'Behind' in the Bible

The Lord said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.

Lot went out to them at the entrance and shut the door behind him.

then tell him, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau. And look, he is behind us.’”

He also told the second one, the third, and everyone who was walking behind the animals, “Say the same thing to Esau when you find him.

You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I want to appease Esau with the gift that is going ahead of me. After that, I can face him, and perhaps he will forgive me.”

“So where is he?” he asked his daughters. “Why then did you leave the man behind? Invite him to eat dinner.”

Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship Yahweh. Even your families may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.”

Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind because we will take some of them to worship Yahweh our God. We will not know what we will use to worship Yahweh until we get there.”

and every firstborn male in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the servant girl who is behind the millstones, as well as every firstborn of the livestock.

Then the Angel of God, who was going in front of the Israelite forces, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood behind them.

Hang the veil under the clasps and bring the ark of the testimony there behind the veil, so the veil will make a separation for you between the holy place and the most holy place.

The Lord said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he may not come whenever he wants into the holy place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

The Gershonite clans camped behind the tabernacle on the west side,

They met you along the way and attacked all your stragglers from behind when you were tired and weary. They did not fear God.

While the trumpets were blowing, the armed troops went in front of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard went behind the ark.

and the seven priests carrying seven trumpets marched in front of the ark of the Lord. While the trumpets were blowing, the armed troops went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of the Lord.

Treat Ai and its king as you did Jericho and its king; you may plunder its spoil and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.”

He commanded them: “Pay attention. Lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it, and all of you be ready.

When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, the men of the city hurried and went out early in the morning so that he and all his people could engage Israel in battle at a suitable place facing the Arabah. But he did not know there was an ambush waiting for him behind the city.

But as for the rest of you, don’t stay there. Pursue your enemies and attack them from behind. Don’t let them enter their cities, for the Lord your God has handed them over to you.”

Ehud escaped by way of the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upstairs room behind him.

The Spirit of the Lord took control of Gideon, and he blew the ram’s horn and the Abiezrites rallied behind him.

He sent messengers throughout all of Manasseh, who rallied behind him. He also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, who also came to meet him.

But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, Benjamin looked behind them, and the whole city was going up in smoke.

Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi, “Will you let me go into the fields and gather fallen grain behind someone who allows me to?”Naomi answered her, “Go ahead, my daughter.”

So Ruth left and entered the field to gather grain behind the harvesters. She happened to be in the portion of land belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family.

She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters?’ She came and has remained from early morning until now, except that she rested a little in the shelter.”

The cows went straight up the road to Beth-shemesh. They stayed on that one highway, lowing as they went; they never strayed to the right or to the left. The Philistine rulers were walking behind them to the territory of Beth-shemesh.

Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind his oxen. “What’s the matter with the people? Why are they weeping?” Saul inquired, and they repeated to him the words of the men from Jabesh.

He took a team of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the land of Israel by messengers who said, “This is what will be done to the ox of anyone who doesn’t march behind Saul and Samuel.” As a result, the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out united.

Jonathan climbed up using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. Jonathan cut them down, and his armor-bearer followed and finished them off.

The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want to take it for yourself, then take it, for there isn’t another one here.”“There’s none like it!” David said. “Give it to me.”

After that, David got up, went out of the cave, and called to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed to the ground in homage.

Then she said to her male servants, “Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

As the Philistine leaders were passing in review with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were passing in review behind them with Achish.

David and the 600 men with him went as far as the Wadi Besor, where 200 men who were to remain behind would stop.

David then ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner.” And King David walked behind the funeral procession.

So David inquired of the Lord, and He answered, “Do not make a frontal assault. Circle around behind them and attack them opposite the balsam trees.

When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some men out of all the elite troops of Israel and lined up in battle formation to engage the Arameans.

Instead, he called to the servant who waited on him: “Throw this woman out and bolt the door behind her!”

Amnon’s servant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a long-sleeved garment, because this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore.

Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind 10 concubines to take care of the palace.

However, Ahimaaz son of Zadok persisted and said to Joab, “No matter what, please let me also run behind the Cushite!”Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to run since you won’t get a reward?”

Solomon’s own palace where he would live, in the other courtyard behind the hall, was of similar construction. And he made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, his wife.

You behaved more wickedly than all who were before you. In order to provoke Me, you have proceeded to make for yourself other gods and cast images, but you have flung Me behind your back.

The young men of the provincial leaders and the army behind them marched out from the city,

Then go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour oil into all these containers. Set the full ones to one side.”

So she left.After she had shut the door behind her and her sons, they kept bringing her containers, and she kept pouring.

So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.

Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger got to him, Elisha said to the elders, “Do you see how this murderer has sent someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door to keep him out. Isn’t the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”

So a horseman went to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Do you come in peace?’”Jehu replied, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me.”The watchman reported, “The messenger reached them but hasn’t started back.”

So he sent out a second horseman, who went to them and said, “This is what the king asks: ‘Do you come in peace?’”Jehu answered, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me.”

Jehu said to Bidkar his aide, “Pick him up and throw him on the plot of ground belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. For remember when you and I were riding side by side behind his father Ahab, and the Lord uttered this oracle against him:

A third are to be at the Sur gate and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns providing protection for the palace.

This is the word the Lord has spoken against him:Virgin Daughter Ziondespises you and scorns you:Daughter Jerusalemshakes her head behind your back.

When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some men out of all the elite troops of Israel and lined up in battle formation to engage the Arameans.

Now Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to advance from behind them. So they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

Judah turned and discovered that the battle was in front of them and behind them, so they cried out to the Lord. Then the priests blew the trumpets,

So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.

But they were disobedient and rebelled against You.They flung Your law behind their backsand killed Your prophetswho warned themin order to turn them back to You.They committed terrible blasphemies.

The dirt on his grave is sweet to him.Everyone follows behind him,and those who go before him are without number.

“Surely our opponents are destroyed,and fire has consumed what they left behind.”

Who enclosed the sea behind doorswhen it burst from the womb,

Can you hold the wild ox to a furrow by its harness?Will it plow the valleys behind you?

He leaves a shining wake behind him;one would think the deep had gray hair!

Leave inexperience behind, and you will live;pursue the way of understanding.

My love is like a gazelleor a young stag.Look, he is standing behind our wall,gazing through the windows,peering through the lattice.

M How beautiful you are, my darling.How very beautiful!Behind your veil,your eyes are doves.Your hair is like a flock of goatsstreaming down Mount Gilead.

Your lips are like a scarlet cord,and your mouth is lovely.Behind your veil,your brow is like a slice of pomegranate.

Behind your veil,your brow is like a slice of pomegranate.

Go, my people, enter your roomsand close your doors behind you.Hide for a little while until the wrath has passed.

For you said, “We have cut a deal with Death,and we have made an agreement with Sheol;when the overwhelming scourge passes through,it will not touch us,because we have made falsehood our refugeand have hidden behind treachery.”

and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”

this is the word the Lord has spoken against him:Virgin Daughter Ziondespises you and scorns you:Daughter Jerusalem shakes her headbehind your back.

Indeed, it was for my own welfarethat I had such great bitterness;but Your love has delivered mefrom the Pit of destruction,for You have thrown all my sins behind Your back.

You have set up your memorialbehind the door and doorpost.For away from Me, you stripped,went up, and made your bed wide,and you have made a bargain for yourself with them.You have loved their bed;you have gazed on their genitals.

You will leave your name behindas a curse for My chosen ones,and the Lord God will kill you;but He will give His servants another name.

your mother will be utterly humiliated;she who bore you will be put to shame.Look! She will lag behind all the nations—a dry land, a wilderness, an Arabah.

The Spirit then lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me—praise the glory of the Lord in His place!—

Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and promiscuity.”

‘Say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: I am about to desecrate My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the desire of your heart. Also, the sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword.

They will know that I am Yahweh their God when I regather them to their own land after having exiled them among the nations. I will leave none of them behind.

A fire destroys in front of them,and behind them a flame devours.The land in front of themis like the Garden of Eden,but behind them,it is like a desert wasteland;there is no escape from them.

Who knows? He may turn and relentand leave a blessing behind Him,so you can offer grain and wineto the Lord your God.

I sank to the foundations of the mountains;the earth with its prison bars closed behind me forever!But You raised my life from the Pit, Lord my God!

I looked out in the night and saw a man riding on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the valley. Behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.

“I scattered them with a windstorm over all the nations that had not known them, and the land was left desolate behind them, with no one coming or going. They turned a pleasant land into a desolation.”

He left Nazareth behind and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.

Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years approached from behind and touched the tassel on His robe,

But He turned and told Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns, but man’s.”

Having heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His robe.

But turning around and looking at His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan, because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns, but man’s!”

“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaves his wife behind, and leaves no child, his brother should take the wife and produce offspring for his brother.

but he left the linen cloth behind and ran away naked.

After those days were over, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents did not know it.

So, leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow Him.

and stood behind Him at His feet, weeping, and began to wash His feet with her tears. She wiped His feet with the hair of her head, kissing them and anointing them with the fragrant oil.

approached from behind and touched the tassel of His robe. Instantly her bleeding stopped.

As they led Him away, they seized Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, and laid the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.

Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead,