In biblical terminology, the concept of being "stunted" often refers to a lack of growth or development, whether it be physical, spiritual, or moral. This term can be applied to various contexts within the Scriptures, illustrating the consequences of sin, disobedience, or a failure to adhere to God's commandments.

Physical Stunting

While the Bible does not frequently address physical stunting directly, it does speak to the consequences of disobedience and sin that can lead to physical ailments or a lack of prosperity. In Deuteronomy 28, the blessings and curses are outlined for the Israelites based on their obedience to God's law. Disobedience results in various curses, including those that affect health and prosperity, which can be seen as a form of stunting: "The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish" (Deuteronomy 28:22).

Spiritual Stunting

Spiritual stunting is a more prevalent theme in the Bible, where individuals or groups fail to grow in their faith or understanding of God's will. The Apostle Paul addresses this issue in his letters to the early churches. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-2, Paul admonishes the Corinthian church for their lack of spiritual maturity: "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready" . Here, the metaphor of milk versus solid food illustrates the stunted spiritual growth of the believers who have not progressed beyond the basics of the faith.

Similarly, the author of Hebrews expresses concern over the spiritual immaturity of the recipients: "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!" (Hebrews 5:12). This passage highlights the expectation of growth and maturity in the Christian life, contrasting it with the stunted development of those who remain in a state of spiritual infancy.

Moral Stunting

Moral stunting is another aspect where the Bible provides insight. The failure to develop morally and ethically according to God's standards is often depicted as a result of sin and rebellion. The prophet Hosea speaks to the moral decline of Israel, which can be seen as a form of stunting: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children" (Hosea 4:6). The lack of knowledge and rejection of God's law leads to a stunted moral state, resulting in destruction and judgment.

Remedy for Stunting

The Bible offers remedies for overcoming stunted growth, primarily through repentance, obedience, and reliance on God's Word. In James 1:21, believers are encouraged to "get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly receive the word planted in you, which can save your souls" . The transformative power of God's Word is emphasized as the means to foster growth and maturity.

Furthermore, the role of the Holy Spirit is crucial in overcoming spiritual and moral stunting. In Galatians 5:16, Paul advises, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" . Walking by the Spirit enables believers to grow in their faith and live according to God's will, thus avoiding the pitfalls of stunted development.

In summary, the concept of being "stunted" in the Bible serves as a warning against the consequences of sin and disobedience, while also offering hope and guidance for growth through adherence to God's Word and the work of the Holy Spirit.1. (imp. & p. p.) of Stunt.

2. (a.) Dwarfed.

7038. qalat -- to be stunted
... to be stunted. Transliteration: qalat Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-lat') Short Definition:
stunted. ... root Definition to be stunted NASB Word Usage stunted (1). ...
/hebrew/7038.htm - 5k

Power in Operation.
... There are a great many stunted Christians in the Church; their lives are stunted;
they are like a tree planted in poor soil"the soil is hard and stony, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/secret power/chapter iv power in operation.htm

The Sweet Uses of Adversity
... There is a little plant, small and stunted, growing under the shade of a brood
spreading oak; and this little plant values the shade which covers it, and ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the sweet uses of adversity.htm

The Sacrifice of Christ.
... in Arctic regions, has but a poor idea of the majesty of vegetable life,"a microscopic
red moss tinting the surface of the snow, a few stunted pines, and ...
/.../robertson/sermons preached at brighton/vii the sacrifice of christ.htm

Wind and Spirit
... You will find in your greenhouses exotics that stand there, after all your pains
and coals, stunted, and seeming to sigh for the tropical heat which is their ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/wind and spirit.htm

Martyrdom of the Holy and Glorious Apostle Bartholomew.
... beautiful nostrils, his ears hidden by the hair of his head, with a yellow beard,
a few grey hairs, of middle height, and neither tall nor stunted, but middling ...
/.../martyrdom of the holy and.htm

Death to Sin's Penalty is the Way Out into a Life of Justification ...
... this passage into a life of peace with Him, woe to the soul that stops there, thinking
that the goal is reached, and dwindles, so to speak, into a stunted bud. ...
/.../trotter/parables of the cross/death to sins penalty is.htm

The Christian and the Scientific Estimate of Sin
... But that the world is full of human lives, often wrecked, more often partially stunted
and spoiled, in most cases falling short of the full measure of vitality ...
//christianbookshelf.org/beibitz/gloria crucis/iii the christian and the.htm

A Decade of Controversies and Schisms.
... But this spiritual growth was chilled and stunted by the dissensions that arose.
The revivals ceased and the membership actually dwindled. ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter xvii a decade of.htm

Paragraphs from Notable Speeches
... the best writers of other times and other countries, to neutralize and check the
dwarfing influences of necessarily narrow careers and necessarily stunted lives ...
/.../paragraphs from notable speeches.htm

The Sighs of Christ
... The wild animal in the wood, the bird upon the tree, seldom or never know
what sickness is; seldom or never are stunted or deformed. ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xxv the sighs of.htm

Stunted (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (imp. & pp) of Stunt. 2. (a.) Dwarfed.
Multi-Version Concordance Stunted (1 Occurrence). Leviticus 22 ...
/s/stunted.htm - 6k

Botany
... The process having been commenced by the hand of man is assisted by the goats who
crop the tender leaves and shoots, and thus keep stunted many of the bushes. ...
/b/botany.htm - 38k

Myrrh (22 Occurrences)
... This is a stunted tree growing in Arabia, having a light-gray bark; the gum resin
exudes in small tear-like drops which dry to a rich brown or reddish-yellow ...
/m/myrrh.htm - 18k

Palestine (1 Occurrence)
... furnished water. Hills now bare, or at best rough with stunted growth, were
then terraced, so as to grow vines, olives, and grain. To ...
/p/palestine.htm - 89k

Stupefied (2 Occurrences)

/s/stupefied.htm - 7k

Stunned (3 Occurrences)

/s/stunned.htm - 7k

Oak (22 Occurrences)
... well-known localities, there are forests of oak; great tracts of country, especially
in Galilee and East of the Jordan, are covered by a stunted brushwood which ...
/o/oak.htm - 33k

Heath (2 Occurrences)
... "Its gloomy, stunted appearance, with its scale-like leaves pressed close to its
gnarled stem, and cropped close by the wild goats, as it clings to the rocks ...
/h/heath.htm - 8k

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