The meaning of Shade; Shadow; Shadowing in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
shad, shad'-o, shad'-o-ing (tsel; skia): A shadow is any obscuration of the light and heat with the form of the intervening object, obscurely projected, constantly changing and passing away. "Shadow" is used literally of a roof (Genesis 19:8), of mountains (Judges 9:36), of trees (Judges 9:15, etc.), of wings (Psalms 17:8, etc.), of a cloud (Isaiah 25:5), of a great rock (Isaiah 32:2), of a man (Peter, Acts 5:15), of the shadow on the dial (II Kings 20:9, etc.), of Jonah's gourd (Jonah 4:5 f.). It is used also figuratively (1) of shelter and protection (of man, Genesis 19:8; Song of Solomon 2:3; Isaiah 16:3, etc.; of God, Psalms 36:7; Psalms 91:1; Isaiah 4:6, etc.); (2) of anything fleeting or transient, as of the days of man's life on earth (I Chronicles 29:15; Job 8:9; Psalms 109:23); (3) with the idea of obscurity or imperfection (in Hebrews 8:5; Hebrews 10:1, of the Law; compare Colossians 2:17); (4) of darkness, gloom; see SHADOW OF DEATH. In James 1:17, we have in the King James Version, "the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (aposkiasma); the Revised Version (British and American) "shadow that is cast by turning"; the reference is to the unchangeableness of God as contrasted with the changes of the heavenly bodies. the Revised Version (British and American) has "of the rustling of wings" for "shadowing with wings" in Isaiah 18:1; the American Standard Revised Version has "shade" for "shadow" in various places (Judges 9:15; Job 40:22; Isaiah 4:6, etc.). In Job 40:21-22, for "shady trees" the Revised Version (British and American) has "lotus-trees."
W. L. Walker
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