In contemporary language, the term "cringe" often refers to a feeling of embarrassment or awkwardness in response to certain actions or words. While the specific term "cringe" does not appear in the Bible, the concept can be related to various biblical themes and narratives that involve shame, humility, and the fear of the Lord.

Biblical Context of Shame and Embarrassment

The Bible frequently addresses the human experience of shame and embarrassment, often as a result of sin or disobedience to God. In Genesis 3:7-10, after Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of Knowledge, they become aware of their nakedness and hide from God, experiencing shame for the first time. This narrative illustrates the deep connection between sin and the feeling of shame, a concept that resonates with the modern understanding of "cringe."

Humility and the Fear of the Lord

The Bible also emphasizes the importance of humility and the fear of the Lord, which can be seen as a positive form of "cringing" before God's majesty and holiness. In Isaiah 6:5, the prophet Isaiah responds to a vision of the Lord by saying, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." This reaction reflects a deep sense of humility and recognition of one's own unworthiness in the presence of God.

Similarly, in the New Testament, the apostle Peter experiences a moment of humility and awe in Luke 5:8, when he falls at Jesus' knees and says, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" This response can be seen as a form of "cringing" in the presence of divine holiness and power.

Avoiding Shame through Righteous Living

The Bible encourages believers to live righteously to avoid shame and embarrassment. Proverbs 11:2 states, "When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom." This verse highlights the connection between pride, shame, and the wisdom found in humility. By living according to God's commandments and seeking His wisdom, believers can avoid the negative aspects of "cringe" associated with sin and pride.

The Role of Repentance

Repentance is a key biblical theme that addresses the feeling of shame and the desire to turn away from sin. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God promises, "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land." This call to repentance involves acknowledging one's sins and experiencing a form of "cringe" that leads to spiritual renewal and forgiveness.

Conclusion

While the Bible does not explicitly use the term "cringe," the concept is woven throughout Scripture in themes of shame, humility, and the fear of the Lord. By understanding these biblical principles, believers can navigate the feelings of embarrassment and awkwardness in a way that aligns with their faith and leads to spiritual growth.1. (v. t.) To draw one's self together as in fear or servility; to bend or crouch with base humility; to wince; hence; to make court in a degrading manner; to fawn.

2. (v. t.) To contract; to draw together; to cause to shrink or wrinkle; to distort.

3. (n.) Servile civility; fawning; a shrinking or bowing, as in fear or servility.

3584. kachash -- to disappoint, deceive, fail, grow lean
... root Definition to disappoint, deceive, fail, grow lean NASB Word Usage cringe
(1), deceive (1), deceived (1), deceives (1), deception (1), denied (2), deny (3 ...
/hebrew/3584.htm - 6k

Spiritual Liberty
... There are some who are afraid to speak as men, who have to cringe and fawn, and
bow, and stoop, to any one; who have no will of their own, no principles, no ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/spiritual liberty.htm

Rights
... On the mission field it is not the enduring of hardships, the lack of comforts,
and the roughness of the life that make the missionary cringe and falter. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/williamson/have we no rights/chapter 1 rights.htm

Who is the Rich Man that Shall be Saved?
... by a love of the truth and love of their brethren, and neither are rudely insolent
towards such rich as are called, nor, on the other hand, cringe to them for ...
/.../clement/who is the rich man that shall be saved/who is the rich man.htm

Let Her Pout it Out.
... Or she may feel herself, all at once, above me. And I'm not the one, I can tell
you, to cringe to any living mortal. I am as good as she is, or any one else!". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arthur/words for the wise/let her pout it out.htm

Humility.
... man of wealth holds up his head and expects every one to bow to him; he thinks a
great deal of himself, and he finds that a great many persons cringe to him ...
/.../baring-gould/the village pulpit volume ii trinity to advent/liv humility.htm

At the Well
... Wealth, beauty, age nor rank won servility or superciliousness from him. The Egyptian
soldier was not obliged to cringe, and this one abode by the privilege. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxxvii at the well.htm

The Third Commandment
... They bring him a few ceremonies which he never appointed, bow at Christ's name
and cringe to the altar, but hate and persecute God's image. ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 3 the third commandment.htm

Via Dolorosa
... insolent triumph. Jesus had the lofty and refined self-consciousness of
one who never once had needed to cringe or stoop. He loved ...
/.../stalker/the trial and death of jesus christ/chapter x via dolorosa.htm

Treatise on the Priesthood. Book vi.
... To those who patronize him, he is obliged to cringe; and towards his inferiors he
is puffed up, on account of the honors which the others confer, and is driven ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/treatise on the priesthood book 6.htm

The Good Man's Life and Death
... Understand, however what I mean by the word "upright." An upright man mean" a straightt
up man"a man that does not cringe and bow, and fawn to other men's ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the good mans life and.htm

Cringe (5 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Cringe (5 Occurrences). ... Psalms 81:15 The haters of Yahweh
would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. ...
/c/cringe.htm - 8k

Fawn (2 Occurrences)
... 7. (n.) A servile cringe or bow; mean flattery; sycophancy. Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia. FAWN. fon. See DEER. Multi-Version Concordance Fawn (2 Occurrences ...
/f/fawn.htm - 7k

Pretend (9 Occurrences)
... news. (WEB NAS RSV). Psalms 81:15 The haters of Yahweh would cringe before
him, and their punishment would last forever. (See NAS). ...
/p/pretend.htm - 10k

Beggarly (2 Occurrences)
... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. BEGGARLY. beg'-er-li (ptochos): The word has the thought
of "to crouch" or "cringe," such as is common with professional beggars. ...
/b/beggarly.htm - 8k

Curb (5 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To furnish with a curb, as a well; also, to restrain by a curb,
as a bank of earth. 4. (vi) To bend; to crouch; to cringe. ...
/c/curb.htm - 9k

Crouch (7 Occurrences)
... or in fear. 2. (vi) To bend servilely; to stoop meanly; to fawn; to cringe.
3. (vt) To sign with the cross; to bless. 4. (vt) To ...
/c/crouch.htm - 8k

Crimsoned (1 Occurrence)

/c/crimsoned.htm - 6k

Cringing (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Cringe. Multi-Version Concordance
Cringing (5 Occurrences). Deuteronomy 33:29 Happy art thou, Israel! ...
/c/cringing.htm - 7k

Fate (138 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Psalms 81:15 The haters of Yahweh would cringe before him, and their punishment
would last forever. (See RSV). Psalms 85:1 <To the chief music-maker. ...
/f/fate.htm - 37k

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