In biblical contexts, the term "float" can be understood in both literal and metaphorical senses, often relating to the buoyancy and movement of objects on water. The concept of floating is most prominently illustrated in the narrative of Noah's Ark, where the Ark floats upon the waters of the great flood. This event is a significant demonstration of God's judgment and mercy, as well as His provision for Noah and his family.

Noah's Ark: The account of Noah's Ark is found in Genesis 6-9. God instructs Noah to build an ark in anticipation of a worldwide flood meant to cleanse the earth of its wickedness. Genesis 7:17 states, "For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased, they lifted the ark high above the earth." The Ark's ability to float signifies God's protection and the preservation of life amidst divine judgment.

Elisha and the Floating Axe Head: Another notable instance of floating in the Bible is found in 2 Kings 6:1-7. The prophet Elisha performs a miracle by causing a borrowed iron axe head to float on the Jordan River. When a prophet's disciple loses the axe head in the water, Elisha throws a stick into the river, and the iron miraculously rises to the surface. 2 Kings 6:6 records, "The man of God asked, 'Where did it fall?' When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float." This miracle underscores God's concern for the everyday needs of His people and His power over natural laws.

Metaphorical Use: In a metaphorical sense, floating can symbolize the idea of being upheld or sustained by God's grace and power. Just as physical objects float on water, believers are called to rely on God's strength to sustain them through life's challenges. The imagery of floating can also evoke the concept of spiritual buoyancy, where faith keeps one afloat amidst the trials and tribulations of life.

Symbolism in Baptism: The act of baptism, while not directly described as floating, involves immersion in water and can be seen as a symbolic act of being raised to new life in Christ. Romans 6:4 states, "We therefore were buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life." The emergence from the water can be likened to floating, representing the believer's resurrection to a new spiritual life.

In summary, the concept of floating in the Bible is rich with meaning, illustrating God's provision, miraculous power, and the sustaining grace available to believers. Whether through the literal floating of the Ark or the metaphorical buoyancy of faith, the theme of floating serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and care.1. (v. i.) Anything which floats or rests on the surface of a fluid, as to sustain weight, or to indicate the height of the surface, or mark the place of, something.

2. (n.) A mass of timber or boards fastened together, and conveyed down a stream by the current; a raft.

3. (n.) The hollow, metallic ball of a self-acting faucet, which floats upon the water in a cistern or boiler.

4. (n.) The cork or quill used in angling, to support the bait line, and indicate the bite of a fish.

5. (v. i.) Anything used to buoy up whatever is liable to sink; an inflated bag or pillow used by persons learning to swim; a life preserver.

6. (n.) A float board. See Float board (below).

7. (n.) A contrivance for affording a copious stream of water to the heated surface of an object of large bulk, as an anvil or die.

8. (n.) The act of flowing; flux; flow.

9. (n.) A quantity of earth, eighteen feet square and one foot deep.

10. (n.) The trowel or tool with which the floated coat of plastering is leveled and smoothed.

11. (n.) A polishing block used in marble working; a runner.

12. (n.) A single-cut file for smoothing; a tool used by shoemakers for rasping off pegs inside a shoe.

13. (n.) A coal cart.

14. (n.) The sea; a wave. See Flote, n.

15. (n.) To rest on the surface of any fluid; to swim; to be buoyed up.

16. (n.) To move quietly or gently on the water, as a raft; to drift along; to move or glide without effort or impulse on the surface of a fluid, or through the air.

17. (v. t.) To cause to float; to cause to rest or move on the surface of a fluid; as, the tide floated the ship into the harbor.

18. (v. t.) To flood; to overflow; to cover with water.

19. (v. t.) To pass over and level the surface of with a float while the plastering is kept wet.

20. (v. t.) To support and sustain the credit of, as a commercial scheme or a joint-stock company, so as to enable it to go into, or continue in, operation.

FLOAT (FLOTE)

flot.

See RAFT; SHIPS AND BOATS

FLOTE (FLOAT)

See RAFT; SHIPS AND BOATS.

3491. naus -- a ship
... word Definition a ship NASB Word Usage vessel (1). ship. From nao or neo (to float);
a boat (of any size) -- ship. (naun) -- 1 Occurrence. 3490, 3491. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3491.htm - 6k

3901. pararreo -- to flow by, hence slip away
... 3901 (from 3844 , "from close-beside" and 4483 , "to flow, drift") -- properly,
to float (flow) alongside, a destination because pushed along by current. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3901.htm - 7k

1702. doberah -- floats, rafts
... float. Feminine active participle of dabar in the sense of driving (compare dober);
a raft -- float. see HEBREW dabar. see HEBREW dober. 1701, 1702. ...
/hebrew/1702.htm - 6k

79. abaq -- to wrestle
... wrestle. A primitive root, probably to float away (as vapor), but used only as
denominative from 'abaq; to bedust, ie Grapple -- wrestle. see HEBREW 'abaq. ...
/hebrew/79.htm - 6k

6687. tsuph -- to flow, overflow
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to flow, overflow NASB Word Usage engulf
(1), float (1), flowed (1). make to overflow, swim. ...
/hebrew/6687.htm - 5k

Fling Out the Banner! Let it Float
... Fling out the banner! let it float. LM [1855]Waltham: ... George W. Doane, 1848. Fling
out the banner! let it float. Skyward and seaward, high and wide; ...
/.../missions 482 fling out the.htm

The Story of Noah and the Ark
... time; very long, and very wide and very deep; with a roof over it; and made like
a long, wide house in three stories; but so built that it would float on the ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of noah and.htm

"Little Mother"
... a very large, old-fashioned, oblong tub. The water was now several inches deep on
the porch and she contrived to half-float, half-row the tub into the room. ...
/.../shaw/touching incidents and remarkable answers to prayer/little mother.htm

Missionary Chant. LM
... (1027) Fling out the banner! let it float Skyward and seaward, high and wide, The
sun that lights its shining folds, The cross on which the Savior died. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/lorenz/the otterbein hymnal/452 missionary chant l m.htm

Death to Lawful Things is the Way Out into a Life of Surrender.
... unclasped utterly now"they have folded themselves back, past all power of closing
again upon the petals, leaving the golden crown free to float away when ...
/.../trotter/parables of the cross/death to lawful things is.htm

Mr. Fearing Comforted
... subjects of doubt. He who has a colossal faith will sometimes find that the
clouds of fear float over the brow of his confidence. It is ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/mr fearing comforted.htm

Sorrow Turned into Joy
... If one could anyhow take a bit of the Arctic world and float it down into the tropics,
the ice would all melt, and the white dreariness would disappear, and a ...
/.../sorrow turned into joy.htm

Waiting Only Upon God
... from falling? Lo, they float in ether, upheld by his omnipotent arm, who
hath laid the foundations of the universe. A Christian ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/waiting only upon god.htm

Our Miseries, Messengers of Mercy
... were wounded he was exceedingly earnest with clubs and stones to secure those that
were wounded, while he left those that were evidently dead to float on the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/our miseries messengers of mercy.htm

1 Thessalonians iv. 13
... our Pilot. But if we float upon human reasonings, it will not be so. For
to whom of those who float, is a Pilot present? So that ...
/.../homily vii 1 thessalonians iv.htm

Float (4 Occurrences)
... 6. (n.) A float board. See Float board (below). ... 19. (vt) To pass over and level the
surface of with a float while the plastering is kept wet. 20. ...
/f/float.htm - 10k

Bulrushes (3 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ARK OF BULRUSHES. ark, bool'-rush-iz (tebhah; Egyptian
tebt; Septuagint thibis, "a chest," "a vessel to float"). ...
/b/bulrushes.htm - 10k

Swim (8 Occurrences)
... 1. (vi) To be supported by water or other fluid; not to sink; to float; as, any
substance will swim, whose specific gravity is less than that of the fluid in ...
/s/swim.htm - 9k

Ark (212 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ARK OF BULRUSHES. ark, bool'-rush-iz (tebhah;
Egyptian tebt; Septuagint thibis, "a chest," "a vessel to float"). ...
/a/ark.htm - 84k

Flote
... 1. (vt) To fleet; to skim. 2. (n.) A wave. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
FLOAT (FLOTE). flot. See RAFT; SHIPS AND BOATS. FLOTE (FLOAT). ...
/f/flote.htm - 6k

Fly (33 Occurrences)
... 3. (vi) To float, wave, or rise in the air, as sparks or a flag. ... 7. (vt) To cause
to fly or to float in the air, as a bird, a kite, a flag, etc. ...
/f/fly.htm - 26k

Stick (47 Occurrences)
... He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float. ... (WEB NIV). Hosea
10:7 Samaria and her king float away, like a twig on the water. (See NAS). ...
/s/stick.htm - 23k

Vessel (118 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A general name for any hollow structure made to float upon the water for
purposes of navigation; especially, one that is larger than a common rowboat ...
/v/vessel.htm - 40k

Ladle (11 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A vessel to carry liquid metal from the furnace to the mold. 3.
(n.) The float of a mill wheel; -- called also ladle board. ...
/l/ladle.htm - 9k

Live (3203 Occurrences)
... on spoils. 9. (vi) To outlast danger; to float; -- said of a ship, boat,
etc.; as, no ship could live in such a storm. 10. (vt) To ...
/l/live.htm - 8k

What is the Anthropic Principle? | GotQuestions.org

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Float: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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