The term "waylaid" refers to being ambushed or unexpectedly attacked, often with the intent to harm or deceive. In the context of the Bible, being waylaid can be both a physical and spiritual experience, where individuals or groups are caught off guard by adversaries or temptations.

Biblical Instances of Being Waylaid:

1. Physical Ambushes:
· Judges 9:25: In the time of Abimelech, the men of Shechem set an ambush against him on the mountaintops, robbing all who passed by. This act of waylaying was part of the broader narrative of treachery and betrayal that characterized Abimelech's rule. The Berean Standard Bible states, "The leaders of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they robbed everyone who passed by them on the road. And this was reported to Abimelech."
· 1 Samuel 15:2-3: The Amalekites were known for their treacherous attacks, including their ambush on the Israelites as they came out of Egypt. God commanded Saul to attack the Amalekites as a form of divine justice for their waylaying of His people. The BSB records, "This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they waylaid them on their way up from Egypt. Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them.'"

2. Spiritual Ambushes:
· Proverbs 1:11-12: The book of Proverbs warns against the enticement of sinners who seek to waylay the innocent. The passage illustrates the moral and spiritual danger of being led astray by those who plot harm. The BSB reads, "If they say, 'Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause; let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit.'"
· Proverbs 7:21-23: This passage describes the seductive and deceitful nature of sin, personified as an adulteress who waylays a young man with persuasive words. The BSB states, "With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him. He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap, until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare—not knowing it will cost him his life."

Theological Implications:

Being waylaid, whether physically or spiritually, serves as a reminder of the ever-present dangers that believers face in a fallen world. The Bible consistently warns of the need for vigilance and discernment to avoid being caught off guard by the schemes of the enemy. Ephesians 6:11-12 exhorts believers to "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Practical Application:

Christians are encouraged to remain steadfast in their faith, to be watchful, and to seek God's wisdom in all circumstances. The call to be spiritually alert is echoed in 1 Peter 5:8 , which warns, "Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." By staying grounded in Scripture and prayer, believers can guard themselves against being waylaid by the trials and temptations of life.(imp. & p. p.) of Waylay.

An Account of the Several Annual Conferences, and of the General ...
... We came the old way by Scagg's Creek and Rock Castle, supposing it to be safer,
as it is a road less frequented, and therefore less liable to be waylaid by the ...
/.../chapter 3 an account of 2.htm

And Having Come to a Certain Cave, and Wishing to Rest in It...
... and took the road through the hill country and the desert, that he might get safe
to Egypt; for they did not want to go by the shore, for fear of being waylaid ...
/.../unknown/the gospel of pseudo-matthew/chapter 18 and having come.htm

Of Hypatia the Female Philosopher.
... Some of them therefore, hurried away by a fierce and bigoted zeal, whose ringleader
was a reader named Peter, waylaid her returning home, and dragging her from ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of scholasticus/chapter xv of hypatia the female.htm

Constantine Throws Aside the Emblems of Imperial Power, and is ...
... rulers of his appointment. Constantine, with his son Julian, was sent into
Italy, but he was waylaid and killed. Not long afterwards ...
/.../chapter xv constantine throws aside the.htm

What He Found in the Sacred Books which are not to be Found in ...
... wooded summit to see the land of peace, [584] and not to find the way thither,"in
vain to attempt impassable ways, opposed and waylaid by fugitives and ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/chapter xxi what he found in.htm

Trophies of Grace
... 'In the "Blue Lion,"' they would reply, and into the 'Blue Lion' the Adjutant would
go and visit him there. She waylaid him on his way home from work. ...
/.../carpenter/the angel adjutant of twice born men/xii trophies of grace.htm

"The Dust of the Actual"
... For example, one afternoon I was waylaid on my way to the women by the head of the
household I was visiting, a fine old man of the usual type, courteous but ...
/.../wilson-carmichael/things as they are/chapter vii the dust of.htm

The Youth of Count Zinzendorf, 1700-1722.
... As the little fellow set off for morning school, with his pile of books upon his
arm, the others waylaid him, jostled him to and fro, knocked him into the ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter i the youth of.htm

The Fourth Season,
... It was answered by a saint, when one told him that his enemies waylaid him to take
his life: "If God take no care of me, how is it that I have escaped hitherto ...
//christianbookshelf.org/flavel/on keeping the heart/iv the fourth season.htm

Athanasius under Julian and his Successors; Fourth and Fifth ...
... Jovian's replies to them on the repeated occasions on which they waylaid him are
perhaps undignified (Gwatkin) but yet shew a rough soldier-like common sense. ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/section 9 athanasius under julian.htm

Waylaid (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Waylay. Multi-Version Concordance
Waylaid (1 Occurrence). 1 Samuel 15:2 Thus saith the LORD ...
/w/waylaid.htm - 6k

Way-faring (6 Occurrences)
Way-faring. Wayfaring, Way-faring. Waylaid . Multi-Version Concordance
Way-faring (6 Occurrences). ... (WBS). Wayfaring, Way-faring. Waylaid . Reference
/w/way-faring.htm - 8k

Waylay (3 Occurrences)

/w/waylay.htm - 7k

Why did God command the extermination / genocide of the Canaanites, women and children included? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the Amalekites? | GotQuestions.org

Waylaid: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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