In the context of the Bible, the term "harass" refers to persistent and aggressive pressure or intimidation, often experienced by individuals or groups. This concept is evident in various narratives and teachings throughout the Scriptures, where God's people face opposition, persecution, or distress from adversaries.

Old Testament Instances

1. Israelites in Egypt: The Israelites experienced severe harassment during their time in Egypt. The Egyptians, fearing the growing number of Israelites, subjected them to harsh labor and oppression. Exodus 1:11-14 describes this: "So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. They worked the Israelites ruthlessly and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields. In all their harsh labor, the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly."

2. David and Saul: King Saul's relentless pursuit of David is another example of harassment. Saul, driven by jealousy and fear of losing his throne, sought to kill David, forcing him to flee and live as a fugitive. 1 Samuel 19:1 states, "Now Saul told his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David, but Jonathan delighted greatly in David."

3. Nehemiah's Opposition: When Nehemiah sought to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, he faced harassment from surrounding enemies. Sanballat, Tobiah, and others mocked and plotted against the Jews to discourage their efforts. Nehemiah 4:1-3 recounts, "Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and mocked the Jews. Before his colleagues and the army of Samaria, he said, 'What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore the wall for themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?'"

New Testament Context

1. Persecution of Early Christians: The early church faced significant harassment and persecution from both Jewish authorities and Roman officials. Acts 8:1 notes, "And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria."

2. Paul's Trials: The Apostle Paul frequently encountered harassment during his missionary journeys. He faced beatings, imprisonment, and opposition from both Jews and Gentiles. In 2 Corinthians 11:24-26 , Paul recounts, "Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea. In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers."

Spiritual Implications

The Bible acknowledges the reality of harassment and persecution for those who follow God. However, it also provides encouragement and assurance of God's presence and deliverance. Jesus, in His teachings, prepared His followers for such trials, emphasizing the blessedness of those who endure for righteousness' sake. Matthew 5:10-12 states, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you."

The concept of harassment in the Bible serves as a reminder of the spiritual battle believers face and the call to remain steadfast in faith, trusting in God's ultimate justice and protection.1. (v. t.) To fatigue; to tire with repeated and exhausting efforts; to cause to endure excessive burdens or anxieties; -- sometimes followed by out.

2. (n.) Devastation; waste.

3. (n.) Worry; harassment.

3926. parenochleo -- to annoy
... Verb Transliteration: parenochleo Phonetic Spelling: (par-en-okh-leh'-o) Short
Definition: I trouble Definition: I trouble, cause disturbance to, annoy, harass ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3926.htm - 6k

4660. skullo -- to skin, fig. to trouble
... 4660 (from , ", pelt") -- properly, skin alive, mangle (flay); (figuratively) harass,
extremely annoy. Word Origin a prim. verb Definition to skin, fig. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4660.htm - 6k

4199. portheo -- to destroy
... Speech: Verb Transliteration: portheo Phonetic Spelling: (por-theh'-o) Short Definition:
I lay waste, destroy Definition: I lay waste, destroy, ravage, harass. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4199.htm - 6k

2669. kataponeo -- to wear down
... oppress, vex. From kata and a derivative of ponos; to labor down, ie Wear with toil
(figuratively, harass) -- oppress, vex. see GREEK kata. see GREEK ponos. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2669.htm - 6k

1559. ekdioko -- to pursue out, ie expel or persecute
... Phonetic Spelling: (ek-dee-o'-ko) Short Definition: I persecute, expel by persecuting
Definition: I persecute, expel by persecuting, drive out, vex, harass. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1559.htm - 7k

3791. ochleo -- to disturb, trouble
... to trouble, afflict. From ochlos; to mob, ie (by implication) to harass -- vex.
see GREEK ochlos. (ochloumenous) -- 1 Occurrence. 3790, 3791. ochleo. 3792 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3791.htm - 7k

5299. hupopiazo -- to strike under the eye
... I bruise, worry, exhaust Definition: I strike under the eye, hence: I bruise, treat
severely, discipline by hardship, molest, annoy, harass, worry, exhaust. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5299.htm - 7k

6696b. tsur -- to show hostility to, treat as foe
... 6696a, 6696b. tsur. 6696c . to show hostility to, treat as foe.
Transliteration: tsur Short Definition: harass. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/6696b.htm - 5k

6206. arats -- to cause to tremble, tremble
... A primitive root; to awe or (intransitive) to dread; hence, to harass -- be affrighted
(afraid, dread, feared, terrified), break, dread, fear, oppress, prevail ...
/hebrew/6206.htm - 6k

6887c. tsarar -- to show hostility toward, vex
... vex NASB Word Usage adversaries (10), adversary (2), afflict (1), attacks (1), been
hostile (1), distress (1), enemies (1), enemy (3), harass (2), hostile (1 ...
/hebrew/6887c.htm - 5k

5065. nagas -- to press, drive, oppress, exact
... A primitive root; to drive (an animal, a workman, a debtor, an army); by implication,
to tax, harass, tyrannize -- distress, driver, exact(-or), oppress(-or ...
/hebrew/5065.htm - 6k

7492. raats -- to shatter
... dash in pieces, vex. A primitive root; to break in pieces; figuratively, harass --
dash in pieces, vex. 7491, 7492. raats. 7493 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7492.htm - 5k

Let no Man Harass Me Then, by Saying, Moses Thought not as You Say ...
... Book XII Chapter XXV Let no man harass me then, by saying, Moses thought
not as you say? Let no man harass me then, by saying, Moses ...
/.../augustine/the confessions of saint augustine/chapter xxv let no man.htm

Samech.
... and honour us, and yet expect us to occupy ourselves in aiding their own vicious
and busy desire, and to bestow our time upon them; or at least harass the weak ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/samech.htm

Of the Last Times.
... far more powerful and wicked, who, having destroyed three, will obtain Asia, and
having reduced and subdued the others under his own power, will harass all the ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap lxxi of the last times.htm

Was it for this He Sent Souls Hither, that While the Other ...
... read, -tandi se angerent insania: millibus--"harass themselves with the madness
of reckoning; by miles should extend," etc.,--the only change in Heraldus and ...
/.../arnobius/the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/40 was it for this.htm

Whether Heavenly Bodies Can Act on the Demons?
... For the demons, according to certain phases of the moon, can harass men, who on
that account are called lunatics, as appears from Mat.4:24 and 17:14. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether heavenly bodies can act.htm

Blessed Adversity.
... Satan would very frequently harass the believer in times of sorrow and trial by
leading him to think that GOD is angry with him"that this is a punishment for ...
//christianbookshelf.org/taylor/a ribband of blue/blessed adversity.htm

2 Cor. xii. 1
... But art thou pained and dejected lest it should seem to be owing to My weakness,
that there are many who plot against and beat thee and harass and scourge thee ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xxvi 2 cor xii.htm

About the Dragon and the Young Man.
... But, not wishing to harass her, I did not at this time put him to death; but I watched
him passing by in the evening, and struck him, and killed him, and ...
/.../unknown/acts of the holy apostle thomas/about the dragon and the.htm

The Great Schism
... And shortly after it began to harass these separating churches, and to enact laws
to prevent the farther spread of reinvigorated Congregationalism unless of ...
/.../chapter x the great schism.htm

Of God, and his Anger and Affections.
... But, on the contrary, others are daring [1735] and wicked, who pollute all things
with their lusts, harass with slaughters, practice fraud, plunder, commit ...
/.../a treatise on the anger of god addressed to donatus/chap xvi of god and his.htm

Harass (14 Occurrences)
...Harass (14 Occurrences). ... Luke 18:5 at any rate because this widow annoys me I will
avenge her, that she may not by perpetually coming completely harass me. ...
/h/harass.htm - 10k

Worry (14 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To harass by pursuit and barking; to attack repeatedly; also, to tear or
mangle with the teeth. ... 3. (vt) To harass with labor; to fatigue. ...
/w/worry.htm - 10k

Persecute (48 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict; to beset with cruelty
or malignity; to harass; especially, to afflict, harass, punish, or put to ...
/p/persecute.htm - 20k

Bait (3 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) A light or hasty luncheon. 5. (vt) To provoke and harass; esp., to harass
or torment for sport; as, to bait a bear with dogs; to bait a bull. ...
/b/bait.htm - 8k

Harassed (12 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Harass. Multi-Version Concordance
Harassed (12 Occurrences). Matthew 9:36 But when he saw ...
/h/harassed.htm - 10k

Vex (20 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To make angry or annoyed by little provocations; to irritate; to plague;
to torment; to harass; to afflict; to trouble; to tease. ...
/v/vex.htm - 14k

Jehoahaz (22 Occurrences)
... unmolested. They coincide with the years of Jehoahaz, and explain the freedom
which Hazael had to harass the dominions of that king. ...
/j/jehoahaz.htm - 23k

Grind (12 Occurrences)
... another, as teeth, etc. 3. (vt) To oppress by severe exactions; to harass.
4. (vt) To study hard for examination. 5. (vi) To perform ...
/g/grind.htm - 11k

Gall (17 Occurrences)
... 8. (vt) To fret; to vex; as, to be galled by sarcasm. 9. (vt) To injure; to harass;
to annoy; as, the troops were galled by the shot of the enemy. 10. ...
/g/gall.htm - 17k

Weary (77 Occurrences)
... traveling. 5. (vt) To make weary of anything; to exhaust the patience of,
as by continuance. 6. (vt) To harass by anything irksome. 7 ...
/w/weary.htm - 29k

What does it mean to vex / be vexed? | GotQuestions.org

Why did God send an evil spirit to torment King Saul? | GotQuestions.org

Why did Satan think he could defeat God? | GotQuestions.org

Harass: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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