Reference: Backslider
Morish
There are four Hebrew words applied to backsliding.
1. sug, 'to go back:' 'the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways,' instead of God's ways. Pr 14:14.
2. sarar, to act like a refractory heifer, that will not draw regularly in the plough: to which Israel is compared. Ho 4:16.
3. meshubah, 'a turning away, apostasy.' Jer 2:19; 3:6-12,22; 5:6; 8:5; 14:7; Ho 11:7; 14:4.
4. shobeb 'rebellious, backsliding.' Jer 3:14,22; 31:22; 49:4. The last three words are all used of backsliding Israel. We do not find the word 'backslider' in the N.T. but the same sin is there pointed out, for instance the drawing back which may lead to perdition as in Heb 10:38-39. See APOSTASY.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
The faithless in heart will be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from above.
Your own wickedness will correct you. Your apostasies (unfaithful ways) will punish you! You should know and see how evil and bitter it is for you when you abandon Jehovah your God! You do not respect (reverence) me, says the Sovereign Lord Jehovah of Hosts.
During the reign of King Josiah, Jehovah asked me: Did you see what unfaithful Israel did? She went up every high mountain and under every large tree, and she acted like a prostitute there. I thought that after she had done all this she would come back to me. But she did not come back, and her treacherous (unstable) (unreliable) (false) sister Judah saw her. read more. Judah saw that I sent unfaithful Israel away because of her adultery and that I gave Israel her divorce papers. But treacherous Judah, her sister, was not afraid. She also acted like a prostitute. Because she was not concerned about her prostitution. She polluted the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. Even after all this, Israel's treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart. She was deceitful, says Jehovah. Jehovah said to me: Treacherous Judah was more reprehensible than unfaithful Israel. Go and proclaim this message to the north: 'Come back, unfaithful Israel. It is Jehovah speaking. I will no longer frown on you because I am merciful,' declares Jehovah. 'I will no longer be angry with you.
Return, you disobedient people, proclaims Jehovah. I am your husband. I will take you, one from every city and two from every family, and bring you to Zion.'
Return you backsliding children, and I will forgive you for being unfaithful. See, we have come to you because you are Jehovah our God.
Return you backsliding children, and I will forgive you for being unfaithful. See, we have come to you because you are Jehovah our God.
That is why lions from the forest will kill them. Wolves from the desert will tear them to pieces, and leopards will prowl through their towns. If those people go out, they will be torn apart because their sins are numerous and time after time they have turned from God.
The people of Jerusalem turned away from me without ever returning. They still cling to deceit. They refuse to return.
Do something, Jehovah, for the sake of your name, even though our iniquities testify against us. We have been unfaithful (like apostates) and have sinned against you.
How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For Jehovah has created a new thing in the earth. A woman will protect a man.
Why do you brag about your valleys, your fertile valleys, you unfaithful people? You trust your treasures. You think: Who would attack me?
For Israel behaved stubbornly like a stubborn heifer. Will Jehovah now feed them as a lamb in a large place.
My people are determined to turn (apostatize) from me. Even if they call to the Most High, he will by no means exalt them.
I will heal their apostasy! I will love them freely for my anger has turned away from them.
My righteous people will live by faith. If any of them turn back, I will not be pleased with them. We are not people who turn back and are destroyed. Instead, we have faith and are saved.