Lexical Summary resen: Bridle, halter Original Word: רֶסֶן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bridle From an unused root meaning to curb; a halter (as restraining); by implication, the jaw -- bridle. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition a halter, jaw NASB Translation bridle (3), mail (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. רֶ֫סֶן noun masculineIsaiah 30:28: 1 halter; 2 jaw (?); — 1 absolute ׳ר Psalm 32:9 restraining mouth of horse or ass (+מֶתֶג); figurative of ׳שֵׁם י, עַללְֿחָיֵי עַמִּים׳ר Isaiah 30:28; מִמָּנַי שִׁלֵּ֑חוּ ׳ר Job 30:11, i.e. threw off restraint. 2 suffix כֶּפֶל רִסְנוֺ Job 41:5 the double of his jaw, his double jaws (of croc.), si vera 1.; connection of meanings strange, "" מְּנֵי לְבוּשׁוֺ, whence GHBW right Du conjecture סִיֹנוֺ. Topical Lexicon Literal sense and ancient settingThe word depicts a leather or rope device fastened to an animal’s head so that reins could direct its movements. In the patriarchal and monarchic periods bridles were indispensable for donkeys, mules, and war-horses (compare Proverbs 21:31). Art and archaeology from the second millennium BC show bridles of plaited leather or bronze-inlaid bits; Job’s era fits this milieu. The instrument therefore carries associations of power mastered and skillfully guided. Survey of the four canonical occurrences Job 30:11 – In Job’s lament “they have cast off restraint in my presence,” the discarded bridle pictures social chaos once God loosens the strap that once held Job’s opponents in check. Absence of the bridle equals moral anarchy. Job 41:13 – When the LORD asks, “Who can approach him with a bridle?” the point is unmistakable: Leviathan, embodiment of untamable might, lies beyond human control. Only the Creator could even imagine fitting such a creature with a halter. Psalm 32:9 – David urges repentant worshipers not to require “bit and bridle” before they obey. The image elevates willing, rational response to divine instruction above mere forced compliance, linking confession (verses 3–5) with teachability (verses 8–9). Isaiah 30:28 – As Yahweh judges rebellious nations, “a bit in the jaws of the peoples” signifies irresistible divine sovereignty over history. Nations that boast of self-direction will find themselves steered toward judgment according to His purpose. Thematic emphasis 1. Divine sovereignty versus human limitation A bridle illustrates the ease with which God channels both individuals (Psalm 32) and nations (Isaiah 30), while simultaneously underscoring humanity’s inability to control forces like Leviathan (Job 41). The device thus magnifies God’s supremacy. 2. Discipline and instruction Psalm 32 connects the bridle to moral training: when voluntary submission is absent, corrective measures become necessary. The motif prepares the way for the New Covenant call to “walk by the Spirit” rather than by external constraint (Galatians 5:16). 3. Judgment through removal or application of restraint Job 30 depicts judgment as God loosening a bridle, allowing hostile men free course; Isaiah 30 reverses the picture, placing a bridle on nations to compel them toward the threshing floor of divine wrath. Both scenes stress that restraint ultimately lies in God’s hands. Historical reflections Israel’s agrarian and martial life made the bridle a familiar sight. In royal annals an expertly controlled charger symbolized kingly prowess; uncontrolled animals spelled danger. Prophets therefore found in the bridle a ready‐made parable: just as reins give a rider mastery, so the covenant LORD governs His people and the world. Practical ministry insights • Teaching and discipleship: The call of Psalm 32:9 invites believers to cultivate responsiveness to Scripture before painful externals must curb them. Foreshadowing within redemptive history The bridle portrays the tension between freedom and submission resolved in Christ. He who could still the seas (Mark 4:39) demonstrated perfect yieldedness—“not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42)—and promises transforming grace so that His followers, moved from within, need not be “like the horse or mule.” At His return, the bridle motif reappears when the conquering Rider exerts absolute control over rebellious powers (Revelation 19:15). Thus Strong’s 7448, humble though it seems, draws a straight line from ancient husbandry to the eternal reign of God, calling every reader to willing, intelligent obedience. Forms and Transliterations וְ֝רֶ֗סֶן וְרֶ֣סֶן וָרֶ֣סֶן ורסן רִ֝סְנ֗וֹ רסנו ris·nōw risNo risnōw vaResen veResen wā·re·sen wāresen wə·re·sen wəresenLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 30:11 HEB: פִ֭תַּח וַיְעַנֵּ֑נִי וְ֝רֶ֗סֶן מִפָּנַ֥י שִׁלֵּֽחוּ׃ NAS: me, They have cast off the bridle before KJV: me, they have also let loose the bridle before INT: has loosed and afflicted the bridle before have cast Job 41:13 Psalm 32:9 Isaiah 30:28 4 Occurrences |
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