The term "arouse" in the context of the Bible often refers to awakening, stirring up, or inciting emotions, actions, or spiritual awareness. It is used both in literal and metaphorical senses throughout the Scriptures, reflecting a call to action or a divine prompting.

Old Testament Usage

In the Old Testament, the concept of arousing is frequently associated with God stirring the hearts of individuals or nations to fulfill His purposes. For instance, in the book of Ezra, God arouses the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, to make a proclamation allowing the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple: "In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing" (Ezra 1:1).

The Psalms also reflect the idea of arousing oneself to seek God or to praise Him. Psalm 57:8 states, "Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn." Here, the psalmist calls upon himself to rise and give glory to God, demonstrating a personal arousal to worship.

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, the concept of arousing is often linked to spiritual awakening and readiness. The Apostle Paul, in his epistles, frequently exhorts believers to awaken from spiritual slumber and live in the light of Christ. Romans 13:11 urges, "And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed."

The idea of arousing is also present in the context of love and relationships. In the Song of Solomon, a poetic book often interpreted as an allegory of Christ's love for the Church, there is a repeated refrain: "Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right" (Song of Solomon 2:7). This suggests a caution against prematurely stirring emotions or desires before the appropriate time.

Theological Implications

Theologically, the concept of arousing in the Bible underscores the importance of being responsive to God's call and the movement of the Holy Spirit. It highlights the necessity for believers to be vigilant, active, and engaged in their faith. The call to arouse oneself spiritually is a reminder of the transient nature of life and the urgency of living in accordance with God's will.

In summary, "arouse" in the biblical context serves as a powerful metaphor for spiritual awakening, divine prompting, and the call to action, urging believers to be attentive and responsive to God's purposes in their lives.(v. t.) To excite to action from a state of rest; to stir, or put in motion or exertion; to rouse; to excite; as, to arouse one from sleep; to arouse the dormant faculties.1326. diegeiro -- to arouse completely
... to arouse completely. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: diegeiro Phonetic Spelling:
(dee-eg-i'-ro) Short Definition: I wake out of sleep, I arouse Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1326.htm - 6k

1892. epegeiro -- to rouse up, excite
... to rouse up, excite. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: epegeiro Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-eg-i'-ro) Short Definition: I arouse, stimulate, excite against ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1892.htm - 6k

1453. egeiro -- to waken, to raise up
... to waken, to raise up. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: egeiro Phonetic Spelling:
(eg-i'-ro) Short Definition: I wake, arouse, raise up Definition: (a) I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1453.htm - 9k

1825. exegeiro -- to raise up
... to raise up. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: exegeiro Phonetic Spelling:
(ex-eg-i'-ro) Short Definition: I raise up, arouse Definition: I raise up, arouse ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1825.htm - 7k

2042. erethizo -- to stir up
... up. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: erethizo Phonetic Spelling: (er-eth-id'-
zo) Short Definition: I stir up, provoke Definition: I stir up, arouse to anger ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2042.htm - 6k

3947. paroxuno -- to sharpen, fig. to stimulate, to provoke
... Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: paroxuno Phonetic Spelling: (par-ox-oo'-no)
Short Definition: I provoke, irritate Definition: I arouse anger, provoke ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3947.htm - 7k

5782. ur -- to rouse oneself, awake
... root Definition to rouse oneself, awake NASB Word Usage arise (1), arouse (12),
arouse or awaken (3), aroused (10), arouses (2), awake (15), awaken (2 ...
/hebrew/5782.htm - 6k

Argument: nor is it Only Hatred that they Arouse against the ...
... Chapter XXVIII."Argument: Nor is It Only Hatred that They Arouse Against the Christians,
But They Charge Against Them Horrid Crimes, Which Up to This Time ...
/.../felix/the octavius of minucius felix/chapter xxviii argument nor is it.htm

Whether God Should be Praised with Song?
... ix). I answer that, As stated above [3091](A[1]), the praise of the voice
is necessary in order to arouse man's devotion towards God. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether god should be praised 2.htm

The Eighth Book
... 1. I think, nay, I am certain, that the great length of my argument will arouse
distaste in many, especially since it upbraids our vicious lives. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the eighth book.htm

Psalm CIII.
... Let not thoughts of crime arouse thee, let not the contrivances of thieving arouse
thee, let not arranged plans of corrupt dealing arouse thee. ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm ciii.htm

The Builders on the Wall
... to the rest that did the work." The remainder of the night he spent in prayer; for
he knew that the morning would call for earnest effort to arouse and unite ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 53 the builders on.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, John v. 19, "The Son Can do Nothing of ...
... God hath given thee eyes in the body, reason in the heart; arouse the reason of
the heart, wake up the interior inhabitant of thine interior eyes, let it take ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon lxxvi on the words.htm

The Tenth Chapter: do not Lightly Forego Holy Communion
... The wretch is to be despised and scorned. Holy Communion must not be passed by because
of any assaults from him or because of the commotion he may arouse. ...
/.../kempis/the imitation of christ/the tenth chapter do not.htm

How Subjects and Prelates are to be Admonished.
... added, Do therefore what I say, my son, and deliver thyself, seeing thou hast fallen
into the hands of thy neighbour: run up and down, hasten, arouse thy friend ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter iv how subjects and.htm

Again they are Treacherous, and are Ready to Change Themselves ...
... what is read. They arouse us from our sleep to prayers; and this constantly,
hardly allowing us to sleep at all. At another time ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/life of antony section 25.htm

Whether Prayer Should Last a Long Time?
... seasons, in order to admonish ourselves by means of such like signs, to take note
of the amount of our progress in that desire, and to arouse ourselves more ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether prayer should last a.htm

Arouse (24 Occurrences)
... (vt) To excite to action from a state of rest; to stir, or put in motion or exertion;
to rouse; to excite; as, to arouse one from sleep ...Arouse (24 Occurrences). ...
/a/arouse.htm - 12k

Rouse (25 Occurrences)
... (See JPS). Psalms 44:23 Awake, why sleepest Thou, O Lord? Arouse Thyself,
cast not off for ever. (Root in JPS NAS RSV NIV). Psalms ...
/r/rouse.htm - 14k

Goblet (6 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 51:17 Arouse thyself, arouse thyself, stand up, Jerusalem, which
hast drunk at the hand of Jehovah the cup of his fury. Thou ...
/g/goblet.htm - 9k

Raise (175 Occurrences)
... flagstaff. 6. (vt) To cause to spring up from a recumbent position, from
a state of quiet, or the like; to awaken; to arouse. 7. (vt ...
/r/raise.htm - 40k

Aroused (29 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Arouse. Multi-Version Concordance
Aroused (29 Occurrences). Matthew 20:24 The other ten ...
/a/aroused.htm - 14k

Lapse (9 Occurrences)
... however, "Have they stumbled so as to be finally ruined?" No, indeed; but by their
lapse salvation has come to the Gentiles in order to arouse the jealousy of ...
/l/lapse.htm - 10k

Wake (34 Occurrences)
... to be active. 6. (vt) To rouse from sleep; to awake. 7. (vt) To put in
motion or action; to arouse; to excite. 8. (vt) To bring ...
/w/wake.htm - 17k

Finally (29 Occurrences)
... however, "Have they stumbled so as to be finally ruined?" No, indeed; but by their
lapse salvation has come to the Gentiles in order to arouse the jealousy of ...
/f/finally.htm - 14k

Ruined (65 Occurrences)
... however, "Have they stumbled so as to be finally ruined?" No, indeed; but by their
lapse salvation has come to the Gentiles in order to arouse the jealousy of ...
/r/ruined.htm - 25k

Reminder (13 Occurrences)
... (WEB NAS RSV NIV). 2 Peter 1:13 But I think it right, so long as I remain in the
body, my present dwelling-place, to arouse you by such reminders. ...
/r/reminder.htm - 10k

In the Song of Solomon, why is it said that we shouldn't awaken love until it pleases? | GotQuestions.org

Summary of the Song of Solomon - Bible Survey | GotQuestions.org

Why was John the Baptist beheaded? | GotQuestions.org

Arouse: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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