'State' in the Bible
So Joseph’s master took him and put him in the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined; so he was there in the prison.
Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests, and Shavsha was secretary (state scribe);
So man lies down and does not rise [again].Until the heavens are no longer,The dead will not awake nor be raised from their sleep.
“Oh, that You would hide me in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past,That You would set a definite time and then remember me [and in Your lovingkindness imprint me on your heart]!
“You have taken a firm hold on me and have shriveled me up,It has become a witness [against me];And my leanness [and infirmity] rises up [as evidence] against me,It testifies to my face [about my guilt].
“But if I look to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) as my home,If I make my bed in the darkness,
“Will my hope go down with me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead)?Shall we go down together in the dust?”
“They fully enjoy their days in prosperity,And so go down to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) in a [peaceful] moment.
“Tell us [Job] what words [of man] shall we say to such a Being;We cannot state our case because of darkness [that is, our ignorance in the presence of the unsearchable God].
I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness;In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful].
When my heart was embitteredAnd I was pierced within [as with the fang of an adder],
A senseless man [in his crude and uncultivated state] knows nothing,Nor does a [self-righteous] fool understand this:
Be diligent to know the condition of your flocks,And pay attention to your herds;
If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight [of corruption]; for a higher official watches over another official, and there are higher ones over them [looking out for one another].
Through laziness the rafters [of state affairs] decay and the roof sags, and through idleness [the roof of] the house leaks.
Therefore Sheol (the realm of the dead) has increased its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure;And Jerusalem’s splendor, her multitude, her [boisterous] uproar and her [drunken] revelers descend into it.
This is what the Lord says,“In a favorable time I have answered You,And in a day of salvation I have helped You;And I will keep watch over You and give You for a covenant of the people,To restore the land [from its present state of ruin] and to apportion and give as inheritances the deserted hereditary lands,
How long [shall this state of affairs continue]? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart,
Remember [O Lord] my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness).
“Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops;A state of siege has been placed against us.They shall strike the ruler of Israel on the cheek with a rod (scepter).
“Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied.
“Blessed [comforted by inner peace and God’s love] are those who are persecuted for doing that which is morally right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].
“Therefore, the one who confesses and acknowledges Me before men [as Lord and Savior, affirming a state of oneness with Me], that one I will also confess and acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven.
For in the resurrection neither do men marry nor are women given in marriage, but they are like angels in heaven [who do not marry nor produce children].
Jesus, aware of this [discussion], said to them, “Why are you discussing [the fact] that you have no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous [which is to seek and submit to the will of God]—in order to make ready a people [perfectly] prepared [spiritually and morally] for the Lord.”
Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in [the person] and live there; and the last state of that person becomes worse than the first.”
For David says of Him,‘I saw the Lord constantly before me;For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken [from my state of security].
‘For You will not forsake me and abandon my soul to Hades (the realm of the dead),Nor let Your Holy One undergo decay [after death].
he foresaw and spoke [prophetically] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), that He was not abandoned [in death] to Hades (the realm of the dead), nor did His body undergo decay.
Now while they were trying to kill him, word came to the commander of the [Roman] garrison that all Jerusalem was in a state of upheaval.
For it seems absurd and unreasonable to me to send a prisoner [to Rome] without indicating the charges against him.”
Through Him we also have access by faith into this [remarkable state of] grace in which we [firmly and safely and securely] stand. Let us rejoice in our hope and the confident assurance of [experiencing and enjoying] the glory of [our great] God [the manifestation of His excellence and power].
And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified [declared free of the guilt of sin]; and those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity].
for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking [what one likes], but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
I came to you in [a state of] weakness and fear and great trembling.
Brothers, let each one remain with God in that condition in which he was [when he was] called.
But we have renounced the disgraceful things hidden because of shame; not walking in trickery or adulterating the word of God, but by stating the truth [openly and plainly], we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
But [we are different, because] our citizenship is in heaven. And from there we eagerly await [the coming of] the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].
Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances.
Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always].
and He must not be a new convert, so that he will not [behave stupidly and] become conceited [by appointment to this high office] and fall into the [same] condemnation incurred by the devil [for his arrogance and pride].
And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades (the realm of the dead) surrendered the dead who were in them; and they were judged and sentenced, every one according to their deeds.
Then death and Hades [the realm of the dead] were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire [the eternal separation from God].