Topical Encyclopedia The concept of "divide" in the Bible encompasses both physical and metaphorical separations, often signifying God's sovereign actions, human decisions, or spiritual distinctions. The term appears in various contexts, illustrating God's power, human conflict, and spiritual discernment.Creation and God's Sovereignty The first instance of division occurs in the creation narrative. Genesis 1:4 states, "God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness." This act of dividing light from darkness establishes God's authority over creation, setting the stage for the ordered universe. Similarly, in Genesis 1:6-7, God divides the waters, creating the sky and the seas, further demonstrating His sovereign control over the natural world. Covenant and Promise In Genesis 15:10, God instructs Abram to divide animals as part of a covenant ceremony. This division signifies the seriousness and binding nature of God's promises. The divided animals represent the consequences of breaking the covenant, underscoring the solemnity of God's commitments to His people. Human Conflict and Division Division also manifests in human relationships and nations. In Genesis 13:9, Abram and Lot separate to avoid conflict, illustrating how division can be a practical solution to strife. The division of the kingdom of Israel after Solomon's reign (1 Kings 12) highlights the consequences of disobedience and the fulfillment of prophetic warnings. This division results in the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, each with its own trajectory and challenges. Spiritual and Moral Distinctions The Bible frequently uses division to illustrate spiritual and moral distinctions. In Matthew 25:32-33 , Jesus describes the final judgment: "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." This division emphasizes the ultimate separation between the righteous and the wicked, based on their relationship with Christ and their actions. Unity and Division in the Church The New Testament addresses division within the early church, urging believers to maintain unity. In 1 Corinthians 1:10 , Paul appeals to the church: "I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction." Here, division is seen as a threat to the church's witness and effectiveness, calling for reconciliation and harmony among believers. Discernment and Division Hebrews 4:12 speaks of the Word of God as a tool for discernment: "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart." This metaphorical division highlights the penetrating power of Scripture to reveal truth and distinguish between right and wrong. Conclusion The theme of division in the Bible serves as a multifaceted concept, illustrating God's creative power, the consequences of human actions, and the spiritual discernment required of believers. Whether in the context of creation, covenant, conflict, or spiritual discernment, division underscores the importance of alignment with God's will and the pursuit of unity among His people. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (v. t.) To part asunder (a whole); to sever into two or more parts or pieces; to sunder; to separate into parts.2. (v. t.) To cause to be separate; to keep apart by a partition, or by an imaginary line or limit; as, a wall divides two houses; a stream divides the towns. 3. (v. t.) To make partition of among a number; to apportion, as profits of stock among proprietors; to give in shares; to distribute; to mete out; to share. 4. (v. t.) To disunite in opinion or interest; to make discordant or hostile; to set at variance. 5. (v. t.) To separate into two parts, in order to ascertain the votes for and against a measure; as, to divide a legislative house upon a question. 6. (v. t.) To subject to arithmetical division. 7. (v. t.) To separate into species; -- said of a genus or generic term. 8. (v. t.) To mark divisions on; to graduate; as, to divide a sextant. 9. (v. t.) To play or sing in a florid style, or with variations. 10. (v. i.) To be separated; to part; to open; to go asunder. 11. (v. i.) To cause separation; to disunite. 12. (v. i.) To break friendship; to fall out. 13. (v. i.) To have a share; to partake. 14. (v. i.) To vote, as in the British Parliament, by the members separating themselves into two parties (as on opposite sides of the hall or in opposite lobbies), that is, the ayes dividing from the nose. 15. (n.) A dividing ridge of land between the tributaries of two streams; a watershed. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia DIVIDEdi-vid': It is difficult to decide whether ragha` (Job 26:12 Isaiah 51:15 Jeremiah 31:35) should be rendered "to stir up" or "to still." The Hebrew has both meanings. Some render "He causes the sea to tremble." the Revised Version (British and American) reads "to stir" in text and "to still" in margin, while the King James Version has "to divide" in all three cases. 2 Chronicles 35:13, "carried them quickly" (the King James Version "divided them speedily"). Since cholaq, may mean either "to distribute" or "to be smooth," Hosea 10:2 reads "their heart is divided" in the text, but offers "smooth" in margin (the King James Version "divided"). The Greek orthotomeo, means "to cut straight," hence, the more literal translation of 2 Timothy 2:15, "handling aright the word of truth" (note "holding a straight course in the way of truth" or "rightly dividing the word of truth"; the King James Version "rightly dividing"). Greek 3307. merizo -- to divide ... to divide. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: merizo Phonetic Spelling: (mer-id'-zo) Short Definition: I divide, part, share Definition: I divide into parts ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3307.htm - 7k 1244. diaireo -- to divide, to distribute 1266. diamerizo -- to distribute, to divide 5563. chorizo -- to separate, divide 4977. schizo -- to cleave, split 1239. diadidomi -- to hand over, distribute 1268. dianemo -- to distribute, to disseminate 3718. orthotomeo -- to cut straight 873. aphorizo -- to mark off by boundaries from, ie set apart 2624. katakleronomeo -- to distribute by lot Strong's Hebrew 6536. paras -- to break in two, divide... 6535, 6536. paras. 6537 . to break in two, divide. Transliteration: paras Phonetic Spelling: (paw-ras') Short Definition: divide. Word Origin a prim. ... /hebrew/6536.htm - 6k 1504. gazar -- to cut, divide 6385. palag -- to split, divide 8027. shalash -- to do a third time, divide into three parts 2673. chatsah -- to divide 6504. parad -- to divide 958. baza -- to divide, cut through 5408. nathach -- to cut up, cut in pieces, divide by joints 2505. chalaq -- to divide, share 2505a. chalaq -- to divide, share Library The Eunomians Divide into Several Factions. How Bishops as Well Catholic as those who have Been Converted from ... On the Death of Theodosius his Two Sons Divide the Empire. Rufinus ... Of the Two Lines of the Human Race which from First to Last Divide ... A Sermon to Open Neglecters and Nominal Followers of Religion The Suffering Servant --vi Gregory Further Shows that the Only-Begotten Being Begotten not ... How the Rude in Sacred Learning, and those who are Learned but not ... Definitions, Genera, and Species. Lii. Concerning Hypocrisy, Worldly Anxiety, Watchfulness, and his ... Thesaurus Divide (71 Occurrences)... 5. (vt) To separate into two parts, in order to ascertain the votes for and against a measure; as, to divide a legislative house upon a question. ...DIVIDE. ... /d/divide.htm - 31k Split (36 Occurrences) Apportion (19 Occurrences) Parcel (10 Occurrences) Assign (22 Occurrences) Allot (8 Occurrences) Spoils (19 Occurrences) Asunder (37 Occurrences) Depart (211 Occurrences) Partition (4 Occurrences) Resources What can we learn from the tribe of Benjamin? | GotQuestions.orgWhat were the Lateran Councils? | GotQuestions.org What can we learn from the tribe of Simeon? | GotQuestions.org Divide: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Divide (71 Occurrences)Luke 11:22 Luke 12:13 Luke 22:17 Luke 23:34 Acts 13:19 Hebrews 7:2 Genesis 1:6 Genesis 1:14 Genesis 1:18 Genesis 15:10 Genesis 49:7 Genesis 49:27 Exodus 12:4 Exodus 14:16 Exodus 15:9 Exodus 21:35 Exodus 26:33 Leviticus 1:17 Leviticus 2:6 Leviticus 5:8 Leviticus 11:4 Leviticus 11:5 Leviticus 11:6 Leviticus 11:7 Leviticus 11:26 Numbers 31:27 Numbers 33:54 Numbers 34:17 Numbers 34:18 Numbers 34:29 Deuteronomy 14:7 Deuteronomy 19:3 Deuteronomy 31:7 Joshua 1:6 Joshua 13:6 Joshua 13:7 Joshua 18:5 Joshua 22:8 Judges 5:11 2 Samuel 19:29 1 Kings 3:25 1 Kings 3:26 Nehemiah 9:11 Nehemiah 9:22 Job 27:17 Job 41:6 Psalms 22:18 Psalms 55:9 Psalms 60:6 Psalms 68:12 Psalms 74:13 Psalms 108:7 Proverbs 16:19 Ecclesiastes 11:2 Isaiah 7:6 Isaiah 9:3 Isaiah 18:2 Isaiah 18:7 Isaiah 47:13 Isaiah 53:12 Isaiah 58:7 Ezekiel 5:1 Ezekiel 42:20 Ezekiel 45:1 Ezekiel 47:13 Ezekiel 47:14 Ezekiel 47:21 Ezekiel 47:22 Ezekiel 48:29 Daniel 11:39 Micah 2:5 Subtopics Related Terms |
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