In biblical terminology, the term "pricks" is often associated with the metaphorical expression "kicking against the pricks," which appears in the New Testament. This phrase is used to describe a futile or self-defeating resistance to authority or divine will. The imagery is derived from the agricultural practice of using a goad, a sharp stick, to guide oxen while plowing. When an ox would kick against the goad, it would only result in more pain for itself, illustrating the futility of resisting guidance.

Biblical References:

1. Acts 9:5 : The most notable use of this expression is found in the account of Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus. When Saul, later known as the Apostle Paul, encounters the risen Christ, he hears a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the pricks." This encounter marks a pivotal moment in Saul's life, as he transitions from a persecutor of Christians to a devoted apostle of Christ. The phrase underscores the futility of Saul's resistance to God's calling and serves as a metaphor for the divine authority that cannot be thwarted.

2. Acts 26:14 : In Paul's defense before King Agrippa, he recounts his conversion experience, repeating the words of Jesus: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the pricks." This repetition emphasizes the significance of the encounter and the transformative power of divine intervention in Paul's life.

Theological Significance:

The metaphor of "kicking against the pricks" highlights the sovereignty of God and the futility of human resistance to His will. It serves as a reminder of the importance of submission to divine authority and the consequences of opposing God's purposes. In the context of Saul's conversion, it illustrates the transformative power of God's grace, which can turn even the most ardent opponent into a faithful servant.

Historical and Cultural Context:

In ancient agricultural societies, the goad was an essential tool for guiding and controlling livestock. The imagery of an ox kicking against the goad would have been familiar to the original audience of the New Testament, making the metaphor a powerful illustration of resistance to divine guidance. The use of this expression in the context of Saul's conversion would have resonated with early Christians, who understood the challenges of submitting to God's will in a world often hostile to their faith.

Application for Believers:

For contemporary believers, the concept of "kicking against the pricks" serves as a caution against resisting God's direction in their lives. It encourages Christians to embrace God's guidance, even when it challenges their own desires or understanding. By submitting to God's will, believers can experience the fullness of His purpose and the transformative power of His grace, just as Saul did on the road to Damascus.Pricks

The points with which ox-goads were armed, by kicking against which a refractory bullock only hurt itself the more. Hence a proverb, found in Greek and Latin as well as in Hebrew, applied to those who resist lawful authority, or the power of God, Acts 9:5 26:14. Compare Job 15:25-26. See OX.

7899. sek -- a thorn
... a thorn. Transliteration: sek Phonetic Spelling: (sake) Short Definition: pricks.
Word Origin from an unused word Definition a thorn NASB Word Usage pricks (1). ...
/hebrew/7899.htm - 6k

Christ's Remonstrances
... it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.'"Acts 26:14. 'Can the
Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?' No. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/christs remonstrances.htm

What is the Usefulness of those vices which are Natural to Us.
... naturally excited? Do not we also see that the deadly pricks of anger already
exist in full vigour likewise in little children? and ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter iii what is the.htm

Acts xxv. 23
... the chief priests as witnesses, and the "strange cities," and that he heard Him
saying to him, "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks," and shows the ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily lii acts xxv 23.htm

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
... But it may be embodied in a sentence, thus: "It is hard for thee to kick against
the pricks" (Acts 26:14), where Saul's conduct in persecuting Christ's ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxv the figurative language.htm

On the Perfection of Patience.
... that evil, admitted no remedy of penitence, nor any healing plaster, so those also
who have given themselves up to be smitten by the same pricks, exclude all ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xvi on the perfection.htm

Matt. xii. 33
... first; just as he that treads [1732] on fire burns up himself, and he that smites
adamant spites himself, and he that kicks against the pricks draws blood from ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xlii matt xii 33.htm

The Conversion of Saul of Tarsus
... it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.""Acts 26:14. ... "Saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.". ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the conversion of saul of.htm

His Own Sufferings: Exhortation to Stedfastness.
... as ye know, by the will of God, spared Daniel, but by beasts in the shape of men,
in whom the merciless wild beast himself lies hid, and pricks and wounds me ...
/.../chapter i his own sufferings exhortation.htm

Order and Argument in Prayer
... ungenerous and undeserved. Alas for a man when his wine-cup mocks him with
vinegar, and his pillow pricks him with thorns! The patriarch ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 12 1866/order and argument in prayer.htm

The Same Continued.
... [952] "It is hard to kick against the pricks;" [953] it is hard to disbelieve Christ;
it is hard to reject the preaching of the apostles. Footnotes: ...
/.../chapter viii the same continued.htm

Pricks (4 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Pricks (4 Occurrences). ... And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom
thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. (KJV YLT). ...
/p/pricks.htm - 7k

Prick (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (v.) That which pricks, penetrates, or punctures; a sharp and slender thing;
a pointed instrument; a goad; a spur, etc.; a point; a skewer. ...
/p/prick.htm - 11k

Kick (8 Occurrences)
... The words seem to mean that Paul's paroxysm of persecution was a painful as well
as profitless resistance to the pricks of conscience by which God was leading ...
/k/kick.htm - 10k

Persecutest (7 Occurrences)
... And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick
against the pricks. ... it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. ...
/p/persecutest.htm - 8k

Point (106 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt & i.) To appoint. 2. (n.) That which pricks or pierces; the sharp end of
anything, esp. the sharp end of a piercing instrument, as a needle or a pin. ...
/p/point.htm - 40k

Persecute (48 Occurrences)
... And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick
against the pricks. ... it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. ...
/p/persecute.htm - 20k

Thorn (30 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) Fig.: That which pricks or annoys as a thorn; anything troublesome; trouble;
care. 4. (n.) The name of the Anglo-Saxon letter /, capital form /. ...
/t/thorn.htm - 35k

Vex (20 Occurrences)
... ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall
come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your ...
/v/vex.htm - 14k

Goad (2 Occurrences)
... The expression (Acts 9:5, omitted in the RV), "It is hard for thee to kick against
the pricks", ie, against the goad, was proverbial for unavailing resistance ...
/g/goad.htm - 9k

Whips (6 Occurrences)
... God will no more drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a
snare and a trap unto you, and a scourge in your sides, and pricks in your eyes ...
/w/whips.htm - 8k

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