Retreat
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Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of the Bible, the concept of "retreat" can be understood both literally and spiritually. It involves withdrawing for the purpose of rest, reflection, or seeking divine guidance. Throughout Scripture, retreat is depicted as a necessary practice for renewal and communion with God.

Old Testament Instances

1. Moses on Mount Sinai: One of the most significant retreats in the Old Testament is Moses' time on Mount Sinai. Moses withdrew from the people to receive the Law from God. Exodus 24:12 states, "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Come up to Me on the mountain and stay here, so that I may give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.'" This retreat was pivotal for the establishment of the covenant between God and Israel.

2. Elijah at Horeb: After his confrontation with the prophets of Baal, Elijah retreated to Mount Horeb. In 1 Kings 19:11-12 , God reveals Himself to Elijah not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a gentle whisper. This retreat was a time of renewal and recommissioning for Elijah.

New Testament Examples

1. Jesus' Solitude: Jesus frequently withdrew to solitary places to pray and seek the Father’s guidance. In Mark 1:35 , it is recorded, "Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray." These retreats were essential for His ministry, providing strength and clarity.

2. The Disciples' Rest: Jesus also encouraged His disciples to retreat for rest. In Mark 6:31 , He said, "Come with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while." This highlights the importance of physical and spiritual rest in the life of a believer.

Spiritual Significance

Retreats in the Bible often serve as times of preparation, reflection, and transformation. They are moments when individuals draw closer to God, receive instruction, and gain strength for their mission. The practice of retreat underscores the necessity of stepping away from daily distractions to focus on spiritual growth and renewal.

Practical Application

For contemporary believers, the concept of retreat can be applied through personal times of prayer, meditation, and study of Scripture. It can also involve participating in organized retreats or quiet days designed for spiritual reflection and renewal. The biblical model encourages believers to regularly seek solitude with God to deepen their relationship with Him and to gain insight and strength for their daily lives.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) The act of retiring or withdrawing one's self, especially from what is dangerous or disagreeable.

2. (n.) The place to which anyone retires; a place or privacy or safety; a refuge; an asylum.

3. (n.) The retiring of an army or body of men from the face of an enemy, or from any ground occupied to a greater distance from the enemy, or from an advanced position.

4. (n.) The withdrawing of a ship or fleet from an enemy for the purpose of avoiding an engagement or escaping after defeat.

5. (n.) A signal given in the army or navy, by the beat of a drum or the sounding of trumpet or bugle, at sunset (when the roll is called), or for retiring from action.

6. (n.) A special season of solitude and silence to engage in religious exercises.

7. (n.) A period of several days of withdrawal from society to a religious house for exclusive occupation in the duties of devotion; as, to appoint or observe a retreat.

8. (v. i.) To make a retreat; to retire from any position or place; to withdraw; as, the defeated army retreated from the field.

Greek
5298. hupochoreo -- to go back, retire
... Verb Transliteration: hupochoreo Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-okh-o-reh'-o) Short
Definition: I withdraw, retire Definition: I withdraw, retire, go back, retreat. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5298.htm - 6k
Strong's Hebrew
5074. nadad -- to retreat, flee, depart, stray, wander, flutter
... nadad. 5075 . to retreat, flee, depart, stray, wander, flutter. Transliteration:
nadad Phonetic Spelling: (naw-dad') Short Definition: fled. Word Origin a prim ...
/hebrew/5074.htm - 6k

4869. misgab -- a secure height, retreat, stronghold
... 4868, 4869. misgab. 4870 . a secure height, retreat, stronghold. Transliteration:
misgab Phonetic Spelling: (mis-gawb') Short Definition: stronghold. ...
/hebrew/4869.htm - 6k

7725. shub -- to turn back, return
... which is made (1), restore (58), restored (17), restorer (2), restores (7), restoring
(1), restrain (2), restrained (2), retire (1), retreat (1), return (261 ...
/hebrew/7725.htm - 9k

4499. menusah -- flight
... fleeing, flight. Or mnucah {men-oo-saw'}; feminine of manowc; retreat -- fleeing,
flight. see HEBREW manowc. 4498, 4499. menusah or menusah. 4500 . ...
/hebrew/4499.htm - 6k

7585. sheol -- underworld (place to which people descend at death)
... Or shol {sheh-ole'}; from sha'al; Hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean
retreat), including its accessories and inmates -- grave, hell, pit. ...
/hebrew/7585.htm - 6k

4498. manos -- flight, place of escape or refuge
... escape, way to flee, flight, refuge. From nuwc; a retreat (literally or figuratively);
abstractly, a fleeing -- X apace, escape, way to flee, flight, refuge. ...
/hebrew/4498.htm - 6k

4583. maon -- dwelling, habitation
... maw-een'}; from the same as ownah; an abode, of God (the Tabernacle or the Temple),
men (their home) or animals (their lair); hence, a retreat (asylum) -- den ...
/hebrew/4583.htm - 6k

5472. sug -- to move away, backslide
... A primitive root; properly, to flinch, ie (by implication) to go back, literally
(to retreat) or figuratively (to apostatize) -- backslider, drive, go back ...
/hebrew/5472.htm - 6k

5253. nasag -- departing away, remove, take hold, turn away
... departing away, remove, take hold, turn away A primitive root; to retreat -- departing
away, remove, take (hold), turn away. 5252, 5253. nasag. 5254 . ...
/hebrew/5253.htm - 5k

7734. sug -- turn back
... Word Origin the same as sug, qv. turn back A primitive root; to retreat --
turn back. 7733, 7734. sug. 7735 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7734.htm - 5k

Library

Cii the Retreat
... The Treasury of Sacred Song. Book First CII THE RETREAT. Happy those early days,
when I Shined in my Angel-infancy! Before I understood this place. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/palgrave/the treasury of sacred song/cii the retreat.htm

Retreat. LM
... 384 Retreat. LM. ... From every stormy wind that blows, From every swelling tide of woes,
There is a calm, a sure retreat;" 'Tis found before the mercy-seat. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lorenz/the otterbein hymnal/384 retreat l m.htm

Retreat. LM
... 386 Retreat. LM. Psalm 104:34. (794) My God, is any hour so sweet From blush
of morn to evening star, As that which calls me to thy ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lorenz/the otterbein hymnal/386 retreat l m.htm

Retreat. LM
... 385 Retreat. LM. Design of Prayer. (796) Prayer is appointed to convey The
blessings God designs to give: Long as they live should ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lorenz/the otterbein hymnal/385 retreat l m.htm

A Retreat, or a Rout?
... TALK TWENTY-FOUR. A RETREAT, OR A ROUT? Armies often suffer defeat, but
there is a great difference in the way they take defeat. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk twenty-four a retreat or.htm

A Cool Retreat.
... Homily IV. Chapter X."A Cool Retreat. And a certain one amongst
them"a rich man, and possessing a garden of evergreen plants ...
/.../unknown/the clementine homilies/chapter x a cool retreat.htm

(Written During Her Retreat Before Receiving the Habit. ) January ...
... LETTERS TO SISTER MARY OF THE SACRED HEART II (Written during her retreat
before receiving the habit.) January 8, 1889. (Written ...
/.../therese/story of a soul/ii written during her retreat 2.htm

(During Her Retreat Before Profession) September 4, 1890
... LETTERS TO SISTER MARY OF THE SACRED HEART IV (During her retreat before
profession) September 4, 1890. (During her retreat before ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/therese/story of a soul/iv during her retreat before.htm

Simon's Retreat.
... Book III. Chapter XLIX."Simon's Retreat. Then the people in indignation
cast Simon from the court, and drove him forth from the ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xlix simons retreat.htm

(Written During Her Retreat Before Profession. )
... LETTERS TO MOTHER AGNES OF JESUS IV (Written during her retreat before profession.).
(Written during her retreat before profession.) September, 1890. ...
/.../therese/story of a soul/iv written during her retreat.htm

Thesaurus
Retreat (10 Occurrences)
... A period of several days of withdrawal from society to a religious house for exclusive
occupation in the duties of devotion; as, to appoint or observe a retreat...
/r/retreat.htm - 10k

Retire (6 Occurrences)
... 4. (vi) To go back or return; to draw back or away; to keep aloof; to withdraw or
retreat, as from observation; to go into privacy; as, to retire to his home ...
/r/retire.htm - 9k

Draw (212 Occurrences)
... in racing, to get in front; to obtain the lead or increase it; to draw back, to
retreat; to draw level, to move up even (with another); to come up to or ...
/d/draw.htm - 41k

Battle (282 Occurrences)
... from them. A glance at the map shows that this means that Joshua had succeeded
in cutting their line of retreat to Jerusalem. He ...
/b/battle.htm - 55k

Bethhoron (12 Occurrences)
... from them. A glance at the map shows that this means that Joshua had succeeded
in cutting their line of retreat to Jerusalem. He ...
/b/bethhoron.htm - 30k

Beth-horon (12 Occurrences)
... from them. A glance at the map shows that this means that Joshua had succeeded
in cutting their line of retreat to Jerusalem. He ...
/b/beth-horon.htm - 30k

Nineveh (23 Occurrences)
... the days of the Greek historian Herodotus, BC 400, it had become a thing of the
past; and when Xenophon the historian passed the place in the "Retreat of the ...
/n/nineveh.htm - 52k

Nest (22 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) A snug, comfortable, or cozy residence or situation; a retreat, or place
of habitual resort; hence, those who occupy a nest, frequent a haunt, or are ...
/n/nest.htm - 18k

Jerusalem (782 Occurrences)
... The desolation of the city and the land was completed by the retreat of the principal
Jews into Egypt (Jeremiah 40-44), and by the final carrying captive into ...
/j/jerusalem.htm - 89k

Withdraw (52 Occurrences)
... 3. (vi) To retire; to retreat; to quit a company or place; to go away; as, he withdrew
from the company. Multi-Version Concordance Withdraw (52 Occurrences). ...
/w/withdraw.htm - 22k

Resources
Who is the king of the North in Daniel 11? | GotQuestions.org

Who is the king of the South in Daniel 11? | GotQuestions.org

Summary of the Book of Jonah - Bible Survey | GotQuestions.org

Retreat: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Retreat (10 Occurrences)

Luke 9:10
The Apostles, on their return, related to Jesus all they had done. Then He took them and withdrew to a quiet retreat, to a town called Bethsaida.
(WEY)

Judges 20:32
The children of Benjamin said, "They are struck down before us, as at the first." But the children of Israel said, "Let us flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways."
(See NIV)

2 Samuel 11:15
He wrote in the letter, saying, "Send Uriah to the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck, and die."
(WEB)

2 Kings 19:23
By your messengers you have defied the Lord, and have said,'With the multitude of my chariots, I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon; and I will cut down its tall cedars, and its choice fir trees; and I will enter into his farthest lodging place, the forest of his fruitful field.
(See RSV)

Job 41:25
When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.
(WEB NIV)

Psalms 74:21
Don't let the oppressed return ashamed. Let the poor and needy praise your name.
(See NIV)

Psalms 104:22
The sun ariseth, they retreat, and lay them down in their dens.
(DBY)

Proverbs 30:30
The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any;
(See NAS NIV)

Isaiah 33:16
he shall dwell on high, the fortresses of the rocks shall be his high retreat; bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure.
(DBY)

Daniel 11:9
And he shall come into the kingdom of the king of the south, but he shall return into his own land.
(See NIV)

Subtopics

Retreat

Related Terms

Retreat (10 Occurrences)

Retreating (1 Occurrence)

Egypt (596 Occurrences)

Tiberias (3 Occurrences)

On (40792 Occurrences)

Palestine (1 Occurrence)

Abimelech (63 Occurrences)

Asmoneans

Hazael (23 Occurrences)

Testaments

Between (2624 Occurrences)

Empire (8 Occurrences)

Roman (26 Occurrences)

Christianity

Retract
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