In biblical literature, "by-paths" refer to secondary or less-traveled routes that deviate from the main road or path. These paths often symbolize deviation from the righteous or intended way, both physically and spiritually. The concept of by-paths is used metaphorically in Scripture to illustrate the dangers of straying from God's commandments and the path of righteousness.

Biblical References:

1. Proverbs 2:13-15 : "from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness, from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil, whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious." This passage warns against those who abandon the straight and narrow path of righteousness to follow by-paths that lead to moral and spiritual darkness.

2. Jeremiah 18:15 : "Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless idols that make them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk on by-paths, not on the highway." Here, the prophet Jeremiah laments how the Israelites have forsaken God, choosing instead to follow by-paths that lead away from the truth and the established ways of their forefathers.

3. Isaiah 30:21 : "And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: 'This is the way. Walk in it.'" While not directly mentioning by-paths, this verse emphasizes the importance of adhering to God's guidance and avoiding the temptation to stray onto by-paths that lead away from His will.

Theological Implications:

By-paths in Scripture often symbolize the allure of sin and the ease with which one can be led astray from God's commandments. They represent the choices that individuals make when they turn away from the divine path laid out by God. The imagery of by-paths serves as a cautionary reminder of the consequences of deviating from the path of righteousness.

Moral and Spiritual Lessons:

1. Vigilance in Faith: Believers are encouraged to remain vigilant in their faith, constantly seeking God's guidance to avoid the by-paths of sin and temptation. The straight path represents a life lived in accordance with God's will, while by-paths symbolize the distractions and deviations that can lead one away from spiritual truth.

2. Repentance and Return: The concept of by-paths also underscores the importance of repentance and returning to the right path. When individuals find themselves on a by-path, Scripture calls them to recognize their error, repent, and realign themselves with God's ways.

3. Guidance of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in guiding believers away from by-paths and back to the path of righteousness. Through prayer, study of the Word, and fellowship with other believers, Christians can discern the right path and avoid the pitfalls of by-paths.

In summary, by-paths in the Bible serve as a powerful metaphor for the spiritual journey, highlighting the importance of staying true to God's path and the dangers of straying into sin and disobedience.5410b. nethibah -- path, pathway
... Word Origin from the same as nathib Definition path, pathway NASB Word Usage bypaths
(1), path (5), paths (12), streets (1), travelers* (1). 5410a, 5410b. ...
/hebrew/5410b.htm - 5k

The Authority and Utility of the Scriptures
... it indeed. And there is the more need, because there are so many by-paths
that lead to destruction. What say I? By-paths! No; highways ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture iii the authority and.htm

Bunyan -- the Heavenly Footman
... Thou must so run. The fourth direction: Beware of by-paths; take heed thou
dost not turn into those lanes which lead out of the way. ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons vol 2/bunyan the heavenly footman.htm

How to Speak in Public
... There was no straying away into by-paths, no padding of words to make up for shortage
of ideas, no superfluous and big-sounding phrases, no empty rhetoric or ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kleiser/talks on talking/how to speak in public.htm

"Sing, O Heavens; and be Joyful, O Earth; for the Lord Hath ...
... And left a blessing there. Then joyful thoughts that come and go,. By paths the
holy angels know,. Encamped around my soul; As in a dream of blest repose,. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/waring/hymns and meditations/sing o heavens and be.htm

The Heresy Traceable to Valentinus, an Able but Restless Man Many ...
... affections of motion. Sundry bypaths were then struck off therefrom, by Heraclean
and Secundus and the magician Marcus. Theotimus worked ...
/.../tertullian/against the valentinians/chapter iv the heresy traceable to.htm

The Last Pleading of Love
... He came to his terrible pre-eminence in crime by slow degrees, and by paths which
we may all tread. As for his guilt, that is in other hands than ours. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the last pleading of love.htm

Guidance in the Way
... have the sweet, gracious, companionable guidance of our Lord, let us be sure, to
begin with, that we are 'in the way,' and not in any of the bypaths into which ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/guidance in the way.htm

All Sects of Philosophy Contain a Germ of Truth.
... Since, therefore, truth is one (for falsehood has ten thousand by-paths); just as
the Bacchantes tore asunder the limbs of Pentheus, so the sects both of ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xiii all sects of philosophy.htm

Of the Way of Error and of Truth: that it is Single, Narrow, and ...
... But nevertheless all those paths which display an appearance of honours are not
different roads, but turnings off [1134] and bypaths, which appear indeed to be ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap vii of the way of.htm

But Perhaps, Some one Will Urge, the Ruler of the World Sent ...
... and, as if bereft of eyesight, should see nothing clearly, [3682] and, wandering
from the truth, [3683] should be led through uncertain bypaths of fancy? ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/39 but perhaps some one.htm

Bypaths (1 Occurrence)
... (n.) Plural of Bypath. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. BYPATHS. bi'-pathz.
See BYWAY. Multi-Version Concordance Bypaths (1 Occurrence). ...
/b/bypaths.htm - 7k

By-paths (1 Occurrence)
By-paths. Bypaths, By-paths. Byssus . Multi-Version Concordance By-paths
(1 Occurrence). ... Bypaths, By-paths. Byssus . Reference Bible.
/b/by-paths.htm - 6k

Byssus (40 Occurrences)

/b/byssus.htm - 19k

Byway
... BYWAY. bi'-wa (nethibhoth): Only in Judges 5:6. Compare Jeremiah 18:15; the King
James Version "paths" (the Revised Version (British and American) "by-paths"). ...
/b/byway.htm - 6k

Bypass (1 Occurrence)

/b/bypass.htm - 6k

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