The term "wrest" in the Bible generally refers to the act of twisting, distorting, or perverting something, often in the context of justice, truth, or Scripture. It is used to describe the manipulation or misinterpretation of words or laws to serve one's own purposes, often leading to injustice or falsehood.

Biblical Usage and Context

1. Wresting Justice: In the Old Testament, the concept of wresting is frequently associated with the perversion of justice. Deuteronomy 16:19 warns against such actions: "Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous." Here, the act of wresting is linked to corruption and the distortion of fair judgment, emphasizing the importance of integrity and impartiality in legal matters.

2. Wresting Scripture: The New Testament also addresses the issue of wresting, particularly in relation to the interpretation of Scripture. In 2 Peter 3:16, the Apostle Peter speaks of those who distort the writings of Paul: "He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction." This passage highlights the danger of misinterpreting or twisting the Word of God, which can lead to doctrinal error and spiritual harm.

3. Moral and Ethical Implications: The act of wresting is condemned throughout Scripture as it often leads to moral and ethical decay. Proverbs 17:23 states, "A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice." This verse underscores the destructive nature of wresting, as it undermines the foundation of righteousness and truth that is essential for a just society.

Theological Significance

From a theological perspective, the concept of wresting is significant because it reflects the broader biblical theme of truth versus falsehood. God is portrayed as a God of truth and justice, and His Word is seen as the ultimate standard of righteousness. Therefore, to wrest or distort His Word or His laws is to rebel against His divine order and authority.

The Bible calls believers to uphold truth and justice, warning against the dangers of manipulation and deceit. In a world where truth is often subjective and justice can be compromised, the biblical admonition against wresting serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to God's standards and seeking His wisdom in all matters.

Practical Application

For believers, the call to avoid wresting is a call to integrity in all areas of life. This includes being honest in personal dealings, fair in judgment, and faithful in handling the Word of God. It is a reminder to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in understanding Scripture and to approach God's Word with humility and reverence, avoiding the temptation to twist it to fit personal agendas or preconceived notions.

In summary, the biblical concept of wresting serves as a warning against the distortion of truth and justice, urging believers to live in accordance with God's righteous standards and to be vigilant against the subtle ways in which truth can be compromised.1. (v. t.) To turn; to twist; to pull away by force, or as if by, violent wringing or twisting.

2. (v. t.) To turn from truth; to twist from its natural or proper use or meaning by violence; to pervert; to distort.

3. (v. t.) To tune with a wrest, or key.

4. (n.) The act of wresting; a wrench; a violent twist; hence, distortion; perversion.

5. (n.) Active or moving power.

6. (n.) A key to tune a stringed instrument of music.

7. (n.) A partition in a water wheel, by which the form of the buckets is determined.

WREST

rest: Found in the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) 3 times in the writings of Moses, namely, Exodus 23:2, 6 Deuteronomy 16:19. In all three places it refers to twisting, or turning aside, or perverting judgment or justice. In Deuteronomy 24:17 the Revised Version (British and American) has "wrest" where the King James Version has "pervert."

In Psalm 56:5 ('atsabh); 2 Peter 3:16 (strebloo), it refers to the word or words of God in the Scriptures. In the Psalms the servant of God, who speaks in God's name, complains that the enemies "wrest," misinterpret, misapply and pervert his words. In Peter it is the ignorant and unstedfast who so pervert and misuse some of the difficult words of Paul, and they do it to their own destruction-a most earnest warning against carelessness and conscienceless indifference in interpreting Scripture.

G. H. Gerberding

4761. strebloo -- to twist
... See 4762 (). M. Vincent, "4761 ('to wrest, twist') is applied to (twisting)
Scripture" (used only in 2 Pet 3:16). [The ... 1). wrest. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4761.htm - 7k6087. atsab -- to hurt, pain, grieve
... displease, grieve, hurt, make, be sorry, vex, worship, wrest A primitive
root; properly, to carve, ie Fabricate or fashion; hence ...
/hebrew/6087.htm - 5k

6127. aqal -- to bend, twist
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to bend, twist NASB Word Usage perverted (1).
wrong. A primitive root; to wrest -- wrong. 6126, 6127. aqal. 6128 . ...
/hebrew/6127.htm - 5k

5791. avath -- to be bent or crooked
... bow self, make crooked. A primitive root; to wrest -- bow self, (make) crooked.,
falsifying, overthrow, deal perversely, pervert, subvert, turn upside down. ...
/hebrew/5791.htm - 6k

5186. natah -- to stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
... offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread
(out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away), wrest, cause to ...
/hebrew/5186.htm - 7k

Scripture the Criterion by which Truth and Heresy are ...
... having the same judgment, some, following the Word speaking, frame for themselves
proofs; while others, giving themselves up to pleasures, wrest Scripture, in ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xvi scripture the criterion by.htm

What to do with Doubt
... The apostle Peter says that there are in Scripture "things hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest . . ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/steps to christ/chapter 12 what to do.htm

The Third Commandment
... To bring Scripture to defend any sin is to profane it, and to take God's name in
vain. (4) That adulterate the word, and wrest it in a wrong sense. ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 3 the third commandment.htm

The Mission of the Christian Home.
... Strip the Christian family of its mission as a nursery for the soul; wrest from
the parents their high prerogative as stewards of God; and you heathenize home ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/philips/the christian home/chapter ii the mission of.htm

How to Make Use of Christ as the Truth, when Error Prevaileth, and ...
... 6. They should study the word of truth without prejudice and any sinful pre-engagement,
lest they be made thereby to wire-draw and wrest the word to their own ...
/.../brown/christ the way the truth and the life/chapter xvi how to make.htm

Divine Election and Reprobation
... in ruin; or that decree of election and reprobation, revealed in the Word of God,
which, though men of perverse, impure, and unstable minds wrest it to their ...
/.../anonymous/synod of dort/divine election and reprobation.htm

Elucidations
... Had he not, unfortunately, allied much of his wisdom with the hateful name of the
Gnostic, [3924] which he failed to wrest from the pseudo-Gnostics, with whom ...
/.../clement/who is the rich man that shall be saved/elucidations.htm

Special Practices of Uniformity.
... I wish only what thou dost wish." Thus too, says Rodriguez, should we act when the
devil proposes certain hypothetical cases to us in order to wrest a sinful ...
/.../de liguori/uniformity with gods will/5 special practices of uniformity.htm

Of Repentance, in the Case of Such as have Lapsed after Baptism.
... carnal concupiscence, or else to entangle his mind with worldly enticements, or
else to subvert his faith by fear of earthly power, or else to wrest him from ...
/.../tertullian/on repentance/chapter vii of repentance in the.htm

The Case of a Heathen Whose Wife is Converted after Marriage with ...
... name pleasing; and, accordingly, some heathen men are found not to shrink in horror
from Christian women, just in order to exterminate them, to wrest them away ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/to his wife/chapter vii the case of a.htm

Wrest (8 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To turn from truth; to twist from its natural or proper use or meaning by
violence; to pervert; to distort. 3. (vt) To tune with a wrest, or key. ...WREST. ...
/w/wrest.htm - 10k

Writhe (6 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To twist and to turn in pain; as to writhe from an ankle sprain. 2. (vt)
To wrest; to distort; to pervert. 3. (vt) To extort; to wring; to wrest. ...
/w/writhe.htm - 8k

Due (93 Occurrences)
... drink. They deserve this." (See RSV). Exodus 23:6 Thou shalt not wrest
the justice 'due' to thy poor in his cause. (ASV NAS RSV). ...
/d/due.htm - 35k

Justice (212 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 16:19 You shall not wrest justice: you shall not respect persons; neither
shall you take a bribe; for a bribe does blind the eyes of the wise, and ...
/j/justice.htm - 46k

Unlearned (7 Occurrences)
... all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard
to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they ...
/u/unlearned.htm - 9k

Unstable (8 Occurrences)
... all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard
to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they ...
/u/unstable.htm - 8k

Untaught (1 Occurrence)
... in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; among which some things are
hard to be understood, which the untaught and ill-established wrest, as also ...
/u/untaught.htm - 6k

Unstedfast (5 Occurrences)
... also in all 'his' epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things
hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as 'they ...
/u/unstedfast.htm - 8k

Orphan (25 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). Deuteronomy 24:17 You shall not wrest the justice due to the foreigner,
or to the fatherless, nor take the widow's clothing to pledge; (See NAS). ...
/o/orphan.htm - 15k

Wring (4 Occurrences)
... clothes in washing. 2. (vt) Hence, to pain; to distress; to torment; to torture.
3. (vt) To distort; to pervert; to wrest. 4. (vt) To ...
/w/wring.htm - 8k

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