Distressed

“Distressed” - 1 Samuel 13:6

The word distress in one form or another appears 52 times in 22 books and 52 verses in the AV1611. Fourteen of those verses are found between Psalms (9x’s) and 1 Samuel (5x’s). Another five is found in the book of Deuteronomy and the other 19 books have between 1-3 occurrences each.

The word itself means: anguish, affliction, grief, pain, and misery. The cause of the distress, here, is said to be the result of being in a “strait,” which is a tight and narrow or fixed way. It is a difficult spot or place to be in because there aren’t many, if any, options at your disposal (think “straitjacket”). The side effects are seen in the verse by way of hiding and trembling. It’s a “pit” of despair. It’s a “thicket” of perplexity and a “cave” of hopelessness.

The only way out is to have confidence (hope, faith, trust, and belief) in the LORD to deliver you by way of escape or destroy your enemy through victory.