Topical Bible: Spared

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Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of being "spared" in the Bible often refers to the act of being saved from danger, judgment, or destruction by divine intervention or mercy. This theme is prevalent throughout both the Old and New Testaments, illustrating God's compassion, justice, and sovereignty.

Old Testament Instances

1. Noah and the Flood: One of the earliest examples of being spared is found in the account of Noah. In Genesis 6-9, God decides to bring a flood to destroy the wickedness on earth but spares Noah and his family due to Noah's righteousness. Genesis 7:23 states, "Every living thing on the face of the earth was destroyed—man and livestock, crawling creatures and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah and those with him in the ark remained."

2. Lot and Sodom: In Genesis 19, God spares Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Despite the cities' rampant sin, God shows mercy to Lot because of Abraham's intercession. Genesis 19:16 notes, "But when he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters, and led them safely out of the city, because of the LORD’s compassion for them."

3. The Israelites in Egypt: During the plagues in Egypt, God spares the Israelites from the final plague, the death of the firstborn, by instructing them to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb. Exodus 12:13 records, "The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."

New Testament Instances

1. The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree: In Luke 13:6-9, Jesus tells a parable about a fig tree that does not bear fruit. The owner wants to cut it down, but the gardener pleads for it to be spared for another year, hoping it will become fruitful. This parable illustrates God's patience and willingness to give people time to repent and bear spiritual fruit.

2. Paul's Shipwreck: In Acts 27, the Apostle Paul is aboard a ship caught in a violent storm. Despite the dire circumstances, God spares Paul and all aboard the ship. Acts 27:24 recounts the angel's message to Paul: "Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you."

Theological Significance

The theme of being spared is deeply connected to God's mercy and grace. It underscores the belief that while God is just and righteous, He is also compassionate and willing to relent from sending calamity when there is repentance or intercession. This duality is seen in passages like Ezekiel 18:23 , where God declares, "Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Lord GOD. Would I not prefer he turn from his ways and live?"

Application for Believers

For believers, the concept of being spared serves as a reminder of God's mercy and the importance of living a life that aligns with His will. It encourages intercession for others, as seen in the examples of Abraham and Moses, and highlights the importance of repentance and faithfulness to God. The ultimate act of being spared is found in the salvation offered through Jesus Christ, who spares believers from eternal separation from God.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

(imp. & p. p.) of Spare.

Strong's Hebrew

2538. Chamul -- "spared," grandson of Judah
... 2537, 2538. Chamul. 2539 . "spared," grandson of Judah. Transliteration:
Chamul Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-mool') Short Definition: Hamul. ...
/hebrew/2538.htm - 6k

2418. chaya -- to live
... live. Word Origin (Aramaic) corresponding to chayah Definition to live NASB
Word Usage live (5), spared alive (1). live, keep alive. ...
/hebrew/2418.htm - 6k

2421a. chayah -- to live
... 1), restored to life (4), revive (20), revived (6), save (2), save his life (1),
saved (1), saved our lives (1), saving (1), spare (3), spared (2), stay alive ...
/hebrew/2421a.htm - 6k

2347. chus -- to pity, look upon with compassion
... 1), have compassion (3), have pity (1), have...pity (4), looked with pity (1), pity
(6), show pity (2), show...pity (1), sorry (1), spare (2), spared (1). ...
/hebrew/2347.htm - 6k

2550. chamal -- to spare
... pity (1), had...compassion (2), have compassion (1), have pity (4), have...pity
(1), mercy (1), ruthlessly* (1), show pity (1), spare (11), spared (5), spares ...
/hebrew/2550.htm - 6k

2820. chasak -- to withhold, refrain
... back (1), lessen (1), lessened (1), refrain (1), requited (1), reserved (2), restrain
(1), restrained (1), restrains (2), spare (2), spared (1), unrestrained ...
/hebrew/2820.htm - 6k

5337. natsal -- to strip, plunder, deliver oneself, be delivered ...
... 1), recover (1), recovered (2), rescue (11), rescued (5), saves (1), separate (1),
snatched (1), snatched away (1), snatches (1), spared (3), stripped (1 ...
/hebrew/5337.htm - 6k

Library

A Soldier who Spared his Enemy
... THE OLD TESTAMENT A SOLDIER WHO SPARED HIS ENEMY. ... Come back, my son David, for
I will do you no more harm, for you have spared my life to-day. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/a soldier who spared his.htm

Of the Adversaries of the Name of Christ, whom the Barbarians for ...
... The City of God.Book I. Chapter 1."Of the Adversaries of the Name of Christ, Whom
the Barbarians for Christ's Sake Spared When They Stormed the City. ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 1 of the adversaries of.htm

Through the Day Thy Love Has Spared Us
... I. DAILY PRAYER: Morning Daily Prayer: Evening 15. Through the day thy love has
spared us. ... Thomas Kelly, 1806. Through the day thy love has spared us; ...
/.../daily prayer evening 15 through.htm

That not Even the Romans, when they Took Cities, Spared the ...
... The City of God.Book I. Chapter 6."That Not Even the Romans, When They
Took Cities, Spared the Conquered in Their Temples. Why ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 6 that not even the.htm

Against those who Fancy that in the Judgment of God all the ...
... Book XXI. Chapter 24."Against Those Who Fancy that in the Judgment of God All the
Accused Will Be Spared in Virtue of the Prayers of the Saints. ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 24 against those who fancy.htm

And Yet, by Reason of that Affection of the Human Heart...
... much respect bury in his own tomb, and took order for his own burying beside his
bones: in hope that thereby his own bones might be spared, when, according to ...
/.../augustine/on care to be had for the dead /9 and yet by reason.htm

Jonah at Nineveh.
... So they hoped God would forgive them and spare their city. God saw what they did
and how they turned from their evil ways, therefore He spared their city. ...
/.../anonymous/mother stories from the old testament/jonah at nineveh.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Luke xii. 56, 58, "Ye Know How to ...
... admonitions of the Master, [3435] that he may not lose the season of the mercy of
the Saviour, which is now being dealt out, as long as the human race is spared ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon lix on the words.htm

How the Entire City of Jerusalem was Demolished, Excepting Three ...
... as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none
to be the objects of their fury, [for they would not have spared any, had ...
/.../chapter 1 how the entire.htm

God's Imitators
... less we say the less likely we are to err, there is a quality of giving up, as well
as of giving, in God's love; for we read of the Father that 'spared not His ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/gods imitators.htm

Thesaurus

Spared (45 Occurrences)
...Spared (45 Occurrences). ... Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered
him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? ...
/s/spared.htm - 20k

Jonah (30 Occurrences)
... to the impatient prophet (ch. 4). Nineveh was spared after Jonah's mission
for more than a century. The history of Jonah may well ...
/j/jonah.htm - 35k

Agag (6 Occurrences)
... (2.) Another king of the Amalekites whom Saul spared unlawfully, but whom Samuel
on his arrival in the camp of Saul ordered, in retributive justice (Judges 1 ...
/a/agag.htm - 10k

Totally (27 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and
of the cattle, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and ...
/t/totally.htm - 14k

Hamul (3 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Spared, one of the sons of Pharez, son of Judah (1 Chronicles
2:5). His descendants are called Hamulites (Numbers 26:21). Int. ...
/h/hamul.htm - 7k

Unwilling (30 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and
of the cattle, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and ...
/u/unwilling.htm - 14k

Mephibosheth (13 Occurrences)
... that when some expiation from Saul's household was considered necessary to turn
away the famine sent by an offended deity, Mephibosheth is spared when other ...
/m/mephibosheth.htm - 17k

Hell (53 Occurrences)
... Here it stands for the place of punishment of the fallen angels: "spared not angels
when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits ...
/h/hell.htm - 29k

Utterly (170 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and
of the cattle, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and ...
/u/utterly.htm - 39k

Jude (4 Occurrences)
... 2 Peter 2:4, 5 For if God spared not the angels when they sinned.... and spared
not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others.... ...
/j/jude.htm - 40k

Resources

Who was Rahab in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the story of the Old Testament? | GotQuestions.org

What is the significance of a scarlet thread? | GotQuestions.org

Spared: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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

Concordance

Spared (45 Occurrences)

Mark 14:35
Going forward a short distance He threw Himself upon His face and prayed repeatedly that, if it was possible, He might be spared that time of agony;
(WEY)

Acts 27:21
When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them, and said, "Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss.
(See NIV)

Romans 8:32
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
(KJV ASV DBY WBS)

Romans 11:21
For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
(KJV ASV DBY WBS)

2 Peter 2:4
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
(KJV ASV DBY WBS)

2 Peter 2:5
And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
(KJV ASV DBY WBS)

Genesis 12:13
Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you."
(See RSV NIV)

Genesis 19:20
See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn't it a little one?), and my soul will live."
(See NIV)

Genesis 32:30
Jacob called the name of the place Peniel : for, he said, "I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
(See NIV)

Exodus 12:27
that you shall say,'It is the sacrifice of Yahweh's Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians, and spared our houses.'" The people bowed their heads and worshiped.
(WEB NAS RSV NIV)

Numbers 22:33
and the donkey saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. Unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I would have killed you, and saved her alive."
(See NIV)

Numbers 31:15
Moses said to them, "Have you saved all the women alive?
(See NAS)

Joshua 6:17
The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to Yahweh. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
(See NIV)

Joshua 6:25
But Rahab the prostitute, her father's household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lived in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers, whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
(See NAS NIV)

Judges 1:25
He showed them the entrance into the city; and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man go and all his family.
(See NIV)

Judges 8:19
He said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As Yahweh lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you."
(See NIV)

Judges 21:14
Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh Gilead: and yet so they weren't enough for them.
(See NIV)

1 Samuel 2:33
All these kings met together; and they came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel.
(See RSV NIV)

1 Samuel 15:9
But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the cattle, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and wouldn't utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

1 Samuel 15:15
Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the cattle, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God. We have utterly destroyed the rest."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

1 Samuel 24:10
Behold, this day your eyes have seen how that Yahweh had delivered you today into my hand in the cave. Some urged me to kill you; but I spared you; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is Yahweh's anointed.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV NIV)

2 Samuel 8:2
He struck Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. The Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.
(See RSV)

2 Samuel 12:4
A traveler came to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man who had come to him, but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man who had come to him."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

2 Samuel 21:7
But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Yahweh's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

2 Kings 5:20
But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, "Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought. As Yahweh lives, I will run after him, and take something from him."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

2 Kings 10:14
He said, "Take them alive!" They took them alive, and killed them at the pit of the shearing house, even forty-two men. He didn't leave any of them.
(See RSV)

2 Kings 19:11
Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly. Will you be delivered?
(See NAS)

2 Kings 23:18
He said, "Let him be! Let no man move his bones." So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria.
(See NIV)

2 Chronicles 36:17
And he brought up against them the king of the Chaldees, and slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and spared not young man nor maiden, old man nor him of hoary head: he gave them all into his hand.
(DBY NIV)

Job 21:30
That to a day of calamity is the wicked spared. To a day of wrath they are brought.
(YLT RSV NIV)

Job 30:10
They have abominated me, They have kept far from me, And from before me have not spared to spit.
(YLT)

Psalms 30:3
Yahweh, you have brought up my soul from Sheol. You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
(See NIV)

Psalms 78:50
He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

Isaiah 37:11
No doubt the story has come to your ears of what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, putting them to the curse: and will you be kept safe from their fate?
(See NAS)

Isaiah 57:1
The upright man goes to his death, and no one gives a thought to it; and god-fearing men are taken away, and no one is troubled by it; for the upright man is taken away because of evil-doing, and goes into peace.
(See NIV)

Jeremiah 38:17
Then said Jeremiah to Zedekiah, Thus says Yahweh, the God of Armies, the God of Israel: If you will go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then your soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and you shall live, and your house.
(See RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 38:20
But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver you. Obey, I beg you, the voice of Yahweh, in that which I speak to you: so it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live.
(See RSV NIV)

Lamentations 2:17
Jehovah hath done what he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word which he had commanded from the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not spared, and he hath caused the enemy to rejoice over thee; he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries.
(DBY)

Lamentations 2:21
The child and the old man lie on the ground in the streets; my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword: thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, thou hast not spared.
(DBY)

Lamentations 3:43
Thou hast covered thyself with anger, and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not spared.
(DBY NAS)

Ezekiel 6:12
He who is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he who is near shall fall by the sword; and he who remains and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my wrath on them.
(See NIV)

Ezekiel 13:19
You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to kill the souls who should not die, and to save the souls alive who should not live, by your lying to my people who listen to lies.
(See NIV)

Ezekiel 20:17
Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I didn't destroy them, neither did I make a full end of them in the wilderness.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV)

Daniel 5:19
and because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he killed, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he would he put down.
(See NAS NIV)

Hosea 10:11
Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh; so I will put a yoke on her beautiful neck. I will set a rider on Ephraim. Judah will plow. Jacob will break his clods.
(See RSV)

Subtopics

Spared

Related Terms

Spareth (9 Occurrences)

Spared (45 Occurrences)

Fuel (13 Occurrences)

Tempered (7 Occurrences)

Serves (14 Occurrences)

Spare (80 Occurrences)

Temper (14 Occurrences)

Saul (371 Occurrences)

Discipline (63 Occurrences)