'Back' in the Bible

“I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,And I did not turn back until they were consumed (eliminated).

All these were of expensive stones, of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside; even from the foundation to the coping, and from the outside to the great courtyard.

Now when Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he assembled all the [fighting men from the] house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to bring the kingdom back to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

If these people go up to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, then their heart will turn to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

He answered him, “I too am a prophet, as you are; and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him.

So the man of God went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water.

Now it happened as they were sitting at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back.

but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which the Lord said to you, “You shall not eat bread nor drink water”; your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers (ancestors).’”

After the prophet of the house had eaten bread and after he had drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back.

When the prophet who had brought him back from the road heard about it, he said, “It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the Lord; therefore the Lord has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke to him.”

Then the prophet picked up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back, and he came into the city (Bethel) of the old prophet to mourn and to bury him.

but have done more evil than all [the kings] who were before you; for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back—

And as often as the king went into the house of the Lord, the guards would carry them and bring them back into the guardroom.

Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times, and called to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.”

Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back [to You].”

He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother [goodbye], then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go on back; for what have I done to [stop] you?”

So Elisha left him and went back. Then he took a pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their meat with the implements of the oxen [as fuel], and gave the meat to the people, and they ate. Then he stood and followed Elijah, and served him.

Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or should I not?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord has handed it over to the king.”

So when he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead in battle, or shall we not?” And he answered him, “Go up and be successful, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”

Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son,

When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

When the messengers returned to Ahaziah, he said to them, “Why have you returned [so soon]?”

They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you and tell him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you send to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed on which you lie, but you will certainly die.’”’”

He picked up the mantle of Elijah that fell off him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.

Then she called to her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so that I may run to the man of God and return.”

Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response [from the boy]. So he turned back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened (revived).”

Elisha came back to Gilgal during a famine in the land. The sons of the prophets were sitting before him, and he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook stew for the sons of the prophets.”

And [just] as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.”

Menahem exacted the money from Israel, from all the wealthy, influential men, fifty shekels of silver from each man to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land.

At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath [in Edom] for Aram, and drove the Jews away from it. The Arameans came to Elath, and live there to this day.

How then can you drive back even one official of the least of my master’s servants, when you rely on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?

‘Because of your raging against Me,And because your arrogance and complacency have come up to My ears,I will put My hook in your nose,And My bridle in your lips,And I will turn you back [to Assyria] by the way that you came.

“Go back and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father (ancestor): “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. Behold, I am healing you; on the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.

Isaiah said, “This will be the sign to you from the Lord, that He will do the thing that He has spoken: shall the shadow [indicating the time of day] go forward ten steps, or go backward ten steps?”

Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to go forward ten steps; no, but let the shadow turn backward ten steps.”

Now Ornan was threshing wheat, and he turned back and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves.

Then the Lord commanded the [avenging] angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.

Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,

When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

So Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

But the troops whom Amaziah sent back, those not allowed to go with him to battle, attacked and raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 men and took a large amount of spoil.

After Amaziah came back from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, bowed before them, and burned incense to them.

Also let the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and brought back to their [proper] places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.’

So I went up at night by the ravine [of Kidron] and inspected the wall; then I turned back and entered [the city] by the Valley Gate, and returned.

I said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed (purchased back) our Jewish brothers who were sold to the [Gentile] nations; now would you even sell your brothers, that they might be sold to us?” Then they were silent and could not find a [single] word to say.

“Yet they were disobedient and rebelled against You,And cast Your law behind their backsAnd killed Your prophets who warned themTo return to You;And they committed great [and contemptible] blasphemies.

Then I gave an order, and they cleaned the rooms; and I put back there the utensils of the house of God with the grain offerings and the frankincense.

“Behold, He snatches away; who can restrain or turn Him back?Who will say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

“His sons favor the poor [and pay his obligations],And his hands give back his [ill-gotten] wealth.

“He gives back what he has labored for and attainedAnd cannot swallow it [down to enjoy it];As to the riches of his labor,He cannot even enjoy them.

“But who will confront him with his actions and rebuke him face to face,And who will repay him for what he has done?

“I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

He holds back his soul from the pit [of destruction],And his life from passing over into Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

To bring his life back from the pit [of destruction],That he may be enlightened with the light of the living.

“He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;And [in battle] he does not turn back from the sword.

“His strong scales are his pride,Bound together as with a tight seal.

Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly horrified;Let them turn back, let them suddenly be ashamed [of what they have done].

If I have done evil to him who was at peace with me,Or without cause robbed him who was my enemy,

His mischief will return on his own head,And his violence will come down on the top of his head [like loose dirt].

When my enemies turn back,They stumble and perish before You.

The wicked will turn to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),Even all the nations who forget God.

Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins;Let them not rule and have control over me.Then I will be blameless (complete),And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!The Lord preserves the faithful [those with moral and spiritual integrity]And fully repays the [self-righteousness of the] arrogant.

Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;Let those be turned back [in defeat] and humiliated who plot evil against me.

You make us turn back from the enemy,And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.

Our heart has not turned back,Nor have our steps wandered from Your path,

Every one of them has turned aside and fallen away;Together they have become filthy and corrupt;There is no one who does good, no, not even one.

He will pay back the evil to my enemies;In Your faithfulness destroy them.

Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;This I know, that God is for me.

The Lord said, “I will bring your enemies back from Bashan;I will bring them back from the depths of the [Red] Sea,

Let them be turned back because of their shame and disgraceWho say, “Aha, aha!”

Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand [from judging the enemy]?Remove Your hand from Your chest, destroy them!

The sons of Ephraim were armed as archers and carrying bows,Yet they turned back in the day of battle.

Again and again they tempted God,And distressed the Holy One of Israel.

They turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;They were twisted like a warped bow [that will not respond to the archer’s aim].

His priests [Hophni and Phinehas] fell by the sword,And His widows could not weep.

He drove His enemies backward;He subjected them to lasting shame and dishonor.

O Lord, You have [at last] shown favor to Your land [of Canaan];You have restored [from Babylon] the captives of Jacob (Israel).

Also, You have turned back the edge of his swordAnd have not made him [strong enough] to stand in battle.

You turn man back to dust,And say, “Return [to the earth], O children of [mortal] men!”

He has turned back their own wickedness upon themAnd will destroy them by means of their own evil;The Lord our God will wipe them out.

He also loved cursing, and it came [back] to him;He did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.

The [Red] Sea looked and fled;The Jordan turned back.

What ails you, O sea, that you flee?O Jordan, that you turn back?

When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion (Jerusalem),We were like those who dream [it seemed so unreal].

“The [enemies, like] plowers plowed on my back;They made their furrows [of suffering] long [in Israel].”

The Lord swore to DavidA truth from which He will not turn back:“One of your descendants I will set upon your throne.

“Get [skillful and godly] wisdom! Acquire understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation]!Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

On the lips of the discerning, [skillful and godly] wisdom is found,But discipline and the rod are for the back of the one who is without common sense and understanding.

The people curse him who holds back grain [when the public needs it],But a blessing [from God and man] is upon the head of him who sells it.

A man will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words,And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him [as a harvest].

Rescue those who are being taken away to death,And those who stagger to the slaughter, Oh hold them back [from their doom]!

Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;I will pay the man back for his deed.”

A [shortsighted] fool always loses his temper and displays his anger,But a wise man [uses self-control and] holds it back.

The lion, which is mighty among beastsAnd does not turn back before any;

So I have seen that there is nothing better than that a man should be happy in his own works and activities, for that is his portion (share). For who will bring him [back] to see what will happen after he is gone?

“He made its posts of silver,Its back of gold,Its seat of purple cloth,The interior lovingly and intricately wroughtBy the daughters of Jerusalem.

Is the axe able to lift itself over the one who chops with it?Is the saw able to magnify itself over the one who wields it?That would be like a club moving those who lift it,Or like a staff raising him who is not [made of] wood [like itself]!

For the Lord of hosts has decided and planned, and who can annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?”

Is this your jubilant city,Whose origin dates back to antiquity,Whose feet used to carry her [far away] to colonize distant places?