Topical Bible: Stretcheth

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Topical Encyclopedia

The term "stretcheth" is an archaic form of the verb "stretch," commonly found in the King James Version of the Bible and other older translations. It is used to describe the act of extending or spreading out, often in a physical or metaphorical sense. In the Berean Standard Bible , the equivalent modern term "stretches" is used. This entry explores the various contexts in which "stretcheth" appears in the Scriptures, highlighting its theological and spiritual significance.

Creation and Sovereignty of God

One of the most profound uses of "stretcheth" in the Bible is in reference to God's creative power and sovereignty over the universe. In Isaiah 40:22 , it is written, "He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth; its dwellers are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in." This imagery emphasizes God's majesty and authority, portraying Him as the divine architect who effortlessly expands the cosmos. The act of stretching the heavens signifies His control over creation and His ability to sustain it.

Divine Protection and Guidance

The term is also used to describe God's protective and guiding hand over His people. In Exodus 6:6 , God promises deliverance to the Israelites, saying, "Therefore tell the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment." Here, the "outstretched arm" symbolizes God's active intervention and His commitment to rescue and guide His chosen people. It reflects His strength and willingness to act on behalf of those who trust in Him.

Human Response and Worship

In the Psalms, "stretcheth" is often associated with human response to God, particularly in worship and supplication. Psalm 143:6 states, "I stretch out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land." This expression of reaching out to God signifies a deep longing and dependence on Him. It is an act of worship, acknowledging God's sufficiency and the believer's need for His presence and guidance.

Judgment and Justice

The concept of stretching is also used in the context of divine judgment and justice. In Isaiah 5:25 , it is written, "Therefore the anger of the LORD burns against His people; His hand is raised against them to strike them down. The mountains quake, and their corpses lie like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised." Here, the imagery of God's hand being stretched out in judgment serves as a warning of His righteous anger against sin and disobedience. It underscores the seriousness of God's justice and the consequences of turning away from His commandments.

Conclusion

The use of "stretcheth" in the Bible conveys a range of meanings, from God's creative and sovereign power to His protective care and righteous judgment. It also reflects the appropriate human response of worship and dependence on the Almighty. Through these various contexts, the term highlights the dynamic relationship between God and His creation, as well as the profound truths of His nature and character.

Library

The Designation of the one God in the Prophetic Scriptures ...
... said, "I am God and there is none other beside me," [7987] who shows us that He
is the only God, but in company with His Son, with whom "He stretcheth out the ...
/.../tertullian/against praxeas/chapter xviii the designation of the.htm

Commandments to Women.
... out all the whole night. She stretcheth out her arms for useful work, and
layeth her hands to the spindle. She openeth her hands ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec iii commandments to women.htm

That the Self-Existent Being must be All-Powerful.
... destruction hath no covering. He stretcheth out the north over the empty
place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. He bindeth up ...
/.../x proposition x that the.htm

The Sabbath
... It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof
are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 29 the sabbath.htm

Holy Exercises
... 6. Thy divine providence, O my God, stretcheth to all creatures whatsoever; by its
law all things arise, fall, move, and rest: even the very hairs of our heads ...
/.../holy wisdom or directions for the prayer of contemplation/holy exercises.htm

The Loved Ones Chastened
... The ungodly man flourishes like a green bay tree; behold, he stretcheth out his
roots by the river: he knoweth not the year of drought; his leaf withereth not ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the loved ones chastened.htm

Portrait of a Matron
... hold the distaff.20. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth
forth her hands to the needy.21. She is not afraid ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/portrait of a matron.htm

Psalm LXII.
... salvation." "For Himself is my God and my salvation, my taker up, I shall not be
moved more" (ver.2). I know who is above me, I know who stretcheth forth His ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxii.htm

Whether the Notional Acts Proceed from Something?
... Likewise we can object concerning the Holy Ghost, by reason of what is said
(Zech.12:1): "Thus saith the Lord Who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the notional acts proceed.htm

The Gospel of the Friends of God
... goodness " so that never was there a mother who would stretch out her hand so quickly
to draw forth her own child from the fire, as God stretcheth forth His ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bevan/three friends of god/chapter lix the gospel of.htm

Thesaurus

Stretcheth (33 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Stretcheth (33 Occurrences). ... (YLT). Genesis 35:21 And Israel
journeyeth, and stretcheth out his tent beyond the tower of Edar; (YLT). ...
/s/stretcheth.htm - 16k

Formeth (11 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 44:13 The worker in wood stretcheth out a line; he marketh it out with red
chalk; he formeth it with sharp tools, and he marketh it out with the compass ...
/f/formeth.htm - 9k

Preacheth (7 Occurrences)
... Genesis 12:8 And he removeth from thence towards a mountain at the east of
Beth-El, and stretcheth out the tent (Beth-El at the west, and Hai at the east), ...
/p/preacheth.htm - 8k

Buildeth (73 Occurrences)
... Genesis 12:8 And he removeth from thence towards a mountain at the east of
Beth-El, and stretcheth out the tent (Beth-El at the west, and Hai at the east), ...
/b/buildeth.htm - 28k

Spreadeth (37 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants
thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain ...
/s/spreadeth.htm - 17k

Lad (66 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 17:21 And he stretcheth himself out on the lad three times, and calleth
unto Jehovah, and saith, 'O Jehovah my God, let turn back, I pray Thee, the ...
/l/lad.htm - 27k

Quickening (7 Occurrences)
... Ezra 9:9 for servants we 'are', and in our servitude our God hath not forsaken us,
and stretcheth out unto us kindness before the kings of Persia, to give to ...
/q/quickening.htm - 9k

Nin'eveh (18 Occurrences)
... Zephaniah 2:13 And He stretcheth His hand against the north, And doth destroy Asshur,
And he setteth Nineveh for a desolation, A dry land like a wilderness. ...
/n/nin'eveh.htm - 10k

Northern (18 Occurrences)
... border. (See RSV NIV). Job 26:7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty space,
and hangeth the earth over nothing. (See NIV). Jeremiah ...
/n/northern.htm - 12k

Outlines (2 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 44:13 The carpenter stretcheth out a line; he marketh it out with a pencil;
he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compasses, and ...
/o/outlines.htm - 7k

Resources

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Concordance

Stretcheth (33 Occurrences)

Genesis 12:8
And he removeth from thence towards a mountain at the east of Beth-El, and stretcheth out the tent (Beth-El at the west, and Hai at the east), and he buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and preacheth in the name of Jehovah.
(YLT)

Genesis 26:25
and he buildeth there an altar, and preacheth in the name of Jehovah, and stretcheth out there his tent, and there Isaac's servants dig a well.
(YLT)

Genesis 35:21
And Israel journeyeth, and stretcheth out his tent beyond the tower of Edar;
(YLT)

Genesis 39:21
And Jehovah is with Joseph, and stretcheth out kindness unto him, and putteth his grace in the eyes of the chief of the round-house;
(YLT)

Exodus 8:6
And Aaron stretcheth out his hand against the waters of Egypt, and the frog cometh up, and covereth the land of Egypt;
(YLT)

Exodus 8:17
And they do so, and Aaron stretcheth out his hand with his rod, and smiteth the dust of the land, and the gnats are on man and on beast; all the dust of the land hath been gnats in all the land of Egypt.
(YLT)

Exodus 9:23
And Moses stretcheth out his rod towards the heavens, and Jehovah hath given voices and hail, and fire goeth towards the earth, and Jehovah raineth hail on the land of Egypt,
(YLT)

Exodus 10:13
And Moses stretcheth out his rod against the land of Egypt, and Jehovah hath led an east wind over the land all that day, and all the night; the morning hath been, and the east wind hath lifted up the locust.
(YLT)

Exodus 10:22
And Moses stretcheth out his hand towards the heavens, and there is darkness -- thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days;
(YLT)

Exodus 14:21
And Moses stretcheth out his hand towards the sea, and Jehovah causeth the sea to go on by a strong east wind all the night, and maketh the sea become dry ground, and the waters are cleaved,
(YLT)

Exodus 14:27
And Moses stretcheth out his hand towards the sea, and the sea turneth back, at the turning of the morning, to its perennial flow, and the Egyptians are fleeing at its coming, and Jehovah shaketh off the Egyptians in the midst of the sea,
(YLT)

Joshua 8:18
And Jehovah saith unto Joshua, 'Stretch out with the javelin which 'is' in thy hand towards Ai, for into thy hand I give it;' and Joshua stretcheth out with the javelin which 'is' in his hand toward the city,
(YLT)

Joshua 19:13
and from thence it passed along eastward to Gath-hepher, to Eth-kazin; and it went out at Rimmon which stretcheth unto Neah;
(ASV)

Judges 4:11
And Heber the Kenite hath been separated from the Kenite, from the sons of Hobab father-in-law of Moses, and he stretcheth out his tent unto the oak in Zaanaim, which 'is' by Kedesh.
(YLT)

2 Samuel 21:10
And Rizpah daughter of Aiah taketh the sackcloth, and stretcheth it out for herself on the rock, from the commencement of harvest till water hath been poured out upon them from the heavens, and hath not suffered a fowl of the heavens to rest upon them by day, or the beast of the field by night.
(YLT)

1 Kings 17:21
And he stretcheth himself out on the lad three times, and calleth unto Jehovah, and saith, 'O Jehovah my God, let turn back, I pray Thee, the soul of this lad into his midst;'
(YLT)

1 Kings 18:42
And Ahab goeth up to eat, and to drink, and Elijah hath gone up unto the top of Carmel, and he stretcheth himself out on the earth, and he placeth his face between his knees,
(YLT)

2 Kings 4:34
And he goeth up, and lieth down on the lad, and putteth his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands, and stretcheth himself upon him, and the flesh of the lad becometh warm;
(YLT)

2 Kings 4:35
and he turneth back and walketh in the house, once hither and once thither, and goeth up and stretcheth himself upon him, and the youth sneezeth till seven times, and the youth openeth his eyes.
(YLT)

1 Chronicles 15:1
And he maketh for himself houses in the city of David, and prepareth a place for the ark of God, and stretcheth out for it a tent.
(YLT)

Job 9:8
That alone stretcheth out the heavens, And treadeth upon the waves of the sea;
(See JPS ASV)

Job 15:25
For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.
(KJV WBS)

Job 26:7
He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

Job 30:24
Indeed, no prayer availeth when he stretcheth out his hand: though they cry when he destroyeth.
(DBY)

Job 39:26
Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soareth, (And) stretcheth her wings toward the south?
(ASV)

Proverbs 31:20
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

Isaiah 31:3
And the Egyptians 'are men', and not God, And their horses 'are' flesh, and not spirit, And Jehovah stretcheth out His hand, And stumbled hath the helper, And fallen hath the helped one, And together all of them are consumed.
(YLT)

Isaiah 40:22
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

Isaiah 44:13
The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

Isaiah 44:24
Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
(KJV ASV WBS)

Hosea 7:5
On the day of our king the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with scoffers.
(See JPS)

Zephaniah 2:13
And He stretcheth His hand against the north, And doth destroy Asshur, And he setteth Nineveh for a desolation, A dry land like a wilderness.
(YLT)

Zechariah 12:1
The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
(KJV ASV DBY WBS)

Subtopics

Stretcheth

Related Terms

Wide-stretching (3 Occurrences)

Far-stretching (1 Occurrence)

Reach (63 Occurrences)

Tall (41 Occurrences)

Founding (4 Occurrences)

Extension (2 Occurrences)

Birth-pains (10 Occurrences)

Child's (16 Occurrences)

Direction (128 Occurrences)