The term "straitened" in the Bible often refers to situations of distress, difficulty, or limitation. It is used to describe circumstances where individuals or groups face constraints, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. The concept of being "straitened" can be understood as being in a state of hardship or being restricted in some capacity.

Biblical Usage:

1. Physical and Material Constraints:
In the Old Testament, the term is frequently associated with physical or material limitations. For example, in times of famine or war, the people of Israel experienced straitened circumstances. These situations often served as a test of faith and reliance on God's provision. The Israelites' journey through the wilderness is a prime example, where they faced scarcity and had to depend on God's miraculous provision of manna and water.

2. Emotional and Spiritual Distress:
The concept of being straitened also extends to emotional and spiritual distress. In the Psalms, David often expresses feelings of being overwhelmed and constrained by his enemies or by his own sin. Psalm 25:17 states, "The troubles of my heart increase; free me from my distress." Here, the psalmist pleads for deliverance from the emotional and spiritual constraints that burden him.

3. Prophetic Context:
The prophets frequently used the imagery of straitened circumstances to call the people of Israel to repentance. In Isaiah 9:1 , the prophet speaks of a time when "there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress." This passage highlights the hope of deliverance and restoration for those who turn back to God.

4. New Testament Application:
In the New Testament, the concept of being straitened can be seen in the context of the Christian life and the challenges faced by believers. The Apostle Paul, in his letters, often speaks of the trials and persecutions that Christians endure. In 2 Corinthians 4:8 , Paul writes, "We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair." This passage reflects the tension between external pressures and the internal peace that comes from faith in Christ.

5. Moral and Ethical Implications:
The straitened path is also a metaphor for the moral and ethical life that believers are called to lead. Jesus speaks of the narrow gate and the difficult road that leads to life in Matthew 7:14 : "But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it." This teaching emphasizes the challenges and constraints of living a life of righteousness in a world that often opposes God's ways.

Theological Significance:

Theologically, the concept of being straitened underscores the human condition of dependency on God. It highlights the reality of living in a fallen world where trials and limitations are inevitable. However, it also points to the hope and assurance that God provides for His people. In times of straitened circumstances, believers are called to trust in God's sovereignty and faithfulness, knowing that He is able to deliver and sustain them.

Throughout Scripture, the theme of being straitened serves as a reminder of the need for humility, reliance on God, and perseverance in faith. It challenges believers to seek God's guidance and strength in the midst of life's constraints, trusting that He will ultimately lead them to a place of freedom and abundance in His presence.(imp. & p. p.) of Straiten.4434. ptochos -- (of one who crouches and cowers, hence) beggarly ...
... denoting absolute or public mendicancy, although also used in a qualified or relative
sense; whereas penes properly means only straitened circumstances in ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4434.htm - 8k3334. yatsar -- be distressed, be narrow, be straitened in straits ...
... yatsar. 3335 . be distressed, be narrow, be straitened in straits, be vexed.
Transliteration: yatsar Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-tsar') Short Definition: distressed ...
/hebrew/3334.htm - 6k

4164. mutsaq -- constraint, distress
... anguish, straitness. Or muwtsaq {moo-tsawk'}; from yatsaq; narrowness; figuratively,
distress -- anguish, is straitened, straitness. see HEBREW yatsaq. ...
/hebrew/4164.htm - 6k

Is the Spirit of the Lord Straitened?
... MICAH IS THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD STRAITENED? 'O thou that art named the
house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lord straitened? Are ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/is the spirit of the.htm

"Is the Spirit of the Lord Straitened?"
... "Is the Spirit of the Lord Straitened?". A Sermon (No.2218). ... "O thou that art named
the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lord straitened?""Micah 2:7. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/is the spirit of the.htm

Alaric the Goth. He Assaulted Rome, and Straitened it by War.
... Book IX. Chapter VI."Alaric the Goth. He assaulted Rome, and straitened
it by War. Thus was the Eastern Empire preserved from ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/chapter vi alaric the goth he.htm

What the History of Sallust Reveals Regarding the Life of the ...
... Book II. Chapter 18."What the History of Sallust Reveals Regarding the Life of the
Romans, Either When Straitened by Anxiety or Relaxed in Security. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 18 what the history of.htm

2 Cor. Iv. 8, 9
... Homily IX. 2 Cor. iv. 8, 9. 2 1 Corinthians 4:8, 9 We are pressed on every side,
yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; pursued, yet not forsaken. ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily ix 2 cor iv.htm

2 Cor. vii. 2, 3
... How come we to be straitened in you?' for since he said above, "Ye are straitened
in your affections;" here declaring it more clearly, he said, "make room for ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xiv 2 cor vii.htm

Monotony and Crises
... THE PROVERBS MONOTONY AND CRISES. 'When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened;
and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.'"Proverbs 4:12. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/monotony and crises.htm

Section 13, 14. Such a Doctrine Precludes all Real Distinctions of ...
... For what is dilated is first straitened; and what is expanded is at first contracted;
and it is what it was, and does but undergo an affection. ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/section 13 14 such a.htm

2 Cor. vi. 11, 12
... Our mouth is open unto you, O ye Corinthians, our heart is enlarged, ye are not
straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections. ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xiii 2 cor vi.htm

On Daniel. vi. On Susannah.
... "I am straitened on every side." Behold the words of a chaste woman, and one dear
to God: "I am straitened on every side." For the Church is afflicted and ...
/.../the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/on daniel vi on susannah.htm

Straitened (14 Occurrences)
...Straitened (14 Occurrences). Matthew 7:14 For narrow is the gate, and straitened
the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it. (ASV DBY). ...
/s/straitened.htm - 10k

Straiten (4 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To restrict; to distress or embarrass in respect of means or conditions
of life; -- used chiefly in the past participle; -- as, a man straitened in his ...
/s/straiten.htm - 10k

Bowels (40 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV). 2 Corinthians 6:12 Ye are not straitened in us,
but ye are straitened in your own bowels. (KJV WBS YLT). ...
/b/bowels.htm - 20k

Anguish (75 Occurrences)
... Chiefly expressed in Old Testament, by four derivatives of tsuq, "straitened,"
"pressed," and tsar, and two derivatives signifying "straitness," "narrowness ...
/a/anguish.htm - 29k

Tribulation (43 Occurrences)
... Hence, figuratively, of straitened circumstances; variously rendered "affliction,"
"tribulation," "distress" (Deuteronomy 4:30 Job 15:24; Job 30:12 Psalm 4:2 ...
/t/tribulation.htm - 24k

Narrow (21 Occurrences)
... a narrow majority. 4. (superl.) Limited as to means; straitened; pinching;
as, narrow circumstances. 5. (superl.) Contracted; of ...
/n/narrow.htm - 14k

Uppermost (11 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 42:6 For they were in three stories, and they didn't have pillars as the
pillars of the courts: therefore the uppermost was straitened more than the ...
/u/uppermost.htm - 10k

Gallery (2 Occurrences)
... but in terraces, did take away from the upper stories more than from the lowest
and middlemost: the upper chambers were shortened or "straitened more than the ...
/g/gallery.htm - 11k

Wastes (33 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 49:19 Because thy wastes, and thy desolate places, And the land of thy ruins,
Surely now are straitened because of inhabitants, And far off have been ...
/w/wastes.htm - 16k

Runnest (1 Occurrence)
... Runnest (1 Occurrence). Proverbs 4:12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not
be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. ...
/r/runnest.htm - 6k

Straitened: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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