The term "imperious" is often used to describe someone who is domineering, overbearing, or assuming authority without justification. In the context of the Bible, imperious behavior is generally viewed negatively, as it contrasts with the humility and servant leadership exemplified by Jesus Christ and encouraged among His followers.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, imperious behavior is frequently associated with the rulers and leaders who defy God's commandments and oppress His people. The prophets often rebuked such leaders for their arrogance and self-exaltation. For example, in Ezekiel 16:30, the prophet Ezekiel uses the term to describe the brazen and unfaithful behavior of Jerusalem: "How weak-willed is your heart, declares the Lord GOD, while you do all these things, the acts of a shameless prostitute!" . Here, the imperious nature of Jerusalem is highlighted as a heart condition that leads to spiritual adultery and rebellion against God.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, imperious attitudes are contrasted with the teachings of Christ, who emphasized humility and servanthood. Jesus warned His disciples against adopting the imperious ways of the Gentile rulers. In Matthew 20:25-28, Jesus says, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many" . This teaching underscores the stark contrast between worldly imperiousness and the kingdom values of humility and service.

Imperiousness in Church Leadership

The early church was also cautioned against imperious leadership. The Apostle Peter, in his first epistle, advises church elders to shepherd the flock willingly and eagerly, not lording it over those entrusted to them (1 Peter 5:2-3). This instruction reflects the biblical principle that leadership within the Christian community should be characterized by humility and a servant's heart, rather than an imperious or authoritarian demeanor.

Spiritual Implications

Imperiousness is often rooted in pride, which is considered a grave sin in the biblical narrative. Proverbs 16:18 warns, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" . The imperious individual, by relying on their own strength and wisdom, often sets themselves in opposition to God, who "opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). This spiritual principle serves as a reminder of the dangers of imperiousness and the importance of cultivating a humble and contrite spirit before God.

Conclusion

While the Bible does not use the term "imperious" frequently, the concept is woven throughout its teachings, particularly in the context of leadership and personal conduct. The biblical narrative consistently calls for humility, service, and submission to God's authority, standing in stark contrast to the imperious attitudes that lead to spiritual downfall and separation from God's will.1. (a.) Commanding; domineering; overbearing; ascendant; imperial; lordly; majestic.

2. (a.) Haughty; arrogant; overbearing; as, an imperious tyrant; an imperious manner.

3. (a.) Imperative; urgent; compelling.

7986. shalleteth -- imperious
... 7985, 7986. shalleteth. 7987 . imperious. Transliteration: shalleteth Phonetic
Spelling: (shal-leh'-teth) Short Definition: imperious. ... imperious ...
/hebrew/7986.htm - 5k

Impressive Phrases
... aptitude, capacity, efficiency, and power. arbitrary, dictatorial, domineering,
and imperious [imperious = arrogantly domineering or overbearing]. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section iv impressive phrases.htm

Herod
... teaching of the Baptist. But Ahab surrendered his soul to the imperious Jezebel,
and Herod was ruined by Herodias. Each is the sport ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 6 14-29 herod.htm

"And for Sin Condemned Sin in the Flesh. "
... Sin brings all into bondage, and exerciseth the most perfect tyranny over them that
can be imagined, makes men to serve all its imperious lusts, and then all ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xiii and for sin.htm

Titus ii. 14-Nov
... And many of the Heathen philosophers despised money, but none of them were indifferent
to women, so that this passion is more imperious than the other. ...
/.../homily v titus ii 14-nov.htm

"For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Hath Made Me ...
... But consider what a wretched life you have with your imperious lusts. ... They are wearied
and troubled, to satisfy all his unreasonable and imperious commands. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon viii for the law.htm

The Breach with Gregory of Nazianzus.
... [189] The friends proceeded to Nazianzus, and there, with imperious inconsiderateness,
Basil insisted upon nominating Gregory to one of the bishoprics which he ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/vii the breach with gregory of.htm

Miscellaneous Phrases
... Allied with a marked imperiousness [imperious = arrogantly overbearing]. ... Imperious
in its demands [imperious = arrogantly domineering]. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section xi miscellaneous phrases.htm

Set at Liberty.
... You, too, have become allied with one who is possessed by a more imperious
will, and dominated by a stronger passion, than yours. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/meyer/john the baptist/xiv set at liberty.htm

Significant Phrases
... imperfection and fallibility. imperil and destroy. imperious and ruthless [imperious =
arrogantly domineering]. impertinent and personal. impinging and inexorable ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section ii significant phrases.htm

Jesus Drives Out the Money-Changers.
... Jesus, then moving forward into the midst of the astonished merchants in the temple,
exclaimed, in words of imperious authority: "Away with you from here ...
//christianbookshelf.org/stead/king of the jews/chapter i jesus drives out.htm

Imperious (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (a.) Haughty; arrogant; overbearing; as, an imperious tyrant; an imperious manner.
3. (a.) Imperative; urgent; compelling. ...Imperious (1 Occurrence). ...
/i/imperious.htm - 7k

Imperishable (11 Occurrences)

/i/imperishable.htm - 9k

Imperial (14 Occurrences)

/i/imperial.htm - 11k

Lordly (2 Occurrences)
... 2. (superl.) Proud; haughty; imperious; insolent. 3. (adv.) In a lordly
manner. Multi-Version Concordance Lordly (2 Occurrences). ...
/l/lordly.htm - 7k

Whorish (5 Occurrences)
... (KJV DBY). Ezekiel 16:30 How weak is thine heart, saith the LORD GOD, seeing thou
doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman; (KJV DBY YLT). ...
/w/whorish.htm - 8k

Tyrannical (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Unjustly severe in government; imperious; despotic;
cruel; arbitrary; as, a tyrannical leader; tyrannical government. ...
/t/tyrannical.htm - 7k

Pilate (60 Occurrences)
... simple stamp, but of the imperial period, a man not without some remains of the
ancient Roman justice in his soul, yet pleasure-loving, imperious, and corrupt. ...
/p/pilate.htm - 53k

Pontius (4 Occurrences)
... simple stamp, but of the imperial period, a man not without some remains of the
ancient Roman justice in his soul, yet pleasure-loving, imperious, and corrupt. ...
/p/pontius.htm - 36k

Cyrus (20 Occurrences)
... Later on, in consequence of his imperious acts, Cyrus was recognized by Astyages,
who came to learn the whole story, and spared him because, having once been ...
/c/cyrus.htm - 39k

Ahab (85 Occurrences)
... principle, "Yahweh alone is the God of Israel." In Jezebel, his Phoenician wife,
Ahab found a champion of the foreign culture, who was as imperious and able as ...
/a/ahab.htm - 52k

Imperious: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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