In biblical literature, the term "wink" is often associated with subtlety, secrecy, or a form of communication that is not overtly expressed. The act of winking can carry various connotations depending on the context in which it is used, ranging from playful to deceitful.

Old Testament References

The concept of winking appears in the Old Testament, where it is often linked to deceit or malicious intent. In Proverbs 6:12-13 , the text describes a "worthless person, a wicked man" who "walks with a perverse mouth, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, and points with his fingers." Here, winking is part of a series of gestures that characterize a deceitful individual, suggesting that the act is not merely playful but rather indicative of a deeper, more sinister intent.

Similarly, Proverbs 10:10 states, "He who winks the eye causes grief, and foolish lips will come to ruin." This verse further associates winking with negative outcomes, implying that such behavior can lead to trouble or sorrow. The act of winking, in this context, is not innocent but rather a sign of underlying mischief or folly.

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not explicitly mention winking, the concept of subtle or hidden communication can be inferred in various teachings of Jesus and the apostles. The emphasis on sincerity, truthfulness, and transparency in the New Testament contrasts with the deceptive connotations of winking found in the Old Testament. For instance, Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:37 , "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No,'" underscores the importance of straightforward and honest communication, leaving no room for the ambiguity or deceit that winking might imply.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, the act of winking, as depicted in the Bible, serves as a metaphor for the broader theme of integrity versus deceit. The scriptures consistently advocate for honesty and transparency, warning against behaviors that might lead to misunderstanding or harm. Winking, when associated with deceit, serves as a cautionary symbol against engaging in actions that are not aligned with the values of truth and righteousness.

Cultural and Historical Context

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, non-verbal communication, including gestures like winking, played a significant role in social interactions. Such gestures could convey messages that words alone might not express. However, the biblical portrayal of winking as deceitful suggests a cultural understanding that valued clear and honest communication, reflecting the moral and ethical standards upheld by the biblical authors.

Practical Application

For contemporary readers, the biblical references to winking serve as a reminder to maintain integrity in communication. In a world where non-verbal cues can often be misinterpreted, the call to be clear and honest in our interactions remains relevant. The biblical admonition against deceitful winking encourages believers to foster trust and sincerity in their relationships, aligning their actions with the teachings of scripture.1. (v. i.) To nod; to sleep; to nap.

2. (v. i.) To shut the eyes quickly; to close the eyelids with a quick motion.

3. (v. i.) To close and open the eyelids quickly; to nictitate; to blink.

4. (v. i.) To give a hint by a motion of the eyelids, often those of one eye only.

5. (v. i.) To avoid taking notice, as if by shutting the eyes; to connive at anything; to be tolerant; -- generally with at.

6. (v. i.) To be dim and flicker; as, the light winks.

7. (v. t.) To cause (the eyes) to wink.

8. (n.) The act of closing, or closing and opening, the eyelids quickly; hence, the time necessary for such an act; a moment.

9. (n.) A hint given by shutting the eye with a significant cast.

WINK

wink (razam, literally, "to roll the eyes"): The act or habit of winking was evidently considered to be evil both in its motives and in its results. The idea of its facetiousness, prevalent in our day, is nowhere apparent in the Scriptures. It is mentioned frequently, but is always associated with sin, in the Old Testament especially in the sense of conceit, pride, and rebellion against God: "Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at, that thou turnest thy spirit against God" (Job 15:12, 13 the King James Version). So also Psalm 35:19: "Neither let them wink with the eye that hate roe without a cause." "A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes," etc. (Proverbs 6:12, 13 the King James Version). "He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow" (Proverbs 10:10). See Watkinson, Education of the Heart, "Ethics of Gesture," 194;.

In the New Testament the word is used to express the longsuffering patience and forgiveness of God toward erring Israel: "And the times of this ignorance God winked at" (Acts 17:30 the King James Version, hupereidon, "overlooked," and so translated in the Revised Version (British and American); compare The Wisdom of Solomon 11:23; Ecclesiasticus 30:11). The use of "winked" in this connection would in our day, of course, be considered in bad taste, if not actually irreverent, but it is an excellent example of the colloquialism of the King James Version.

Arthur Walwyn Evans

1269. dianeuo -- to wink at, nod to, beckon to
... to wink at, nod to, beckon to. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: dianeuo Phonetic
Spelling: (dee-an-yoo'-o) Short Definition: I nod continually, beckon ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1269.htm - 6k

5237. hupereidon -- to overlook
... overlook, not punish, wink at. From huper and eido; to overlook, ie Not punish --
wink at. see GREEK huper. see GREEK eido. (uperidon) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5237.htm - 6k

7335. razam -- to wink, flash
... to wink, flash. Transliteration: razam Phonetic Spelling: (raw-zam') Short Definition:
flash. ... root Definition to wink, flash NASB Word Usage flash (1). ...
/hebrew/7335.htm - 5k

7169. qarats -- to nip, pinch
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to nip, pinch NASB Word Usage compresses (1),
formed (1), maliciously* (1), wink (1), winks (2). form, move, wink. ...
/hebrew/7169.htm - 6k

6621. petha -- suddenness
... From an unused root meaning to open (the eyes); a wink, ie Moment (compare
pith'owm) (used only (with or without preposition) adverbially, quickly or ...
/hebrew/6621.htm - 6k

7281. rega -- a moment
... instant, moment, space, suddenly. From raga'. A wink (of the eyes), ie A very short
space of time -- instant, moment, space, suddenly. see HEBREW raga'. ...
/hebrew/7281.htm - 6k

7280. raga' -- to disturb
... violently and suddenly (the sea with waves, the skin with boils); figuratively
(in a favorable manner) to settle, ie Quiet; specifically, to wink (from the ...
/hebrew/7280.htm - 5k

The Right to Live with the People of My Choice
... simmering on a tiny, smoky kerosene stove. "You know, I couldn't sleep a wink
last night!" declared one. "I was thinking about Mr. Gibb ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/williamson/have we no rights/chapter 9 the right to.htm

Christian Ballads.
... 'Tis the wink of an eye; 'tis the draft of a breath From the blossom of health to
the paleness of death, From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud, Oh ...
/.../brown/the story of the hymns and tunes/chapter vi christian ballads.htm

The Murket's Sacrifice
... When Kenkenes made an end the murket brought his clenched hand down on the table
with a force that made the lamp wink and the implements rattle in their boxes ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxxvi the murkets sacrifice.htm

Hatred Without Cause
... says, speaking of himself immediately and of the Saviour prophetically, "Let not
them who are mine enemies rejoice over me, neither let them wink with the eye ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/hatred without cause.htm

Justice Satisfied
... and shrieks of spirits condemned of God, rise in your ears, and bear witness that
he is a God who will not spare the guilty, who will not wink at iniquity ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/justice satisfied.htm

The Preface.
... But whilst these Reverend Gentlemen have been so kind to help it into the World,
and speak such good things of it, tis plain that they either wink't at, or did ...
/.../de molinos/the spiritual guide which disentangles the soul/the preface.htm

The Knowledge of God Stifled or Corrupted, Ignorantly or ...
... Nothing being less accordant with the nature of God than to cast off the government
of the world, leaving it to chance, and so to wink at the crimes of men ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 4 the knowledge of.htm

The Fall of Solomon
... is commonly used to mean actual idolatry; and his wives could scarcely have been
said to have 'turned away his heart,' if all that he did was to wink at, or ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the fall of solomon.htm

Psalm 35
... proudly rejoice o'er me; Nor who me hate without a cause,. let them wink with the
eye. ^20For peace they do not speak at all; but crafty plots prepare. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/scottish psalter and paraphrases/psalm 35.htm

An Elegy
... My soul might look about. O what a vanity is Man! How like the eye's quick wink.
His cottage fails; whose narrow span. Begins e'en at the brink! ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/palgrave/the treasury of sacred song/cxxxiv an elegy.htm

Wink (2 Occurrences)
... 6. (vi) To be dim and flicker; as, the light winks. 7. (vt) To cause (the
eyes) to wink. 8 ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. WINK. wink...
/w/wink.htm - 9k

Twinkling (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (n.) The act of one who, or of that which, twinkles; a quick movement of the
eye; a wink; a twinkle. ... 4. (n.) The time of a wink; a moment; an instant. ...
/t/twinkling.htm - 7k

Moment (71 Occurrences)
... mo'-ment (regha`, "a wink"; atomos, "an atom," stigme, "a point," parautika,
immediately," "forthwith"): "Moment" is not used in Scripture for a division of ...
/m/moment.htm - 29k

Understand (208 Occurrences)
... understand a proposition or a declaration; the court understands the advocate or
his argument; to understand the sacred oracles; to understand a nod or a wink. ...
/u/understand.htm - 36k

Judicial (2 Occurrences)
... for the wrong which had been done. For a gift of such magnitude she ought
to wink at the injury. Job 9:24 declares in his bitterness ...
/j/judicial.htm - 25k

Wrongfully (15 Occurrences)
... Psalms 35:19 Don't let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me;
neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes. ...
/w/wrongfully.htm - 10k

Wingspan (1 Occurrence)

/w/wingspan.htm - 6k

Winked (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Wink. Multi-Version Concordance
Winked (1 Occurrence). Acts 17:30 And the times of this ...
/w/winked.htm - 6k

Maliciously (8 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Psalms 35:19 Don't let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over
me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes. ...
/m/maliciously.htm - 8k

At (20085 Occurrences)
... 8. (prep.) Relation of direction toward an object or end; as, look at it; to point
at one; to aim at a mark; to throw, strike, shoot, wink, mock, laugh at any ...
/a/at.htm - 9k

Wink: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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