'Back' in the Bible

but you went back and ate bread and drank water in the place that He said to you, “Do not eat bread and do not drink water”— your corpse will never reach the grave of your fathers.’”

So after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, the old prophet saddled the donkey for the prophet he had brought back.

When the prophet who had brought him back from his way heard about it, he said, “He is the man of God who disobeyed the command of the Lord. The Lord has given him to the lion, and it has mauled and killed him, according to the word of the Lord that He spoke to him.”

So the prophet lifted the corpse of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back. The old prophet came into the city to mourn and bury him.

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.

Whenever the king entered the Lord’s temple, the royal escorts would carry the shields, then they would take them back to the royal escorts’ armory.

Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that You, Yahweh, are God and that You have turned their hearts back.”

Then he said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.”So he went up, looked, and said, “There’s nothing.”Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

Elisha left the oxen, ran to follow Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.”“Go on back,” he replied, “for what have I done to you?”

So he turned back from following him, took the team of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen’s wooden yoke and plow, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he left, followed Elijah, and served him.

So he said to Ben-hadad’s messengers, “Say to my lord the king, ‘Everything you demanded of your servant the first time, I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” So the messengers left and took word back to him.

and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this guy in prison and feed him only bread and water until I come back safely.’”

When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

The messengers returned to the king, who asked them, “Why have you come back?”

They replied, “A man came to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and declare to him: This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you’re sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, you will not get up from your sickbed—you will certainly die.’”

Elisha picked up the mantle that had fallen off Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.

She summoned her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, so I can hurry to the man of God and then come back.”

Gehazi went ahead of them and placed the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or sign of life, so he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy didn’t wake up.”

Elisha got up, went into the house, and paced back and forth. Then he went up and bent down over him again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

One went out to the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine from which he gathered as many wild gourds as his garment would hold. Then he came back and cut them up into the pot of stew, but they were unaware of what they were.

Aram had gone on raids and brought back from the land of Israel a young girl who served Naaman’s wife.

Then Naaman and his whole company went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “I know there’s no God in the whole world except in Israel. Therefore, please accept a gift from your servant.”

When these men came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent to eat and drink. Then they picked up the silver, gold, and clothing and went off and hid them. They came back and entered another tent, picked things up, and hid them.

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.”

Again the watchman reported, “He reached them but hasn’t started back. Also, the driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi—he drives like a madman.”

So they went back and told him, and he said, “This fulfills the Lord’s word that He spoke through His servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘In the plot of land at Jezreel, the dogs will eat Jezebel’s flesh.

Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz took back from Ben-hadad son of Hazael the cities that Hazael had taken in war from Jehoash’s father Jehoahaz. Jehoash defeated Ben-hadad three times and recovered the cities of Israel.

They carried him back on horses, and he was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

Uriah built the altar according to all the instructions King Ahaz sent from Damascus. Therefore, by the time King Ahaz came back from Damascus, Uriah the priest had completed it.

When the king came back from Damascus, he saw the altar. Then he approached the altar and ascended it.

Then the king of Assyria issued a command: “Send back one of the priests you deported. Have him go and live there so he can teach them the requirements of the God of the land.”

How then can you drive back a single officer among the least of my master’s servants and trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

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

Because your raging against Meand your arrogance have reached My ears,I will put My hook in your noseand My bit in your mouth;I will make you go backthe way you came.

He will go backon the road that he cameand he will not enter this city.This is the Lord’s declaration.

“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of My people, ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the Lord’s temple.

Isaiah said, “This is the sign to you from the Lord that He will do what He has promised: Should the shadow go ahead 10 steps or go back 10 steps?”

Then Hezekiah answered, “It’s easy for the shadow to lengthen 10 steps. No, let the shadow go back 10 steps.”

So Isaiah the prophet called out to the Lord, and He brought the shadow back the 10 steps it had descended on Ahaz’s stairway.

Even when Saul was king, you led us out to battle and brought us back. The Lord your God also said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over My people Israel.’”

So the Three broke through the Philistine camp and drew water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem. They brought it back to David, but he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out to the Lord.

Then let us bring back the ark of our God, for we did not inquire of Him in Saul’s days.”

It was reported to David about his men, so he sent messengers to meet them, since the men were deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return.”

three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes with the sword of your enemy overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord—a plague on the land, the angel of the Lord bringing destruction to the whole territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me.”

Then the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.

He asked them, “What message do you advise we send back to these people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

‘This is what the Lord says: You are not to march up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home, for this incident has come from Me.’”So they listened to what the Lord said and turned back from going against Jeroboam.

Whenever the king entered the Lord’s temple, the royal escorts would carry the shields and take them back to the royal escorts’ armory.

and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this guy in prison and feed him only bread and water until I come back safely.’”

When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and once again he went out among the people from Beer-sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.

Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem turned back with Jehoshaphat their leader, returning joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord enabled them to rejoice over their enemies.

Nevertheless, He sent them prophets to bring them back to the Lord; they admonished them, but the people would not listen.

As for the men of the division that Amaziah sent back so they would not go with him into battle, they raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-horon, struck down 3,000 of their people, and took a great deal of plunder.

They carried him back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

He prayed to Him, so He heard his petition and granted his request, and brought him back to Jerusalem, to his kingdom. So Manasseh came to know that Yahweh is God.

So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate and returned.

before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria, and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”

and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back.” They remained silent and could not say a word.

Then my God put it into my mind to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. I found the genealogical record of those who came back first, and I found the following written in it:

So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, just as it is written.”

The people went out, brought back branches, and made booths for themselves on each of their rooftops, and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate, and the square by the Gate of Ephraim.

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.

You warned them to turn back to Your law,but they acted arrogantlyand would not obey Your commands.They sinned against Your ordinances,which a person will live by if he does them.They stubbornly resisted,stiffened their necks, and would not obey.

I also found out that because the portions for the Levites had not been given, each of the Levites and the singers performing the service had gone back to his own field.

God does not hold back His anger;Rahab’s assistants cringe in fear beneath Him!

When a man dies, will he come back to life?If so, I would wait all the days of my struggleuntil my relief comes.

Even if I speak, my suffering is not relieved,and if I hold back, what have I lost?

But come back and try again, all of you.I will not find a wise man among you.

His children will beg from the poor,for his own hands must give back his wealth.

He pulls it out of his back,the flashing tip out of his liver.Terrors come over him.

He cuts a shaft far from human habitation,in places unknown to those who walk above ground.Suspended far away from people,the miners swing back and forth.

then let my shoulder blade fall from my back,and my arm be pulled from its socket.

in order to turn him back from the Pit,so he may shine with the light of life.

so you can lead it back to its border?Are you familiar with the paths to its home?

Therefore I take back my wordsand repent in dust and ashes.

All my enemies will be ashamed and shake with terror;they will turn back and suddenly be disgraced.

His trouble comes back on his own head,and his violence falls on the top of his head.

I pursue my enemies and overtake them;I do not turn back until they are wiped out.

Repay them according to what they have done—according to the evil of their deeds.Repay them according to the work of their hands;give them back what they deserve.

Let those who seek to kill mebe disgraced and humiliated;let those who plan to harm mebe turned back and ashamed.

My loved ones and friends stand back from my affliction,and my relatives stand at a distance.

Let those who seek to take my lifebe disgraced and confounded.Let those who wish me harmbe driven back and humiliated.

Through You we drive back our foes;through Your name we trample our enemies.

Our hearts have not turned back;our steps have not strayed from Your path.

You hate instructionand turn your back on My words.

The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan;I will bring them back from the depths of the sea

Let those who seek my lifebe disgraced and confounded;let those who wish me harmbe driven back and humiliated.

Why do You hold back Your hand?Stretch out Your right hand and destroy them!

The clouds poured down water.The storm clouds thundered;Your arrows flashed back and forth.

The Ephraimite archers turned backon the day of battle.

He beat back His foes;He gave them lasting shame.

Pay back sevenfold to our neighborsthe reproach they have hurled at You, Lord.

I will listen to what God will say;surely the Lord will declare peaceto His people, His godly ones,and not let them go back to foolish ways.

You have also turned back his sharp swordand have not let him stand in battle.

He will pay them back for their sinsand destroy them for their evil.The Lord our God will destroy them.

The sun rises; they go backand lie down in their dens.

The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back:“Forever, You are a priestlike Melchizedek.”

The sea looked and fled;the Jordan turned back.

Why was it, sea, that you fled?Jordan, that you turned back?