Definition and Context:
In biblical times, "grinds" typically refers to the process of grinding grain into flour, a fundamental activity in ancient agrarian societies. This process was essential for daily sustenance, as bread was a staple food. Grinding was usually done using a hand mill or a larger millstone, often operated by women or servants. The act of grinding is mentioned in various contexts throughout the Bible, symbolizing daily labor, sustenance, and sometimes judgment or hardship.

Biblical References:

1. Daily Labor and Sustenance:
Grinding grain was a common daily task, often performed by women in the household. This is illustrated in Exodus 11:5, where the Lord speaks of the impending plague on Egypt, affecting everyone "from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the servant girl who is at her hand mill." This passage highlights the universality of grinding as a daily activity across different social strata.

2. Symbol of Hardship and Judgment:
Grinding can also symbolize hardship or judgment. In Judges 16:21, after Samson is captured by the Philistines, "they gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza, binding him with bronze shackles, and he was forced to grind grain in the prison." Here, grinding is associated with Samson's humiliation and subjugation.

3. Metaphor for Destruction:
In prophetic literature, grinding can metaphorically represent destruction or the cessation of normal life. In Isaiah 47:2, Babylon is personified as a woman who is told to "take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil, strip off your skirt, uncover your legs, wade through the streams." This imagery signifies the coming downfall and humiliation of Babylon.

4. New Testament Reference:
In the New Testament, grinding is mentioned in the context of the end times. Matthew 24:41 states, "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and the other left." This passage is part of Jesus' discourse on the suddenness of His return, using the familiar activity of grinding to illustrate the unexpected nature of the event.

Cultural and Historical Background:
In ancient Israel, grinding was typically done using a pair of stones. The upper stone, or handstone, was moved back and forth over the lower stone, or quern, to crush the grain. This labor-intensive process was a daily necessity, reflecting the agrarian lifestyle of the Israelites. The sound of grinding was a common background noise in villages, signifying normalcy and life. The cessation of grinding sounds, as mentioned in Jeremiah 25:10, was a sign of desolation and judgment upon the land.

Spiritual Significance:
From a spiritual perspective, grinding can be seen as a metaphor for the trials and tribulations that refine and purify believers. Just as grain is crushed to produce flour, Christians may undergo hardships that ultimately contribute to their spiritual growth and maturity. The process of grinding, therefore, can be viewed as a symbol of perseverance and the transformative power of God's work in the lives of His people.5149. trizo -- to cry, chirp, to grind the teeth
... teeth). Word Origin from a root trig- Definition to cry, chirp, to grind
the teeth NASB Word Usage grinds (1). gnash. Apparently ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5149.htm - 6k

Letter v. --Distractions in Prayer.
... Teresa said on this subject, "Let the clapper make a noise, provided the mill grinds
the corn." She compares the wandering mind to the clapper, and the will ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter v distractions in prayer.htm

The Evil one Said, "I Fear Him, Even Jesus, Lest He Destroy My ...
... 6. How many Satans are there among men! and me even me alone every man curses. For
lo! the anger of men"it is a devil that grinds him every day. ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn xli the evil one.htm

The Charge to the Soldier of the Lord
... take our part in the great campaign which He has inaugurated and is ever carrying
on against every abuse and oppression, iniquity and sin, that grinds down the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the charge to the soldier.htm

Retribution.
... DARKNESS. Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small;
Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/winkworth/christian singers of germany/retribution.htm

Sowing and Reaping. February 28.
... Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; Though
with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all". ...
/.../kingsley/daily thoughts /sowing and reaping february 28.htm

Fundamental Oneness of the Dispensations.
... Even a prayer is the more heard for every delay. God's mill grinds slowly,
but for that reason grinds small. What is the inference? ...
/.../chapter iii fundamental oneness of.htm

The Wicked Husbandmen.
... There remaineth no more sacrifice for sin. [42] The expression is chosen with reference
to the mysterious stone in Daniel 2:34, 35, which grinds to powder the ...
/.../arnot/the parables of our lord/xi the wicked husbandmen.htm

'It is the Lord!'
... or else it is put into the mill of an iron destiny, which goes grinding on and crushing
with its remorseless wheels, regardless of what it grinds up; or else ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/it is the lord.htm

The Last Glimpse of Paul
... to some the sure foundation on which they build secure, and to some the stone on
which, stumbling, they are broken, and which, falling on them, grinds them to ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/the last glimpse of paul.htm

The Broken and Contrite Heart
... He grinds hearts to powder, that they may be broken and contrite before him: but
only that he may heal them; that out of the broken fragments of the hard, proud ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xvii the broken and.htm

Grinds (1 Occurrence)
...Grinds (1 Occurrence). Mark 9:18 and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down,
and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. ...
/g/grinds.htm - 6k

Grind (12 Occurrences)
... 5. (vi) To perform the operation of grinding something; to turn the millstones.
6. (vi) To become ground or pulverized by friction; as, this corn grinds well. ...
/g/grind.htm - 11k

Grinding (13 Occurrences)

/g/grinding.htm - 10k

Grip (32 Occurrences)

/g/grip.htm - 16k

Grinder (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) One who, or that which, grinds. 2. (n.) One of
the double teeth, used to grind or masticate the food; a molar. ...
/g/grinder.htm - 7k

Weren't (25 Occurrences)
... (WEB). Mark 9:18 and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he
foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. ...
/w/weren't.htm - 13k

Foams (3 Occurrences)
... Foams (3 Occurrences). Mark 9:18 and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down,
and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. ...
/f/foams.htm - 7k

Throws (8 Occurrences)
... Throws (8 Occurrences). Mark 9:18 and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down,
and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. ...
/t/throws.htm - 8k

Teeth (50 Occurrences)
... (KJV WBS). Mark 9:18 and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he
foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. ...
/t/teeth.htm - 25k

Rigid (1 Occurrence)
... Rigid (1 Occurrence). Mark 9:18 and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down,
and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. ...
/r/rigid.htm - 6k

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