The term "containeth" is an archaic form of the verb "contain," often found in older translations of the Bible. It signifies the act of holding, encompassing, or having within. In the context of Scripture, "containeth" is used to describe the capacity or ability of something to hold or include certain elements, whether physical, spiritual, or metaphorical.

Biblical Usage:

1. Physical Capacity:
The word "containeth" is used to describe the physical capacity of objects or spaces. For example, in 1 Kings 8:27, Solomon acknowledges the vastness of God, stating, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain You, how much less this house that I have built!" . Here, "containeth" underscores the inadequacy of any physical structure to fully encompass the divine presence of God.

2. Spiritual and Moral Capacity:
The term also appears in contexts that highlight spiritual or moral capacity. In James 3:8, the tongue is described as an unruly evil, full of deadly poison, which no man can tame. The passage implies that the tongue "containeth" the potential for both blessing and cursing, reflecting the dual nature of human speech and the moral responsibility that accompanies it.

3. Metaphorical and Symbolic Usage:
In a metaphorical sense, "containeth" can refer to the inclusion of abstract concepts or truths. For instance, the wisdom literature often speaks of the heart as a vessel that "containeth" understanding or folly, depending on one's choices and alignment with God's will.

Theological Implications:

The use of "containeth" in Scripture often points to the limitations of human constructs in comparison to the infinite nature of God. It serves as a reminder of the transcendence of God, who cannot be confined by physical dimensions or human understanding. This term also emphasizes the importance of recognizing the spiritual and moral capacities within individuals, urging believers to seek alignment with divine wisdom and righteousness.

Related Concepts:

· Omnipresence of God: The idea that God cannot be contained by the heavens or the earth highlights His omnipresence, a fundamental attribute of God that assures believers of His constant presence and involvement in creation.

· Human Limitation: The acknowledgment that no earthly structure or human effort can fully contain God serves as a humbling reminder of human limitations and the need for reliance on divine grace and guidance.

· Moral Responsibility: The concept of "containeth" in relation to human actions, such as speech, underscores the moral responsibility of individuals to use their capacities for good, reflecting the character of God in their lives.

In summary, "containeth" is a term that, while not frequently used in modern translations, carries significant theological weight in its biblical contexts. It invites reflection on the nature of God, the limitations of human constructs, and the moral responsibilities of believers.

The Memory Containeth Also Reasons and Laws Innumerable of Numbers ...
... Book X Chapter XII The memory containeth also reasons and laws innumerable
of numbers and dimensions? The memory containeth also ...
/.../the confessions of saint augustine/chapter xii the memory containeth.htm

Everywhere God Wholly Filleth all Things, but Neither Heaven nor ...
... Book I. Chapter III."Everywhere God Wholly Filleth All Things, But Neither
Heaven Nor Earth Containeth Him. 3. Since, then, Thou ...
/.../the confessions and letters of st/chapter iii everywhere god wholly filleth.htm

Of the Powers of a Soul in General, and How Memory in Special is a ...
... and Sensuality also. And all these four powers and their works, Memory
containeth and comprehendeth in itself. And otherwise it ...
/.../anonymous/the cloud of unknowing/here beginneth the three and 5.htm

Psalm CL.
... of the steps of the Temple. Further too, the number fifty in itself also
containeth a great mystery. [6007] For it consisteth of ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cl.htm

The Testament of Naphtali Concerning Natural Goodness.
... For as the potter knoweth the vessel, what it containeth, and bringeth clay thereto,
so also doth the Lord make the body in accordance with the spirit, and ...
/.../viii the testament of naphtali concerning.htm

A Sermon on the Parable of a King that Married his Son, Made by ...
... This is a gospel that containeth very much matter; and there is another like unto
this in the fourteenth of Luke: but they be both one in effect, for they ...
/.../latimer/sermons on the card and other discourses/a sermon on the parable.htm

Thus Then what is Written, "The Mouth that Lieth...
... hearer. For the Spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole earth, and that
which containeth all things hath knowledge of the voice. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/on lying/section 31 thus then what.htm

But Since, as the Lord Saith, "Not all Receive this Word...
... But since, as the Lord saith, "Not all receive this word;" [2249] therefore let
her who can receive it, receive it; and let her, who containeth not, marry; let ...
/.../augustine/on the good of widowhood /section 12 but since as.htm

The Destroyer Destroyed
... The devil's reign, on the contrary, containeth nought of good, "the devil sinneth
from the beginning," and his dominion has been one uniform course of ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the destroyer destroyed.htm

The First and Great Commandment
... But the Saviour said it was a "great commandment," and so also it is. It
is "great," for it containeth in its bowels every other. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the first and great commandment.htm

Containeth (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Containeth (3 Occurrences). 1 Kings 7:26 And its
thickness 'is' an handbreadth, and its edge as the work ...
/c/containeth.htm - 7k

Containing (12 Occurrences)

/c/containing.htm - 10k

Laughing-stock (3 Occurrences)
... 32 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup deep and large;
thou shalt be for a laughing-stock and a derision, for it containeth much. ...
/l/laughing-stock.htm - 8k

Flowered (1 Occurrence)
... 4:5 And its thickness 'is' a handbreadth, and its lip as the work of the lip of
a cup flowered with lilies; taking hold -- baths three thousand it containeth. ...
/f/flowered.htm - 6k

Containers (5 Occurrences)

/c/containers.htm - 7k

Laughed (27 Occurrences)
... 23:32 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup deep and large:
thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much. ...
/l/laughed.htm - 14k

Lip (20 Occurrences)
... 4:5 And its thickness 'is' a handbreadth, and its lip as the work of the lip of
a cup flowered with lilies; taking hold -- baths three thousand it containeth. ...
/l/lip.htm - 18k

Uttermost (48 Occurrences)
... saith the Lord Jehovah: Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup, which is deep and
large; thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much. ...
/u/uttermost.htm - 23k

Treated (69 Occurrences)
... 23:32 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup deep and large:
thou shalt be treated with scorn and had in derision; it containeth much. ...
/t/treated.htm - 26k

Scorn (65 Occurrences)
... 23:32 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup deep and large:
thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much. ...
/s/scorn.htm - 31k

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