In the context of the Bible, the term "defiant" refers to a willful resistance or rebellion against God, His commandments, or His appointed authorities. This attitude is often characterized by a hardened heart and a refusal to submit to divine authority, leading to sin and separation from God.

Old Testament Examples

1. Pharaoh of Egypt: One of the most notable examples of defiance in the Old Testament is Pharaoh's resistance to God's command to let the Israelites go. Despite witnessing numerous plagues, Pharaoh's heart remained hardened. Exodus 7:13 states, "Still, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said."

2. The Israelites in the Wilderness: The Israelites frequently displayed defiance during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. Their repeated grumbling and rebellion against Moses and God are highlighted in passages such as Numbers 14:9 , where Joshua and Caleb urge the people, "Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not be afraid of the people of the land, for they will be like bread for us. Their protection has been removed, and the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them!"

3. Korah's Rebellion: In Numbers 16, Korah and his followers defied Moses' leadership, challenging the authority God had established. This act of defiance resulted in severe consequences, as the earth opened up and swallowed them (Numbers 16:31-33).

New Testament Insights

1. The Pharisees and Religious Leaders: The New Testament records the defiance of the Pharisees and other religious leaders against Jesus. Despite witnessing His miracles and hearing His teachings, they refused to accept Him as the Messiah. In Matthew 23:13 , Jesus condemns their defiance, saying, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter."

2. The Rejection of the Gospel: Acts 7:51 captures Stephen's rebuke to the Sanhedrin, highlighting their defiance: "You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did."

Theological Implications

Defiance against God is seen as a grave sin in the Bible, often leading to judgment and punishment. It is rooted in pride and self-reliance, opposing the humility and submission that God desires from His people. Proverbs 16:18 warns, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."

Call to Repentance

Despite the severity of defiance, the Bible consistently offers a path to redemption through repentance and submission to God's will. James 4:7 encourages believers, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." This submission is a call to turn away from defiance and embrace a life of obedience and faithfulness to God.(a.) Boldly resisting; insolent; as, a defiant spirit or act.3845. parabaino -- to go by the side of, to go past
... Cognate: 3845 (from 3844 , "beside, contrary to" and , "go") -- properly, to transgress
in a willful (defiant) way, deliberately a known line, ie as a . See ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3845.htm - 7k

506. anupotaktos -- not subject to rule
... unruly), unwilling to come under Christ's Lordship; refusing to "fall in line with"
(fit in with) God's plan; uncooperative, with a defiant attitude towards ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/506.htm - 7k

7295. rahab -- proud, defiant
... 7294, 7295. rahab. 7296 . proud, defiant. Transliteration: rahab Phonetic
Spelling: (raw-hawb') Short Definition: proud. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/7295.htm - 6k

Thou Shalt not Steal.
... the poor are daily overcharged, new burdens and high prices are imposed, and every
one uses the market according to his caprice, and is even defiant and brags ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/the large catechism/thou shalt not steal.htm

The Triumph of Faith
... It is but translating into words the symbol of spreading the letter before
God. He asks God to behold and to hear the defiant words. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the triumph of faith.htm

Chapter xi
... De 1:28; 9:1; Psalm 107:26) a hyperbole is plainly involved, yet, if we take into
consideration the defiant spirit of the rest of the statement, we can hardly ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xi.htm

The Growth and Power of Sin
... gratified our inclinations wrongly. 7. Cain's defiant answer teaches us how
a man hardens himself against God's voice. It also shows us ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the growth and power of.htm

Elucidations.
... much to admire. Strange that this defiant hero should have died (as we may
infer) in his bed, and in extreme old age. Great man, how ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/de fuga in persecutione/elucidations.htm

And Now we Can Turn at Last to See in Our Picture...
... and beautiful is withdrawn and shrouded in the "bare grain" when we strip off the
sheath and hold it in our hand: everything has gone down in defiant faith to ...
/.../trotter/parables of the christ-life/section 5 and now we.htm

The Sovereignty of God in Salvation
... 11:19). Then is it because some are so stubborn, so intractable, so defiant
that God is unable to woo them to Himself? Before we ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter four the sovereignty of.htm

The Middle Colonies: the Jerseys, Delaware, and Pennsylvania --The ...
... Hitherto it had been publicly known by the fierce and defiant and often outrageous
protests of its representatives against existing governments and dignities ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter ix the middle colonies .htm

Behind the Door
... many other things. The women stood out in the street in defiant groups
and would not let us near enough to explain. The men sat ...
/.../wilson-carmichael/things as they are/chapter xxii behind the door.htm

O Christ, when on the Shameful Tree,
... Thy face, O Christ, vile spittings bore,. And cruel hands, O action base! Smote
Thee, defiant, in the face. III. When in Thy thirst, men heard Thee call,. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/brownlie/hymns from the east/o christ when on the.htm

Defiant (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Boldly resisting; insolent; as, a defiant spirit
or act. Multi-Version Concordance Defiant (2 Occurrences). ...
/d/defiant.htm - 7k

Defiance (9 Occurrences)

/d/defiance.htm - 9k

Look (1874 Occurrences)
... or cast, a look. 14. (n.) Expression of the eyes and face; manner; as, a
proud or defiant look. 15. (n.) Hence; Appearance; aspect ...
/l/look.htm - 12k

Rebellious (63 Occurrences)
... (a.) Disposed to rebel; insubordinate; defiant; of the nature of rebels or of
rebellion; resisting government or lawful authority by force. ...
/r/rebellious.htm - 26k

Defiantly (2 Occurrences)

/d/defiantly.htm - 7k

Proverb (24 Occurrences)
... a root meaning "to be like," "parable." Rendered "proverb" in Isaiah 14:4; Habakkuk
2:6; "dark saying" in Psalm 49:4, Numbers 12:8. Ahab's defiant words in ...
/p/proverb.htm - 29k

Provokes (4 Occurrences)
... Provokes (4 Occurrences). 1 Thessalonians 4:8 Therefore a defiant spirit in such
a case provokes not man but God, who puts His Holy Spirit into your hearts. ...
/p/provokes.htm - 7k

Cain (18 Occurrences)
... He was "a sullen, self-willed, haughty, vindictive man; wanting the religious element
in his character, and defiant even in his attitude towards God." It came ...
/c/cain.htm - 23k

Atheism
... It takes the form often of complete indifference to the claims of the Divine Being
or again of outbroken and defiant wickedness (Psalm 14:1). That this form of ...
/a/atheism.htm - 13k

Brick (10 Occurrences)
... In the defiant assertion of Isaiah 9:10 the superiority of hewn stone over bricks
implied a greater difference in cost and stability than exists between a ...
/b/brick.htm - 15k

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