Writhed
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Topical Encyclopedia
The term "writhed" is often used to describe a physical or emotional response characterized by twisting or contorting movements, typically as a result of pain, distress, or intense emotion. In the context of the Bible, this term can be associated with both literal and metaphorical expressions of suffering or turmoil.

Biblical References:

1. Isaiah 13:8 : "Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another, their faces aflame." This passage from Isaiah uses the imagery of a woman in labor to convey the intense fear and distress that will come upon the people. The use of "writhe" here emphasizes the severity of the impending judgment and the inescapable nature of God's wrath.

2. Micah 4:10 : "Writhe in agony, O Daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you will leave the city and camp in the open field. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies." In this verse, the prophet Micah speaks to the people of Zion, urging them to endure the coming hardship with the promise of eventual redemption. The imagery of writhing in labor underscores the pain of exile but also hints at the hope of deliverance and new beginnings.

3. Nahum 2:10 : "She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and laid waste! Hearts melt, knees knock, bodies tremble, and every face grows pale!" Although the term "writhed" is not directly used in this verse, the description of trembling bodies and melting hearts conveys a similar sense of overwhelming fear and distress. The context is the impending destruction of Nineveh, highlighting the totality of God's judgment against the city.

Theological Implications:

The use of "writhed" in the Bible often serves to illustrate the profound impact of divine judgment or the intense emotional and physical responses to God's actions in history. It reflects the reality of human suffering in a fallen world and the consequences of sin. However, it also points to the hope of redemption and restoration, as seen in the prophetic promises of deliverance for God's people.

Symbolism and Imagery:

The imagery associated with "writhed" frequently draws on the experience of childbirth, a powerful symbol of both pain and the promise of new life. This duality serves as a reminder of the transformative power of God's interventions, where moments of intense suffering can lead to renewal and salvation.

Application for Believers:

For believers, the concept of "writhed" can serve as a reminder of the reality of suffering in the Christian life, as well as the hope and assurance of God's ultimate deliverance. It encourages a posture of trust and perseverance, even in the face of trials, with the confidence that God is sovereign and faithful to His promises.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (imp.) of Writhe.

2. (p. p.) of Writhe.

Strong's Hebrew
2342a. chul -- to whirl, dance, writhe
... wait patiently (1), waited (2), whirl (1), whirling (1), wounded (2), wounds (1),
writhe (2), writhe in anguish (1), writhe in pain (1), writhed (2), writhes (2 ...
/hebrew/2342a.htm - 6k
Library

The Scourging of Jesus.
... Our loving Lord, the Son of God, true God and true Man, writhed as a worm under
the blows of these barbarians; his mild but deep groans might be heard from afar ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter xxii the scourging of.htm

Interruption of the visions of the Passion by the Appearance of St ...
... and, as it were, dead to exterior objects, she wept and groaned like a person in
the hands of an executioner, trembled, shuddered, and writhed on her couch ...
/.../chapter xxiv interruption of the.htm

Literary Expressions
... He would fall into the blackest melancholies. He writhed in the grip of a definite
apprehension. He writhed with impotent humiliation. Her blank gaze chilled you ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section vii literary expressions.htm

The Heir Intervenes
... He flung himself on his couch and writhed; he reviled the Hathors, abused Kenkenes
for the folly of sacrilege which had brought on him such misfortune; he ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxvii the heir intervenes.htm

Victory Over the World through Faith
... Much as they dreaded his rebuke and writhed under his strong and daring exposures
of wickedness, they could never say that Father Patterson had any other than ...
/.../finney/sermons on gospel themes/xxii victory over the world.htm

Passing Years
... they stabbed, they murdered even children on the bosoms of their mothers, till they
left only bleeding and ghastly heaps, where the living writhed among the ...
/.../chapter x passing years.htm

'de Profundis'
... Happy are they who have thus writhed awhile in the fierce fire of God, and have
had burnt out of them the chaff and dross, and all which offends, and makes ...
/.../kingsley/the good news of god/sermon viii de profundis.htm

The Hermit and the Boy
... His bones, as he sank back and writhed on the rocky floor of his cave, clashed like
those of a skeleton, yet all the while his imagination was still rioting ...
/.../chapter v the hermit and.htm

The Trouble and Rest of Good Men "There the Wicked Cease from ...
... and heavy; his cheek pale and wan; his tongue falters; [his hand trembles;] his
breast heaves and pants; his whole body is now distorted, and writhed to and fro ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 127 the trouble and.htm

Conditions of Effectual Prayer.
... Martyrs and confessors have gloried in the possession of it while they have writhed
on the rack and in the flames, and you never heard one solitary testimony ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/booth/godliness/chapter vii conditions of effectual.htm

Thesaurus
Writhed (4 Occurrences)
... 2. (pp) of Writhe. Multi-Version Concordance Writhed (4 Occurrences). ... (See NAS).
Psalms 77:16 The waters saw you, God. The waters saw you, and they writhed. ...
/w/writhed.htm - 7k

Writhe (6 Occurrences)

/w/writhe.htm - 8k

Writhes (3 Occurrences)

/w/writhes.htm - 7k

Convulsed (7 Occurrences)
... hand. (DBY). Psalms 77:16 The waters saw you, God. The waters saw you, and
they writhed. The depths also convulsed. (WEB NIV). Jeremiah ...
/c/convulsed.htm - 8k

Depths (56 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Psalms 77:16 The waters saw you, God.
The waters saw you, and they writhed. The depths also convulsed. ...
/d/depths.htm - 22k

Anguish (75 Occurrences)
... (See NAS RSV NIV). Psalms 77:16 The waters saw you, God. The waters saw you,
and they writhed. The depths also convulsed. (See NAS). ...
/a/anguish.htm - 29k

Resources
Writhed: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Writhed (4 Occurrences)

Esther 4:4
Esther's maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth; but he didn't receive it.
(See NAS)

Psalms 77:16
The waters saw you, God. The waters saw you, and they writhed. The depths also convulsed.
(WEB NIV)

Isaiah 26:18
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have given birth to wind; no salvation has come to the earth through us, and no children have come into the world.
(See NAS RSV NIV)

Habakkuk 3:10
The mountains saw you, and were afraid. The storm of waters passed by. The deep roared and lifted up its hands on high.
(See RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Writhed

Related Terms

Oppressor (28 Occurrences)

Writhing (2 Occurrences)

Writhed (4 Occurrences)

Ruthless (21 Occurrences)

Suffers (17 Occurrences)

Pain (172 Occurrences)

Writhe
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