Definition and Context:
The term "recoil" generally refers to the act of drawing back or retreating, often in response to fear, shock, or repulsion. In a biblical context, it can be understood as a physical or emotional reaction to sin, judgment, or divine revelation. While the specific term "recoil" may not be frequently used in the Bible, the concept is present in various narratives and teachings.

Biblical Instances and Themes:

1. Fear and Reverence:
The concept of recoil can be seen in the reaction of individuals who encounter the divine presence or witness miraculous events. For example, when the Israelites witnessed the power of God at Mount Sinai, they recoiled in fear and awe. Exodus 20:18-19 states, "When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. 'Speak to us yourself, and we will listen,' they said to Moses. 'But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.'"

2. Sin and Judgment:
Recoil can also describe the reaction to sin and its consequences. The Bible often portrays sin as something that should cause believers to recoil in horror and repentance. In Romans 6:23 , Paul writes, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." This verse underscores the seriousness of sin and the natural response of recoiling from its deadly consequences.

3. Moral and Spiritual Recoil:
The Psalms frequently express a moral and spiritual recoil from evil and wickedness. Psalm 97:10 declares, "O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked." This verse encourages believers to recoil from evil as an expression of their love for God and commitment to righteousness.

4. Prophetic Warnings:
The prophets often called the people of Israel to recoil from their sinful ways and return to God. In Jeremiah 3:12-13 , the prophet urges, "Return, O faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will no longer look on you with anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD. I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you have rebelled against the LORD your God." Here, the call to recoil from sin is coupled with an invitation to repentance and restoration.

5. New Testament Teachings:
In the New Testament, the concept of recoil is evident in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, who often warned against the dangers of sin and urged believers to turn away from it. James 4:7-8 advises, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

Theological Implications:
Recoil, as a response to sin and divine revelation, highlights the holiness of God and the call for believers to live in accordance with His standards. It underscores the importance of repentance, the fear of the Lord, and the pursuit of righteousness. The biblical narrative consistently encourages a posture of humility and reverence, urging believers to recoil from sin and draw near to God in faith and obedience.1. (v. i.) To draw back, as from anything repugnant, distressing, alarming, or the like; to shrink.

2. (v. i.) To start, roll, bound, spring, or fall back; to take a reverse motion; to be driven or forced backward; to return.

3. (v. i.) To turn or go back; to withdraw one's self; to retire.

4. (v. t.) To draw or go back.

5. (n.) A starting or falling back; a rebound; a shrinking; as, the recoil of nature, or of the blood.

6. (n.) The state or condition of having recoiled.

7. (n.) Specifically, the reaction or rebounding of a firearm when discharged.

The Recoil of Judgments
... XII THE RECOIL OF JUDGMENTS. ... What he is in fact laying down in this passage is a
much profounder principle,"the principle of the recoil of judgments. ...
/.../peabody/mornings in the college chapel/xii the recoil of judgments.htm

Whether the Infusion of Grace is the First of the Things Required ...
... The remission of guilt, and the movement of the free will in recoil from sin, are
therefore naturally prior to the movement of the free will toward God, and ...
/.../aquinas/nature and grace/article eight whether the infusion.htm

"What is Your Life?"
... It is clear, of course, that each of these views is the natural recoil from
the other. The mistake is that each has recoiled too far. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/drummond/the ideal life/what is your life.htm

Miracles of Destruction.
... If so"and it seems to me probable"how comes it that St John alone omits
the kiss"St John alone records the recoil? I repeat ...
/.../macdonald/miracles of our lord/x miracles of destruction.htm

Love that Can Hate
... The force of our recoil from the bad will be measured by the firmness of our grasp
of the good; and yet, though inseparably connected, the one is apt to be ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/love that can hate.htm

'Strong Crying and Tears'
... great darkness? Reverently we may. That astonishment and distress no doubt
were partly due to the recoil of flesh from death. But if ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/strong crying and tears.htm

Christ and his Captors
... He emphasises that strange recoil of the would- be captors before Christ's majestic,
calm 'I am He'; that was a manifestation of Christ's glory. ...
/.../christ and his captors.htm

Whether a Movement of the Free Will against Sin is Required for ...
... of the free will. This movement of recoil and approach on the part of
the free will means abhorrence and yearning. Hence in his ...
/.../aquinas/nature and grace/article five whether a movement.htm

The Cords of Sin
... The recoil of the gun on the shoulder of him who fired it is certain, whether
the cartridge that flew from its muzzle wounded anything or not. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the cords of sin.htm

Pythagoras Taught, Accordingly, that He had Himself Been ...
... And this scandal, you say, will recoil upon my own head, because it is I who by
replying have provoked you to the madness of writing when you are a man of ...
/.../40 pythagoras taught accordingly that.htm

Recoil (1 Occurrence)
... 4. (vt) To draw or go back. 5. (n.) A starting or falling back; a rebound; a shrinking;
as, the recoil of nature, or of the blood. ...Recoil (1 Occurrence). ...
/r/recoil.htm - 7k

Kick (8 Occurrences)
... 3. (vi) To recoil; -- said of a musket, cannon, etc. ... 7. (n.) The recoil of a musket
or other firearm, when discharged. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. KICK. ...
/k/kick.htm - 10k

Shrink (10 Occurrences)
... compacted. 2. (vi) To withdraw or retire, as from danger; to decline action
from fear; to recoil, as in fear, horror, or distress. 3 ...
/s/shrink.htm - 10k

Recognizing (10 Occurrences)

/r/recognizing.htm - 9k

Jotham (26 Occurrences)
... There came a recoil in the feelings of the people toward Abimelech, and then a terrible
revenge, in which many were slain and the city of Shechem was destroyed ...
/j/jotham.htm - 25k

Recoils (2 Occurrences)

/r/recoils.htm - 6k

Shocking (3 Occurrences)
... & vb. n.) of Shock. 2. (a.) Causing to shake or tremble, as by a blow; especially,
causing to recoil with horror or disgust; extremely offensive or disgusting. ...
/s/shocking.htm - 7k

Shock (6 Occurrences)
... violence. 10. (v.) To strike with surprise, terror, horror, or disgust; to
cause to recoil; as, his violence shocked his associates. 11. ...
/s/shock.htm - 9k

Epistles (2 Occurrences)
... in constant fellowship with the greatest thoughts and is nourished at the eternal
fountain-head; but also the fervent indignation and vehement recoil of such a ...
/e/epistles.htm - 80k

Predestination
... Such an ethical sovereignty we hold to be necessary, over against that lax humanitarian
spirit, which, in its recoil from the older Calvinism, invests the ...
/p/predestination.htm - 26k

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