Topical Encyclopedia In biblical terms, the concept of "reach" encompasses both the physical act of extending one's hand or influence and the metaphorical idea of striving towards spiritual goals or divine truths. The term is used in various contexts throughout Scripture, illustrating both human action and divine intervention.Physical Reach The physical act of reaching is often depicted in the Bible as a gesture of seeking help, offering assistance, or demonstrating authority. In Exodus 7:19 , God commands Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt.'" Here, the act of reaching out with the staff signifies the execution of divine judgment upon Egypt. Similarly, in 1 Kings 17:21 , Elijah "stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the LORD," demonstrating a physical act of intercession and faith. Spiritual Reach Spiritually, reaching is symbolic of the believer's pursuit of God and His righteousness. Philippians 3:13-14 captures this idea: "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have laid hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus." Here, the Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of reaching to describe the Christian's journey towards spiritual maturity and eternal reward. Divine Reach The reach of God is portrayed as both protective and redemptive. In Psalm 18:16 , David declares, "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters." This imagery conveys God's intervention and deliverance in times of distress. Similarly, Isaiah 59:1 reassures believers of God's ability to save: "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear." Moral and Ethical Reach The Bible also speaks to the moral and ethical reach of individuals, particularly in terms of influence and impact. Proverbs 31:20 describes the virtuous woman: "She opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy." This passage highlights the importance of extending one's reach to care for others, embodying the love and compassion that God desires from His people. Conclusion The concept of reach in the Bible is multifaceted, encompassing physical actions, spiritual aspirations, divine interventions, and moral responsibilities. Whether it is God reaching out to humanity or individuals reaching towards God and others, the theme of reach underscores the dynamic relationship between the divine and the human, as well as the call to live out one's faith in tangible ways. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (v. i.) To retch.2. (n.) An effort to vomit. 3. (v. t.) To extend; to stretch; to thrust out; to put forth, as a limb, a member, something held, or the like. 4. (v. t.) Hence, to deliver by stretching out a member, especially the hand; to give with the hand; to pass to another; to hand over; as, to reach one a book. 5. (v. t.) To attain or obtain by stretching forth the hand; to extend some part of the body, or something held by one, so as to touch, strike, grasp, or the like; as, to reach an object with the hand, or with a spear. 6. (v. t.) To strike, hit, or touch with a missile; as, to reach an object with an arrow, a bullet, or a shell. 7. (v. t.) Hence, to extend an action, effort, or influence to; to penetrate to; to pierce, or cut, as far as. 8. (v. t.) To extend to; to stretch out as far as; to touch by virtue of extent; as, his land reaches the river. 9. (v. t.) To arrive at; to come to; to get as far as. 10. (v. t.) To arrive at by effort of any kind; to attain to; to gain; to be advanced to. 11. (v. t.) To understand; to comprehend. 12. (v. t.) To overreach; to deceive. 13. (v. i.) To stretch out the hand. 14. (v. i.) To strain after something; to make efforts. 15. (v. i.) To extend in dimension, time, amount, action, influence, etc., so as to touch, attain to, or be equal to, something. 16. (v. i.) To sail on the wind, as from one point of tacking to another, or with the wind nearly abeam. 17. (n.) The act of stretching or extending; extension; power of reaching or touching with the person, or a limb, or something held or thrown; as, the fruit is beyond my reach; to be within reach of cannon shot. 18. (n.) The power of stretching out or extending action, influence, or the like; power of attainment or management; extent of force or capacity. 19. (n.) Extent; stretch; expanse; hence, application; influence; result; scope. 20. (n.) An extended portion of land or water; a stretch; a straight portion of a stream or river, as from one turn to another; a level stretch, as between locks in a canal; an arm of the sea extending up into the land. 21. (n.) An artifice to obtain an advantage. 22. (n.) The pole or rod which connects the hind axle with the forward bolster of a wagon. Greek 2185. ephikneomai -- to arrive upon, ie to reach ... to arrive upon, ie to reach. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: ephikneomai Phonetic Spelling: (ef-ik-neh'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I come to, reach as far ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2185.htm - 6k 2658. katantao -- to come down to, reach 3713. orego -- to stretch out, to reach after, to yearn for 1901. epekteino -- to extend, mid. to stretch forward 2425. hikanos -- sufficient, fit 1271. dianoia -- the mind, disposition, thought 864. aphikneomai -- to arrive at 190. akoloutheo -- to follow 187. akmazo -- to be at the prime 3559. nouthesia -- admonition Strong's Hebrew 5381. nasag -- to reach, overtake... 5380, 5381. nasag. 5382 . to reach, overtake. Transliteration: nasag Phonetic Spelling: (naw-sag') Short Definition: overtake. Word Origin a prim. ... /hebrew/5381.htm - 6k 5060. naga -- to touch, reach, strike 7382. reach -- a smell 6642. tsabat -- to reach, hold out 4291. meta -- to reach, attain 7381b. reach -- scent, odor 6293. paga -- to meet, encounter, reach 4229. machah -- to wipe, wipe out 4229b. machah -- to strike 1272. barach -- to go through, flee Library Called to Reach a Higher Standard No Man Therefore Can Reach God with his Love... Whether in the Present State of Life the Contemplative Life Can ... If that which it Has Pleased us to Know is Within Reach... We must Consider the Fact, which Comes First, and So in Order ... Whether among the Demons, Inferior to the Gods, There are any Good ... Our Forefathers have Handed Down to us the Tradition, That, after ... John Chapter xiii. 31-32. Psalm LXXV. The Realization of Selfless Love Thesaurus Reach (63 Occurrences)... 4. (vt) Hence, to deliver by stretching out a member, especially the hand; to give with the hand; to pass to another; to hand over; as, to reach one a book. ... /r/reach.htm - 27k Attain (30 Occurrences) Stretch (73 Occurrences) Smell (77 Occurrences) Hit (11 Occurrences) Fetch (45 Occurrences) Arrive (20 Occurrences) Reaching (22 Occurrences) Extend (35 Occurrences) Vintage (14 Occurrences) Resources I am a former Catholic. Should I continue to go to Catholic Church so I can reach people for Christ? | GotQuestions.orgDo we ever reach a point that we cannot be forgiven (Nahum 3:19)? | GotQuestions.org What sort of outreach ministries should a church have? | GotQuestions.org Reach: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Reach (63 Occurrences)Luke 8:19 Luke 13:32 John 20:27 Acts 17:27 Acts 20:16 Acts 27:12 Romans 15:28 Romans 16:19 2 Corinthians 10:13 2 Corinthians 10:14 Galatians 3:3 Hebrews 4:1 2 Peter 3:9 Revelation 12:14 Genesis 3:22 Genesis 11:4 Genesis 19:22 Exodus 26:28 Exodus 27:5 Exodus 28:42 Exodus 36:33 Leviticus 5:7 Leviticus 5:11 Leviticus 26:5 Leviticus 27:8 Numbers 34:11 Numbers 35:4 Deuteronomy 30:11 Joshua 3:8 Joshua 10:19 Judges 19:13 1 Samuel 14:4 2 Samuel 5:8 2 Samuel 15:5 Ezra 5:5 Job 3:22 Job 20:6 Job 21:7 Job 24:2 Job 29:19 Job 37:23 Job 41:26 Psalms 32:6 Psalms 55:23 Psalms 71:19 Psalms 119:48 Proverbs 2:19 Proverbs 20:30 Isaiah 8:8 Isaiah 15:5 Isaiah 30:4 Isaiah 30:28 Isaiah 49:6 Isaiah 59:9 Isaiah 65:20 Jeremiah 48:32 Ezekiel 31:14 Daniel 4:11 Daniel 4:20 Amos 9:9 Micah 5:4 Habakkuk 2:9 Zechariah 14:5 Subtopics Related Terms Kirjath-jearim (17 Occurrences) |