The term "floated" in the context of the Bible often refers to the act of being buoyant or suspended on the surface of water. This concept is most prominently illustrated in the narratives of Noah's Ark and the infant Moses, both of which carry significant theological and symbolic meanings.

Noah's Ark

The account of Noah's Ark is found in Genesis 6-9. In this narrative, God instructs Noah to build an ark in anticipation of a great flood that would cover the earth as a judgment against humanity's wickedness. Genesis 7:17 states, "For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased, they lifted the ark high above the earth." The ark floated on the waters, preserving Noah, his family, and the animals from destruction. This event symbolizes God's provision and salvation, as well as His judgment and mercy. The floating of the ark signifies divine protection and the preservation of life amidst chaos and destruction.

The Infant Moses

Another significant instance of floating is found in the account of Moses as an infant. In Exodus 2:3 , it is recorded, "But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile." The basket, often referred to as an "ark" in some translations, floated on the Nile River, safeguarding Moses from Pharaoh's decree to kill all Hebrew male infants. This act of floating not only ensured Moses' survival but also set the stage for his future role as the deliverer of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The floating basket is a symbol of God's providence and the unfolding of His redemptive plan.

Symbolism and Theological Implications

In both narratives, the act of floating serves as a metaphor for divine intervention and protection. The buoyancy of the ark and the basket represents God's ability to uphold and preserve His chosen instruments and people amidst overwhelming circumstances. These accounts emphasize themes of faith, obedience, and trust in God's promises.

Theologically, the concept of floating can also be seen as a precursor to the New Testament understanding of baptism, where water symbolizes both judgment and salvation. Just as Noah and Moses were delivered through water, so too are believers saved through the waters of baptism, signifying death to sin and new life in Christ.

Conclusion

The imagery of floating in the Bible is rich with meaning, illustrating God's sovereignty, protection, and the fulfillment of His covenant promises. Through the accounts of Noah and Moses, believers are reminded of God's faithfulness and the assurance of His deliverance in times of trial and tribulation.(imp. & p. p.) of Float.1980. halak -- to go, come, walk
... 14), departed (55), departs (1), desires (1), die (1), disappears (1), down (2),
down* (1), enter (2), extended (2), flashed (1), fled (1), floated (1), flow (6 ...
/hebrew/1980.htm - 8k

Fragment xxviii. "And the Man of God Said, Where did it Fall? and ...
... And he cut down a tree, and cast it in there, and the iron floated." [4843] This
was a sign that souls should be borne aloft (anagoges psuchon) through the ...
/.../fragments from the lost writings of irenaeus/fragment xxviii and the man.htm

The Next Night Diamond was Seated by his Open Window...
... Along the surface of the river, darkly clear below them in the moonlight, they floated;
now, where it widened out into a little lake, they would hover for a ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 37 the next night.htm

Andromeda
... Onward they went in their joy, bathed round with the fiery coolness, Needing nor
sun nor moon, self-lighted, immortal: but others, Pitiful, floated in silence ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/andromeda and other poems/andromeda.htm

Outward Bound
... may be we could not guess at first) showed patches of soft diffused light, paler
than the sparks, yet of the same yellow-white hue, which floated quietly past ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter i outward bound.htm

Noah's Faith, Fear, Obedience, and Salvation
... The ark was, so to speak, a coffin to him: he entered it, and became a dead man
to the old world; and within its enclosure he was floated into a new world, to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 36 1890/noahs faith fear obedience and.htm

Argument. Saturus, in a vision, and Perpetua Being Carried by ...
... their hands touched us not. And we floated not supine, looking upwards,
but as if ascending a gentle slope. And being set free, we ...
/.../chapter iv argument saturus in a.htm

Brother Hugh
... troubled him to the last. Here Hugh devoured books, too, until the time floated
by him all too fleetly. His great affectionate heart ...
/.../marson/hugh bishop of lincoln/chapter ii brother hugh.htm

The Conquest of Babylon.
... the cargo. The boat, thus finished, was laden with the produce of the country,
and was then floated down the river to Babylon. In ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter viii the conquest of.htm

The Fort Sumter Expedition
... noon, Major General Anderson will raise and plant upon the ruins of Fort Sumter,
in Charleston harbour, the same United States flag which floated over the ...
/.../griswold/sixty years with plymouth church/the fort sumter expedition.htm

Enduring to the End
... name of the Lord Jesus. Perhaps bright visions floated before their minds,
of honor and esteem among men. It was no mean dignity ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/enduring to the end.htm

Floated (2 Occurrences)
...Floated (2 Occurrences). Genesis 7:18 The waters prevailed, and increased greatly
on the earth; and the ship floated on the surface of the waters. ...
/f/floated.htm - 7k

Float (4 Occurrences)
... 10. (n.) The trowel or tool with which the floated coat of plastering is leveled
and smoothed. 11. (n.) A polishing block used in marble working; a runner. 12. ...
/f/float.htm - 10k

Noah (55 Occurrences)
... The judgment-threatened now fell on the guilty world, "the world that then was,
being overflowed with water, perished" (2 Peter 3:6). The ark floated on the ...
/n/noah.htm - 66k

Floating (1 Occurrence)

/f/floating.htm - 7k

Drive (132 Occurrences)
... 18. (n.) A collection of objects that are driven; a mass of logs to be floated
down a river. Multi-Version Concordance Drive (132 Occurrences). ...
/d/drive.htm - 38k

Delos
... According to Greek legend the island once floated on the surface of the water, until
Poseidon fastened it on four diamond pillars for the wandering Leto, who ...
/d/delos.htm - 10k

Prevailed (46 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV DBY WBS). Genesis 7:18 The waters prevailed, and increased greatly on
the earth; and the ship floated on the surface of the waters. ...
/p/prevailed.htm - 20k

Surface (71 Occurrences)
... Genesis 7:18 The waters prevailed, and increased greatly on the earth; and
the ship floated on the surface of the waters. (WEB NAS NIV). ...
/s/surface.htm - 29k

Increased (165 Occurrences)
... NIV). Genesis 7:18 The waters prevailed, and increased greatly on the earth;
and the ship floated on the surface of the waters. (WEB ...
/i/increased.htm - 35k

Numbers (136 Occurrences)
... these years writing was practiced in Egypt and Babylon; and that what was then fixed
in written characters was only the tradition that had floated down for 5 ...
/n/numbers.htm - 71k

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Floated: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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