Blushing is a physiological response characterized by the reddening of the face, often due to emotional stimuli such as embarrassment, shame, or modesty. In the context of the Bible, blushing is mentioned as a physical manifestation of inner feelings, often associated with shame or guilt. The concept of blushing is used metaphorically to describe the spiritual and moral state of individuals or groups.

Biblical References:

1. Jeremiah 6:15 : "Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse, says the LORD." This verse highlights the absence of blushing as an indication of a hardened heart and a lack of moral sensitivity. The people of Judah had become so accustomed to sin that they no longer felt shame or embarrassment for their actions.

2. Jeremiah 8:12 : "Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they will fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they will collapse, says the LORD." This repetition of the earlier verse underscores the seriousness of spiritual insensitivity. The inability to blush signifies a deep-seated moral decay and a departure from God's standards.

3. Ezra 9:6 : "And I said: 'O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to You, my God, because our iniquities have increased over our heads and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.'" Here, Ezra expresses a profound sense of shame and embarrassment before God due to the collective sins of the people. The act of blushing, or the feeling of being unable to lift one's face, is a sign of genuine repentance and acknowledgment of wrongdoing.

Theological Implications:

In the biblical context, blushing is more than a mere physical reaction; it is a reflection of the heart's condition. It serves as an indicator of one's sensitivity to sin and awareness of God's holiness. The absence of blushing, as seen in the prophetic rebukes of Jeremiah, is a sign of spiritual apathy and moral decline. Conversely, the presence of blushing, as demonstrated by Ezra, is indicative of a contrite heart and a desire for reconciliation with God.

Moral and Spiritual Lessons:

Blushing, as a response to sin, encourages believers to maintain a tender conscience and a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's conviction. It calls for an honest assessment of one's actions and attitudes in light of God's righteousness. The biblical portrayal of blushing challenges individuals to cultivate a heart that is responsive to God's truth and to seek His forgiveness and grace when they fall short.

In summary, blushing in the Bible serves as a metaphor for the spiritual state of individuals and communities. It is a call to maintain a sensitive and responsive heart towards God, recognizing the seriousness of sin and the need for repentance.1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Blush.

2. (a.) Showing blushes; rosy red; having a warm and delicate color like some roses and other flowers; blooming; ruddy; roseate.

3. (n.) The act of turning red; the appearance of a reddish color or flush upon the cheeks.

That we are to Believe that in Paradise Our First Parents Begat ...
... Book XIV. Chapter 26."That We are to Believe that in Paradise Our First
Parents Begat Offspring Without Blushing. In Paradise, then ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 26 that we are to.htm

Of the Renewed World.
... The blushing grape shall hang on the uncultivated brambles,. And hard oaks shall
distil the dewy honey. ... Now for a sweetly blushing purple, now for saffron dye; ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xxiv of the renewed world.htm

Home as a Nursery.
... The body of your child has not the blooming, blushing form of nature, but the cold
marble cast of a statue; and it imprints itself upon the disposition, the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/philips/the christian home/chapter xiii home as a.htm

Of Patience Generally; and Tertullian's Own Unworthiness to Treat ...
... And would that this "blushing" would bring a remedy, so that shame for not exhibiting
that which we go to suggest to others should prove a tutorship into ...
/.../tertullian/of patience/chapter i of patience generally and.htm

Application of the Subject. Advantages of Widowhood.
... If the spirit be self-accused of a blushing [560] conscience, how will it have the
hardihood to conduct prayer to the altar; seeing that, if prayer blush, the ...
/.../tertullian/on exhortation to chastity/chapter x application of the subject.htm

Gradual Development of Custom, and Its Results. Passionate Appeal ...
... Are therefore chaste virgins to be, for the sake of these marketable creatures,
dragged into the church, blushing at being recognised in public, quaking at ...
/.../on the veiling of virgins/chapter iii gradual development of custom.htm

The Explanation of the Passage Offered by the Psychics Considered.
... Why, how many digamists, too, preside in your churches; insulting the apostle, of
course: at all events, not blushing when these passages are read under their ...
/.../tertullian/on monogamy/chapter xii the explanation of the.htm

Examples from among the Heathen, as Well as from the Church, to ...
... When, however, Satan affects God's sacraments, it is a challenge to us; nay, rather,
a cause for blushing, if we are slow to exhibit to God a continence which ...
/.../tertullian/on exhortation to chastity/chapter xiii examples from among the.htm

The Further Adventures of Saint George.
... No sooner had the blushing morn displayed her beauties in the east, and gilded with
her radiant beams the mountain tops, than Sabra repaired to the Champion's ...
/.../the seven champions of christendom/chapter four the further adventures.htm

Rarity the Only Cause which Makes Such Things Valuable.
... We have also seen at Rome the nobility of gems blushing in the presence of our matrons
at the contemptuous usage of the Parthians and Medes, and the rest of ...
/.../tertullian/on the apparel of women/chapter vii rarity the only cause.htm

Blushing (6 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Blushing (6 Occurrences). Job 11:3 Thy devices make men
keep silent, Thou scornest, and none is causing blushing! (YLT). ...
/b/blushing.htm - 8k

Opposing (13 Occurrences)
... Psalms 71:13 They are ashamed, they are consumed, Who are opposing my soul, They
are covered 'with' reproach and blushing, Who are seeking my evil, (YLT). ...
/o/opposing.htm - 10k

Inspection (23 Occurrences)
... Yea, they are not at all ashamed, And blushing they have not known, Therefore, they
do fall among falling ones, In the time of their inspection they stumble ...
/i/inspection.htm - 13k

Inspected (18 Occurrences)
... Yea, they are not at all ashamed, Yea, blushing they have not known, Therefore they
do fall among those falling, In the time I have inspected them, They stumble ...
/i/inspected.htm - 11k

Devices (43 Occurrences)
... Cannot my taste discern mischievous things? (See JPS). Job 11:3 Thy devices make
men keep silent, Thou scornest, and none is causing blushing! (YLT). ...
/d/devices.htm - 18k

Boanerges (1 Occurrence)

/b/boanerges.htm - 7k

Blush (16 Occurrences)
... other flowers. 4. (vt) To suffuse with a blush; to redden; to make roseate.
5. (vt) To express or make known by blushing. 6. (n.) A ...
/b/blush.htm - 11k

Blushed (5 Occurrences)

/b/blushed.htm - 8k

Confusion (71 Occurrences)
... kon-fu'-zhun (bosheth, "shame, paleness," kelimmah, "blushing," tohu; akatastasia,
sugchusis): In the Old Testament bosheth (1 Samuel 20:30 Psalm 109:29 the ...
/c/confusion.htm - 39k

Accusers (13 Occurrences)
... (See RSV NIV). Psalms 109:29 Mine accusers put on blushing, and are covered,
As an upper robe 'is' their shame. (YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/a/accusers.htm - 9k

Blushing: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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