In biblical architecture and metaphor, buttresses serve as a significant element, both in the physical construction of ancient structures and in the symbolic language of Scripture. A buttress is a projecting support built against a wall to reinforce it, providing stability and strength. This architectural feature is mentioned in the context of the construction of the temple and other significant buildings in ancient Israel.

Biblical References

The term "buttress" is not frequently used in most English translations of the Bible, but the concept is present in descriptions of ancient construction. In 2 Chronicles 3:4, the construction of Solomon's Temple is described, highlighting the care and precision involved in its design, which would have included structural supports like buttresses to ensure its durability and grandeur.

Symbolic Meaning

In a metaphorical sense, buttresses can symbolize the support and strength provided by God to His people. Just as a buttress upholds a building, God's presence and His laws provide stability and support to the faithful. This is reflected in various passages where God is described as a fortress or a stronghold, offering protection and strength to those who trust in Him. For instance, Psalm 18:2 states, "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, the concept of a buttress can be seen as an illustration of the church's role in upholding the truth. In 1 Timothy 3:15 , the church is described as "the pillar and foundation of the truth." This imagery suggests that just as buttresses support a physical structure, the church is called to support and uphold the truth of the Gospel in the world.

Historical Context

In the historical context of ancient Israel, buttresses would have been an essential part of construction, especially in significant buildings like the Temple in Jerusalem. These structures were not only places of worship but also symbols of God's covenant with His people, requiring both beauty and strength in their design.

Practical Application

For believers today, the concept of a buttress can serve as a reminder of the importance of building one's life on a solid foundation. Just as a building relies on its supports to stand firm, Christians are encouraged to rely on their faith and the teachings of Scripture to navigate the challenges of life. Jesus' parable of the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7:24-27 underscores the importance of building one's life on the rock-solid foundation of His words.

In summary, while the physical presence of buttresses in biblical times was crucial for the stability of structures, their symbolic representation in Scripture offers profound insights into the spiritual support and strength provided by God and His Word.

Buttresses of Gentilism.
... Book X. Chapter XXVIII."Buttresses of Gentilism. "But let us return to our
purpose. What reason is there, yea, rather, what madness ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xxviii buttresses of gentilism.htm

Satan Considering the Saints
... gave him permission to take away all the mercies which he affirmed to be the props
of Job's integrity, and to pull down all the outworks and buttresses and see ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 11 1865/satan considering the saints.htm

Introduction
... himself. [960] Yet all these are matters rather incidental in Irenaeus'
discussion, introduced as buttresses to his main argument. His ...
//christianbookshelf.org/richardson/early christian fathers/introduction 8.htm

Mountains Round Mount Zion
... that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion,' that stands there summer and winter,
day and night, year out and year in, with its strong buttresses and its ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/mountains round mount zion.htm

A Gluttonous Man and a Winebibber
... if it be malignant enough, cannot twist into an accusation; and out of glorious
and significant facts, full of lessons and containing strong buttresses of the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/a gluttonous man and a.htm

The Passing and the Permanent
... The eternal buttresses of the hills stand to the eyes of the fleeting generations
as emblems of permanence, and yet winter storms and summer heats, and the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the passing and the permanent.htm

The Satisfier of all Desires
... when He says, 'Your heavenly Father feedeth them.' And so we are entitled to look
on all the wonders of creation, and to find in them buttresses which may ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the satisfier of all desires.htm

The Thirst of the Rich Man in Hell Does not Prove the Soul to be ...
... If he observe the tenement has a shaky roof, or a nodding wall, or a weak foundation,
does he not fetch girders and build up buttresses, in order that he may ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 8 the thirst of the.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... Near Yakhmur some detached rocks appear to have been arrested in their fall, and,
leaning like flying buttresses against the mountain face, constitute a ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

Fundamental Oneness of the Dispensations.
... external evidences. To behold the glory of the temple, linger not to admire
the strong buttresses without, but enter. Realisation ...
/.../chapter iii fundamental oneness of.htm

Buttresses (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Buttresses (1 Occurrence). Jeremiah 50:15 Shout
against her round about: she hath submitted herself; her ...
/b/buttresses.htm - 6k

Ebal (8 Occurrences)
... roll the fruitful breadths of Esdraelon: the uplands of Galilee, with Nazareth showing
on the brow above the plain, rise away to the buttresses of Lebanon in ...
/e/ebal.htm - 14k

Buttress (1 Occurrence)

/b/buttress.htm - 7k

Bay (8 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) A principal compartment of the walls, roof, or other part of a building,
or of the whole building, as marked off by the buttresses, vaulting, mullions ...
/b/bay.htm - 12k

Machpelah (6 Occurrences)
... all round. On the longer sides there are 16 and on the shorter sides 8 such pilasters,
and there are also buttresses 9 ft. wide on each face at each angle. ...
/m/machpelah.htm - 19k

Mount (311 Occurrences)
... roll the fruitful breadths of Esdraelon: the uplands of Galilee, with Nazareth showing
on the brow above the plain, rise away to the buttresses of Lebanon in ...
/m/mount.htm - 68k

Buy (71 Occurrences)

/b/buy.htm - 29k

Babel (3 Occurrences)
... It was a celebrated shrine of the Babylonians, in the usual architectural style
with recessed buttresses, but modest from our modern point of view. ...
/b/babel.htm - 63k

Babylon (270 Occurrences)
... It was a celebrated shrine of the Babylonians, in the usual architectural style
with recessed buttresses, but modest from our modern point of view. ...
/b/babylon.htm - 93k

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