Reels
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In the context of the Bible, the term "reels" does not appear directly in the text. However, the concept of "reeling" can be associated with various biblical themes and narratives, particularly those involving movement, instability, or the effects of divine judgment.

Biblical Context and Usage

1. Reeling as a Metaphor for Judgment and Confusion:
The imagery of reeling is often used metaphorically in the Bible to describe the effects of divine judgment or the disorientation that comes from God's wrath. In Isaiah 24:20 , it is written, "The earth staggers like a drunkard and sways like a hut. Its transgression weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again." Here, the earth's reeling is a vivid depiction of the chaos and instability resulting from sin and divine punishment.

2. Reeling in Prophetic Literature:
Prophets frequently use the imagery of reeling to convey the overwhelming nature of God's judgment. In Isaiah 51:17 , the prophet calls Jerusalem to awaken from its stupor: "Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of His wrath, you who have drained to the dregs the goblet that makes men stagger." The reeling here symbolizes the severe consequences of turning away from God and the resulting spiritual disorientation.

3. Reeling as a Consequence of Sin:
The Bible often associates reeling with the consequences of sin and moral failure. In Psalm 107:27 , the psalmist describes those who are lost at sea: "They reeled and staggered like drunkards, and all their skill was useless." This passage highlights the helplessness and confusion that result from human limitations and the need for divine intervention.

4. Reeling in the Context of Warfare:
The imagery of reeling is also present in descriptions of warfare and defeat. In Nahum 2:3-4 , the prophet describes the chaos of battle: "The shields of his warriors are red; the valiant men are dressed in scarlet. The chariots flash with steel in the day of their preparation; the spears of cypress have been brandished. The chariots dash through the streets; they rush around the plazas, appearing like torches, darting about like lightning." The frenetic movement and confusion of battle can be likened to reeling, illustrating the turmoil and disorder of conflict.

Theological Implications

The concept of reeling in the Bible serves as a powerful metaphor for the consequences of sin, the disorientation of divine judgment, and the chaos of human endeavors apart from God. It underscores the need for repentance and reliance on God's guidance to find stability and peace. The imagery of reeling reminds believers of the importance of remaining steadfast in faith and obedience to avoid the spiritual and moral confusion that comes from turning away from God's path.
Strong's Hebrew
5128. nua -- to quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter
... root Definition to quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter NASB Word Usage disturb
(1), moving (1), reels (1), scatter (1), set trembling (1), shake (4), shaken (4 ...
/hebrew/5128.htm - 6k

8582. taah -- to err
... 1), leading them astray (1), leads them astray (1), leads to ruin (1), led my astray
(2), led them astray (3), led...astray (2), misled (1), reels (1), seduced ...
/hebrew/8582.htm - 6k

Library

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
... It reels to and fro like a drunkard, it is like to fall and rise no more.' 'It is
the very haunts and walks of the infernal spirits.' 'England shakes and makes ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the life and death of.htm

A Strain of Jonah the Prophet.
... 'Twixt sky and surge. From this side and from that. Pounded she reels; 'neath each
wave-breaking blow. 60 The forest of her tackling trembles all; ...
/.../fathers of the third century tertullian appendix/1 a strain of jonah.htm

Continued.
... woods"leaping across the deep valley of Coelo-Syria, and smiting Hermon (for which
Sirion is a Sidonian name), the crest of the Anti Lebanon, till it reels. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/the life of david/iii early dayscontinued.htm

A String of Pearls
... The word rendered in Authorised Version 'is deceived,' and in Revised Version 'erreth,'
is literally 'staggers' or 'reels,' and it is more graphic to keep that ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/a string of pearls.htm

Psalm 107:5. Fourth Part. CM The Mariner's Psalm.
... 3[[Again they climb the watery hills, And plunge in deeps again; Each like
a tottering drunkard reels, And finds his courage vain. ...
/.../watts/the psalms of david/psalm 107 5 0 fourth part c.htm

Letter L. (AD 399. )
... Earth reels and heaven trembles at the report of the enormous crime and unprecedented
cruelty which has made your streets and temples run red with blood, and ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter l a d 399.htm

Psalm 107 Part 4 the Mariner's Psalm.
... And sink in gaping graves. [Again they climb the wat'ry hills,. And plunge in deeps
again; Each like a tott'ring drunkard reels,. And finds his courage vain. ...
/.../watts/the psalms and hymns of isaac watts/psalm 107 part 4 the.htm

During or after a Great Storm.
... 2 Though earth upon its axis reels, And heaven is veiled in wrath; Not one of nature's
million wheels Breaks its appointed path; Fixed in thy grasp, the ...
/.../adams/hymns for christian devotion/994 during or after.htm

The Complaint: Or, Night Thoughts.
... At home a stranger,. Thought wanders up and down, surprised, aghast, 83. And wondering
at her own: how reason reels! O what a miracle to man is man,. ...
/.../young/youngs night thoughts/the complaint or night thoughts.htm

How to Preach the Gospel.
... He reels and almost swoons with horror; turns and walks slowly to the public house;
you follow him; the manifest agitation in his countenance calls numbers ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xii how to preach.htm

Thesaurus
Reels (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Reels (2 Occurrences). Isaiah 21:4 My mind is
wandering, fear has overcome me: the evening of my desire ...
/r/reels.htm - 6k

Reem (5 Occurrences)

/r/reem.htm - 7k

Reeling (2 Occurrences)

/r/reeling.htm - 7k

Resources
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Concordance
Reels (2 Occurrences)

Isaiah 21:4
My mind is wandering, fear has overcome me: the evening of my desire has been turned into shaking for me.
(See NAS RSV)

Isaiah 24:20
The earth reeleth to and fro like a drunken man, and swayeth to and fro as a lodge; and the transgression thereof is heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again.
(See NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Reels

Related Terms

Swiftness (2 Occurrences)

Unicorn (6 Occurrences)

Reels (2 Occurrences)

Reems (2 Occurrences)

Exaltest (2 Occurrences)

Breaketh (49 Occurrences)

Smiteth (156 Occurrences)

Eateth (81 Occurrences)

Thick (129 Occurrences)

Reeling
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