In the biblical context, marauders are often depicted as bands of raiders or plunderers who engage in violent and destructive activities, typically during times of war or social upheaval. These groups are characterized by their lawlessness and their tendency to exploit vulnerable communities for their own gain. The presence of marauders in the biblical narrative underscores the themes of chaos, judgment, and the need for divine intervention and protection.

Old Testament References

The Old Testament provides several accounts of marauding bands, often as instruments of divine judgment or as adversaries of the Israelites. One notable instance is found in the Book of Judges, where the Midianites are described as marauders who oppressed Israel. Judges 6:3-4 states, "Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys."

The Amalekites are another group frequently associated with marauding activities. In 1 Samuel 30, David and his men return to Ziklag to find it raided and burned by the Amalekites, who had taken captive the women and children. This event prompts David to seek the Lord's guidance and ultimately pursue and defeat the marauders, as recorded in 1 Samuel 30:8 : "And David inquired of the LORD, 'Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?' 'Pursue them,' He answered. 'You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.'"

Prophetic Literature

The prophetic books also mention marauders in the context of divine judgment. In Jeremiah 49:28-29 , the prophet speaks against Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, warning of an impending attack by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon: "Arise, advance against a nation at ease, one that dwells securely, declares the LORD. They have neither gates nor bars; they dwell alone. Their camels will become plunder, and their large herds will be spoils of war."

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not explicitly mention marauders in the same manner as the Old Testament, the concept of lawlessness and the threat of violence remain relevant. Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37 illustrates the dangers of traveling through areas prone to banditry, as a man is attacked by robbers and left for dead. This parable highlights the moral and social implications of such violence and the call to compassion and mercy.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, marauders in the Bible often serve as a symbol of the chaos and disorder that result from humanity's rebellion against God. They are a reminder of the fallen state of the world and the need for divine justice and protection. The biblical narrative frequently portrays God as the ultimate protector and deliverer of His people, who can restore order and peace in the face of such threats.

In summary, marauders in the Bible are emblematic of the broader struggle between order and chaos, good and evil. Their presence in the biblical text serves to highlight the need for reliance on God's providence and the hope of eventual deliverance and restoration.

Our Stronghold
... Then, when troops of marauders invaded the land, strong castles were set upon the
various hill-tops and the inhabitants gathered up their little wealth and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/our stronghold.htm

The Word that Scatters Fear
... Like the storm pillars in their own deserts, are these wild marauders with
the wild names that never appear again in the history. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the word that scatters fear.htm

The Memphite Empire
... The marauders took advantage of any inequality in the ground to approach unperceived,
and they were often successful in getting through the lines; they ...
/.../chapter iithe memphite empire.htm

Philip and the Desposyni
... But we have been attacked by chance bands of the marauders,' said Miriam.
Don't look so alarmed, Philip,' said David, laughing. ...
/.../chapter lxiv philip and the.htm

The Government of India.
... No longer are hosts of marauders like the Pindarees, who scarcely professed to be
anything else than marauders, allowed to roam over fertile and populous ...
/.../chapter xxxi the government of.htm

Shepherd Life in the Orient.
... to the sky, and consisting simply of a high wall of rough stone, to protect the
sheep from the attacks of wild beasts, and from prowling marauders who threaten ...
/.../callan/the shepherd of my soul/ii shepherd life in the.htm

The Adventure of the Three Sons of Saint George.
... With the war-cry of their father's name, they rushed on the marauders, and, as none
would yield, they slew them all, and then loosed the lady and her attendants ...
/.../the seven champions of christendom/chapter fourteen the adventure of.htm

Philip visits St. Nilus
... the world. Barbarous marauders invaded the desert, and carried off many of
the hermits, and among them Nilus and his son. They dismissed ...
/.../chapter lxii philip visits st.htm

Dishonest Tenants
... The fence was to keep off marauders, whether passers-by or 'the boar out of the
wood' (Psalm 80:12,13); the wine-press, for which Mark uses the word which ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/dishonest tenants.htm

Heroic Faith
... stony desert, which stretches unbroken from the Euphrates to the uplands on the
east of Jordan, was infested then as now by wild bands of marauders, who might ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/heroic faith.htm

Marauders (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Marauders (2 Occurrences). Job 12:6 The tents
of robbers prosper. Those who provoke God are secure, who ...
/m/marauders.htm - 6k

Lachish (22 Occurrences)
... is from the chief of Atim (=Etam, 1 Chronicles 4:32) to the chief of Lachish, in
which the writer expresses great alarm at the approach of marauders from the ...
/l/lachish.htm - 22k

Gideon (45 Occurrences)
... They came first as marauders and pillagers at the time of the harvests, but later
they forcibly took possession of lands, and thus inflicted permanent injury ...
/g/gideon.htm - 36k

Farm (9 Occurrences)
... For protection against wild beasts and Arab marauders everyone lived in a village
and went out to his fields, located perhaps miles away, only as occasion ...
/f/farm.htm - 11k

Rezon (3 Occurrences)
... the service of Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, on the occasion of his being defeated
by David, he became the "captain over a band" of marauders, and took Damascus ...
/r/rezon.htm - 9k

Mahanehdan (1 Occurrence)
... began to move Samson. Here the 600 marauders of Dan, coming from Zorah
and Eshtaol, encamped behind Kiriath-jearim. It has been ...
/m/mahanehdan.htm - 8k

Mahaneh-dan (2 Occurrences)
... began to move Samson. Here the 600 marauders of Dan, coming from Zorah
and Eshtaol, encamped behind Kiriath-jearim. It has been ...
/m/mahaneh-dan.htm - 9k

Marauding (3 Occurrences)

/m/marauding.htm - 7k

Machaerus
... Fortress, was built by Herod the Great in the gorge of Callirhoe, one of the wadies
9 miles east of the Dead Sea, as a frontier rampart against Arab marauders. ...
/m/machaerus.htm - 9k

Marauder (1 Occurrence)

/m/marauder.htm - 6k

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