Jump to: Smith's • ISBE • Easton's • Webster's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms Topical Encyclopedia In biblical times, streets were significant public spaces within cities and towns, serving as thoroughfares for travel, commerce, and social interaction. The concept of streets is mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible, reflecting their importance in daily life and their symbolic meanings in various contexts.Old Testament References Streets in ancient Israelite cities were often narrow and winding, reflecting the organic growth of settlements. In the Old Testament, streets are frequently mentioned in the context of city life and public gatherings. For example, in the book of Jeremiah, the prophet is instructed to "Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares" (Jeremiah 5:1), highlighting the streets as places of public observation and interaction. In the wisdom literature, streets are depicted as places where wisdom and folly are contrasted. Proverbs 1:20-21 states, "Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square; in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech." Here, the street serves as a metaphorical stage for the proclamation of wisdom, accessible to all who pass by. New Testament References In the New Testament, streets continue to play a vital role in the social and religious life of the community. Jesus often taught and performed miracles in public spaces, including streets. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus warns against the hypocritical behavior of the Pharisees, who "love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men" (Matthew 6:5). This passage underscores the street as a place of visibility and public display. The parable of the wedding banquet in Matthew 22:9 also emphasizes the street as a place of invitation and gathering: "Go therefore to the crossroads and invite to the banquet as many as you can find." The streets here symbolize the openness of God's invitation to all people. Symbolic and Prophetic Uses Streets in the Bible often carry symbolic meanings, representing the moral and spiritual state of a community. In Isaiah 59:14 , the prophet laments, "Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands at a distance; for truth has stumbled in the street, and honesty cannot enter." This imagery portrays the street as a barometer of societal integrity and justice. In prophetic literature, the transformation of streets is sometimes used to depict future hope and restoration. Zechariah 8:4-5 envisions a time of peace and prosperity: "This is what the LORD of Hosts says: 'Old men and old women will again sit along the streets of Jerusalem, each with a staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there.'" This vision highlights the street as a place of community life and joy. Cultural and Historical Context Understanding the role of streets in biblical times requires considering the cultural and historical context. Streets were not only pathways for travel but also venues for markets, legal proceedings, and public announcements. They were integral to the urban landscape, facilitating the flow of goods, information, and people. In summary, streets in the Bible are multifaceted, serving as literal and metaphorical spaces that reflect the social, moral, and spiritual dynamics of the communities they traverse. They are places of interaction, proclamation, and transformation, woven into the fabric of biblical narrative and teaching. Smith's Bible Dictionary StreetThe streets of a modern Oriental town present a great contrast to those with which we are familiar, being generally narrow, tortuous and gloomy, even in the best towns. Their character is mainly fixed by the climate and the style of architecture, the narrowness being due to the extreme heat, and the gloominess to the circumstance of the windows looking for the most part into the inner court. The street called "Straight," in Damascus, (Acts 9:11) was an exception to the rule of narrowness: it was a noble thoroughfare, one hundred feet wide. divided in the Roman age by colonnades into three avenues, the central one for foot passengers, the side passages for vehicles and horsemen going in different directions. The shops and warehouses were probably collected together into bazaars in ancient as in modern times. (Jeremiah 37:21) That streets occasionally had names appears from (Jeremiah 37:21; Acts 9:11) That they were generally unpaved may be inferred from the notices of the pavement laid by Herod the Great at Antioch, and by Herod Agrippa II. at Jerusalem. Hence pavement forms one of the peculiar features of the ideal Jerusalem. Tob. 13:17; (Revelation 21:21) Each street and bazaar in a modern town is locked up at night; the same custom appears to have prevailed in ancient times. (Solomon 3:3) Easton's Bible Dictionary The street called "Straight" at Damascus (Acts 9:11) is "a long broad street, running from east to west, about a mile in length, and forming the principal thoroughfare in the city." In Oriental towns streets are usually narrow and irregular and filthy (Psalm 18:42; Isaiah 10:6). "It is remarkable," says Porter, "that all the important cities of Palestine and Syria Samaria, Caesarea, Gerasa, Bozrah, Damascus, Palmyra, had their `straight streets' running through the centre of the city, and lined with stately rows of columns. The most perfect now remaining are those of Palmyra and Gerasa, where long ranges of the columns still stand.", Through Samaria, etc. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (a.) Originally, a paved way or road; a public highway; now commonly, a thoroughfare in a city or village, bordered by dwellings or business houses.International Standard Bible Encyclopedia STRAIGHT STREETstrat stret. STREET stret. Greek 4505. rhume -- the rush (of a moving body), hence a (crowded) ... ... the rush (of a moving body), hence a (crowded) street. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: rhume Phonetic Spelling: (hroo'-may) Short Definition: a ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4505.htm - 6k 4113. plateia -- a wide road, street. 4116. platus -- broad, subst. a street 296. amphodon -- a road around 58. agora -- an assembly, place of assembly 4440. pulon -- a porch, gateway Strong's Hebrew 7784. shuq -- a street... 7783, 7784. shuq. 7785 . a street. Transliteration: shuq Phonetic Spelling: (shook) Short Definition: street. Word Origin from the ... /hebrew/7784.htm - 6k 2351. chuts -- the outside, a street 1050. Beth-rechob -- "place of a street," a place near Dan 7339. rechob -- a broad open place, plaza 6434. pen -- corner 6440. panim -- face, faces 1870. derek -- way, road, distance, journey, manner Library Trumpets and Street Corners Christ Found in the Street, and Brought to the Church, Cant. 3. 1 ... Street Arabs. May 13. Federal Street. LM State Street. SM Federal Street. LM Duane Street. LMD Federal Street. LM Duane Street. LMD Christ Found in the Street, and Brought to the Church. Ss 3:1-5 Thesaurus Street (54 Occurrences)... The street called "Straight" at Damascus (Acts 9:11) is "a long broad street, running from east to west, about a mile in length, and forming the principal ... /s/street.htm - 26k Damascus (58 Occurrences) Buying (12 Occurrences) Oven (22 Occurrences) Broad (113 Occurrences) Square (94 Occurrences) Market (24 Occurrences) Lodge (64 Occurrences) Vaulted (6 Occurrences) Night's (13 Occurrences) Resources Is street preaching an effective evangelism method? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was the Azusa Street Revival? | GotQuestions.org What is the Pentecostal Church and what do Pentecostals believe? | GotQuestions.org Street: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Street (54 Occurrences)Matthew 6:5 Mark 11:4 John 9:8 Acts 9:11 Acts 12:10 Revelation 11:8 Revelation 21:21 Revelation 22:2 Genesis 19:2 Deuteronomy 13:16 Joshua 2:19 Judges 19:15 Judges 19:17 Judges 19:20 1 Samuel 9:26 2 Samuel 21:12 2 Samuel 22:43 2 Chronicles 28:24 2 Chronicles 29:4 2 Chronicles 32:6 Ezra 10:9 Nehemiah 8:1 Nehemiah 8:3 Nehemiah 8:16 Esther 4:6 Esther 6:9 Esther 6:11 Job 18:17 Job 29:7 Job 31:32 Psalms 31:11 Psalms 41:6 Psalms 55:11 Proverbs 1:20 Proverbs 7:8 Proverbs 7:12 Ecclesiastes 12:4 Song of Songs 8:1 Isaiah 42:2 Isaiah 51:20 Isaiah 51:23 Isaiah 59:14 Jeremiah 6:11 Jeremiah 9:21 Jeremiah 11:13 Jeremiah 37:21 Lamentations 2:19 Lamentations 4:1 Ezekiel 16:24 Ezekiel 16:25 Ezekiel 16:31 Daniel 9:25 Hosea 7:1 Nahum 3:10 Subtopics Related Terms |