In biblical literature, the term "shell" is not frequently mentioned directly, but the concept and symbolism associated with shells can be inferred from various scriptural contexts. Shells, as part of God's creation, can be seen as symbols of protection, covering, and sometimes judgment.

Symbolism and Usage

1. Protection and Covering: Shells are often associated with protection and covering, as they serve as a natural armor for the creatures that inhabit them. This can be metaphorically linked to the biblical theme of God as a protector and refuge for His people. For instance, Psalm 91:4 states, "He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart." While not directly mentioning shells, the imagery of protection is akin to the function of a shell.

2. Judgment and Hardness: In some biblical contexts, the concept of hardness or impenetrability can be related to shells. This is seen in the metaphorical use of hard-heartedness or stubbornness against God's will. Ezekiel 3:7 says, "But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to Me, because all the house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted." The hardness of a shell can symbolize the resistance of the human heart to divine instruction.

3. Creation and Beauty: Shells, as part of the natural world, reflect the beauty and diversity of God's creation. In Genesis 1:31 , it is written, "And God saw all that He had made, and it was very good." The intricate design and variety of shells can be seen as a testament to God's creative power and attention to detail.

Cultural and Historical Context

In the ancient Near East, shells were often used as decorative items and in trade. They were valued for their beauty and rarity, much like precious stones. This cultural appreciation can be seen in the broader biblical context of valuing God's creation and the resources He provides.

Theological Implications

Theologically, shells can serve as a reminder of God's provision and protection. Just as a shell provides a home and safety for the creature within, believers find their security and identity in God. This is echoed in passages like Psalm 18:2 , "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

Conclusion

While the Bible does not explicitly focus on shells, the themes and symbolism associated with them can be drawn from the broader scriptural narrative. They serve as a metaphor for protection, judgment, and the beauty of God's creation, reflecting the multifaceted nature of God's relationship with His people.1. (n.) A hard outside covering, as of a fruit or an animal.

2. (n.) The covering, or outside part, of a nut; as, a hazelnut shell.

3. (n.) A pod.

4. (n.) The hard covering of an egg.

5. (n.) The hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of mollusks, crustaceans, and some other invertebrates. In some mollusks, as the cuttlefishes, it is internal, or concealed by the mantle. Also, the hard covering of some vertebrates, as the armadillo, the tortoise, and the like.

6. (n.) Hence, by extension, any mollusks having such a covering.

7. (n.) A hollow projectile, of various shapes, adapted for a mortar or a cannon, and containing an explosive substance, ignited with a fuse or by percussion, by means of which the projectile is burst and its fragments scattered. See Bomb.

8. (n.) The case which holds the powder, or charge of powder and shot, used with breech loading small arms.

9. (n.) Any slight hollow structure; a framework, or exterior structure, regarded as not complete or filled in; as, the shell of a house.

10. (n.) A coarse kind of coffin; also, a thin interior coffin enclosed in a more substantial one.

11. (n.) An instrument of music, as a lyre, -- the first lyre having been made, it is said, by drawing strings over a tortoise shell.

12. (n.) An engraved copper roller used in print works.

13. (n.) The husks of cacao seeds, a decoction of which is often used as a substitute for chocolate, cocoa, etc.

14. (n.) The outer frame or case of a block within which the sheaves revolve.

15. (n.) A light boat the frame of which is covered with thin wood or with paper; as, a racing shell.

16. (v. t.) To strip or break off the shell of; to take out of the shell, pod, etc.; as, to shell nuts or peas; to shell oysters.

17. (v. t.) To separate the kernels of (an ear of Indian corn, wheat, oats, etc.) from the cob, ear, or husk.

18. (v. t.) To throw shells or bombs upon or into; to bombard; as, to shell a town.

19. (v. i.) To fall off, as a shell, crust, etc.

20. (v. i.) To cast the shell, or exterior covering; to fall out of the pod or husk; as, nuts shell in falling.

21. (v. i.) To be disengaged from the ear or husk; as, wheat or rye shells in reaping.

7827. shecheleth -- (an ingredient of the holy incense) perhaps ...
... Apparently from the same as shachal through some obscure idea, perhaps that of peeling
off by concussion of sound; a scale or shell, ie The aromatic mussel. ...
/hebrew/7827.htm - 6k

667. ephroach -- a young one
... young one. From parach (in the sense of bursting the shell); the brood of a bird --
young (one). see HEBREW parach. 666, 667. ephroach. 668 . Strong's Numbers
/hebrew/667.htm - 6k

Egg-Shell Christians
... TALK SEVEN. EGG-SHELL CHRISTIANS. You have sometimes heard it said of people
that "they have to be handled like eggs"; eggs must ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk seven egg-shell christians.htm

Christ Teaching by Parables
... The parable, like the shell of the nut, covers up the kernel. ... The shell of the nut
keeps the kernel safe for one of these persons, and safe from the others. ...
/.../newton/the life of jesus christ for the young/christ teaching by parables.htm

The First Games
... Then, with rapid baffling movements, hands brown and alert fly from one shell to
another, shuffle them, mix them up, juggle the dried pea sometimes under this ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/iv the first games.htm

The Pearl.
... Pliny saith, Shell fish is the wonderful geniture of a pearl congealed into a
diaphanous stone, and the shell is called the mother of pearl. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/vi the pearl.htm

Calvary
... mind to be like some tiny creature at the bottom of the sea"as incapable of
comprehending it all as is the crustacean of scooping up the Atlantic in its shell ...
/.../stalker/the trial and death of jesus christ/chapter xii calvary.htm

The Disciple, -- Master, if Thou Wouldst Make a Special ...
... 7. The human spirit abides in the body very much as the chicken in the
shell. If it were possible for the bird within the shell ...
//christianbookshelf.org/singh/at the masters feet/section ii the disciple .htm

Argument: Octavius, Displeased at the Act of this Superstitious ...
... This play is: To choose a shell from the shore, rubbed and made smooth by the tossing
of the waves; to take hold of the shell in a horizontal position with the ...
/.../the octavius of minucius felix/chapter iii argument octavius displeased at.htm

Tenth Commandment
... In fact we might add lying, and make them triplets. "The covetous person is a thief
in the shell. The thief is a covetous person out of the shell. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/tenth commandment.htm

The Form and Spirit of Religion
... It is like an egg-shell enclosing the egg; there is no life in the shell, but you
must take care you do not crack it, or else you may destroy the life within. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the form and spirit of.htm

Semi-Parasitism.
... The peculiarity of the Hermits is that they take up their abode in the cast-off
shell of some other animal, not unusually the whelk; and here, like Diogenes in ...
/.../drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/semi-parasitism.htm

Shell (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (n.) A hard outside covering, as of a fruit or an animal. 2. (n.) The covering,
or outside part, of a nut; as, a hazelnut shell. 3. (n.) A pod. ...
/s/shell.htm - 9k

Onycha (1 Occurrence)
... A nail; claw; hoof, (Hebrews sheheleth; Exodus 30:34), a Latin word applied to the
operculum, ie, the claw or nail of the strombus or wing-shell, a univalve ...
/o/onycha.htm - 8k

Pearl (5 Occurrences)
... Its shell is the "mother of pearl," which is of great value for ornamental purposes
(1 Timothy 2:9; Revelation 17:4). Each shell contains eight or ten pearls ...
/p/pearl.htm - 10k

Colour (22 Occurrences)
... Purple, a colour obtained from the secretion of a species of shell-fish (the Murex
trunculus) which was found in the Mediterranean, and particularly on the ...
/c/colour.htm - 21k

Kernel (4 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) The inner part of a grain or seed, often the edible part; all that is within
the seed walls; the edible substance contained in the shell of a nut; hence ...
/k/kernel.htm - 8k

Include (7 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To confine within; to hold; to contain; to shut up; to enclose; as, the
shell of a nut includes the kernel; a pearl is included in a shell. ...
/i/include.htm - 8k

Tortoise (1 Occurrence)
... 3. (n.) having a color like that of a tortoise's shell, black with white and
orange spots; -- used mostly to describe cats of that color. ...
/t/tortoise.htm - 9k

Egg (3 Occurrences)
... tortoises, etc. It consists of a yolk, usually surrounded by the white
or albumen, and enclosed in a shell or strong membrane. 2 ...
/e/egg.htm - 10k

Dora
... It furnished an abundance of the shell-fish so valuable for the manufacture of the
Tyrian purple, and this would have led the Phoenicians to occupy the site. ...
/d/dora.htm - 9k

Dor (7 Occurrences)
... It furnished an abundance of the shell-fish so valuable for the manufacture of the
Tyrian purple, and this would have led the Phoenicians to occupy the site. ...
/d/dor.htm - 13k

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