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(Gen. 37:7). They moved so as to surround his sheaf. This is the action pictured when
Israel besieged Jericho, except with the further nuance of encircling in a processional and
religious march: “And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about
the city once” (Josh. 6:3). “To travel” and “to return” are used together to represent
traveling a circuit. It is said of Samuel that he used to go annually “in circuit” (1 Sam.
7:16). Another variation of this emphasis is “to go around” a territory in order to avoid
crossing through it: “And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to
compass [go around] the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged
because of the way” (Num. 21:4).
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is also used of the completion of this movement, the state of literally or
figuratively surrounding something or someone. The very first biblical occurrence of the
word carries this force (according to many scholars): “The name of the first is Pison: that
is it which compasseth [flows around] the whole land of Havilah …” (Gen. 2:11). Judg.
16:2, where the Gazites “compassed [Samson] in, and laid wait for him all night in the
gate of the city,” represents another occurrence of this nuance. When David spoke of the
cords (as a trap) of Sheol “surrounding” him (2 Sam. 22:6), he meant that they actually
touched him and held him fast.
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can be used of sitting down around a table. So
Samuel told Jesse to fetch David, “for we will not sit down till he come hither” (1 Sam.
16:11). A third use of this verb is “to change direction.” This can be a change of direction
|toward:“Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe …” (Num.
36:9); the usual direction of passing on an inheritance is down family lines, and God’s
commandment that the daughters of Zelophehad marry within their father’s families
would make certain that this movement of things not be interrupted. This emphasis
appears more clearly in 1 Sam. 18:11: “And David [escaped] out of his presence twice”;
it is certain that David is putting as much space between himself and Saul as possible. He
is “running away or turning away” (cf. 1 Sam. 22:17).
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may also refer to a change
of direction, as in Num. 34:4: “And your border shall turn.…”
There are three special nuances under this emphasis. First, the verb may mean “to
roam through” as a scout looking for water: “… And they fetched a compass [made a
circuit] of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that
followed them” (2 Kings 3:9). Some scholars suggest that this is the idea expressed in
Gen. 2:11 that the Pison meandered through Havilah rather than flowed around it.
Second,
may be used of “turning something over” to someone. So Adonijah said
of Solomon: “… The kingdom was mine, … howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is
become my brother’s …” (1 Kings 2:15). Third,
may be used of “changing or
turning one thing into another”: “And the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to
Rimmon south of Jerusalem …” (Zech. 14:10).
B. Nouns.
(
, 5439), “area round about; circuit.” This word appears about 336 times
in biblical Hebrew. The word can be used as a noun, but it usually occurs as an adverb or
preposition. In 1 Chron. 11:8
refers to the “parts round about”: “And he built the
city round about, even from Millo round about.…” The word may also be used for
“circuits”: “… And the wind returneth again according to his circuits” (Eccl. 1:6). The