Topical Bible: Befallen

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Topical Encyclopedia

The term "befallen" refers to events or circumstances that have occurred or come upon someone, often unexpectedly or as part of divine providence. In the context of the Bible, it is used to describe occurrences that are often seen as part of God's sovereign plan or as a result of human actions and decisions.

Biblical Usage and Context

The concept of events befalling individuals or nations is prevalent throughout the Scriptures, illustrating the unfolding of God's will and the consequences of human behavior. The Bible often portrays these events as either blessings or judgments, depending on the faithfulness or disobedience of the people involved.

Old Testament Examples

1. Job's Trials: The account of Job is a profound example of calamities befalling a righteous man. Job 1:13-19 describes a series of devastating events that befall Job, including the loss of his livestock, servants, and children. These events are permitted by God to test Job's faithfulness, illustrating the theme of divine sovereignty and human suffering.

2. Israel's Exile: The befalling of Israel into exile is a significant theme in the Old Testament. Due to their persistent disobedience and idolatry, God allows foreign nations to conquer and exile the Israelites. This is seen as a fulfillment of the warnings given through the prophets, such as in 2 Kings 17:6-23, where the fall of the Northern Kingdom to Assyria is recounted.

3. Joseph's Journey: In Genesis 37-50, the events that befall Joseph, including being sold into slavery by his brothers and later rising to power in Egypt, demonstrate God's providential care and the fulfillment of His promises. Joseph himself acknowledges this in Genesis 50:20 : "As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people."

New Testament Examples

1. Paul's Shipwreck: In Acts 27, the Apostle Paul experiences a shipwreck on his journey to Rome. Despite the perilous circumstances that befall him and his companions, God's protection is evident, and Paul reassures the crew of their safety, as seen in Acts 27:22-24 : "But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not a single life will be lost, only the ship. For just last night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.'"

2. Persecution of the Early Church: The early Christians faced numerous trials and persecutions, as described in the Book of Acts and the Epistles. These events befalling the church are seen as both a test of faith and a means of spreading the Gospel. In Acts 8:1-4, the persecution following Stephen's martyrdom leads to the scattering of believers, who then preach the word wherever they go.

Theological Implications

The occurrences that befall individuals and nations in the Bible are often interpreted as manifestations of God's justice, mercy, and ultimate plan for redemption. They serve as reminders of the importance of faithfulness, repentance, and trust in God's sovereignty. The biblical narrative consistently points to the reality that, while humans may not always understand the reasons behind the events that befall them, they are called to remain steadfast in their faith and obedience to God.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

(p. p.) of Befall.

Strong's Hebrew

4745. miqreh -- accident, chance, fortune
... happened* (1). something befallen, befall, chance, event, happen. From qarah;
something met with, ie An accident or fortune -- something ...
/hebrew/4745.htm - 6k

7122. qara -- to encounter, befall
... root Definition to encounter, befall NASB Word Usage against (16), befall (4), befallen
(2), came (1), chance (1), come (1), down* (1), encounter (2), engage (1 ...
/hebrew/7122.htm - 6k

1961. hayah -- to fall out, come to pass, become, be
... 1), became (85), became his and lived (1), became* (1), become (221), becomes (13),
becoming (1), been (90), been done (2), befall (1), befallen (2), being (7 ...
/hebrew/1961.htm - 8k

4672. matsa -- to attain to, find
... root Definition to attain to, find NASB Word Usage actually found (1), afford*
(1), befall (1), befallen (2), befell (1), came (2), caught (5), come (6), comes ...
/hebrew/4672.htm - 6k

Library

To Olympias. Nothing Strange or Unnatural Has Befallen Your Piety ...
... to olympias. Nothing strange or unnatural has befallen your Piety, but only
what is quite natural and? Nothing strange or unnatural ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/to olympias nothing strange or.htm

Test of Astrology.
... Go to a mathematician, [860] and tell him first that such and such evils have befallen
you at such a time, and that you wish to learn of him whence, or how, or ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xi test of astrology.htm

Funeral Oration on Meletius .
... to the greatness of the distress, as these excellent preachers of yours have done,
who have bewailed with loud voice the misfortune that has befallen them in ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/funeral oration on meletius.htm

Psalm LXXVII.
... would not have themselves inhabited by the Lord. And therefore what hath
befallen them? "They have trembled with fear where fear ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxvii.htm

Sapor King of Persia is Excited against the Christians. Symeon ...
... heard of what had occurred, he called the eunuch to him, and inquired into the cause
of his grief, and asked him whether any calamity had befallen his family. ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/chapter ix sapor king of persia.htm

How Herod Got Away from the King of Arabia and Made Haste to Go ...
... followers there. On the next day he came to Rhinocolura, and there it was
that he heard what was befallen his brother. Though Malehus ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 14 how herod got.htm

Spoken in Antioch in the Old Church, as it was Called...
... Spoken in Antioch in the Old Church, as it was called, while he was a presbyter,
on the subject of the calamity that had befallen the city in consequence of ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily ii spoken in antioch.htm

Psalm LXVII.
... other men pity him perchance as being miserable, who know not what the ant hath
within to eat, and they say, miserable he whom this hath befallen, or what ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxvii.htm

How Alexander [Bala] in his War with Demetrius, Granted Jonathan ...
... When this good fortune had befallen Jonathan, by the concession of Demetrius, he
came to Jerusalem, and read the king's letter in the audience of the people ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 2 how alexander bala.htm

Epistle of Paul to the Philippians.
... thereby. Neither could they be unsettled in their faith, by the persecutions
which had now befallen their Apostolic teacher. They ...
/.../epistle of paul to the.htm

Thesaurus

Befallen (20 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (pp) of Befall. Multi-Version Concordance Befallen
(20 Occurrences). Matthew 8:33 And they that kept them ...
/b/befallen.htm - 13k

Befall (25 Occurrences)

/b/befall.htm - 13k

Kept (891 Occurrences)
... Matthew 8:33 And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and
told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. ...
/k/kept.htm - 33k

Nightfall (9 Occurrences)
... LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry a man with thee this night; and
that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that hath befallen thee from ...
/n/nightfall.htm - 9k

Well-pleasing (16 Occurrences)
... 19 And Aaron spake unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin-offering
and their burnt-offering before Jehovah; and there have befallen me such ...
/w/well-pleasing.htm - 11k

Fullness (31 Occurrences)
... salvation. Romans 11:25, "A hardening. hath befallen Israel, until the fullness
of the Gentiles be come in." Romans 13:10, "Love. is ...
/f/fullness.htm - 22k

Forming (27 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 31:21 And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles have befallen
them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it ...
/f/forming.htm - 14k

Recounted (12 Occurrences)
... See NAS). Judges 6:13 And Gideon said to him, "Pray, sir, if the LORD is
with us, why then has all this befallen us? And where are ...
/r/recounted.htm - 10k

Elijah (104 Occurrences)
... 18). Jezebel, enraged at the fate that had befallen her priests of Baal,
threatened to put Elijah to death (1 Kings 19:1-13). He ...
/e/elijah.htm - 71k

Befalleth (3 Occurrences)

/b/befalleth.htm - 7k

Resources

What was Bildad the Shuhite's message to Job? | GotQuestions.org

Are apparitions of Mary, such as Lady Fatima, true messages from God? | GotQuestions.org

Befallen: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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

Concordance

Befallen (20 Occurrences)

Matthew 8:33
And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.
(KJV ASV WBS)

Romans 11:25
For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in;
(ASV)

Genesis 42:29
And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying,
(ASV DBY JPS RSV)

Exodus 18:8
And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake; all the trouble that had befallen them on the way, and how Jehovah had delivered them.
(DBY NAS)

Leviticus 10:19
And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Numbers 20:14
And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV)

Deuteronomy 31:17
And my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them, and they will say in that day, Have not these evils befallen me because my God is not in my midst?
(DBY)

Deuteronomy 31:21
And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.
(KJV DBY WBS)

Joshua 2:23
Then the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had befallen them.
(ASV JPS RSV)

Judges 6:13
And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

1 Samuel 20:26
Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

2 Samuel 19:7
Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants; for I swear by Jehovah, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry a man with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that hath befallen thee from thy youth until now.
(ASV DBY JPS WBS)

1 Chronicles 7:23
He went in to his wife, and she conceived, and bore a son, and he named him Beriah, because it went evil with his house.
(See RSV)

Esther 6:13
And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Esther 9:26
Therefore they called these days " Purim, " from the word "Pur." Therefore because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and that which had come to them,
(See RSV)

Isaiah 51:19
These two things are befallen thee, who shall bemoan thee? desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword; how shall I comfort thee?
(ASV JPS NAS RSV)

Jeremiah 13:22
And if thou say in thy heart, Wherefore are these things come upon me? for the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts uncovered, and thy heels suffer violence.
(See JPS)

Jeremiah 44:23
Because you have burned incense, and because you have sinned against Yahweh, and have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil has happened to you, as it is this day.
(See NAS RSV)

Lamentations 3:47
Fear and the pit are come on us, devastation and destruction.
(See NAS)

Lamentations 5:1
Remember, O Jehovah, what hath befallen us, Look attentively, and see our reproach.
(YLT NAS RSV)

Subtopics

Befallen

Related Terms

Preeminence (5 Occurrences)

Pre-eminence (6 Occurrences)

Befallen (20 Occurrences)

Befalls (6 Occurrences)

Befall (25 Occurrences)

Chance (78 Occurrences)

Hate (177 Occurrences)