In biblical literature, the term "rough" is often used to describe physical textures, difficult terrains, or metaphorically to depict challenging circumstances or harsh behavior. The concept of "rough" can be found in various contexts throughout the Bible, illustrating both literal and figurative meanings.

1. Physical Terrain and Textures: The Bible frequently uses "rough" to describe the physical landscape, particularly in the context of wilderness or desert areas. In Isaiah 40:4 , the prophet speaks of a transformation where "every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged places a plain." This passage uses the imagery of rough terrain to convey the idea of divine intervention and preparation for the coming of the Lord.

2. Metaphorical Use: The term "rough" is also employed metaphorically to describe difficult or challenging situations. In the New Testament, John the Baptist is described as "a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him’" (Mark 1:3). The call to make straight paths can be understood as a call to remove obstacles and smooth out the roughness in one's life in preparation for receiving Christ.

3. Behavior and Interactions: "Rough" can describe harsh or severe behavior. In the Old Testament, the account of Joseph and his brothers illustrates this when Joseph accuses them of being spies and speaks to them roughly (Genesis 42:7). This roughness is part of Joseph's strategy to test his brothers' character and repentance.

4. Symbolism and Prophecy: In prophetic literature, roughness can symbolize the trials and tribulations faced by God's people. The imagery of rough paths and rugged terrain often serves as a metaphor for the spiritual and moral challenges that believers must navigate. The call to make rough places smooth is a recurring theme, symbolizing the hope of redemption and restoration through divine intervention.

5. Moral and Spiritual Implications: The Bible encourages believers to overcome the "rough" aspects of their spiritual journey by relying on God's guidance and strength. In Proverbs 15:1 , it is written, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." This highlights the importance of gentleness and the avoidance of roughness in speech and conduct.

In summary, the concept of "rough" in the Bible encompasses a range of meanings, from literal descriptions of terrain to metaphorical representations of life's challenges and human behavior. The biblical narrative often contrasts roughness with the smoothness and peace that come from divine intervention and righteous living.1. (n.) Having inequalities, small ridges, or points, on the surface; not smooth or plain; as, a rough board; a rough stone; rough cloth.

2. (n.) Not level; having a broken surface; uneven; -- said of a piece of land, or of a road.

3. (n.) Not polished; uncut; -- said of a gem; as, a rough diamond.

4. (n.) Tossed in waves; boisterous; high; -- said of a sea or other piece of water.

5. (n.) Marked by coarseness; shaggy; ragged; disordered; -- said of dress, appearance, or the like; as, a rough coat.

6. (n.) Hence, figuratively, lacking refinement, gentleness, or polish.

7. (n.) Not courteous or kind; harsh; rude; uncivil; as, a rough temper.

8. (n.) Marked by severity or violence; harsh; hard; as, rough measures or actions.

9. (n.) Loud and hoarse; offensive to the ear; harsh; grating; -- said of sound, voice, and the like; as, a rough tone; rough numbers.

10. (n.) Austere; harsh to the taste; as, rough wine.

11. (n.) Tempestuous; boisterous; stormy; as, rough weather; a rough day.

12. (n.) Hastily or carelessly done; wanting finish; incomplete; as, a rough estimate; a rough draught.

13. (n.) Produced offhand.

14. (n.) Boisterous weather.

15. (n.) A rude fellow; a coarse bully; a rowdy.

16. (adv.) In a rough manner; rudely; roughly.

17. (v. t.) To render rough; to roughen.

18. (v. t.) To break in, as a horse, especially for military purposes.

19. (v. t.) To cut or make in a hasty, rough manner; -- with out; as, to rough out a carving, a sketch.

5138. trachus -- rough
... rough. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: trachus Phonetic Spelling:
(trakh-oos') Short Definition: rough Definition: rough, rugged, uneven. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5138.htm - 6k

5139. Trachonitis -- Trachonitis, a rough region South of Damascus
... Trachonitis, a rough region South of Damascus. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: Trachonitis Phonetic Spelling: (trakh-o-nee'-tis) Short Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5139.htm - 6k

4642. skleros -- hard, rough
... hard, rough. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: skleros Phonetic Spelling:
(sklay-ros') Short Definition: hard, violent, harsh, stern Definition: hard ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4642.htm - 6k

5425. phrisso -- to be rough, to shiver, shudder
... to be rough, to shiver, shudder. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: phrisso Phonetic
Spelling: (fris'-so) Short Definition: I shudder Definition: I shudder ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5425.htm - 6k

2830. kludon -- a billow (of water)
... a billow (of water). Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: kludon Phonetic
Spelling: (kloo'-dohn) Short Definition: rough water Definition: rough ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2830.htm - 6k

840. austeros -- harsh, severe
... austere, strict. From a (presumed) derivative of the same as aer (meaning blown);
rough (properly as a gale), ie (figuratively) severe -- austere. see GREEK aer ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/840.htm - 6k

4764. strenos -- insolent luxury
... 4764 (from , "rough, grating") -- properly, desire that "longs to break forth"
(J. Thayer), ie in self-indulgent luxury (used only in Rev 18:3). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4764.htm - 6k

850. auchmeros -- to boast
... owkh-may-ros') Short Definition: dingy, dusky, obscure, dark, funereal Definition:
(poetical, lit: dry and parched; then: squalid and rough), dingy, murky ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/850.htm - 6k

3756. ou, ouk, ouch -- not, no
... 3756 -- ("not"). 3756 () negates a statement, " as .". [3756 () is written before
smooth breathings and before a rough breathing.]. Word Origin a prim. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3756.htm - 7k

5569. samar -- bristling, rough
... samar. 5570 . bristling, rough. Transliteration: samar Phonetic Spelling:
(saw-mar') Short Definition: bristly. ... rough. From camar; bristling, ie Shaggy -- ...
/hebrew/5569.htm - 6k

7406. rekes -- perhaps roughness
... rough place. From rakac; a mountain ridge (as of tied summits) -- rough place. see
HEBREW rakac. 7405, 7406. rekes. 7407 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7406.htm - 6k

8163. sa'iyr -- hairy
... devil, goat, hairy, kid, rough, satyr Or sabir {saw-eer'}; from sa'ar; shaggy; as
noun, a he-goat; by analogy, a faun -- devil, goat, hairy, kid, rough, satyr. ...
/hebrew/8163.htm - 5k

8181. sear -- hair
... hairy, rough. Or sa.ar (Isaiah 7:20) {sah'-ar}; from sa'ar in the sense of dishevelling;
hair (as if tossed or bristling) -- hair(-y), X rough. see HEBREW sa'ar ...
/hebrew/8181.htm - 6k

386. ethan -- perennial, ever-flowing, permanence
... hard, mighty, rough, strength, strong. Or (shortened) ethan {ay-thawn'};
from an unused root (meaning to continue); permanence; hence ...
/hebrew/386.htm - 6k

1486. goral -- a lot (for casting)
... Or (shortened) goral {go-ral'}; from an unused root meaning to be rough (as stone);
properly, a pebble, ie A lot (small stones being used for that purpose ...
/hebrew/1486.htm - 6k

6215. Esav -- oldest son of Isaac
... Apparently a form of the passive participle of asah in the original sense of handling;
rough (ie Sensibly felt); Esav, a son of Isaac, including his posterity ...
/hebrew/6215.htm - 6k

1921. hadar -- to honor, adorn, perhaps to swell
... Definition to honor, adorn, perhaps to swell NASB Word Usage claim honor (1), defer*
(1), honor (1), majestic (1), partial (1), respected (1), rough places (1 ...
/hebrew/1921.htm - 6k

7186. qasheh -- hard, severe
... From qashah; severe (in various applications) -- churlish, cruel, grievous,
hard((-hearted), thing), heavy, + impudent, obstinate, prevailed, rough(-ly), sore ...
/hebrew/7186.htm - 6k

6121b. aqob -- steep, hilly
... steep, hilly. Transliteration: aqob Short Definition: ground. Word Origin from the
same as aqeb Definition steep, hilly NASB Word Usage rough ground (1). ...
/hebrew/6121b.htm - 5k

A Rough Voyage
... Chapter 8. Wesley and the Soldiers; In Ireland and Wales Again; Wesley Burned
in Effigy; Wesley as an Editor A Rough Voyage. Thursday ...
//christianbookshelf.org/wesley/the journal of john wesley/a rough voyage.htm

A Rough Voyage
... Chapter 19. An Ideal Circuit; Wesley in his Eighties; Wesley Visits Holland;
Incidents in Scotland A Rough Voyage. Monday, April ...
//christianbookshelf.org/wesley/the journal of john wesley/a rough voyage 2.htm

Some Rough Journeys
... Chapter 12. Wesley's Letter to an Editor; Impositions and Declarations; the
Speaking Statue; Wesley's Pentecost Some Rough Journeys. ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/some rough journeys.htm

The Long, Rough Road He Trod
... The Long, Rough Road He Trod. The Book's Story. It wasn't always a rough
road, of course. But as you look at it from end to end ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on following the christ/the long rough road he.htm

Diamond and his Mother Sat Down Upon the Edge of the Rough Grass ...
... Chapter 13 Diamond and his mother sat down upon the edge of the rough
grass that bordered? Diamond and his mother sat down upon ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 13 diamond and his.htm

But Now, Since My Pleading Has Steered Its Course Out of These ...
... But now, since my pleading has steered its course out of these rough and broken
places, and I have refuted the charge of heresy which had been urged against me ...
/.../30 but now since my.htm

On the Road
... But it was odd to see so brilliant a figure on foot in the dusty highway; still
more odd that be carried a rough bundle slung on a staff over his and that ...
/.../greater things the story of saint stanislaus kostka /chapter i on the road.htm

Early Days
... Bilinski and Paul Kostka went back to Vienna, much troubled at heart. They really
loved Stanislaus, for one thing, though they had been pretty rough with him. ...
/.../greater things the story of saint stanislaus kostka /chapter iii early days.htm

Gentleness.
... "Well," says one, "in my very make -up I am rough, harsh, and hasty." You need
to be made anew. When ... manner? Are you too harsh and rough? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/how to live a holy life/gentleness.htm

Jesus on Mount Golgotha.
... The procession again moved on; the road was very steep and rough between the walls
of the town and Calvary, and Jesus had the greatest difficulty in walking ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter xxxvi jesus on mount.htm

Rough (24 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Having inequalities, small ridges, or points, on the surface; not smooth
or plain; as, a rough board; a rough stone; rough cloth. ...
/r/rough.htm - 15k

Rugged (7 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Full of asperities on the surface; broken into sharp or irregular points,
or otherwise uneven; not smooth; rough; as, a rugged mountain; a rugged road. ...
/r/rugged.htm - 9k

Churl (6 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) A rustic; a countryman or laborer. 2. (n.) A
rough, surly, ill-bred man; a boor. ... 4. (a.) Churlish; rough; selfish. Int. ...
/c/churl.htm - 9k

Ragged (1 Occurrence)
... 3. (n.) Broken with rough edges; having jags; uneven; rough; jagged; as, ragged
rocks. ... 6. (n.) Rough; shaggy; rugged. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/r/ragged.htm - 7k

Boisterous (5 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Rough or rude; unbending; tumultuous; unyielding; strong; powerful. ... 3. (a.)
Noisy; rough; turbulent; as, boisterous mirth; boisterous behavior. ...
/b/boisterous.htm - 8k

Shaggy (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Rough with long hair or wool. 2. (n.) Rough;
rugged; jaggy. Multi-Version Concordance Shaggy (2 Occurrences). ...
/s/shaggy.htm - 7k

Hairy (7 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Bearing or covered with hair; made of or resembling
hair; rough with hair; rough with hair; rough with hair; hirsute. ...
/h/hairy.htm - 8k

Smooth (39 Occurrences)
... 1. (superl.) Having an even surface, or a surface so even that no roughness or points
can be perceived by the touch; not rough; as, smooth glass; smooth ...
/s/smooth.htm - 18k

Level (31 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be
made low. The uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain. ...
/l/level.htm - 19k

Uneven (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (a.) Not even; not level; not uniform; rough; as, an uneven road or way; uneven
ground. ... The uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain. ...
/u/uneven.htm - 7k

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