Whistle
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Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, the concept of a "whistle" is not frequently mentioned, but it carries significant symbolic meaning when it does appear. The act of whistling, or the sound produced by it, is often associated with summoning, signaling, or calling attention to something important. In the context of the Bible, it can be seen as a metaphor for divine intervention or the gathering of people.

Biblical References:

1. Isaiah 5:26 : "He lifts a banner for the distant nations; He whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Behold—how speedily and swiftly they come!" In this passage, the whistle is used as a divine signal to summon nations from afar. It illustrates God's sovereign power to call and gather people according to His purpose. The imagery of God whistling to nations underscores His authority and the immediacy of His command.

2. Isaiah 7:18 : "On that day the LORD will whistle to the flies at the farthest streams of the Nile and to the bees in the land of Assyria." Here, the whistle is a metaphor for God's control over creation, using it to bring about His judgment or fulfill His plans. The flies and bees represent foreign nations or forces that God will summon to execute His will, demonstrating His dominion over all the earth.

Symbolic Meaning:

In these contexts, the whistle serves as a powerful symbol of God's ability to command and orchestrate events on a global scale. It reflects His omnipotence and the ease with which He can mobilize nations and peoples to achieve His divine purposes. The whistle is not merely a sound but a representation of God's voice and authority, calling His creation to respond to His will.

Theological Implications:

From a theological perspective, the use of the whistle in Scripture highlights the themes of divine sovereignty and providence. It reassures believers of God's active involvement in the world and His capacity to bring about His plans, regardless of human resistance or circumstances. The whistle signifies that God is not distant or passive but is actively guiding history towards His intended outcome.

Cultural Context:

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, whistling or similar sounds were often used as signals in various contexts, such as herding animals or gathering people. The biblical use of the whistle would have resonated with contemporary audiences, who understood the practical implications of such a sound as a call to attention or action.

Overall, while the literal act of whistling is not a central theme in the Bible, its metaphorical use in passages like Isaiah 5:26 and 7:18 provides insight into God's nature and His relationship with the world. It serves as a reminder of His ultimate authority and the certainty of His plans coming to fruition.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (v. i.) To make a kind of musical sound, or series of sounds, by forcing the breath through a small orifice formed by contracting the lips; also, to emit a similar sound, or series of notes, from the mouth or beak, as birds.

2. (v. i.) To make a shrill sound with a wind or steam instrument, somewhat like that made with the lips; to blow a sharp, shrill tone.

3. (v. i.) To sound shrill, or like a pipe; to make a sharp, shrill sound; as, a bullet whistles through the air.

4. (v. t.) To form, utter, or modulate by whistling; as, to whistle a tune or an air.

5. (v. t.) To send, signal, or call by a whistle.

6. (n.) A sharp, shrill, more or less musical sound, made by forcing the breath through a small orifice of the lips, or through or instrument which gives a similar sound; the sound used by a sportsman in calling his dogs; the shrill note of a bird; as, the sharp whistle of a boy, or of a boatswain's pipe; the blackbird's mellow whistle.

7. (n.) The shrill sound made by wind passing among trees or through crevices, or that made by bullet, or the like, passing rapidly through the air; the shrill noise (much used as a signal, etc.) made by steam or gas escaping through a small orifice, or impinging against the edge of a metallic bell or cup.

8. (n.) An instrument in which gas or steam forced into a cavity, or against a thin edge, produces a sound more or less like that made by one who whistles through the compressed lips; as, a child's whistle; a boatswain's whistle; a steam whistle (see Steam whistle, under Steam).

9. (n.) The mouth and throat; -- so called as being the organs of whistling.

Strong's Hebrew
8319. sharaq -- to hiss, whistle, pipe
... 8318, 8319. sharaq. 8320 . to hiss, whistle, pipe. Transliteration: sharaq
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-rak') Short Definition: hiss. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/8319.htm - 6k
Library

Cups Running Over
... When the referee blows his whistle at a football match, the game has to stop,
a foul has been committed. When we lose our peace, God's ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/hession/the calvary road/chapter 2 cups running over.htm

When Diamond Went Home to Breakfast, He Found his Father and ...
... it must be one of those toys which are wound up and go with clockwork; but no, it
was a common penny toy, with the windmill at the end of a whistle, and when ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 9 when diamond went.htm

Striking Similes
... All silent as the sheeted dead. All sounds were lost in the whistle of air humming
by like the flight of a million arrows. ... As clear as a whistle. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section viii striking similes.htm

A Book for Boys and Girls Or, Temporal Things Spritualized.
... down to the nets and die? Take no heed to the fowler's tempting call; This
whistle, he enchanteth birds withal. Or if thou see'st a ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a book for boys and.htm

Measures to Promote Revivals.
... "Away with your whistle," said he. "What! whistle in the house of God!"
He thought it a profanation. (5.) Instrumental Music. ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xiv measures to promote.htm

Chapter five
... There were a dozen rude benches and tables in the room, and when the noon whistle
sounded the men poured upstairs from the machine shops below and, seating ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sheldon/in his steps/chapter five.htm

Three Decisive Steps
... You try sometimes to talk big blasphemies, and that is because you are afraid; as
boys will whistle when they go through the churchyard, and are afraid of ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/three decisive steps.htm

Fearlessness.
... We boys all remember how we used to whistle when we passed a graveyard after dark
to show we "weren't afraid"; and how hard it was to keep our mouths puckered ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/rees/the heart-cry of jesus/chapter vi fearlessness.htm

Closed Gates
... But the train never slackens speed. The engineer keeps on blowing the whistle,
and the train thunders along at the usual rate. Then ...
/.../chidley/fifty-two story talks to boys and girls/closed gates.htm

Sun and Wind
... Then the sun had its turn. It came out without noise or violence like the northwind.
It did not whistle in the treetops nor bluster through the bushes. ...
/.../chidley/fifty-two story talks to boys and girls/sun and wind.htm

Thesaurus
Whistle (3 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To form, utter, or modulate by whistling; as, to whistle a tune
or an air. 5. (vt) To send, signal, or call by a whistle. ...
/w/whistle.htm - 9k

Pipe (13 Occurrences)
... 6. (n.) The peeping whistle, call, or note of a bird. ... 10. (n.) A boatswain's whistle,
used to call the crew to their duties; also, the sound of it. 11. ...
/p/pipe.htm - 13k

Whistles (1 Occurrence)

/w/whistles.htm - 6k

Whisperings (1 Occurrence)

/w/whisperings.htm - 6k

Winding (4 Occurrences)
... & vb. n.) of Wind. 3. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Wind. 4. (n.) A call by the boatswain's
whistle. 5. (a.) Twisting from a direct line or an even surface; circuitous. ...
/w/winding.htm - 8k

Whistling (4 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Whistle. 2. (a. & n.) from
Whistle. Multi-Version Concordance Whistling (4 Occurrences). ...
/w/whistling.htm - 8k

Flute (16 Occurrences)
... 7. (vi) To play on, or as on, a flute; to make a flutelike sound. 8. (vt) To play,
whistle, or sing with a clear, soft note, like that of a flute. ...
/f/flute.htm - 13k

Blow (124 Occurrences)
... 25. (n.) The act of forcing air from the mouth, or through or from some instrument;
as, to give a hard blow on a whistle or horn; to give the fire a blow with ...
/b/blow.htm - 42k

Bee (1 Occurrence)
... Isaiah 7:18 It will happen in that day that Yahweh will whistle for the fly that
is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in ...
/b/bee.htm - 10k

Charm (5 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) Any small decorative object worn on the person, as a seal, a key, a silver
whistle, or the like. Bunches of charms are often worn at the watch chain. ...
/c/charm.htm - 14k

Resources
What is heavy shepherding? | GotQuestions.org

Whistle: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Whistle (3 Occurrences)

Isaiah 5:26
He will lift up a banner to the nations from far, and he will whistle for them from the end of the earth. Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly.
(WEB NAS RSV NIV)

Isaiah 7:18
It will happen in that day that Yahweh will whistle for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.
(WEB NAS RSV NIV)

Zechariah 10:8
I will signal for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them; and they will increase as they have increased.
(See NAS)

Subtopics

Whistle

Related Terms

Whistle (3 Occurrences)

Whistling (4 Occurrences)

Whisperings
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