Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

VOICE

The same word, Heb. qôl, is used in the OT to convey the sound of the human voice (1 Sam. 26:17), a crowd (Exod. 32:18), musical instruments (19:16), animals (Job. 4:10), and natural sounds like thunder (Exod. 9:23). The expression “lift up one’s voice and weep” marks times of both joy (Gen. 29:11) and sadness (27:38). Obedience to the commandments of God lies behind the common phrase “to obey (lit., ‘to hear’) the voice of God” (Deut. 27:10). The phrase for issuing a proclamation is “to give voice” (Neh. 8:15).

Biblical revelation is essentially an oral experience. Accounts of theophany are full of sound (Exod. 9:23-34; Isa. 6:8; Ezek. 1:24; cf. Rev. 7:10). The voices of various messengers of God ring out, from the blood of Abel (Gen. 4:10) to the herald in the wilderness (Isa. 40:3), from the suffering servant who does not open his mouth (53:7), to the voice of the Lamb whose word is like a two-edged sword (Rev. 19:15). God may speak in the silence (1 Kgs. 19:12), or like a mighty storm (Job. 37:2-5; Ps. 29:3-9).

In the NT Gk. phōnḗ (“sound”) and phōnéō (“produce a sound”) occur regularly, especially in the Gospels (the voice of Jesus; John 5:25; 10:27) and Acts (proclamation; 2:14). The voice of God marks key moments in the life of Jesus (Mark 1:11).

Bibliography. C. Rowland, The Open Heaven (New York, 1982).

William R. Domeris

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

VOICE

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)