Topical Bible: Undertaking

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the context of the Bible, the term "undertaking" can refer to a task, responsibility, or mission that an individual or group commits to accomplishing. This concept is woven throughout the Scriptures, illustrating both divine and human initiatives. Undertakings in the Bible often involve a sense of duty, purpose, and reliance on God's guidance and provision.

Old Testament Undertakings

1. Noah's Ark: One of the earliest and most significant undertakings in the Bible is Noah's construction of the ark. God commanded Noah to build an ark to preserve his family and pairs of every living creature from the impending flood. This monumental task required faith, obedience, and perseverance. Genesis 6:22 states, "So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him."

2. The Exodus: The liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage under Moses' leadership is another profound undertaking. Moses was called by God to lead His people out of slavery and into the Promised Land. This journey was fraught with challenges, yet it was marked by God's miraculous interventions and Moses' steadfast leadership. Exodus 3:10 records God's command: "So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt."

3. Building the Temple: King Solomon's construction of the Temple in Jerusalem was a significant undertaking that fulfilled his father David's vision. This project was not only a massive architectural endeavor but also a spiritual one, symbolizing God's dwelling among His people. 1 Kings 6:14 notes, "So Solomon built the temple and finished it."

New Testament Undertakings

1. The Great Commission: Jesus' command to His disciples to spread the Gospel to all nations is a central undertaking for Christians. This mission involves evangelism, discipleship, and teaching, as recorded in Matthew 28:19-20: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

2. Paul's Missionary Journeys: The Apostle Paul's missionary journeys represent a series of undertakings aimed at establishing and strengthening early Christian communities. Paul's dedication to preaching the Gospel, despite persecution and hardship, exemplifies commitment to God's calling. Acts 13:2-3 describes the beginning of his first journey: "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' So after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off."

Principles of Undertaking in Scripture

1. Divine Guidance: Undertakings in the Bible often begin with a clear directive from God. Whether through direct communication, visions, or the prompting of the Holy Spirit, God's guidance is crucial for the success of any endeavor.

2. Faith and Obedience: Successful undertakings require faith in God's promises and obedience to His commands. Hebrews 11:7 highlights Noah's faith: "By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family."

3. Perseverance and Endurance: Biblical undertakings frequently involve trials and opposition. Perseverance is essential, as seen in James 1:12: "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."

4. Community and Support: Many undertakings in Scripture involve collaboration and support from others. The early church's communal efforts in spreading the Gospel and caring for one another exemplify this principle, as seen in Acts 2:44-45: "All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need."

In summary, the concept of undertaking in the Bible encompasses a range of activities and missions, all underscored by reliance on God's guidance, faith, obedience, and the support of a community of believers.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Undertake.

2. (n.) The act of one who undertakes, or engages in, any project or business.

3. (n.) That which is undertaken; any business, work, or project which a person engages in, or attempts to perform; an enterprise.

4. (n.) Specifically, the business of an undertaker, or the management of funerals.

5. (n.) A promise or pledge; a guarantee.

Greek

4197. poreia -- a journey
... a journey. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: poreia Phonetic Spelling:
(por-i'-ah) Short Definition: a journey, pursuit, undertaking Definition: a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4197.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

8454. tushiyyah -- sound, efficient wisdom, abiding success
... unused root probably meaning to substantiate; support or (by implication) ability,
ie (direct) help, (in purpose) an undertaking, (intellectual) understanding ...
/hebrew/8454.htm - 6k

Library

The Prooemium. --Motives for Undertaking the Refutation; Exposure ...
... The Prooemium."Motives for Undertaking the Refutation; Exposure of the Ancient
Mysteries; Plan of the Work; Completeness of the Refutation; Value of the ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/the prooemium motives for undertaking the.htm

Appion's Undertaking.
... Homily V. Chapter IV."Appion's Undertaking. "Whence, if ... me. However, your
undertaking influences me, and leads me to hope. But ...
/.../unknown/the clementine homilies/chapter iv appions undertaking.htm

Preface, Explaining his Design in Undertaking this Work.
... The City of God.Book I. Preface, Explaining His Design in Undertaking This
Work. The glorious city of God [28] is my theme in this ...
/.../augustine/city of god/preface explaining his design in.htm

Whence the Greatness of this Service, unto the Undertaking of ...
... Section 31. Whence the greatness of this service, unto the undertaking
of which we have according? 31. Whence the greatness of ...
/.../augustine/of holy virginity /section 31 whence the greatness.htm

A Fit and Auspicious Day was Sought Out for the Accomplishment of ...
... Chap. XII. A fit and auspicious day was sought out for the accomplishment
of this undertaking? A fit and auspicious day was sought ...
/.../lactantius/of the manner in which the persecutors died/chap xii a fit and.htm

A Statement of Augustin's Reason for Undertaking this Work on the ...
... the harmony of the gospels.Book I. Chapter VII."A Statement of Augustin's Reason
for Undertaking This Work on the Harmony of the Evangelists, and an Example ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter vii a statement of augustins.htm

From Aversion to the Christians, Julian Granted Permission to the ...
... The Jews entered upon the undertaking, without reflecting that, according to the
prediction of the holy prophets, it could not be accomplished. ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/chapter xxii from aversion to the.htm

The Publisher Has Pleasure in Submitting the Following Extracts ...
... in a superior style of execution, would be issued, we could not but admire the
enterprise of the publisher, and heartily wish all success to the undertaking. ...
/.../young/youngs night thoughts/the publisher has pleasure in.htm

the Nature of this Oversight
... oversee? Yea, and to take the sole government of them, while the particular
teachers of them are free from that undertaking? Will ...
//christianbookshelf.org/baxter/the reformed pastor/section 1 the nature 2.htm

Treatise on the Priesthood. Book iv.
... If thou wert thyself ambitious of obtaining this office, thy fear would have been
reasonable; for in being ambitious of undertaking it, a man confesses himself ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/treatise on the priesthood book 4.htm

Thesaurus

Undertaking (30 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Undertaking (30 Occurrences). ... Acts 13:32 And we are giving
you the good news of the undertaking made to the fathers, (BBE). ...
/u/undertaking.htm - 15k

Oaths (49 Occurrences)
... Numbers 30:4 If her father, hearing of her oath or the undertaking she has given,
says nothing to her, then all her oaths and every undertaking she has given ...
/o/oaths.htm - 21k

Force (250 Occurrences)
... Numbers 30:2 When a man takes an oath to the Lord, or gives an undertaking having
the force of an oath, let him not go back from his word, but let him do ...
/f/force.htm - 40k

Fortune (7 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) That which befalls or is to befall one; lot in life, or event in any
particular undertaking; fate; destiny; as, to tell one's fortune. ...
/f/fortune.htm - 9k

Thoughtless (17 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Numbers 30:6 And if she is married to a husband at the time when she is under
an oath or an undertaking given without thought; (See RSV). ...
/t/thoughtless.htm - 10k

Adventure (3 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) The encountering of risks; hazardous and striking enterprise; a bold
undertaking, in which hazards are to be encountered, and the issue is staked upon ...
/a/adventure.htm - 8k

Speed (22 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Prosperity in an undertaking; favorable
issue; success. 2. (n.) The act or state of moving swiftly ...
/s/speed.htm - 14k

Heritage (435 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Acts 7:5 And God gave him no heritage in it, not even enough to put his foot
on: but he gave him an undertaking that he would give it to him and to his ...
/h/heritage.htm - 37k

Security (41 Occurrences)
... Proverbs 20:16 Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange
man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men. ...
/s/security.htm - 19k

Undertakings (20 Occurrences)

/u/undertakings.htm - 12k

Resources

What constitutes marriage according to the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Is there value in studying comparative religions? | GotQuestions.org

How many parables are in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Undertaking: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Undertaking (30 Occurrences)

Acts 5:38
Now I tell you, withdraw from these men, and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be overthrown.
(See RSV)

Acts 7:5
And God gave him no heritage in it, not even enough to put his foot on: but he gave him an undertaking that he would give it to him and to his children after him, though he had no child at that time.
(BBE)

Acts 7:17
But when the time was near for putting into effect the undertaking which God had given to Abraham, the people were increasing in Egypt,
(BBE)

Acts 13:32
And we are giving you the good news of the undertaking made to the fathers,
(BBE)

Acts 17:9
And having made Jason and the others give an undertaking to keep the peace, they let them go.
(BBE)

Romans 4:20
Still, he did not give up faith in the undertaking of God, but was made strong by faith, giving glory to God,
(BBE)

Romans 9:8
That is, it is not the children of the flesh, but the children of God's undertaking, who are named as the seed.
(BBE)

Romans 9:9
For this is the word of God's undertaking, At this time will I come, and Sarah will have a son.
(BBE)

Galatians 3:17
Now this I say: The law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, does not put an end to the agreement made before by God, so as to make the undertaking without effect.
(BBE)

Galatians 3:19
What then is the law? It was an addition made because of sin, till the coming of the seed to whom the undertaking had been given; and it was ordered through angels by the hand of a go-between.
(BBE)

Galatians 3:22
However, the holy Writings have put all things under sin, so that that for which God gave the undertaking, based on faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who have such faith.
(BBE)

Galatians 3:29
And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and yours is the heritage by the right of God's undertaking given to Abraham.
(BBE)

Galatians 4:23
Now the son by the servant-woman has his birth after the flesh; but the son by the free woman has his birth through the undertaking of God.
(BBE)

Galatians 4:28
Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are the children of the undertaking of God.
(BBE)

Hebrews 7:6
But this man, who was not of their family, took the tenth from Abraham, and gave a blessing to him to whom God had given his undertaking.
(BBE)

Numbers 30:2
When a man takes an oath to the Lord, or gives an undertaking having the force of an oath, let him not go back from his word, but let him do whatever he has said he will do.
(BBE)

Numbers 30:3
If a woman, being young and under the authority of her father, takes an oath to the Lord or gives an undertaking;
(BBE)

Numbers 30:4
If her father, hearing of her oath or the undertaking she has given, says nothing to her, then all her oaths and every undertaking she has given will have force.
(BBE)

Numbers 30:6
And if she is married to a husband at the time when she is under an oath or an undertaking given without thought;
(BBE)

Numbers 30:8
But if her husband, hearing of it, makes her take it back, then the oath she made and the undertaking she gave without thought will have no force or effect, and she will have the Lord's forgiveness.
(BBE)

Numbers 30:9
But an oath made by a widow or one who is no longer married to her husband, and every undertaking she has given, will have force.
(BBE)

Numbers 30:11
And her husband, hearing of it, said nothing to her and did not put a stop to it, then all her oaths and every undertaking she gave will have force.
(BBE)

Numbers 30:12
But if her husband, on hearing of it, made them without force or effect, then whatever she has said about her oaths or her undertaking has no force: her husband has made them without effect, and she will have the Lord's forgiveness.
(BBE)

Numbers 30:13
Every oath, and every undertaking which she gives, to keep herself from pleasure, may be supported or broken by her husband.
(BBE)

Judges 4:9
And she said, I will certainly go with you: though you will get no honour in your undertaking, for the Lord will give Sisera into the hands of a woman. So Deborah got up and went with Barak to Kedesh.
(BBE)

Esther 9:27
The Jews made a rule and gave an undertaking, causing their seed and all those who were joined to them to do the same, so that it might be in force for ever, that they would keep those two days, as ordered in the letter, at the fixed time every year;
(BBE)

Psalms 74:20
Keep in mind your undertaking; for the dark places of the earth are full of pride and cruel acts.
(BBE)

Proverbs 20:16
Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men.
(BBE)

Proverbs 27:13
Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men.
(BBE)

Jeremiah 34:15
And now, turning away from evil, you had done what is right in my eyes, giving a public undertaking for every man to make his neighbour free; and you had made an agreement before me in the house which is named by my name:
(BBE)

Subtopics

Undertaking

Related Terms

Oaths (49 Occurrences)

Undertook (14 Occurrences)

Solomon (277 Occurrences)

Effect (173 Occurrences)

Undertaking (30 Occurrences)

Force (250 Occurrences)

Unkind (7 Occurrences)

Over-hard (2 Occurrences)

Guarantor (4 Occurrences)