Dictionary: Face
Synonyms: countenance, physiognomy, profile, features, expression, facial expression, look, appearance, air, manner, bearing, guise, cast, aspect, impression, grimace, scowl, wry face, wince, frown, glower, smirk, pout, moue, side, flank, vertical, surface, plane, facet, wall, elevation, dial, display, (outward) appearance, nature, image, front, show, act, false front, facade, exterior, mask, masquerade, pretence, charade, pose, illusion, smokescreen, veneer, camouflage, respect, honour, esteem, regard, admiration, approbation, acclaim, approval, favour, appreciation, popularity, estimation, veneration, awe, reverence, deference, recognition, prestige, standing, status, dignity, glory, kudos, cachet, effrontery, audacity, nerve, gall, brazenness, brashness, shamelessness, look out on, front on to, look towards, be facing, have/afford/command a view of, look over/across, open out over, look on to, overlook, give on to, give over, be opposite (to), accept, come to accept, become reconciled to, reconcile oneself to, reach an acceptance (of), get used to, become accustomed to, adjust to, accommodate oneself to, acclimatize oneself to, be confronted by, be faced with, encounter, experience, come into contact with, run into, come across, meet, come up against, be forced to contend with, beset, worry, distress, cause trouble to, trouble, bother, confront, burden, brave, face up to, meet head-on, dare, defy, oppose, resist, withstand, cover, clad, skin, overlay, dress, pave, put a facing on, laminate, inlay, plate, coat, line
Antonyms: dodge, fear, back, give way, back down, dodge, avoid, throw in the towel, withdraw, cave in, retreat, succumb to, lay down one's arms, throw in the sponge, defer, submit, escape, bashfulness, shun, evade, elude
Showing 551 to 575 of 631 results
Teach the Text
Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
Big Idea: When his repentant servants humbly submit to his discipline, the Lord protects and provides. Understanding the Text After leaving Jerusalem in the face of Shimei’s curse, David faced the imposing power of Absalom, now buttressed by the defection of Ahithophel. This next literary unit describes how the Lord uses Hushai’s advice to thwart Ahithophel and Absalom. In the middle of this unit we read that the Lord “had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on ...
Teach the Text
Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
Big Idea: The consequences of sin can be persistent, even when the Lord’s repentant servants do their best to promote unity and the Lord’s faithful covenantal promise is fulfilled. Understanding the Text The previous episode ended with David’s mourning the death of Absalom as if he were not grateful for what his men had accomplished on his behalf. Joab warned him that he was jeopardizing the loyalty of the troops, who had risked their lives for him. David presented himself to his loyal followers, and they ...
Teach the Text
Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
Big Idea: The Lord alone is his people’s Savior and source of security. Understanding the Text In chapter 10 we read of how the Lord gave Israel a king yet placed limitations on him (v. 25). However, not everyone was pleased with this arrangement or with the Lord’s choice of a king (v. 27). Indeed, hesitant Saul appeared to be an unlikely candidate for the job; his apparent qualifications were only superficial. The chapter ends in tension. Would Saul be an effective leader and deliver Israel from their ...
Teach the Text
Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
Big Idea: God’s people can forfeit their privilege and blessing by foolishly disobeying the Lord’s word. Understanding the Text As chapter 12 concludes, one hopes and may even expect that Saul will succeed. After all, empowered by the Lord’s Spirit, he defeated the Ammonites, and the rebellious people responded positively to Samuel’s call to covenantal renewal. Yet there was unfinished business. The Ammonites have been defeated, but the Philistine problem remains. The Lord announced to Samuel that the new ...
Teach the Text
Daniel J. Estes
Big Idea: Yahweh poses questions about the physical world to demonstrate that Job’s knowledge is too limited to explain how God works in his world. Understanding the Text Throughout the speeches in chapters 3–37, the various human speakers claim to know what Yahweh thinks about Job’s situation, but in chapter 38 Yahweh finally breaks his silence and speaks for himself. Yahweh addresses Job in 38:1–40:2, focusing on his design for the world (38:2), and then Job replies briefly in 40:3–5. Yahweh resumes ...
Teach the Text
Ronald W. Pierce
Big Idea: Even though powerful, evil rulers oppose God and his angels, persecute his people, and defile his sanctuary, God emerges victorious in the end. Understanding the Text Daniel 8:1–27 is woven into the book’s overall literary structure in several ways. First, it is the second of Daniel’s four apocalyptic visions, as well as the second of two paired, symbolic visions (chaps. 7 and 8). Second, it advances the already reset chronology of chapter 7. Third, it begins the concentric Hebrew section of ...
557. Samuel Rebukes Saul
1 Samuel 13:1-15
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
After the victory over the Ammonites east of the Jordan, Saul turns his attention to the Philistines, Israel’s perennial enemy along the Mediterranean coast. Undoubtedly the Philistines were worried about Israel’s upstart king and likely wanted to attack him before he became too established and powerful. Since the initial conquest under Joshua, the cities that were most solidly under Israel’s control were located in the hill country, an area about two thousand feet above sea level that ran from north to ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
After his narrow escape David travels about twelve miles further inland, to the cave of Adullam, in the western foothills (22:1–5). This is close to the place where he killed Goliath, in the Valley of Elah. Word of his whereabouts reaches his family and other individuals who are in trouble with Saul’s regime. About four hundred malcontents join him and are molded by David into an effective and loyal fighting force. Managing this motley crew would have been both extremely difficult and an excellent ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
David again refuses to kill Saul (26:1–12). As in 24:2, Saul takes three thousand (or three “companies” of) men to track David down in the Desert of Ziph, where he narrowly escaped from Saul earlier (23:24–28). David’s scouts tell him where Saul and his army are camping for the night, and David himself comes close enough to see where Saul and Abner are lying down. With characteristic boldness, David decides to pay a visit to the camp, accompanied by Abishai, his nephew who will later become one of his top ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
For four years Absalom develops a strategy to increase his popularity and chances for the throne (15:1–12). Pretending to be a champion of justice, Absalom wins the hearts of the people by agreeing with their complaints against the king. Handsome and charming, he personally meets large numbers of people near the city gates of Jerusalem, thereby ingratiating himself to the general populace. All this time David apparently suspects nothing, so when Absalom asks permission to go to Hebron, David raises no ...
561. David’s Song
2 Samuel 22:1-51
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
Just as 1–2 Samuel begins with Hannah’s song of thanksgiving for the birth of Samuel (1 Samuel 2), it ends with David’s song of praise for God’s deliverance from his enemies. The song appears in almost identical form in Psalm 18. In both passages the same historical heading referring to Saul and other enemies introduces the hymn. When David was fleeing from Saul he was forced to take refuge in a number of caves (22:2–4). These hideouts are sometimes called “strongholds”; the same word is applied to the ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
The final chapter begins with another vision, a hymn, and a final warning. The fifth vision pictures the enactment of God’s judgment on Israel by describing his destruction of Israel’s temple (probably at Bethel) and by statements that God will not allow anyone in the nation to escape his wrath (9:1–4). In this vision God is standing beside an altar at a temple, commanding that the temple and the people in it be destroyed. The earth will shake, the pillars of the temple will buckle, and the falling roof ...
563. Jesus' Burial
Mark 15:42-47
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
The oldest ascertainable form of the Gospel of Mark ends with the story of Joseph of Arimathea (15:40–41, 47), which sandwiches the account of the women attending Jesus’s crucifixion and empty tomb (15:42–46). In contrast to the women, who watch the crucifixion “from a distance” (15:40) and who are anxious, distressed, and fearful at the tomb (16:5, 8), Joseph acts with resolution and boldness in procuring the body of Jesus from Pilate and burying him honorably. The faithfulness of Joseph is thus ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
Luke’s interest in history becomes evident as he dates the birth of Jesus in relationship to world history. Augustus (2:1) was officially the Roman emperor from 27 BC to AD 14, and under his reign the Roman world experienced unparalleled peace and prosperity. During the reign of Augustus censuses were conducted for the purposes of taxation. The main purpose of this incident is to show that Jesus was born in the town of David, which was Bethlehem (2:4; cf. Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:4–6). Thus, God in his ...
One Volume
Gary M. Burge
6:1–8 · The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: In this next set of visions, the slain Lamb breaks the seals on the scroll (6:1) one by one to unveil the contents of God’s redemptive plan. The breaking of the first four seals follows a set pattern: the Lamb opens a seal, the cherubim issue the command, “Come,” and a demonic rider on a colored horse proceeds to carry out the scroll’s contents. Revelation’s portrayal of riders on white, red, black, and pale green horses is taken from Zechariah 1:8–15 and 6:1–8 ...
Understanding Series
Craig A. Evans
2:1–7 The primary purpose of this first paragraph is to set the stage for the angelic anthem (vv. 13–14) and the visit of the shepherds (vv. 15–20). Another purpose, however, is to place the birth of Jesus in the context of Rome’s greatest emperor, Caesar Augustus (see note below). Just as the edict of the Persian king Cyrus to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple accomplished God’s plans (see 2 Chron. 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4; Isa. 44:28–45:1), so Augustus’ order that a census should be taken played an important ...
Understanding Series
Craig A. Evans
Jesus Casts Out Demons: With the exorcism in 4:33–36 we have the first of some twenty-one miracles performed by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. These miracles may be assigned to four basic categories: Exorcisms, healings, resuscitations, and nature miracles. (1) In addition to the exorcism of the demon-possessed man in the synagogue, Jesus exorcises two other demon-possessed persons (the Gerasene “demoniac” in 8:26–39 and the mute man in 11:14). Luke 4:41 refers to exorcisms in general, while elsewhere in ...
Understanding Series
W. H. Bellinger, Jr.
Manual of Purity: Chapter 11 begins the third section of Leviticus, which provides instructions on what is clean and what is unclean. Although these chapters are somewhat disparate, this theme unifies them—thus the title “Manual of Purity.” Following these instructions, chapter 16 describes the ritual of the Day of Atonement. Some commentators (e.g., Hartley) treat chapter 16 separately, but while it does allude to the narrative in chapter 10, it also provides a means of removing the effects of the ...
569. David at Nob
1 Samuel 21:1-9
Understanding Series
Mary J. Evans
David’s Flight – The Priests at Nob: 21:1–9 Having accepted that Saul’s enmity was fixed and that exile was the only option, David sought initial supplies from the priest at Nob. Ahimelech’s wariness on David’s arrival may have reflected an awareness of Saul’s antipathy toward David and a fear of getting involved in a power dispute. However, it is equally possible that Ahimelech’s expression of ignorance in 22:14–15 was the truth and his fear was that David would bring Philistine troops in his wake. David’ ...
Understanding Series
Mary J. Evans
Saul Seeks Out David: 23:1–6 David’s exile did not mean that he had lost his vision for Israel’s security or his concern for the well-being of his fellow Israelites. The news of particular problems at Keilah stimulated his desire to continue fighting on behalf of God’s people. The Philistines were not taking tribute from the Israelite farmers but were looting the threshing floors. They were waiting until the Israelites had done all the hard work and then depriving them of their livelihood for the next year ...
Understanding Series
Mary J. Evans
Saul’s First Escape: Saul, having returned from an encounter with the Philistines, takes up his preoccupation with destroying David. 24:1–7 He knows that David is located in En Gedi and can be looked for not too far away from the water source. With three battalions of crack soldiers Saul may expect to deal with David’s six hundred scratch troops. It is greatly ironic that the only time that Saul came within reach of David he was unaware of it and utterly vulnerable. The discussion between David and his men ...
Understanding Series
Gerald H. Wilson
Taking God to Court 23:1 One can hardly call Job’s words in chapters 23 and 24 a response to Eliphaz’s third speech. Job takes no notice of his friend or his argument, but he begins instead to consider the feasibility and benefit of bringing God to court so he might hope to find just resolution to his complaint. In chapter 23 Job reflects, at first confidently but ultimately with increasing terror, on the difficulty of locating God and securing his presence for the legal proceedings. 23:2 Job says, my ...
Understanding Series
Craig C. Broyles
If we attempt to explain this psalm’s development on purely literary grounds, we will be frustrated because psalms were also governed by liturgical and ritual considerations. Otherwise, how do we explain the following features? (a) The psalm shifts between addressing Yahweh directly (vv. 1–4, 9) and referring to him in the third person (vv. 5–8). (b) Without explanation, the speaker shifts from praying, “Hear my cry for mercy” (v. 2), to asserting, “he has heard my cry for mercy” (v. 6). (c) In verses 1–4 ...
Understanding Series
Craig C. Broyles
This prayer psalm is for those who are alone: “no one is concerned for me” (v. 4; note also the superscription “When he was in the cave”). “The righteous will gather about me” (v. 7) is described as a future event, only after the psalm has been answered. This psalm, therefore, does not seem suited to public performance. Devoid of supportive social relationships, the speaker directs his “voice . . . before him,” that is, to Yahweh. He is the special protector of those who are alone, the alien, the ...
Understanding Series
William Nelson
The Lion's Pit: In this familiar chapter, Daniel’s enemies conspire to get him thrown into the lions’ pit for making petitions to his God. Just as we wonder where Daniel is in chapter 3, so we wonder where Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) are in chapter 6, for there is no mention of them. We can be sure that they, like Daniel, would have continued their daily prayers in spite of the threat of being devoured by wild animals, yet there is no explanation for their absence. This ...
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