Describe
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In the context of the Bible, the term "describe" is often associated with the act of detailing or explaining events, visions, or characteristics. The Bible, as a divinely inspired text, contains numerous instances where descriptions are used to convey spiritual truths, historical events, and divine revelations.

Biblical Descriptions of God and His Attributes

The Bible frequently describes God and His attributes to help believers understand His nature. In Exodus 34:6-7 , God describes Himself to Moses: "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and truth, maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin." This passage provides a profound description of God's character, emphasizing His mercy, grace, and justice.

Descriptions of Jesus Christ

The New Testament provides detailed descriptions of Jesus Christ, both in His earthly ministry and His divine nature. In John 1:14 , Jesus is described as "the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." This description highlights the incarnation of Christ and His embodiment of divine grace and truth.

Prophetic Descriptions

Prophetic books in the Bible often contain vivid descriptions of visions and future events. The book of Daniel, for example, includes detailed descriptions of dreams and visions that reveal God's plan for the future. In Daniel 7:9-10 , a vision is described: "As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze." Such descriptions serve to communicate the majesty and sovereignty of God.

Descriptions of Heaven and the New Creation

The Bible provides descriptions of heaven and the new creation to offer hope and assurance to believers. Revelation 21:1-4 describes the new heaven and new earth: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." These descriptions are intended to inspire believers with the promise of eternal life and the restoration of all things.

Descriptive Language in Parables and Teachings

Jesus often used descriptive language in His parables and teachings to convey spiritual truths. In the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9), Jesus describes different types of soil to illustrate how various people receive the word of God. Such descriptions are designed to engage listeners and provoke reflection on their spiritual condition.

Descriptions of the Early Church

The Acts of the Apostles provides descriptions of the early church and its growth. Acts 2:42-47 describes the communal life of the early believers: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer... And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." These descriptions highlight the unity, devotion, and spiritual vitality of the early Christian community.

Conclusion

The use of descriptive language in the Bible serves to illuminate the text, providing readers with a deeper understanding of God's nature, His plans, and His expectations for humanity. Through vivid descriptions, the Bible communicates its messages in a way that is both engaging and instructive, guiding believers in their faith journey.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (v. t.) To represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out; as, to describe a circle by the compasses; a torch waved about the head in such a way as to describe a circle.

2. (v. t.) To represent by words written or spoken; to give an account of; to make known to others by words or signs; as, the geographer describes countries and cities.

3. (v. t.) To distribute into parts, groups, or classes; to mark off; to class.

4. (v. i.) To use the faculty of describing; to give a description; as, Milton describes with uncommon force and beauty.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
DESCRIBE

de-skrib': This verb, now obsolete, in the sense used in Joshua 18:4, 6, 8, 9 and Judges 8:14, is a translation of kathabh, usually rendered "to write" or "inscribe." But in the above passages it has the Old English meaning of dividing into parts or into lots, as for example: "Walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance" (Joshua 18:4); that is, describe in writing the location and size of the several parcels of land thus portioned out. In Judges 8:14 "described" should be translated "wrote down a list of." "Describe" occurs twice in the King James Version of the New Testament (Romans 4:6, 10:5), where lego, and grapho, are both rendered "describeth." the Revised Version (British and American) corrects both, and substitutes "pronounceth" in the first and "writeth" in the second passage.

Description = "list" (1 Esdras 5:39).

W. W. Davies

Greek
1334. diegeomai -- to relate fully
... fully. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: diegeomai Phonetic Spelling:
(dee-ayg-eh'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I relate in full, describe Definition: I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1334.htm - 7k

1125. grapho -- to write
... describe, write. A primary verb; to "grave", especially to write; figuratively,
to describe -- describe, write(-ing, -ten). (gegrammena) -- 7 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1125.htm - 8k

412. aneklaletos -- unspeakable
... 412 (from 1 "not" and 1583 , " tell") -- properly, unable to fully describe or report;
impossible to communicate (convey) adequately by words; hence, , (used ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/412.htm - 7k

1555. ekdiegeomai -- to tell in detail
... Word Origin from ek and diegeomai Definition to tell in detail NASB Word
Usage describe (1), describing in detail (1). declare. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1555.htm - 7k

2916. krithinos -- of barley
... Cognate: 2916 (an adjective) -- made of barley (barley loaves); "an inferior
bread. Pliny and some of the Jewish writers describe barley . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2916.htm - 7k

3004. lego -- to say
... rheo is properly to break silence merely, and laleo means an extended or random
harangue)); by implication, to mean -- ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3004.htm - 11k

Strong's Hebrew
184. avah -- to sign, mark, describe with a mark
... 183, 184. avah. 185 . to sign, mark, describe with a mark. Transliteration:
avah Phonetic Spelling: (aw-vaw') Short Definition: draw. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/184.htm - 5k

3789. kathab -- to write
... root Definition to write NASB Word Usage decreed (1), describe (3), described (1),
inscribed (1), prescribed (2), record (3), recorded (7), registered (3 ...
/hebrew/3789.htm - 6k

5046. nagad -- to be conspicuous
... another (1), certainly told (1), confess (1), confront* (1), declare (46), declared
(13), declares (6), declaring (4), denounce (2), describe (1), disclosed (1 ...
/hebrew/5046.htm - 6k

2328. chug -- to draw around, make a circle
... compass. A primitive root (compare chagag); to describe a circle -- compass. see
HEBREW chagag. 2327, 2328. chug. 2329 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/2328.htm - 6k

Library

It is Time to Describe the Great and Celebrated Spectacle of ...
... Book VIII. Chapter XI. It is time to describe the great and celebrated
spectacle of Pamphilus? 1. It is time to describe the great ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pamphilius/church history/chapter xi it is time.htm

But it is Tedious to Describe in Detail all My Labours one by One. ...
... Section 35. But it is tedious to describe in detail all my labours one by one.?
35. But it is tedious to describe in detail all my labours one by one. ...
/.../patrick/the confession of st patrick/section 35 but it is.htm

Words Cannot Describe the Excellences of Martin.
... Martin. Chapter XXVI. Words cannot describe the Excellences of Martin. But now
my book must be brought to an end, and my discourse finished. ...
/.../life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter xxvi words cannot describe.htm

And Let not Celsus be Angry if we Describe as Lame and Mutilated ...
... Chapter LII. And let not Celsus be angry if we describe as lame and mutilated
in soul? And let not Celsus be angry if we describe ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/origen/origen against celsus/chapter lii and let not.htm

The Kingdom Forming
... 7. Describe in full the host that went out of Egypt. Note 12:37 and 13:18. ... 9. Describe
manna in full and name three purposes for its giving. 10. ...
/.../palmer/a birds-eye view of the bible/ii the kingdom forming.htm

Our Lord Shows St. Teresa the Place which She had by Her Sins ...
... 3. But as to what I then felt, I do not know where to begin, if I were to describe
it; it is utterly inexplicable. I felt a fire in my soul. ...
/.../teresa/the life of st teresa of jesus/chapter xxxii our lord shows.htm

A Threefold Disease and a Twofold Cure.
... Suppose that three men were to describe a snake. ... They all three describe the snake,
but they describe it from different points of view; and so it is here. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/a threefold disease and a.htm

But I have Said that These Men Would have Been Unable to Find ...
... In the book which I translated there is a passage in which I examine the tenets
of those who believe that God has a bodily shape and who describe him as ...
/.../17 but i have said.htm

"O Wretched Man that I Am!"
... I want from these words to describe the path by which a man can be led
out of the spirit of bondage into the spirit of liberty. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/murray/absolute surrender/o wretched man that i.htm

That Divine and Heavenly Things are Appropriately Revealed, Even ...
... other living creatures, and material and less honourable things, and whatever else
the similitudes of the Oracles, in every respect dissimilar, describe, for a ...
/.../dionysius/on the heavenly hierarchy/caput ii that divine and.htm

Thesaurus
Describe (11 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark
out; as, to describe a circle by the compasses; a torch waved about the head ...
/d/describe.htm - 11k

Described (16 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Describe. Multi-Version Concordance
Described (16 Occurrences). Mark 5:16 Those who saw ...
/d/described.htm - 11k

Description (6 Occurrences)
... Joshua 18:4 Appoint for you three men for each tribe; and I will send them, and
they shall arise, and walk through the land, and describe it according to their ...
/d/description.htm - 8k

Colors (12 Occurrences)
... 15:6; Isaiah 37:27 Job 39:8; chloros, Mark 6:39 Revelation 8:7; Revelation 9:4.
ra`anan, closely allied in meaning to yaraq, is used to describe trees in the ...
/c/colors.htm - 36k

Color (18 Occurrences)
... 15:6; Isaiah 37:27 Job 39:8; chloros, Mark 6:39 Revelation 8:7; Revelation 9:4.
ra`anan, closely allied in meaning to yaraq, is used to describe trees in the ...
/c/color.htm - 39k

Natural (49 Occurrences)
... 14:37; 1 Corinthians 15:46 Galatians 6:1). A study of these passages will show that
the adjectives "old," "outward," "carnal," and "natural" describe man, from ...
/n/natural.htm - 42k

Old (3966 Occurrences)
... I. What the Writer Meant to Describe. It is important first of all, if
we can, to get at what the author meant to describe, and ...
/o/old.htm - 101k

Teach (172 Occurrences)
... NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY 1. Christ's Life 2. Apostolic Labors 3. General Considerations
A rich variety of words is employed in the Bible to describe the teaching ...
/t/teach.htm - 65k

Teaching (372 Occurrences)
... NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY 1. Christ's Life 2. Apostolic Labors 3. General Considerations
A rich variety of words is employed in the Bible to describe the teaching ...
/t/teaching.htm - 62k

Teacher (103 Occurrences)
... NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY 1. Christ's Life 2. Apostolic Labors 3. General Considerations
A rich variety of words is employed in the Bible to describe the teaching ...
/t/teacher.htm - 61k

Resources
How does the Bible describe the glorified bodies we will possess in Heaven? | GotQuestions.org

Why does the Bible describe the moon as a light? | GotQuestions.org

Does the Bible describe Jesus being worshiped? | GotQuestions.org

Describe: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Describe (11 Occurrences)

Mark 4:30
He said, "How will we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what parable will we illustrate it?
(See NIV)

Luke 8:39
"Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you." He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
(See NAS)

Acts 8:33
In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth."
(See RSV)

Acts 13:41
See, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish, because a work I -- I do work in your days, a work in which ye may not believe, though any one may declare 'it' to you.'
(See NAS)

Romans 10:5
For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
(Root in KJV WBS YLT NIV)

Philippians 3:18
For there are many whom I have often described to you, and I now even with tears describe them, as being enemies to the Cross of Christ.
(Root in WEY)

Joshua 18:4
Appoint for yourselves three men from each tribe. I will send them, and they shall arise, walk through the land, and describe it according to their inheritance; and they shall come to me.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

Joshua 18:6
Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Joshua 18:8
And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS)

Joshua 18:9
And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh.
(Root in KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS)

Ezekiel 43:10
You, son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern.
(See NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Describe

Related Terms

Describe (11 Occurrences)

Leper (34 Occurrences)

Manna (19 Occurrences)

Neighbor (123 Occurrences)

Gnosticism

Refining (8 Occurrences)

Refiner (10 Occurrences)

Mamre (10 Occurrences)

Bloody (19 Occurrences)

Leprosy (51 Occurrences)

Sanctuary (250 Occurrences)

Pentecost (3 Occurrences)

Court (172 Occurrences)

Siddim (3 Occurrences)

Hymenaeus (2 Occurrences)

Machpelah (6 Occurrences)

Shiloah (1 Occurrence)

Siloah (1 Occurrence)

Shelah (18 Occurrences)

Vale (20 Occurrences)

Precious (128 Occurrences)

Lamentations (6 Occurrences)

Accommodation (1 Occurrence)

Kiriath-jearim (17 Occurrences)

Kiriathjearim

Negeb (37 Occurrences)

Negev (39 Occurrences)

Unicorn (6 Occurrences)

Judaea (45 Occurrences)

Loins (72 Occurrences)

Laver (13 Occurrences)

Fig-tree (33 Occurrences)

Figtree

Freckled (1 Occurrence)

Restoration (4 Occurrences)

Etam (5 Occurrences)

Engedi (6 Occurrences)

Disease (213 Occurrences)

Dress (38 Occurrences)

Diseases (38 Occurrences)

Michmash (10 Occurrences)

Micaiah (27 Occurrences)

Bench (1 Occurrence)

Bethany (13 Occurrences)

Commandment (209 Occurrences)

Cake (25 Occurrences)

Cherith (2 Occurrences)

Abdon (8 Occurrences)

Andrew (12 Occurrences)

Hell (53 Occurrences)

Sodom (49 Occurrences)

Sabaeans

Smiting (76 Occurrences)

Spot (42 Occurrences)

Sweat (3 Occurrences)

Hivite (25 Occurrences)

Stones (244 Occurrences)

Philip (37 Occurrences)

Spirits (129 Occurrences)

Territory (140 Occurrences)

Person (807 Occurrences)

Warfare (18 Occurrences)

Judges (117 Occurrences)

Sun (1708 Occurrences)

Way (7551 Occurrences)

Trachonitis (1 Occurrence)

Fig (45 Occurrences)

Ciccar

Chief (696 Occurrences)

Prison (131 Occurrences)

Tears (58 Occurrences)

Siloam (4 Occurrences)

Amorites (82 Occurrences)

Eve (5 Occurrences)

Madness (13 Occurrences)

Allegory (6 Occurrences)

Chemosh (8 Occurrences)

Fellowship (114 Occurrences)

Descent to the Roots of the Mountains
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