Topical Bible: Playing

◄ Playing ►

Jump to: Webster's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Definition and Context:
Playing, in the biblical context, often refers to activities of amusement, recreation, or sport. It can involve physical games, musical performances, or other forms of entertainment. The Bible presents playing in various lights, sometimes as a wholesome activity and other times as a potential distraction from spiritual duties.

Biblical References:

1. Children and Play:
The Bible acknowledges the natural inclination of children to play. In Zechariah 8:5, the prophet envisions a restored Jerusalem where "the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing there." This imagery suggests a sense of peace, safety, and joy, indicating that play is a normal and healthy part of childhood.

2. Music and Dance:
Playing music and dancing are forms of play mentioned in the Bible. In 2 Samuel 6:14-15, David "danced before the LORD with all his might" as he and the Israelites celebrated the Ark of the Covenant's return to Jerusalem. This act of playing music and dancing was an expression of worship and joy.

3. Recreational Play:
The Bible also records instances where play is associated with idolatry or moral laxity. In Exodus 32:6, after the Israelites made the golden calf, "the people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry." Here, play is depicted negatively, as it leads to idolatry and sin.

4. Wisdom Literature:
Proverbs often contrasts the behavior of the wise and the foolish, sometimes touching on the theme of play. Proverbs 10:23 states, "The fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom." This suggests that while play itself is not condemned, the nature and purpose of one's play can reflect one's character.

5. New Testament Perspective:
The New Testament does not explicitly address play, but it emphasizes the importance of living a life that honors God. In 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul writes, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God." This principle can be applied to play, encouraging believers to engage in activities that are edifying and glorifying to God.

Theological Implications:
From a theological standpoint, play can be seen as a gift from God, providing rest, joy, and community. However, it must be balanced with spiritual responsibilities and not lead to idleness or sin. The Bible encourages believers to engage in play that is wholesome and reflective of Christian values, ensuring that it does not become an idol or a distraction from one's faith journey.

Cultural and Historical Insights:
In ancient Israel, play was often communal and tied to religious festivals and celebrations. Music, dance, and games were integral to social and religious life. Understanding the cultural context of play in biblical times can enrich one's appreciation of its role in Scripture.

Practical Application:
Christians are encouraged to discern the types of play they engage in, ensuring that their activities are beneficial and align with their faith. Play can be a means of building relationships, fostering creativity, and experiencing joy, all of which can be done in a manner that honors God.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Play.

2. (a. & vb. N.) of Play.

Greek

2940. kubeia -- dice playing
... dice playing. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: kubeia Phonetic Spelling:
(koo-bi'-ah) Short Definition: trickery, sleight Definition: (lit ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2940.htm - 6k

1228. diabolos -- slanderous, accusing falsely
... bring down (destroy). Satan is by God in this plan -- as a predictable
wind-up toy, playing out his evil nature.]. Word Origin from ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1228.htm - 8k

5272. hupokrisis -- a reply, answer, playacting, hypocrisy
... Feminine Transliteration: hupokrisis Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-ok'-ree-sis) Short
Definition: hypocrisy, dissembling Definition: (lit: stage-playing), a response ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5272.htm - 7k

2789. kitharizo -- to play on the lyre
... of the tune. Word Origin from kithara Definition to play on the lyre NASB Word Usage
harp (1), playing (1). harp. From kithara; to play on a lyre -- harp. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2789.htm - 6k

4231. pragmateuomai -- to busy oneself
... bear fruit" (cf. Jn 15:2f), ie the opposite of being because refusing to
make trades by "playing it safe.". 4231 () means "turning ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4231.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew

7832. sachaq -- to laugh
... contest (1), joking (1), laugh (6), laughed them to scorn (1), laughs (6), merrymakers
(2), mock (1), mocked (1), play (2), played (1), playing (1), rejoicing ...
/hebrew/7832.htm - 6k

2490b. chalal -- to play the pipe, to pipe
... Word Origin denominative verb from chalil Definition to play the pipe, to pipe NASB
Word Usage play the flutes (1), playing (1). 2490a, 2490b. ...
/hebrew/2490b.htm - 5k

2181. zanah -- to commit fornication, be a harlot
... 3), harlotry (3), harlots (5), making her a harlot (1), play the harlot (18), play
the harlot continually (1), played the harlot (24), playing the harlot (3 ...
/hebrew/2181.htm - 6k

5059. nagan -- to touch or play a stringed instrument
... a stringed instrument NASB Word Usage minstrel (1), minstrel played (1), musician
(1), musicians (1), play (5), play songs (1), player (1), playing (2), plays ...
/hebrew/5059.htm - 6k

Library

Playing on the Harp Before Saul.
... PLAYING ON THE HARP BEFORE SAUL. We are not told much in the Bible concerning the
early life of David. ... [Illustration: DAVID PLAYING ON THE HARP BEFORE SAUL.]. ...
/.../anonymous/mother stories from the old testament/playing on the harp before.htm

Through a Love of Ball-Playing and Shows, He Neglects his Studies ...
... Book I. Chapter X."Through a Love of Ball-Playing and Shows, He Neglects
His Studies and the Injunctions of His Parents. 16. And ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/chapter x through a love of.htm

Gambling, Card-Playing
... III. GAMBLING, CARD-PLAYING. GAMBLING has become a moral plague of modern
society. In one form or another it has entered the rank ...
/.../questionable amusements and worthy substitutes/iii gambling card-playing.htm

Second Greek Form.
... died. And when the children that were playing with him saw this, they wondered,
and went away and told the father of the dead boy. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the gospel of thomas/second greek form .htm

John Chapter iii. 21-Jun
... But because he was proud to his brother, proud in playing, that is, in mocking
him; what said Sarah? ... It is Ishmael playing, let him be cast out. ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate xii john chapter iii.htm

Introduction.
... Edward's Church, on the Sunday before Christmas, 1529. Card-playing was in those
days an amusement especially favoured at Christmas time. ...
/.../latimer/sermons on the card and other discourses/introduction.htm

His Unconscious Preparation for his Work
... About thirty years after playing this sad part in Stephen's murder, in the year
62 AD, he was lying in a prison in Rome awaiting sentence of death for the same ...
/.../stalker/the life of st paul/chapter ii his unconscious preparation.htm

If You Wish Me to Keep Silence, Cease from Accusing Me. Lay Down ...
... It would have been right to go through the whole of the Scriptures for answers to
your ravings, and, like David playing on his harp, to take the divine words ...
/.../43 if you wish me.htm

Visitors and Pastimes
... All that he could propose was that they could spend their evenings in playing cards
(for Will, too, had learned many things since John had left; and card ...
/.../byrum/how john became a man/chapter vi visitors and pastimes.htm

But the Important Point Here is Only that You Cannot Anyhow Get ...
... It is creative because it is human. It is as reckless as playing on the fiddle;
as dogmatic as drawing a picture; as brutal as building a house. ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 33 but the important.htm

Thesaurus

Playing (37 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Playing (37 Occurrences). ... The sound which I heard was like
that of harpists playing on their harps. (WEB WEY BBE NAS RSV NIV). ...
/p/playing.htm - 18k

Dice-playing
Dice-playing. Diceplaying, Dice-playing. Dictate . Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia DICE-PLAYING. See GAMES. Diceplaying, ...
/d/dice-playing.htm - 6k

Games (2 Occurrences)
... I. Israelite Games 1. Children's Games: There are two general references to the
playing of children: Zechariah 8:5: "And the streets of the city shall be full ...
/g/games.htm - 40k

Finger (35 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) Skill in the use of the fingers, as in playing upon a musical instrument. ...
11. (vi) To use the fingers in playing on an instrument. Int. ...
/f/finger.htm - 22k

Sadness (16 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 16:16 let our lord command, we pray thee, thy servants before thee, they
seek a skilful man, playing on a harp, and it hath come to pass, in the ...
/s/sadness.htm - 11k

Tongue (160 Occurrences)
... 21. (vt) To chide; to scold. 22. (vt) To modulate or modify with the tongue, as
notes, in playing the flute and some other wind instruments. 23. ...
/t/tongue.htm - 42k

Dancing (21 Occurrences)
... Lord, who put me over your father and all his sons, to make me a ruler over the
people of the Lord, over his people Israel: and I will go on playing before the ...
/d/dancing.htm - 13k

Diceplaying
Diceplaying. Dibri, Diceplaying. Dice-playing . Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia
DICE-PLAYING. See GAMES. Dibri, Diceplaying. Dice-playing . ...
/d/diceplaying.htm - 6k

Makers (20 Occurrences)
... and the horns by his side; and all the people of the land were giving signs of joy
and sounding the horns; and the makers of melody were playing on instruments ...
/m/makers.htm - 13k

Piping (3 Occurrences)
... 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Pipe. 2. (v.) Playing on a musical pipe. ... 8. (n.) The
act of playing on a pipe; the shrill noted of birds, etc. ...
/p/piping.htm - 8k

Resources

What does the Bible say about playing the lottery? | GotQuestions.org

Who is really “playing God”'the doctor who euthanizes a dying patient, or the doctor who extends the life of a terminally ill patient? | GotQuestions.org

Should a Christian play video games? | GotQuestions.org

Playing: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Playing (37 Occurrences)

Revelation 14:2
I heard a sound from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps.
(WEB WEY BBE NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 21:9
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian playing with Isaac.
(BBE RSV)

Genesis 26:8
And when he had been there for some time, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looking through a window, saw Isaac playing with Rebekah his wife.
(BBE YLT)

Leviticus 20:5
then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all who play the prostitute after him, to play the prostitute with Molech, from among their people.
(See NAS RSV)

Leviticus 20:6
"'The person that turns to those who are mediums, and to the wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people.
(See RSV)

Leviticus 21:9
"'The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father: she shall be burned with fire.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY RSV)

Judges 16:27
And the house hath been full of men and of women, and thither 'are' all the princes of the Philistines, and on the roof 'are' about three thousand men and women, who are looking on the playing of Samson.
(YLT)

1 Samuel 16:16
let our lord command, we pray thee, thy servants before thee, they seek a skilful man, playing on a harp, and it hath come to pass, in the spirit of sadness 'from' God being upon thee, that he hath played with his hand, and 'it is' well with thee.'
(YLT RSV)

1 Samuel 16:17
And Saul saith unto his servants, 'Provide, I pray you, for me a man playing well -- then ye have brought 'him' in unto me.'
(YLT)

1 Samuel 16:18
Then one of the young men answered, and said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Yahweh is with him."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT RSV)

1 Samuel 18:7
and the women answer -- those playing, and say, 'Saul hath smitten among his thousands, And David among his myriads.'
(YLT)

1 Samuel 18:10
And it cometh to pass, on the morrow, that the spirit of sadness 'from' God prospereth over Saul, and he prophesieth in the midst of the house, and David is playing with his hand, as day by day, and the javelin 'is' in the hand of Saul,
(YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Samuel 19:9
An evil spirit from Yahweh was on Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand.
(WEB JPS ASV YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Samuel 6:5
and David and all the house of Israel are playing before Jehovah, with all kinds of 'instruments' of fir-wood, even with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cornets, and with cymbals.
(YLT)

2 Samuel 6:21
And David said to Michal, I was dancing before the Lord, who put me over your father and all his sons, to make me a ruler over the people of the Lord, over his people Israel: and I will go on playing before the Lord;
(BBE)

1 Kings 1:40
All the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth shook with the sound of them.
(See NAS RSV NIV)

2 Kings 3:15
But now, get me a player of music, and it will come about that while the man is playing, the hand of the Lord will come on me and I will give you the word of the Lord: and they got a player of music, and while the man was playing, the hand of the Lord was on him.
(BBE YLT NIV)

1 Chronicles 13:8
and David and all Israel are playing before God, with all strength, and with songs, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.
(YLT)

1 Chronicles 15:28
And all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah with shouting, and with sound of the trumpet, and with clarions, and with cymbals, playing aloud with lutes and harps.
(DBY NIV)

1 Chronicles 15:29
It happened, as the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came to the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.
(WEB KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT)

1 Chronicles 16:42
and with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God; and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate.
(See NIV)

2 Chronicles 5:12
And the Levites who made the music, all of them, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and brothers, robed in fair linen, were in their places with their brass and corded instruments at the east side of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests blowing horns;)
(See NIV)

2 Chronicles 23:13
And looking, she saw the king in his place by the pillar at the doorway, and the captains and the horns by his side; and all the people of the land were giving signs of joy and sounding the horns; and the makers of melody were playing on instruments of music, taking the chief part in the song of praise. Then Athaliah, violently parting her robes, said, Broken faith, broken faith!
(BBE)

2 Chronicles 34:12
The men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and others of the Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music.
(See NIV)

Psalms 33:3
Make a new song to him; playing expertly with a loud noise.
(BBE)

Psalms 68:25
The singers went before, the minstrels followed after, in the midst of the ladies playing with tambourines,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT RSV NIV)

Psalms 81:2
Take up the melody, playing on an instrument of music, even on corded instruments.
(BBE)

Proverbs 8:30
Then I was by him, as a master workman; And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him,
(See JPS BBE)

Proverbs 8:31
Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men.
(See JPS BBE)

Proverbs 26:19
So hath a man deceived his neighbour, And hath said, 'Am not I playing?'
(YLT)

Isaiah 11:8
And the child at the breast will be playing by the hole of the snake, and the older child will put his hand on the bright eye of the poison-snake.
(BBE)

Jeremiah 2:20
For of old time I have broken your yoke, and burst your bonds; and you said, I will not serve; for on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed yourself, playing the prostitute.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS)

Jeremiah 50:11
Because you are glad, because you are lifted up with pride, you wasters of my heritage, because you are playing like a young cow put out to grass, and you make a noise like strong horses;
(BBE)

Ezekiel 16:41
They shall burn your houses with fire, and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women; and I will cause you to cease from playing the prostitute, and you shall also give no hire any more.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS NAS RSV)

Ezekiel 33:32
And lo, thou 'art' to them as a singer of doting loves, A pleasant voice, and playing well on an instrument, And they have heard thy words, and they are not doing them.
(YLT)

Zechariah 8:5
The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Malachi 4:2
But to you who give worship to my name, the sun of righteousness will come up with new life in its wings; and you will go out, playing like young oxen full of food.
(BBE)

Subtopics

Playing

Related Terms

Playing (37 Occurrences)

Plays (4 Occurrences)

Present (577 Occurrences)

Open (586 Occurrences)