Topical Bible: Pushing

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the context of the Bible, the concept of "pushing" can be understood both literally and metaphorically. It often conveys the idea of force, aggression, or the exertion of influence, whether physical or spiritual. The term itself may not frequently appear in English translations, but the underlying actions and themes are present throughout Scripture.

Physical Pushing

One of the more literal instances of pushing can be seen in the context of warfare and conflict. In the Old Testament, battles and physical confrontations often involved the act of pushing against enemies. For example, in the book of Daniel, the vision of the ram and the goat describes a forceful confrontation: "I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, and no beast could stand before him, and there was no one to rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great" (Daniel 8:4). Here, the act of pushing symbolizes the aggressive expansion and dominance of a kingdom.

Metaphorical Pushing

Metaphorically, pushing can represent the exertion of influence or pressure in various aspects of life. In the spiritual realm, believers are often encouraged to "push" forward in their faith, striving towards spiritual maturity and resisting the pressures of the world. The Apostle Paul speaks to this in Philippians 3:14: "I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus" . The idea of pressing on or pushing forward is central to the Christian journey, emphasizing perseverance and dedication.

Pushing in Relationships

In interpersonal relationships, pushing can have both positive and negative connotations. Positively, it can refer to encouraging or urging others towards good deeds and spiritual growth. Hebrews 10:24 states, "And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds" . This spurring or pushing is a form of encouragement within the Christian community.

Conversely, pushing can also imply coercion or undue pressure, which is cautioned against in Scripture. In the context of leadership and authority, Peter advises elders to shepherd the flock "not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:3). This suggests that leaders should guide gently rather than push forcefully.

Pushing and Spiritual Warfare

In spiritual warfare, pushing can symbolize the resistance against evil forces. Believers are called to stand firm and push back against the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:11-13 encourages Christians to "put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes" . The imagery of standing firm implies a resistance, a pushing back against spiritual adversaries.

Conclusion

The concept of pushing in the Bible encompasses a range of actions and attitudes, from physical confrontations to spiritual perseverance and relational dynamics. Whether in the context of warfare, personal growth, or community interactions, the underlying principle often involves exerting effort, influence, or resistance in alignment with God's will and purposes.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Push.

2. (a.) Pressing forward in business; enterprising; driving; energetic; also, forward; officious, intrusive.

Greek

1598. ekpeirazo -- to test thoroughly, tempt
... test , ie with the of testing to an (unwarranted) degree; "hyper-test," going to
improper measures which exceed appropriate boundaries and pushing the one ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1598.htm - 7k

3791. ochleo -- to disturb, trouble
... a , carrying someone along. That is, like a tumultuous pushing the entrapped
passer-by to destination. [3791 () is literally "having ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3791.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew

7716. seh -- one of a flock, a sheep (or goat)
... Or sey {say}; probably from sha'ah through the idea of pushing out to graze; a member
of a flock, ie A sheep or goat -- (lesser, small) cattle, ewe, goat, lamb ...
/hebrew/7716.htm - 6k

Library

Peter on the Waves
... What was bad in it? First, the characteristic pushing of himself to the front, and
wish to be singled out from his brethren by some special token. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/peter on the waves.htm

The Life, Education, and Training of Julian, and his Accession to ...
... good cheer, because in his judgment the victims were propitious, and since they
surrounded the symbol of the Christian doctrine, and was indeed pushing into it ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/chapter ii the life education and.htm

Evidences of Regeneration.
... to set up and organize the visible kingdom of God on earth; to lay a foundation
for universal reform, was rather their business, than the pushing forward of ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xxx evidences of regeneration.htm

Heroic Faith
... have been plenty of excuses very ready about using means as well as exercising faith,
and not being called upon to abandon advantages, and not pushing a good ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/heroic faith.htm

Priscilla and Aquila
... So, in the infinite complexity of events, do not let us worry ourselves by forecasting,
but let us trust, and be sure that the Hand which is pushing us is ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/priscilla and aquila.htm

Growth
... simplest spiritual things. A lily grows mysteriously, pushing up its solid
weight of stem and leaf in the teeth of gravity. Shaped into ...
//christianbookshelf.org/drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/growth.htm

The Right to Privacy
... Though the courtyard is fairly commodious, it is packed with people, talking,
gesticulating, pushing to get a better vantage point from which to view the bride ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/williamson/have we no rights/chapter 5 the right to.htm

Making Haste to be Rich.
... thousand dollars capital. In a little while, he was trading high, and pushing
his business to the utmost of its capacity. At the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arthur/words for the wise/making haste to be rich.htm

Period ii. The Post-Apostolic Age: AD 100-AD 140
... It was, however, merely pushing to excess a conviction already prevalent in the
Church, that Christianity and Judaism were distinct religions. ...
/.../a source book for ancient church history/period ii the post-apostolic age .htm

"A Fine, Generous Fellow. "
... Peyton managed every thing, even to paying the bills; and when I offered to repay
him my proportion, he said" "No, no!""pushing back my hand""nonsense!". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arthur/words for the wise/a fine generous fellow.htm

Thesaurus

Pushing (26 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Pushing (26 Occurrences). ... (See NIV). Mark 12:8 And they
took him and put him to death, pushing his body out of the garden. (BBE). ...
/p/pushing.htm - 14k

Put (13688 Occurrences)
... 11. (vt) To throw or cast with a pushing motion overhand, the hand being raised
from the shoulder; a practice in athletics; as, to put the shot or weight. 12. ...
/p/put.htm - 12k

Leg (24 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 34:21 Because you have been pushing with side and leg, pushing the diseased
with your horns till they were sent away in every direction; (BBE). ...
/l/leg.htm - 19k

Aramaeans (49 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 22:11 And Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made himself horns of iron and
said, The Lord says, Pushing back the Aramaeans with these, you will put an ...
/a/aramaeans.htm - 23k

Quarter (33 Occurrences)
... 19. (vt) Treatment shown by an enemy; mercy; especially, the act of sparing the
life a conquered enemy; a refraining from pushing one's advantage to extremes. ...
/q/quarter.htm - 21k

Quick-tempered (3 Occurrences)
... Titus 1:7 For it is necessary for a Bishop to be a man of virtue, as God's servant;
not pushing himself forward, not quickly moved to wrath or blows, not ...
/q/quick-tempered.htm - 7k

Ossifrage (2 Occurrences)
... These he generally obtains by pushing them over cliffs, when he has watched his
opportunity; and he has been known to attack men while climbing rocks, and dash ...
/o/ossifrage.htm - 10k

Languishing (6 Occurrences)
... Nahum 1:4 He is pushing against a sea, and drieth it up, Yea, all the floods He
hath made dry, Languishing 'are' Bashan and Carmel, Yea, the flower of Lebanon ...
/l/languishing.htm - 8k

Laughed (27 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Psalms 22:7 I am laughed at by all those who see me: pushing out
their lips and shaking their heads they say, (BBE). Psalms ...
/l/laughed.htm - 14k

Gore (9 Occurrences)
... his horn), the Revised Version (British and American) "gore." The same verb in Piel
and HithpaeI is elsewhere translated "push" and "pushing" (Deuteronomy 33:17 ...
/g/gore.htm - 11k

Resources

How can I evangelize my friends and family without pushing them away? | GotQuestions.org

With all of the different religions, how can I know which one is correct? | GotQuestions.org

What is the history of crucifixion? What was crucifixion like? | GotQuestions.org

Pushing: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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

Concordance

Pushing (26 Occurrences)

Mark 3:10
For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him.
(See NIV)

Mark 12:8
And they took him and put him to death, pushing his body out of the garden.
(BBE)

Luke 5:1
Now it came about that while the people came pushing to be near him, and to have knowledge of the word of God, he was by a wide stretch of water named Gennesaret;
(BBE)

Luke 8:42
For he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was near to death. But while he was on his way, the people were pushing to be near him.
(BBE)

Luke 8:45
And Jesus said, Who was touching me? And when they all said, It is not I, Peter and those who were with him said, Master, the people are pushing round you on every side.
(BBE)

Acts 7:27
But the man who was doing wrong to his neighbour, pushing him away, said, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
(BBE)

Acts 19:33
But from among the crowd they put forward Alexander, the Jews pushing him forward. And Alexander, beckoning with his hand, would have made a defence to the people.
(DBY)

Titus 1:7
For it is necessary for a Bishop to be a man of virtue, as God's servant; not pushing himself forward, not quickly moved to wrath or blows, not desiring profit for himself;
(BBE)

Genesis 19:9
And they said, Give way there. This one man, they said, came here from a strange country, and will he now be our judge? now we will do worse to you than to them; and pushing violently against Lot, they came near to get the door broken in.
(BBE)

Judges 20:45
And turning, they went in flight to the rock of Rimmon in the waste land: and on the highways five thousand of them were cut off by the men of Israel, who, pushing on hard after them to Geba, put to death two thousand more.
(BBE)

1 Kings 22:11
And Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made himself horns of iron and said, The Lord says, Pushing back the Aramaeans with these, you will put an end to them completely.
(BBE)

2 Kings 4:27
And when she came to where the man of God was on the hill, she put her hands round his feet; and Gehazi came near with the purpose of pushing her away; but the man of God said, Let her be, for her soul is bitter in her; and the Lord has kept it secret from me, and has not given me word of it.
(BBE)

2 Chronicles 18:10
And Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made himself iron horns and said, The Lord says, Pushing back the Aramaeans with these, you will put an end to them completely.
(BBE)

2 Chronicles 25:12
And ten thousand more the children of Israel took living, and made them go up to the top of the rock, pushing them down from the top of the rock so that their bodies were broken by the fall.
(BBE)

Job 38:8
Or where were you when the sea came to birth, pushing out from its secret place;
(BBE)

Psalms 22:7
I am laughed at by all those who see me: pushing out their lips and shaking their heads they say,
(BBE)

Jeremiah 17:8
For he will be like a tree planted by the waters, pushing out its roots by the stream; he will have no fear when the heat comes, but his leaf will be green; in a dry year he will have no care, and will go on giving fruit.
(BBE)

Ezekiel 17:7
And there was another eagle with great wings and thick feathers: and now this vine, pushing out its roots to him, sent out its branches in his direction from the bed where it was planted, so that he might give it water.
(BBE)

Ezekiel 34:21
Because you have been pushing with side and leg, pushing the diseased with your horns till they were sent away in every direction;
(BBE)

Daniel 8:4
I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no animals could stand before him, neither was there any who could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT)

Joel 2:8
No one is pushing against another; everyone goes straight on his way: bursting through the sword points, their order is not broken.
(BBE)

Joel 2:20
But I will remove the northern army far away from you, and will drive it into a barren and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its back into the western sea; and its stench will come up, and its bad smell will rise." Surely he has done great things.
(See NIV)

Nahum 1:4
He is pushing against a sea, and drieth it up, Yea, all the floods He hath made dry, Languishing 'are' Bashan and Carmel, Yea, the flower of Lebanon 'is' languishing.
(YLT)

Nahum 2:4
The war-carriages are rushing through the streets, pushing against one another in the wide ways, looking like burning lights, running like thunder-flames.
(BBE)

Zechariah 5:8
And he said, This is Sin; and pushing her down into the ephah, he put the weight of lead on the mouth of it.
(BBE)

Malachi 2:3
Lo, I am pushing away before you the seed, And have scattered dung before your faces, Dung of your festivals, And it hath taken you away with it.
(YLT)

Subtopics

Pushing

Related Terms

Skins (27 Occurrences)

Sealskin (8 Occurrences)

Sash (16 Occurrences)

Straps (10 Occurrences)

Snakes (25 Occurrences)

Shackles (14 Occurrences)

Shoulders (38 Occurrences)

Staffs (47 Occurrences)

Vest (11 Occurrences)