Thematic Bible: Compared to


Thematic Bible




Your spoil [of Israel’s foe] is gathered [by the people of Jerusalem] as the caterpillar gathers;
As locusts swarming so people swarm on it.
Verse ConceptsPlunderingHarvestCaterpillarsLocusts

Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power [to hurt] was given to them, like the power which the earth’s scorpions have. Verse ConceptsLocustsSymbolsAltar Of IncenseScorpionsbugs

The locusts resembled horses prepared and equipped for battle; and on their heads appeared to be [something like] golden crowns, and their faces resembled human faces. Verse ConceptsLocustsThings Like GoldCrowns On CreaturesLike Menbugscrowns


Listen carefully, the Lord has a strong and mighty agent [the Assyrian];
Like a tempest of hail, a disastrous storm,
Like a tempest of mighty overflowing waters,
He has cast it down to the earth with His hand.
Verse ConceptsBitingHailRainGod Giving StrengthGod Gives Strength

“His sons will prepare for battle and assemble a multitude of great forces; which will keep on coming and overflow [the land], and pass through, so that they may again wage war as far as his fortress. Verse ConceptsMany CombatantsReadiness

Yes, those who eat his fine food will betray and destroy him (Ptolemy VI), and his army will be swept away, and many will fall down slain. Verse ConceptsKilling Will HappenRich Food


Lift up a signal in the land [to spread the news]!
Blow the trumpet among the nations!
Dedicate the nations [for war] against her;
Call against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz.
Appoint a marshal against her;
Cause the horses to come up like bristly locusts [with their wings not yet released from their cases].
Verse ConceptsCaterpillarsTrumpetTrumpets For BattleFlags


The Lord of hosts has sworn [an oath] by Himself, saying,
“Surely I will fill you with men, as with [a swarm of] locusts [who strip the land clean],
And they will lift up a song and shout of victory over you.”
Verse ConceptsLocustsMany Enemies

For whenever Israel had sown their seed, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east came up against them. They would encamp against them and destroy the crops as far as Gaza and leave no nourishment for Israel, and no ox or sheep or donkey. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came like locusts for multitude; both they and their camels could not be counted. So they wasted the land as they entered it.

Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying [camped] in the valley, as countless as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Verse ConceptsMany CombatantsLocustsSandCamelsMany CreaturesSand And Gravel

You shall ascend and come like a storm; you shall be like a cloud to cover the land, you and all your hosts and many people with you. Thus says the Lord God: At the same time thoughts shall come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan. And you will say, I will go up against an open country [the land of unwalled villages]; I will fall upon those who are at rest, who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates, read more.
To take spoil and prey, to turn your hand upon the desolate places now inhabited and assail the people gathered out of the nations, who have obtained livestock and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth [Palestine]. Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish, with all their lionlike cubs [or satellite areas], shall say to you, Have you come to take spoil? Have you gathered your hosts to take the prey? To carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take a great spoil? Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord God: In that day when My people Israel dwell securely, will you not know it and be aroused? And you will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. And you shall come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. In the latter days I will bring you against My land, that the nations may know, understand, and realize Me when My holiness shall be vindicated through you [vindicated and honored in your overwhelming destruction], O Gog, before their eyes.


Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“Behold, evil is going forth
From nation to nation,
And a great whirling tempest is rising
From the remotest part of the earth.
Verse ConceptsStormsWhirlwindsPeople Possibly Doing EvilThe Storms Of Life

And in that day the Lord shall whistle for the fly [the numerous and troublesome foe] that is in the whole extent of the canal country of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And these [enemies like flies and bees] shall come and shall rest all of them in the desolate and rugged valleys and deep ravines and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes and on all the pastures.


Now therefore, listen carefully, the Lord is about to bring on them the waters of the [Euphrates] River, strong and abundant—
The king of Assyria and all his glory;
And it will rise over all its channels and canals and go far beyond its banks.
Verse ConceptsChaosLike A Flood

Another story by way of comparison He set forth before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. Of all the seeds it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and find shelter in its branches.

And He said, With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use to illustrate and explain it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all seeds upon the earth; Yet after it is sown, it grows up and becomes the greatest of all garden herbs and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air are able to make nests and dwell in its shade. read more.
With many such parables [Jesus] spoke the Word to them, as they were able to hear and to comprehend and understand.

This led Him to say, What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the wild birds found shelter and roosted and nested in its branches.

Again the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a dealer in search of fine and precious pearls, Who, on finding a single pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it.

And again He said, To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of wheat flour or meal until it was all leavened (fermented).

Another parable He set forth before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while he was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed also darnel (weeds resembling wheat) among the wheat, and went on his way. So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the darnel (weeds) appeared also. read more.
And the servants of the owner came to him and said, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have darnel shoots in it? He replied to them, An enemy has done this. The servants said to him, Then do you want us to go and weed them out? But he said, No, lest in gathering the wild wheat (weeds resembling wheat), you root up the [true] wheat along with it. Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather the darnel first and bind it in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my granary.

Then He left the throngs and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, Explain to us the parable of the darnel in the field. He answered, He Who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed means the children of the kingdom; the darnel is the children of the evil one, read more.
And the enemy who sowed it is the devil. The harvest is the close and consummation of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the darnel (weeds resembling wheat) is gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the close of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of offense [ persons by whom others are drawn into error or sin] and all who do iniquity and act wickedly, And will cast them into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and wailing and grinding of teeth. Then will the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God) shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him who has ears [to hear] be listening, and let him consider and perceive and understand by hearing.

But Jesus said to him, A man was once giving a great supper and invited many; And at the hour for the supper he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, Come, for all is now ready. But they all alike began to make excuses and to beg off. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of land, and I have to go out and see it; I beg you, have me excused. read more.
And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine and put my approval on them; I beg you, have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and because of this I am unable to come. So the servant came and reported these [answers] to his master. Then the master of the house said in wrath to his servant, Go quickly into the great streets and the small streets of the city and bring in here the poor and the disabled and the blind and the lame. And the servant [returning] said, Sir, what you have commanded me to do has been done, and yet there is room. Then the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and urge and constrain [them] to yield and come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, not one of those who were invited shall taste my supper.

For the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of an estate who went out in the morning along with the dawn to hire workmen for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour (nine o'clock), he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; read more.
And he said to them, You go also into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will pay you. And they went. He went out again about the sixth hour (noon), and the ninth hour (three o'clock) he did the same. And about the eleventh hour (five o'clock) he went out and found still others standing around, and said to them, Why do you stand here idle all day? They answered him, Because nobody has hired us. He told them, You go out into the vineyard also and you will get whatever is just and fair. When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, Call the workmen and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with the first. And those who had been hired at the eleventh hour (five o'clock) came and received a denarius each. Now when the first came, they supposed they would get more, but each of them also received a denarius. And when they received it, they grumbled at the owner of the estate, Saying, These [men] who came last worked no more than an hour, and yet you have made them rank with us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day. But he answered one of them, Friend, I am doing you no injustice. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this man hired last the same as I give to you. Am I not permitted to do what I choose with what is mine? [Or do you begrudge my being generous?] Is your eye evil because I am good? So those who [now] are last will be first [then], and those who [now] are first will be last [then]. For many are called, but few chosen.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself]. Verse ConceptsPersonal ConsecrationFindingHeaven, Inheritance OfSpiritual InvestmentJoy, Of The ChurchKingdom Of God, Entry IntoTreasureParables Of ChristSpiritual TreasuresFigurative FieldsFinding ThingsHidden ThingsBuying God's Giftsales

He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and worked into three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” Verse ConceptsFoodExaggerationsDoughKingdom Of God, Coming OfParablesWeights And Measures, DryYeastLeavenParables Of ChristLeavenedHidden ThingsThree Other ThingsOther Volume Measureswomanhood


“Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will make you hear My words.” Verse ConceptsProperty, HousesPotter

“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” says the Lord. “Look carefully, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. Verse ConceptsClayChallengesCraftsmenHand Of GodPotterClay, Figurative UseThings Like PeopleMan's Relationship With His Creator


A voice says, Cry [prophesy]! And I said, What shall I cry? [The voice answered, Proclaim:] All flesh is as frail as grass, and all that makes it attractive [its kindness, its goodwill, its mercy from God, its glory and comeliness, however good] is transitory, like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely [all] the people are like grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.


Man is like a mere breath;
His days are like a shadow that passes away.
Verse ConceptsLife, HumanShadowsVanityMan A Mere BreathMere MenTime Passingbreathingbreath


You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep [forgotten as soon as they are gone];
In the morning they are like grass which grows anew—
Verse ConceptsGrassPunishment, Nature OfGod KillingGod KillsNatural DisastersRenewal


“But a hollow (empty-headed) man will become intelligent and wise
[Only] when the colt of a wild donkey is born as a man.
Verse ConceptsColtsWicked Described AsWorldly WisdomWild DonkeysWise ProverbsWisdom

He replied to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Then do you want us to go and pull them out?’ Verse ConceptsEnemies Of God

But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds [resembling wheat] among the wheat, and went away. Verse ConceptsSleep, PhysicalParables Of SowingEnemies Of GodWeedPlanting SeedsSeedsSowing Seedssowing

and as he sowed, some seed fell beside the road [between the fields], and the birds came and ate it. Verse ConceptsSatan, Compared With AnimalsBirds EatingUsing RoadsAnimals EatingBirdsSeedsSowing Seedssowing


But the hired man [who merely serves for wages], who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. Verse ConceptsSatan, Compared With AnimalsUnfaithful MinistersScattered Like SheepMen Similar To AnimalsWolvesPeople Abandoning People


For He will save you from the trap of the fowler,
And from the deadly pestilence.
Verse ConceptsHuntingSatan, Compared With AnimalsEscaping The TrapDisease


“For My people have committed two evils:
They have abandoned (rejected) Me,
The fountain of living water,
And they have carved out their own cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That cannot hold water.
Verse ConceptsAbandonmentForsaking GodBeing ForsakenFalse ConfidenceCisternsdrought, spiritualFountainsTwoDoubtSpring Of WaterThirstTrust, Lack OfWellsFountains Of LifeBreaking ContainersMetaphorical SpringsTwo Intangible ThingsWells, Figurative Use

He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water. But He was speaking here of the Spirit, Whom those who believed (trusted, had faith) in Him were afterward to receive. For the [Holy] Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor).

It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be a very great number of fish, because these waters go there so that the waters of the sea are healed and become fresh; so everything will live wherever the river goes. Verse ConceptsFishesKingdom Of God, Characteristics OfThe Water Of LifeGod Giving LifeSweetnessRiversLiveFish

Again he measured a thousand [cubits]; and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be crossed [by wading]. Verse ConceptsAbundance, MaterialSwimmingDepthingMeasuring Jerusalem And The Land



He will drink from the brook by the wayside;
Therefore He will lift up His head [triumphantly].
Verse ConceptsThe Water Of LifeBrooksrelaxing


He will drink from the brook by the wayside;
Therefore He will lift up His head [triumphantly].
Verse ConceptsThe Water Of LifeBrooksrelaxing


But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life.” Verse Conceptseternal life, nature ofThe New NatureWellsHoly Spirit, Types OfThe Water Of LifeThe Holy Spirit Described As WaterNeverDrinking WaterMetaphorical SpringsPlenty Through ChristGod Giving His SpiritLiving WaterWater, As A Symbol Of LifeWells, Figurative UseEternal lifeEverlastingeternity