In biblical terminology, the term "flank" refers to the side of a person or animal, particularly the area between the ribs and the hip. This term is used in various contexts throughout the Bible, often in relation to descriptions of animals, warfare, and sacrificial practices.

Biblical References:

1. Sacrificial Contexts:
The flank is mentioned in the context of animal sacrifices, particularly in the detailed instructions given for offerings. In Leviticus, the instructions for peace offerings include the burning of the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, including the two kidneys and the fat that is on them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys (Leviticus 3:3-4). The flank, being part of the animal's side, is associated with these sacrificial parts.

2. Warfare and Military Descriptions:
The term "flank" is also used in military contexts, describing the sides of an army or a formation. In ancient warfare, protecting the flanks was crucial to prevent enemy forces from attacking from the sides, which could lead to encirclement and defeat. While the specific term "flank" may not always appear in English translations, the concept is present in descriptions of battles and military strategies throughout the Old Testament.

3. Symbolic and Metaphorical Uses:
The Bible often uses physical descriptions metaphorically to convey spiritual truths. The flank, as a part of the body, can symbolize strength, vulnerability, or protection, depending on the context. For example, the imagery of God as a warrior who protects His people can imply the safeguarding of their flanks, ensuring they are not vulnerable to enemy attacks.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the ancient Near Eastern context, the understanding of the body and its parts often carried symbolic meanings. The flank, being a part of the body that is both strong and vulnerable, could represent the dual nature of human existence—strength in unity and vulnerability in isolation. This duality is reflected in the biblical narrative, where reliance on God is portrayed as the ultimate source of protection and strength.

Theological Implications:

The use of the term "flank" in sacrificial contexts underscores the importance of obedience to God's commands regarding offerings. The detailed instructions for sacrifices highlight the holiness and precision required in worship, pointing to the need for purity and dedication in approaching God. In military contexts, the protection of the flanks symbolizes the need for divine guidance and strength in the face of adversaries, emphasizing the theme of God as the ultimate protector and deliverer of His people.

Overall, the concept of the flank in the Bible serves as a reminder of the balance between human strength and vulnerability, and the necessity of relying on God's provision and protection in all aspects of life.1. (n.) The fleshy or muscular part of the side of an animal, between the ribs and the hip.

2. (n.) The side of an army, or of any division of an army, as of a brigade, regiment, or battalion; the extreme right or left; as, to attack an enemy in flank is to attack him on the side.

3. (n.) That part of a bastion which reaches from the curtain to the face, and defends the curtain, the flank and face of the opposite bastion; any part of a work defending another by a fire along the outside of its parapet.

4. (n.) The side of any building.

5. (n.) That part of the acting surface of a gear wheel tooth that lies within the pitch line.

6. (v. t.) To stand at the flank or side of; to border upon.

7. (v. t.) To overlook or command the flank of; to secure or guard the flank of; to pass around or turn the flank of; to attack, or threaten to attack; the flank of.

8. (v. i.) To border; to touch.

9. (v. i.) To be posted on the side.

3411. yerekah -- flank, side, extreme parts, recesses
... yerekah. 3412 . flank, side, extreme parts, recesses. Transliteration: yerekah
Phonetic Spelling: (yer-ay-kaw') Short Definition: rear. Word Origin fem. ...
/hebrew/3411.htm - 6k

3689. kesel -- loins, stupidity, confidence
... thighs (1). confidence, flank, folly, hope, loin. From kacal; properly, fatness,
ie By implication (literally) the loin (as the seat ...
/hebrew/3689.htm - 6k

3409. yarek -- thigh, loin, side, base
... The generative parts; figuratively, a shank, flank, side -- X body, loins, shaft,
side, thigh. 3408, 3409. yarek. 3410 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/3409.htm - 6k

3802. katheph -- shoulder, shoulder blade, side
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition shoulder, shoulder blade, side NASB
Word Usage backs (1), flank (1), hands (1), next (1), shoulder (19 ...
/hebrew/3802.htm - 6k

Letter xv. --To Adelphius the Lawyer .
... of the Peneus are another case of poetic exaggeration"that river which they say
by overflowing with its rich current the banks which flank its course makes ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/letter xv to adelphius the lawyer.htm

How Titus Marched to Jerusalem, and How He was in Danger as He was ...
... So he reproached them for their cowardice, and brought those back that were running
away, and fell himself upon the Jews on their flank, with those select ...
/.../chapter 2 how titus marched.htm

The Invasion of Greece and the Battle of Marathon.
... By getting a firm foothold in Scythia, he would, as it were, turn the flank of the
Grecian territories, which would tend to make his final descent upon them ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter xi the invasion of.htm

Letter ccxci. To Timotheus the Chorepiscopus.
... I will adopt the midway course: I will write some things; others I will omit. For
I wish to chide you, if so I may, in terms both flank and friendly. Yes! ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter ccxci to timotheus the.htm

When Appius Told his Mother and his Sister what Augustus had Said ...
... Then spur went to flank, and the followers of the Jew passed in a quick rush
and went thundering off, Antipater at the head of their column. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bacheller/vergilius/chapter 19 when appius told.htm

Praying is Fighting.
... This is the sort of action that turns the enemy's flank, and reveals his
heels. He simply cannot stand before persistent knee-work. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on prayer/praying is fighting.htm

Of the Incomparable Love which the Mother of God, Our Blessed Lady ...
... Perhaps she often dreamed that as Our Saviour had formerly slept in her bosom, as
a tender lambkin upon the soft flank of its mother, so she slept in his ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter viii of the incomparable.htm

Conformity to Type
... to be occupied by the spinal column, and moulded the contour of the body; pinching
up the head at one end, the tail at the other, and fashioning flank and limb ...
/.../drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/conformity to type.htm

The Great Confession - the Great Commission - the Great ...
... The castle-mount (about 1,000 feet above Paneas), takes nearly an hour to ascend,
and is separated by a deep valley from the flank of Mount Hermon. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxxvii the great confession.htm

On Infants' Early Deaths.
... in these inner circles are variously grouped in their approachments and divergements,
their disappearances behind each other and their flank movements, and yet ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/on infants early deaths.htm

Flank (3 Occurrences)
... The side of an army, or of any division of an army, as of a brigade, regiment, or
battalion; the extreme right or left; as, to attack an enemy in flank is to ...
/f/flank.htm - 8k

Flanks (7 Occurrences)

/f/flanks.htm - 8k

Flaming (40 Occurrences)

/f/flaming.htm - 19k

Red (124 Occurrences)
... If they should go on the direct road to Palestine, his army could easily execute
a flank movement and intercept them in the desert of Etham. ...
/r/red.htm - 77k

Zeb'ulun (41 Occurrences)
... (See RSV). Genesis 49:13 Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea, and he shall
be a shore for ships, and his flank shall be upon Zidon. (See RSV). ...
/z/zeb'ulun.htm - 16k

Guide (89 Occurrences)
... 10. (n.) A noncommissioned officer or soldier placed on the directing flank of each
subdivision of a column of troops, or at the end of a line, to mark the ...
/g/guide.htm - 37k

Refuse (103 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To throw back, or cause to keep back (as the center, a wing, or a flank),
out of the regular alignment when troops are about to engage the enemy; as ...
/r/refuse.htm - 36k

Rib (5 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. RIB. (tsela`, tsal`ah; Aramaic `ala`): The Hebrew
words designate the "side," "flank," thence the "ribs." They are found thus ...
/r/rib.htm - 11k

Elbow (1 Occurrence)
... 3. (n.) A sharp angle in any surface of wainscoting or other woodwork; the upright
sides which flank any paneled work, as the sides of windows, where the jamb ...
/e/elbow.htm - 7k

Pinnacle (2 Occurrences)
... member, upright, and generally ending in a small spire, -- used to finish a buttress,
to constitute a part in a proportion, as where pinnacles flank a gable or ...
/p/pinnacle.htm - 8k

Flank: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus