Superstition

How Nave’s arranged it

• General scriptures concerningActs 25:19
• INSTANCES OF
• Israelites, supposing that their defeat in battle with the Philistines was due to their not having brought with them the ark of the covenant with 4:10,111 Samuel 4:3
• Philistines, refusing to step on the threshold of the temple of Dagon after the image of Dagon had repeatedly fallen upon it1 Samuel 5:5
• The belief of the Syrians concerning the help of the gods1 Kings 20:23
• Jews, attributing their calamities to having ceased offering sacrifices to the Queen of HeavenJeremiah 44:17–19
• Nebuchadnezzar, supposing that the spirit of the gods was upon DanielDaniel 4:8Daniel 4:9
• The sailors who threw Jonah into the seaJonah 1:4–16
• The disciples, supposing they saw a ghost when Jesus came walking upon the lakeMatthew 14:26Mark 6:49Mark 6:50
• Herod Antipas, imagining that Jesus was actually John the Baptist risen from the deadMark 6:14Mark 6:16
• The Gadarenes (Gerasenes, Gergasenes), because Jesus expelled demons out of the man who lived among the tombsMatthew 8:34
• The disciples who were frightened at the appearance of PeterActs 12:14Acts 12:15

The passages, in Bible order (18)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. 1 Samuel 4:3

   When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has the LORD brought defeat on us before the Philistines today? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh, so that it may go with us to save us from the hand of our enemies.”

   Verse page →Original language →

2. 1 Samuel 5:5

   That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the threshold.

   Verse page →Original language →

3. 1 Kings 20:23

   Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail.

   ›Commentary on 1 Kings 20:231 voice

   “Their gods are gods of the hills - The local power and influence of deities was a fixed principle of the ancient polytheism. Each country was considered to have its own gods; and wars were regarded as being to a great extent struggles between the gods of the nations engaged in them. This is apparent throughout the Assyrian inscriptions. Compare also 2Ki 18:33-35; 2Ki 19:12. The present passage gives an unusual modification of this view.

   Everything gathered on 1 Kings 20:23→

   Verse page →Original language →

4. Jeremiah 44:17–19

   Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and good things, and we saw no disaster.

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Daniel 4:8

   But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream:

   ›Commentary on Daniel 4:82 voices

   “Verse 8. "'Then at last my associate, Daniel, whose name according to the name of my god is Belteshazzar, entered before my presence.'" With the exception of the Septuagint translators (who for some reason or other have omitted this whole passage), the other three translators have translated the word as "associate" (collega). Consequently by the judgment of the teachers of the Church, the Septuagint edition has been rejected in the case of this book, and it is the translation of Theodotion which is commonly read, since it agrees with the Hebrew as well as with the other translators.

   “Then he described what happened in his second vision, as none of the magicians, soothsayers, and Chaldeans were able to declare the matter to the king, until Daniel was called who also described to Nebuchadnezzar his first vision, so that in all things God might glorify his own slaves the prophets beyond the other barbarians and foreign nations, who pretend to be flattered in their human wisdom, having practiced earthly learning.

   Everything gathered on Daniel 4:8→

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Daniel 4:9

   “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my dream, and their interpretation.

   ›Commentary on Daniel 4:91 voice

   “O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians - “Master,” in the sense that he was first among them, or was superior to them all. Or, perhaps, he still retained office at the head of this class of men - the office to which he had been appointed when he interpreted the former dream, Dan 2:48. The word rendered “master” (רב rab) is that which was applied to a teacher, a chief, or a great man among the Jews - from where came the title “rabbi.” Compare Dan 2:48; Dan 5:

   Everything gathered on Daniel 4:9→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. Jonah 1:4–16

   Then the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship was in danger of breaking apart.

   ›Commentary on Jonah 1:4–161 voice

   “But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea,.... He took a wind out of his treasures, and hurled it, as the word (w) signifies, into the sea: "into that sea" (x); that part of it where the ship was Jonah was in. Winds are at the command of God, which he raises at his pleasure, and fulfil his will, and are servants of his that obey his orders: this here was sent in pursuit of Jonah, to stop him in his voyage, when he thought he had got clear off, and was safe enough.

   Everything gathered on Jonah 1:4–16→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. Matthew 8:34

   Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.

   ›Commentary on Matthew 8:342 voices

   “(Verse 34) And behold, the whole city went out to meet Jesus, and when they saw Him, they begged Him to pass through their borders. They ask Him to pass through their borders, not out of pride as some think, but out of humility by which they judged themselves unworthy of the Lord's presence, just as Peter, falling to the knees of the Savior in the catch of fish, said: Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man (Luke 5:8).

   “The whole city came out - Probably with the intention to destroy Jesus for having destroyed their swine; but, having seen him, they were awed by his presence; and only besought him to depart from their borders. Many rather chose to lose Jesus Christ than those temporal goods by which they gratify their passions at the expense of their souls. They love even their swine better than their salvation.

   Everything gathered on Matthew 8:34→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Matthew 14:26

   When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear.

   ›Commentary on Matthew 14:262 voices

   “(Verse 26.) And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying: It is a ghost. If, according to Marcion and Manichaeus, our Lord was not born of a Virgin, but appeared in a vision: how is it that now the apostles fear seeing a vision? And they cried out due to fear. The confused shout and uncertain voice is a sign of great fear.

   “It is a spirit - That the spirits of the dead might and did appear, was a doctrine held by the greatest and holiest of men that ever existed; and a doctrine which the caviliers, free-thinkers and bound-thinkers, of different ages, have never been able to disprove.

   Everything gathered on Matthew 14:26→

   Verse page →Original language →

10. Mark 6:14

    Now King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

    ›Commentary on Mark 6:142 voices

    “This Herod was the son of the Herod who slaughtered the infants. Though he was a tetrarch, Mark calls him king, using this title in a loose sense. Having heard of the Lord's miracles and being conscious that he had killed the righteous John without …

    “And king Herod heard? - Την ακοην αοτου, his fame, is added by KM, fifteen others, and in the margin of several. It seems necessary to complete the sense.

    Everything gathered on Mark 6:14→

    Verse page →Original language →

11. Mark 6:16

    But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead!”

    Verse page →Original language →

12. Mark 6:49

    but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost—

    ›Commentary on Mark 6:491 voice

    “But notice also another circumstance, namely that before ending the danger, He casts them into even greater fear; for when they saw Him, they cried out in fright, thinking it was a ghost. Then the Lord immediately encourages them with His voice, saying: "Do not …

    Everything gathered on Mark 6:49→

    Verse page →Original language →

13. Mark 6:50

    for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

    ›Commentary on Mark 6:502 voices

    “And immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. The first aid to those trembling and in danger is to banish fear struck into their …

    “But notice also another circumstance, namely that before ending the danger, He casts them into even greater fear; for when they saw Him, they cried out in fright, thinking it was a ghost. Then the Lord immediately encourages them with His voice, saying: "Do not …

    Everything gathered on Mark 6:50→

    Verse page →Original language →

14. Acts 12:14

    When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!”

    ›Commentary on Acts 12:142 voices

    “Notice the reverence of the servant girl: "from joy," it says, "she did not open." But this turned out beautifully, for otherwise the rest, astonished by his unexpected appearance, would perhaps not have believed that it was he, since even as it was they did …

    “And when she knew Peter's voice,.... often heard him preach and converse in the family: she opened not the gate for gladness, filled with joy to hear his voice, and that he was delivered from prison, and in haste to carry the welcome news to the company within, stayed not to open the gate, and let Peter in: but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate: she went into the house in a great hurry, and related to them within, that Peter was at the door without.

    Everything gathered on Acts 12:14→

    Verse page →Original language →

15. Acts 12:15

    “You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

    Verse page →Original language →

16. Acts 19:13–19

    Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I bind you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”

    Verse page →Original language →