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first biblical appearance of the word is in Gen. 23:17, and it refers to “within the circuit
of.”
Other nouns are related to the verb
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and
both refer to “turn of
affairs”;
is found in 1 Kings 12:15 and
in 2 Chron. 10:15.
"$
occurs
once with the meaning of “circular passage”: “… For the winding about of the house
went still upward round about the house …” (Ezek. 41:7).
"
occurs 4 times, and it
refers to “that which surrounds or is round.”
"
refers to a “round table” (Song of
Sol. 1:12) and to “places round about” Jerusalem (2 Kings 23:5).
TO TURN TOWARDS, TURN BACK
A. Verb.
(
#
, 6437), “to turn towards, turn back, turn around, attach to, pass away,
make clear.” This verb also appears in Syriac and post-biblical Hebrew and post-biblical
Aramaic. Related verbs which have the same radicals with a somewhat diflferent
meaning occur in Arabic and Ethiopic. The Bible attests
about 155 times and in all
periods.
Most occurrences of this verb carry the sense “to turn in another direction”; this is a
verb of either physical or mental motion. Used of physical motion, the word signifies
turning so as to move in another direction: “Ye have compassed this mountain long
enough: turn you northward” (Deut. 2:3).
8
can also mean to turn so as to face or
look at something or someone: “And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole
congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness …” (Exod.
16:10). “Turning toward” something may also signify looking at, or seeing it:
“Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto [do not see] the
stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin” (Deut. 9:27). A
further extension in meaning is seen in Hag. 1:9, where
means “to look for,” or to
expect: “Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little.…”
Another focus of meaning is “to turn back” so as to see. This is found in Josh. 8:20:
“When the men of Ai turned back and looked, behold …” (
NASB
). In other passages the
verb means “to turn around,” in the sense of to look in every direction. So Moses “looked
this way and that way, and when he saw there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid
him in the sand” (Exod. 2:12).
In the sense of “to turn around”
is used of changing one’s direction so as to
leave the scene. So “the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom …”
(Gen. 18:22—the first biblical occurrence of the verb).
Used of intellectual and spiritual turning, this verb signifies attaching oneself to
something. God commanded Israel: “Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves
molten gods …” (Lev. 19:4); they should not shift their attention to and attach themselves
to idols. In an even stronger use this verb represents dependence on someone: “… Which
bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after [depend on] them …”
(Ezek. 29:16). “To turn towards” sometimes means to pay attention to someone. Job tells
his friends: “Now … look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie” (Job 6:28).