Topical Bible: The Ear: The Organ of Hearing

◄ The Ear: The Organ of Hearing ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

The ear, as the organ of hearing, holds significant importance in the biblical narrative, both in its physical function and its metaphorical implications. In Scripture, the ear is often mentioned in the context of listening, obedience, and discernment, serving as a symbol of one's receptivity to God's word and commands.

Physical and Symbolic Significance

The ear is a marvel of God's creation, designed to receive sound waves and convert them into signals that the brain can understand. This intricate process is a testament to the Creator's wisdom and power. In the Bible, the ear is frequently used as a metaphor for spiritual perception and understanding. For instance, in Proverbs 20:12, it is written, "Ears that hear and eyes that see—the LORD has made them both." This verse highlights the divine origin of our sensory faculties and their intended purpose for discerning truth.

Hearing and Obedience

In biblical theology, hearing is closely linked to obedience. The Hebrew word "shema," often translated as "hear," also implies obedience. This connection is evident in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, known as the Shema: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Here, the call to "hear" is a call to acknowledge and obey God's commandments.

The New Testament continues this theme, emphasizing the importance of not just hearing but also doing. James 1:22 admonishes believers, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." This underscores the idea that true hearing involves an active response to God's word.

Spiritual Deafness

Conversely, the Bible warns against spiritual deafness, a condition where individuals are unable or unwilling to hear God's voice. In Isaiah 6:9-10, the prophet is instructed to tell the people, "Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving." This passage reflects the tragic state of those who have hardened their hearts against divine truth.

Jesus often addressed this issue in His teachings, using the phrase, "He who has ears, let him hear" (Matthew 11:15). This call was not merely for physical hearing but for spiritual receptivity and understanding.

God's Attentive Ear

The Bible also speaks of God's ear as a metaphor for His attentiveness to the prayers and cries of His people. Psalm 34:15 assures believers, "The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry." This imagery conveys God's readiness to listen and respond to those who seek Him earnestly.

Conclusion

The ear, both as a physical organ and a spiritual symbol, plays a crucial role in the biblical narrative. It serves as a reminder of the importance of listening to God's word, obeying His commands, and maintaining a heart open to His guidance. Through the ear, believers are called to a deeper relationship with God, characterized by attentive listening and faithful obedience.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 13:1
See, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 29:11
When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

A Trained Ear.
... In prayer the ear is an organ of first importance. ... Such an ear-course as that made
a skilled famous ... by earth sounds they were tuned to the hearing of God's ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on prayer/a trained ear.htm

After the Above Statements, He Continues: "If He Wished to Remain ...
... and more divine organ of hearing than that of sense. And when the speaker will not
have his voice to be heard by all, he that has the finer ear hears the voice ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lxxii after the above.htm

Outside the Eden Gate.
... He does not hear the sounds that are plainly coming to his ear because his ... their
ears, whereas it is their refusal to hear that stupefies the hearing organ. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks about jesus/outside the eden gate.htm

Love Unknowable and Known
... that a widely diffused Christianity and a habit of hearing sermons produce ... organ
for apprehending the love of Christ than the ear is the organ for perceiving ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/love unknowable and known.htm

Regeneration and Faith.
... so long as I suppose and know: "This ear can not ... You have only to discriminate between
the organ or the faculty ... if faith is wrought only by the hearing of the ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxiii regeneration and faith.htm

Whether all the Powers of the Soul are in the Soul as their ...
... that some operations of the soul are performed without a corporeal organ, as
understanding ... of corporeal organs; as sight by the eye, and hearing by the ear. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether all the powers of.htm

The Scaffolding Left in the Body
... does not exhaust the betrayals of this most confiding organ. ... The erection of the
ear, in order to catch sound ... he relied on the warnings of hearing, that by a ...
/.../the lowell lectures on the ascent of man/chapter ii the scaffolding left.htm

Whether the Soul is in Each Part of the Body?
... regard to sight, it is in the eye; and with regard to hearing, it is in the ear;
and so ... For that part which is the organ of a nobler power, is a nobler part ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the soul is in.htm

Whether after the Resurrection the Saints Will See God with the ...
... Job 42:5): "With the hearing of the ear, I have ... relation to the sight, and sound
in relation to the hearing. ... as such makes use of a bodily organ, nothing can ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether after the resurrection the.htm

On Attractiveness.
... to save the soul, there was everything to charm the ear! ... plead his cause as to secure
him a reluctant hearing. ... There is as yet no organ sweeter than the human ...
/.../jackson/the message and the man/chapter i on attractiveness.htm