalm 90:15.

It sometimes correctly translates a peculiar Greek idiom of the preposition dia, with the genitive case, indicating time elapsed, as Mark 2:1, literally, "through some days," "after some days had passed"; compare Acts 24:17. While the Greek is expressed by a variety of words, the Hebrew uses 'achar for both preposition and adverb.

H. E. Jacobs

MORROW AFTER THE SABBATH

(mochorath, or mochoratham, "the morrow," or "tomorrow," "the day following"; mochorath ha-shabbath, "the day after the Sabbath," i.e. the first day of the week): The first day of the week was designated for the formal offering of the first-fruits in the form of wave-sheaves (Leviticus 23:11), and of the wave-loaves 50 days later (Leviticus 23:16, 17). This recognition of an after-Sabbath during festive periods has its counterpart in the later ecclesiastical practice of celebrating not only Easter Sunday, but also Easter Monday, etc., and undoubtedly was a factor in establishing the custom which transferred the sanctity of the Sabbath to the first day of the week after the resurrection of our Lord.

Frank E. Hirsch

SABBATH, SECOND AFTER THE FIRST

(sabbaton deuteroproton (Luke 6:1), literally, "the second-first sabbath," of the Revised Version margin): We will mention only a few of the explanations elicited by this expression.

(1) It was the first Sabbath in the second year of a 7-year cycle comprising the period from one Sabbatic year to the other;

(2) the first Sabbath after the second day of Passover, i.e. the first of the seven Sabbaths the Hebrews were to "count unto" themselves from "the morrow after the sabbath" (the day after Easter) until Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15);

(3) the first Sabbath in the Jewish ecclesiastical year (about the middle of March), the first Sabbath in the civil year (about the middle of September) being counted as the "first-first" Sabbath;

(4) the term deuteroprotos, is a monstrous combination of the words deuteros, "second," and protos, "first," attributable to unskillful attempts at textual emendation on the part of copyists. This supposition would, of course, render unnecessary all other efforts to unravel the knotty problem, and, as a matter of fact, deuteroprotos is omitted by many manuscripts (including Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus). To those not feeling inclined to accept this solution we would suggest the first of the above-named explanations as the most natural and probable one.

William Baur

SABBATH, MORROW AFTER THE

See MORROW AFTER THE SABBATH.

1872. epakoloutheo -- to follow after
... to follow after. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epakoloutheo Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ak-ol-oo-theh'-o) Short Definition: I follow close after, endorse ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1872.htm - 7k

2628. katakoloutheo -- to follow after
... to follow after. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: katakoloutheo Phonetic Spelling:
(kat-ak-ol-oo-theh'-o) Short Definition: I follow after Definition: I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2628.htm - 6k

3326. meta -- with, among, after
... with, among, after. Part of Speech: Preposition Transliteration: meta Phonetic Spelling:
(met-ah') Short Definition: with, after Definition: (a) gen: with, in ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3326.htm - 8k

3694. opiso -- back, behind, after
... back, behind, after. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: opiso Phonetic Spelling:
(op-is'-o) Short Definition: behind, after Definition: behind, after; back ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3694.htm - 6k

1937. epithumeo -- desire, lust after
... desire, lust after. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epithumeo Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ee-thoo-meh'-o) Short Definition: I long for, covet, lust after ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1937.htm - 8k

3693. opisthen -- behind, after
... behind, after. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: opisthen Phonetic Spelling:
(op'-is-then) Short Definition: from behind, after Definition: from behind ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3693.htm - 6k

3713. orego -- to stretch out, to reach after, to yearn for
... to stretch out, to reach after, to yearn for. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration:
orego Phonetic Spelling: (or-eg'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I stretch forth ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3713.htm - 7k

1207 -- second, after the first.
second, after the first. Part of Speech: Adjective Phonetic Spelling ... of uncertain
meaning. second, after the first. From deuteros and ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1207.htm - 6k

3796. opse -- long after, late
... long after, late. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: opse Phonetic Spelling:
(op-seh') Short Definition: late, in the evening Definition: late, in the ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3796.htm - 6k

1875. epan -- after, when
... after, when. Part of Speech: Conjunction Transliteration: epan Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-an') Short Definition: after, when Definition: after, when, as soon as. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1875.htm - 6k

311. achar -- after
... achar. 312 . after. Transliteration: achar Phonetic Spelling: (akh-ar') Short
Definition: future. ... (Aramaic) corresponding to 'achar; after -- (here-)after. ...
/hebrew/311.htm - 6k

314. acharon -- coming after or behind
... 313, 314. acharon. 315 . coming after or behind. Transliteration: acharon
Phonetic Spelling: (akh-ar-one') Short Definition: last. ...
/hebrew/314.htm - 6k

3954. leqesh -- the after-growth, spring crop
... the after-growth, spring crop. Transliteration: leqesh Phonetic Spelling:
(leh'-kesh) Short Definition: crop. ... From laqash; the after crop -- latter growth. ...
/hebrew/3954.htm - 6k

3443. Yeshua -- a high priest after the Bab. captivity
... 3442, 3443. Yeshua. 3444 . a high priest after the Bab. ... Word Origin (Aramaic)
corresponding to Yeshua and Yehoshua Definition a high priest after the Bab. ...
/hebrew/3443.htm - 6k

319. acharith -- the after-part, end
... 318b, 319. acharith. 320 . the after-part, end. Transliteration: acharith
Phonetic Spelling: (akh-ar-eeth') Short Definition: end. ...
/hebrew/319.htm - 6k

5303. Nephilim -- "giants," name of two peoples, one before the ...
Nephilim or Nephilim. 5302, 5303. Nephilim or Nephilim. 5304 . "giants," name
of two peoples, one before the flood and one after the flood. Transliteration ...
/hebrew/5303.htm - 6k

7602a. shaaph -- to gasp, pant, pant after, long for
... 7602, 7602a. shaaph. 7602b . to gasp, pant, pant after, long for.
Transliteration: shaaph Short Definition: pant. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/7602a.htm - 5k

7602. sha'aph -- to gasp, pant, pant after, long for
sha'aph. 7601, 7602. sha'aph. 7602a . to gasp, pant, pant after, long for.
Transliteration: sha'aph Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-af') Short Definition: pant. ...
/hebrew/7602.htm - 5k

310. achar -- the hind or following part
... 309, 310. achar. 311 . the hind or following part. Transliteration:
achar Phonetic Spelling: (akh-ar') Short Definition: after. ...
/hebrew/310.htm - 6k

870. athar -- a place
... 869, 870. athar. 871 . a place. Transliteration: athar Phonetic Spelling:
(ath-ar') Short Definition: after. Word Origin (Aramaic) a prim. ... after, place. ...
/hebrew/870.htm - 6k

With, Before, After
... GENESIS WITH, BEFORE, AFTER. 'Enoch walked with God,'"Genesis 5:22. ... 'Ye
shall walk after the Lord your God.'"Deuteronomy 13:4. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/with before after.htm

After the Wreck
... XIII TO END AFTER THE WRECK. ... And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria,
which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.12. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/after the wreck.htm

After This
... Section 4. After this. Section 4. After this, fearing to extend his reply to great
length, he passes by most of his adversary's statements as already refuted. ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 4 after this.htm

After the Exile
... After the Exile. "The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath
chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/after the exile .htm

After the Scripture.
... INTRODUCTION VIII. After the Scripture. ... (2) That its use as a preposition of comparison,
in the sense of "like," "for," "after," is far from being rare. ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/viii after the scripture.htm

Responses after the "Magnificat"
... Responses after the "Magnificat". Celebrant Dominus Vobiscum. Choir Et cum spiritu
tuo. Celebrant Oremus. Choir Amen. Celebrant Benedicamus Domino. ...
/.../responses after the magnificat.htm

Sunday after Easter
... SUMMER PART Sunday After Easter. Text: First John 5, 4-12. 4 For whatsoever
is begotten of God overcometh the world: and this is ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/epistle sermons vol ii/sunday after easter.htm

After Christ: with Christ
... AFTER CHRIST: WITH CHRIST. 'If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and
where I am, there shall also My servant be.'"John 12:26. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/after christ with christ.htm

Whether There is a Purgatory after this Life?
... Whether there is a Purgatory after this life? Objection 1: It would seem
that there is not a Purgatory after this life. For it is ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether there is a purgatory.htm

Crown after Cross. PM
... 418 Crown After Cross. PM. Tears and Joy. Light after darkness, Gain after
loss, Strength after weariness, Crown after cross, Sweet ...
/.../lorenz/the otterbein hymnal/418 crown after cross p m.htm

After (10866 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Next; later in time; subsequent; succeeding; as, an after period of life. ...
4. (prep.) Behind in place; as, men in line one after another. ...
/a/after.htm - 12k

After-birth (1 Occurrence)
After-birth. Afterbirth, After-birth. Aftergrowth . Multi-Version
Concordance After-birth (1 Occurrence). Psalms 58:8 ...
/a/after-birth.htm - 6k

Specified (9 Occurrences)
... Numbers 29:18 and their meal offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for
the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the ordinance ...
/s/specified.htm - 9k

Shekel (37 Occurrences)
... Exodus 30:13 They shall give this, everyone who passes over to those who are numbered,
half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary; (the shekel is twenty ...
/s/shekel.htm - 23k

Succeed (47 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To follow in order; to come next after; hence, to take the place of; as,
the king's eldest son succeeds his father on the throne; autumn succeeds summer ...
/s/succeed.htm - 23k

Kinds (110 Occurrences)
... Genesis 1:11 And God said: 'Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and
fruit-tree bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon ...
/k/kinds.htm - 36k

Visited (40 Occurrences)
... Luke 8:1 Shortly after this He visited town after town, and village after village,
proclaiming His Message and telling the Good News of the Kingdom of God. ...
/v/visited.htm - 18k

Shem (17 Occurrences)
... Two years after the Flood, Shem being then 100 years old, his son Arpachshad was
born (Genesis 11:10), and was followed by further sons and daughters during ...
/s/shem.htm - 15k

Seeks (48 Occurrences)
... Matthew 12:39 But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after
a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. ...
/s/seeks.htm - 19k

Succoth (18 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Booths. (1.) The first encampment of the Israelites after
leaving Ramesses (Exodus 12:37); the civil name of Pithom (qv). ...
/s/succoth.htm - 16k

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After: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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