Definition and Context:
Floating refers to the act of remaining on the surface of a liquid without sinking. In the biblical context, floating is often associated with divine intervention, protection, and the miraculous. It is a phenomenon that underscores God's sovereignty over nature and His ability to preserve and deliver His people.

Biblical Instances:

1. The Ark of Noah:
One of the most significant instances of floating in the Bible is the account of Noah's Ark. In Genesis 6-9, God instructs Noah to build an ark to save his family and pairs of every living creature from the impending flood. The ark floats on the waters for many days, symbolizing God's provision and protection. Genesis 7:17 states, "For forty days the floodwaters were upon the earth, and the waters increased and lifted the ark high above the earth."

2. The Basket of Moses:
In Exodus 2, the infant Moses is placed in a basket and set afloat on the Nile River to save him from Pharaoh's decree to kill all Hebrew male infants. The basket, made of papyrus and coated with tar and pitch, floats safely until Pharaoh's daughter discovers Moses. This event highlights God's providence and the preservation of His chosen leader. Exodus 2:3 describes, "But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile."

3. The Floating Axe Head:
In 2 Kings 6:1-7, the prophet Elisha performs a miracle by causing a borrowed 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 axe head miraculously floats to the surface. This event demonstrates God's concern for the needs of His people and His power over the natural world. 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."

Theological Significance:

Floating in the Bible often signifies God's intervention in human affairs. It serves as a reminder of His omnipotence and His ability to transcend natural laws for the sake of His purposes. The instances of floating underscore themes of salvation, divine protection, and the miraculous provision of God. They illustrate how God can use ordinary elements of creation to achieve extraordinary outcomes, reinforcing the belief in His active presence and care in the lives of His people.1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Float.

2. (a.) Buoyed upon or in a fluid; a, the floating timbers of a wreck; floating motes in the air.

3. (a.) Free or lose from the usual attachment; as, the floating ribs in man and some other animals.

4. (a.) Not funded; not fixed, invested, or determined; as, floating capital; a floating debt.

5. (n.) Floating threads. See Floating threads, above.

6. (n.) The second coat of three-coat plastering.

7642. shabluwl -- a snail
... snail From the same as shebel; a snail (as if floating in its own slime) -- snail.
see HEBREW shebel. 7641, 7642. shabluwl. 7642a . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7642.htm - 5k

The Next Night Diamond was Seated by his Open Window...
... Her hair and her garments went floating away behind her over the tree,
whose top was swaying about while the others were still. ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 37 the next night.htm

The Story of Moses, the Child who was Found in the River
... How anxious the mother and the sister were as they saw the little ark floating away
from them on the river! [Illustration: She placed her baby in the ark]. ...
/.../marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of moses the.htm

The Night Bird: a Myth
... THE NIGHT BIRD: A MYTH. A floating, a floating Across the sleeping sea,
All night I heard a singing bird Upon the topmost tree. 'Oh ...
/.../kingsley/andromeda and other poems/the night bird a myth.htm

The Saviour's Last Command.
... They have sold to them guns, powder and rum. Many of their ships have been floating
grog-shops"floating exhibitions too of Sodom and Gomorrah. ...
/.../dibble/thoughts on missions/chapter iv the saviours last.htm

All the Bells were Ringing the Angelus. ...
... and from the many quaint and beautiful grey towers which crown the ancient city
of Rouen, the sacred chime pealed forth melodiously, floating with sweet and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/corelli/the master-christian/i all the bells were.htm

Outward Bound
... eddy, or central pool of the Atlantic, between the Gulf Stream and the equatorial
current, unmoved save by surface-drifts of wind, as floating weeds collect ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter i outward bound.htm

A Revival Sermon
... Hervey once said, "Each floating ship, a floating hell." Of all classes of men,
the sailor has been supposed to be the man least likely to be reached by the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/a revival sermon.htm

Marvellous Increase of the Church
... Up towards the north I flew; and my eye looked keenly through the mist and darkness,
if perhaps it might find some floating substance, on which my soul might ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/marvellous increase of the church.htm

The Finding of Moses
... She knew that presently the great princess, Pharaoh's daughter, would come down
to bathe in the river, and would notice the queer little ark floating there. ...
/.../steedman/the babe in the bulrushes/the finding of moses.htm

Introductory Notice to Apocrypha of the New Testament.
... well says: "The method employed in these compositions is always the same, whether
the author intended simply to collect and arrange what was floating in the ...
/.../unknown/apocrypha of the new testament/introductory notice to apocrypha of.htm

Floating (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Float. 2. (a.) Buoyed upon or
in a fluid; a, the floating timbers of a wreck; floating motes in the air. ...
/f/floating.htm - 7k

Ark (212 Occurrences)
... ark, a building of gopher-wood, and covered with pitch, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits
broad, and 30 cubits high (Genesis 6:14-16); an oblong floating house of ...
/a/ark.htm - 84k

Vapor (6 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) In a loose and popular sense, any visible diffused substance floating in
the atmosphere and impairing its transparency, as smoke, fog, etc. ...
/v/vapor.htm - 11k

Bulrushes (3 Occurrences)
... Into this floating vessel the mother of Moses placed the boy when he was three months
old, and put the vessel in the water among the sedge along the banks of ...
/b/bulrushes.htm - 10k

Draw (212 Occurrences)
... 18. (vt) To require (so great a depth, as of water) for floating; -- said of a vessel;
to sink so deep in (water); as, a ship draws ten feet of water. 19. ...
/d/draw.htm - 41k

Deluge (17 Occurrences)
... the anger of Bel (II. 146-50). (6) In all the accounts, the ark is represented
as floating up stream. According to Genesis, it was ...
/d/deluge.htm - 47k

Noah (55 Occurrences)
... the anger of Bel (II. 146-50). (6) In all the accounts, the ark is represented
as floating up stream. According to Genesis, it was ...
/n/noah.htm - 66k

Vagabond (4 Occurrences)
... 2. (a.) Moving from place to place without a settled habitation; wandering. 3.
(a.) Floating about without any certain direction; driven to and fro. ...
/v/vagabond.htm - 9k

Levity (2 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) The quality of weighing less than something else of equal bulk; relative
lightness, especially as shown by rising through, or floating upon, a ...
/l/levity.htm - 7k

Gossamer (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A fine, flimsy, sheer fabric or substance, like
cobwebs, floating in the air, in calm, clear weather, especially in autumn. ...
/g/gossamer.htm - 7k

How are magicians / illusionists able to levitate / perform levitation tricks? | GotQuestions.org

What are some popular illustrations of the Holy Trinity? | GotQuestions.org

What is the serenity prayer? | GotQuestions.org

Floating: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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