'Held' in the Bible
The Lord said, “Do not reach out [with the knife in] your hand against the boy, and do nothing to [harm] him; for now I know that you fear God [with reverence and profound respect], since you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son [of promise].”
Now Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled (violated) Dinah his daughter; but his sons were in the field with his livestock, so Jacob said nothing until they came in.
When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him [because he was not the firstborn]; and he grasped his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.
Now when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he lowered his hand [due to fatigue], Amalek prevailed.
But Moses’ hands were heavy and he grew tired. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so it was that his hands were steady until the sun set.
It is to have two shoulder pieces joined to its two [back and front] ends, so that it may be joined together.
Out of all your gifts, you shall present every offering due to the Lord, from all the best of it, even the sacred part from them.’
Therefore you shall say to them, ‘When you have offered the best from it, then the rest shall be credited to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor, and as the product of the wine vat.
You will bear no sin because of it when you have offered the best of it; but you shall not profane the sacred gifts of the children of Israel, or you will die [because of it].’”
Therefore now flee to your place! I had intended to honor you greatly, but behold, the Lord has held you back from honor.”
For I was afraid of the anger and absolute fury which the Lord held against you, [enough divine fury] to destroy you, but the Lord listened to me that time also.
They went out into the field, gathered the grapes of their vineyard and trod them, and held a festival; and they entered the house of their god, and they ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
Then Samson said to the boy who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the [roof of the] house rests, so that I may lean against them.”
He also said, “Give me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” So Ruth held it and he measured out six measures of barley [into it] and placed it on her. And she went into the city.
The servant said to him, “Look here, in this city there is a man of God, and the man is held in honor; everything that he says comes true. Now let us go there; perhaps he can advise us about our journey [and tell us where we should go].”
But some worthless men said, “How can this man save and rescue us?” And they regarded Saul with contempt and did not bring him a gift. But he ignored the insult and kept silent.
Yet I will demean myself even more than this, and will be humbled (abased) in my own sight [and yours, as I please], but by the maids whom you mentioned, by them I shall be held in honor.”
It was a hand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.
Then he made ten basins of bronze; each basin held forty baths and was four cubits, and there was one basin on each of the ten stands.
So at that time Solomon held the feast, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath [on the northern border of Israel] to the Brook of Egypt [at Israel’s southern border], before the Lord our God, for seven days and seven more days [beyond the prescribed period for the Feast of Booths], fourteen days in all.
For he clung to the Lord; he did not turn away from [faithfully] following Him, but he kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.
Indeed, such a Passover as this had not been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah.
He killed an Egyptian also, a man of great stature, five cubits tall. In the Egyptian’s hand was a spear like a weaver’s beam, and Benaiah went down to him with [only] a staff (rod) and grabbed the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.
It was a handbreadth (the width of the four fingers) thick; its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold 3,000 baths (measures).
At that time Solomon observed the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very large assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt.
And in each city he put [large] shields and spears, and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.
From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while the other half held the spears, shields, bows, and breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah.
Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens loaded themselves so that everyone worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
So we carried on with the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars came out.
I thought it over and then challenged the nobles and the rulers. I said to them, “You are exacting usury (excessive interest) from your own brother (relative).” So I held a great assembly to confront them.
I also applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered together there for the work.
and who were close to him [as advisors]: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who had access to the king and were ranked highest in the kingdom.
When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she found favor in his sight; and the king extended to her the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter.
for we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, killed and wiped out of existence. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have remained silent, for our hardship would not be sufficient to burden the king [by even mentioning it].”
Then the king held out to Esther the golden scepter. So Esther arose and stood before the king.
“Your words have helped the one who was stumbling to stand,And you have strengthened feeble knees.
“I am accounted wicked and held guilty;Why then should I labor in vain [to appear innocent]?
“My feet have carefully followed His steps;I have kept His ways and not turned aside.
“And if they are bound in bonds [of adversity],And held by cords of affliction,
My steps have held closely to Your paths;My feet have not staggered.
You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,And Your right hand upholds and sustains me;Your gentleness [Your gracious response when I pray] makes me great.
Do not be like the horse or like the mule which have no understanding,Whose trappings include bridle and rein to hold them in check,Otherwise they will not come near to you.
Evil will cause the death of the wicked,And those who hate the righteous will be held guilty and will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
I was mute and silent [before my enemies],I refrained even from good,And my distress grew worse.
A man [who is held] in honor,Yet who lacks [spiritual] understanding and a teachable heart, is like the beasts that perish.
If I say, “My foot has slipped,”Your compassion and lovingkindness, O Lord, will hold me up.
He brought them out of darkness and the deep (deathly) darknessAnd broke their bonds apart.
The iniquities done by a wicked man will trap him,And he will be held with the cords of his sin.
Whoever mocks the poor taunts his Maker,And he who rejoices at [another’s] disaster will not go unpunished.
Do not rob the poor because he is poor [and defenseless],Nor crush the afflicted [by legal proceedings] at the gate [where the city court is held],
Do not slander or malign a servant before his master [stay out of another’s personal life],Or he will curse you [for your interference], and you will be found guilty.
“Scarcely had I passed themWhen I found him whom my soul loves.I held on to him and would not let him goUntil I had brought him to my mother’s house,And into the chamber of her who conceived me.”
“Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel,And the flowing hair of your head like purple threads;I, the king, am held captive by your tresses.
“I [the Lord] have been silent for a long time,I have been still and restrained Myself.Now I will moan like a woman in labor,I will both gasp and pant.
This is what the Lord says to His anointed, to Cyrus [king of Persia],Whose right hand I have heldTo subdue nations before him,And I will ungird the loins of kings [disarming them];To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
“Make him drunk, for he has become arrogant and magnified himself against the Lord [by denying Reuben’s occupation of the land the Lord had assigned him]. Moab also will wallow in his vomit, and he too shall become a laughingstock.
Thus says the Lord of hosts,“The children of Israel are oppressed,And the children of Judah as well;And all who took them captive have held them tightly,They have refused to let them go.
Thus says the Lord God,‘You will drink your sister’s cup,Which is deep and wide [and filled to the brim].You shall be laughed at and derided;It contains much [too much to endure].
And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he held up his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and a half a time (three and a half years); and as soon as they finish shattering and crushing the power of the holy people, all these things will be finished.
And I shall avenge their blood which I have not avenged,For the Lord dwells in Zion.