In the context of the Bible, the act of staring can be understood as a fixed or intense gaze, often reflecting a deeper emotional or spiritual state. While the term "stare" itself is not frequently used in most English translations of the Bible, the concept is present in various passages where individuals are described as looking intently or gazing upon something or someone.

Biblical Instances and Implications:

1. Acts 1:10-11 : "They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'" Here, the disciples' intense gaze into the sky reflects their awe and wonder at the ascension of Jesus. The angels' question redirects their focus from passive observation to active anticipation of Christ's return.

2. Psalm 123:2 : "As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until He shows us mercy." This verse uses the metaphor of a servant's attentive gaze to illustrate the posture of dependence and expectation that believers should have towards God. The act of looking intently signifies trust and hope in divine provision and mercy.

3. Luke 4:20 : "Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him." In this passage, the congregation's focused attention on Jesus after He reads from the scroll of Isaiah underscores the significance of His words and the authority with which He spoke. Their stare is one of anticipation and curiosity about the fulfillment of prophecy.

4. 2 Corinthians 3:7-8 : "Now if the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?" The Israelites' inability to gaze at Moses' face due to its radiance after receiving the Law highlights the overwhelming glory associated with divine encounters. This serves as a contrast to the surpassing glory of the new covenant through the Spirit.

Theological Reflections:

The act of staring or gazing in the Bible often conveys a deeper spiritual truth or emotional state. It can signify awe, reverence, expectation, or even confusion. In a spiritual sense, believers are encouraged to fix their eyes on Jesus, as stated in Hebrews 12:2 : "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." This directive emphasizes the importance of maintaining a focused and unwavering gaze on Christ amidst life's distractions and challenges.

In summary, while the physical act of staring is a simple human behavior, its representation in Scripture often points to profound spiritual realities, encouraging believers to maintain a posture of attentiveness and expectation towards God and His promises.1. (n.) The starling.

2. (v. i.) To look with fixed eyes wide open, as through fear, wonder, surprise, impudence, etc.; to fasten an earnest and prolonged gaze on some object.

3. (v. i.) To be very conspicuous on account of size, prominence, color, or brilliancy; as, staring windows or colors.

4. (v. i.) To stand out; to project; to bristle.

5. (v. t.) To look earnestly at; to gaze at.

6. (n.) The act of staring; a fixed look with eyes wide open.

816. atenizo -- to look fixedly, gaze
... observe with great interest and a fastened (fixed) gaze; "to fix one s eyes on
some object continually and intensely -- 'to look straight at, to stare at, to ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/816.htm - 7k

3708. horao -- to see, perceive, attend to
... Properly, to stare at (compare optanomai), ie (by implication) to discern clearly
(physically or mentally); by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3708.htm - 9k

1689. emblepo -- to look at, fig. to consider
... 1689 (from 1722 , "engaged " and 991 , "look") -- properly, stare (look) at with
a "locked-in gaze"; look at in a , way, ie with special "interest, love or ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1689.htm - 7k

7200. raah -- to see
... 1), seeing (5), seemed (1), seen (153), sees (32), select (1), selected (1), show
(24), showed (15), shown (19), shows (1), sleep* (1), stare (2), staring (1 ...
/hebrew/7200.htm - 7k

8173. sha'a' -- to be smeared over, blinded
sha'a'. 8172, 8173. sha'a'. 8173a . to be smeared over, blinded. Transliteration:
sha'a' Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-ah') Short Definition: stare. cry out ...
/hebrew/8173.htm - 5k

Popular Science, Like that of Mr. ...
... The students of heredity are savages in this vital sense; that they stare
back at marvels, but they dare not stare forward to schemes. ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 29 popular science like.htm

De Tactus Voluptate Et Libidine, Atque De Matrimonio Et ...
... Iniquum est enim, ut id exigas, quod pr?? stare ipse non possis. Qu?? iniquitas
effecit profecto, ut essent adulteria, foe minis ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xxiii name tactus voluptate.htm

Chapter twelve
... As they entered farther into the district, the Rectangle seemed to stare as with
one great, bleary, beer-soaked countenance at this fine carriage with its load ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sheldon/in his steps/chapter twelve.htm

Literary Expressions
... A faint tremor of amusement was on his lips. A faintly quizzical look came
into his incisive stare. ... A glassy stare of deprecating horror. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section vii literary expressions.htm

Man's Ruin and God's Remedy
... in Christ. Oh sinner! there are four things that stare thee in the face,
and should alarm thee. The first thing is thy sin. I hear ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/mans ruin and gods remedy.htm

Preface
... logic kills me quite; A noisy man is always in the right" I twirl my thumbs, fall
back into my chair, Fix on the wainscot a distressful stare; And when I ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kleiser/talks on talking/preface.htm

Praefatio
... terruimus reos. Tandem militiae gradu evectum pietas principis extulit
20 adsumptum propius stare iubens ordine proximo. Haec dum ...
//christianbookshelf.org/prudentius/the hymns of prudentius/praefatio.htm

Reverence in Prayer
... Would yon stare round the room at the servants, and at the furniture, while your
sovereign is speaking to you, and you to him?" And so on. No. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/whyte/lord teach us to pray/xvii reverence in prayer.htm

A New Venture
... GEORGE MATHESON. "The world had begun to stare, she half apprehended the
fact, but she was in the presence of the irresistible. In ...
/.../cable/the fulfilment of a dream of pastor hsis/chapter iii a new venture.htm

"The Dust of the Actual"
... the time. Half a dozen imbecile-looking old women crowd in through the
low door, and stare and exchange observations. Three young ...
/.../wilson-carmichael/things as they are/chapter vii the dust of.htm

Stare (4 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Stare (4 Occurrences). ... Psalms 22:17 I can count all of
my bones. They look and stare at me. (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV). ...
/s/stare.htm - 8k

Gloat (11 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Psalms 22:17 I may count all my bones; They look and stare upon me.
(See JPS RSV NIV). Psalms 30:1 A Psalm. A Song for the Dedication of the Temple. ...
/g/gloat.htm - 9k

Ponder (10 Occurrences)
... thou canst not know them. (KJV DBY WBS YLT NAS). Isaiah 14:16 Those who see
you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, "Is ...
/p/ponder.htm - 10k

Stared (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Stare. Multi-Version Concordance
Stared (3 Occurrences). John 13:22 The disciples looked ...
/s/stared.htm - 7k

Scorched (21 Occurrences)
... (WEB JPS ASV DBY YLT NAS RSV NIV). Song of Songs 1:6 Don't stare at me because I
am dark, because the sun has scorched me. My mother's sons were angry with me. ...
/s/scorched.htm - 12k

Shook (33 Occurrences)
... forest are shaken with the wind. (DBY NAS RSV). Isaiah 14:16 Those who see
you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, "Is ...
/s/shook.htm - 16k

Kingdoms (65 Occurrences)
... Sodom and Gomorrah. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Isaiah
14:16 Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder ...
/k/kingdoms.htm - 29k

Vineyards (55 Occurrences)
... I planted myself vineyards. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Song of Songs
1:6 Don't stare at me because I am dark, because the sun has scorched me. ...
/v/vineyards.htm - 25k

Tremble (92 Occurrences)
... of his fierce anger. (WEB JPS ASV YLT NAS RSV NIV). Isaiah 14:16 Those who
see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying ...
/t/tremble.htm - 34k

Set (6715 Occurrences)
... Saul.... set his eyes on him," Greek atenizo, "to stare fixedly," Vulgate:
intuens in eum, Dutch de oogen op hem houdende. These ...
/s/set.htm - 20k

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