Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

NEEDLE

A slender implement, sharp at one end, with an eye for thread or a leather thong. Archaeologists have found needles of bone, ivory, bronze, and iron throughout the ancient world, some dating back to the 6th millennium b.c.e. Skill in embroidery was considered a gift from God and was used in the making of the tabernacle (Exod. 31:6-10). Indeed, the difficulty involved in sewing in biblical times was one of the factors in the popularity of tunics as the common style of clothing for men and women — they involved few seams and little sewing. When necessary, Paul supported himself as a tentmaker, which involved sewing strips of cloth together (Acts 18:3).

The use of needles is implied when Adam and Eve “sewed fig leaves together” (Gen. 3:7). The word “needle” appears only in Matt. 19:24 (= Mark 10:25; Luke 18:25). Matthew and Mark use Gk. rhaphís, a sewing needle, while Luke uses belónē. Some have speculated that Luke’s choice reflects his medical background, and that a belónē was a surgical needle, but there is no clear evidence for this idea. In all three Gospel accounts, the eye of a needle, one of the smallest openings common to the household, is contrasted with a camel, one of the largest animals commonly seen in Palestine. Early interpreters contended that the “eye of a needle” was the name of a narrow gate in Jerusalem, but this view is no longer accepted. Such an interpretation would not explain the disciples’ conclusion that salvation is impossible; the expression is simply a typical oriental hyperbole used to communicate the great difficulty faced by those who are rich in leaving all to follow Christ.

John S. Hammett

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

NEEDLE

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)