1. Compliance with a command, prohibition or known law and rule of duty prescribed; the performance of what is required or enjoined by authority, or the abstaining from what is prohibited, in compliance with the command or prohibition. To constitute obedience the act or forbearance to act must be in submission to authority; the command must be known to the person, and his compliance must be in consequence of it, or it is not obedience obedience is not synonymous with obsequiousness; the latter often implying meanness or servility, and obedience being merely a proper submission to authority. That which duty requires implies dignity of conduct rather than servility. obedience may be voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary obedience alone can be acceptable to God.
Word of the Day: Catachrestical
1. The act of obeying, or the state of being obedient; compliance with that which is required by authority; subjection to rightful restraint or control.
2. Words or actions denoting submission to authority; dutifulness.
3. A following; a body of adherents; as, the Roman Catholic obedience, or the whole body of persons who submit to the authority of the pope.
4. A cell (or offshoot of a larger monastery) governed by a prior.
5. One of the three monastic vows.
6. The written precept of a superior in a religious order or congregation to a subject.
Submission Roget’s Thesaurus §725
N. submission, yielding, nonresistance, obedience, surrender, cession, capitulation, resignation, backdown, obeisance, homage, kneeling, genuflexion, courtesy, curtsy, kowtow, prostration
V. succumb, submit, yeild, bend, resign, defer to, lay down one's arms, deliver up one's arms, lower colors, haul down colors, strike one's flag, strike colors, surrender, surrender at discretion, cede, capitulate, come to terms, retreat, beat a retreat, draw in one's horns, give way, give round, give in, give up, cave in, suffer judgment by default, bend, bend to one's yoke, bend before the storm, reel back, bend down, knuckle down, knuckle to, knuckle under, knock under, eat dirt, eat the leek, eat humble pie, bite the dust, lick the dust, be at one's feet, fall at one's feet, craven, crouch before, throw oneself at the feet of, swallow the leek, swallow the pill, kiss the rod, turn the other cheek, avaler les couleuvres, gulp down, obey, kneel to, bow to, pay homage to, cringe to, truckle to, bend the neck, bend the knee, kneel, fall on one's knees, bow submission, courtesy, curtsy, kowtow, pocket the affront, make the best of, make a virtue of necessity, grin and abide, grin and bear it, shrug the shoulders, resign oneself, submit with a good grace
Adj. surrendering, submissive, resigned, crouching, downtrodden, down on one's marrow bones, on one's bended knee, unresistant, unresisting, nonresisting, pliant, undefended, untenable, indefensible, humble
Phr. have it your own way, it can't be helped, amen, da locum melioribus, tempori parendum
Obedience Roget’s Thesaurus §743
N. obedience, observance, compliance, submission, subjection, nonresistance, passiveness, resignation, allegiance, loyalty, fealty, homage, deference, devotion, constancy, fidelity, submissness, submissiveness, ductility, obsequiousness
V. be -obedient, obey, bear obedience to, submit, comply, answer the helm, come at one's call, do one's bidding, do what one is told, do suit and service, attend to orders, serve faithfully, follow the lead of, follow to the world's end, serve, play second fiddle
Adj. obedient, complying, compliant, loyal, faithful, devoted, at one's call, at one's command, at one's orders, at one's beck and call, under beck and call, under control, restrainable, resigned, passive, submissive, henpecked, pliant, unresisted
Adv. obediently, in compliance with, in obedience to
Phr. to hear is to obey, as you please, if you please, your wish is my command, as you wish, no sooner said than done
Subjection Roget’s Thesaurus §749
N. subjection, dependence, dependency, subordination, thrall, thralldom, thraldom, enthrallment, subjugation, bondage, serfdom, feudalism, feudality, vassalage, villenage, slavery, enslavement, involuntary servitude, conquest, service, servitude, servitorship, tendence, employ, tutelage, clientship, liability, constraint, oppression, yoke, submission, obedience
V. be subject, be at the mercy of, lie at the mercy of, depend upon, lean upon, hang upon, fall a prey to, fall under, play second fiddle, be a mere machine, be a puppet, be a football, not dare to say one's soul is his own, drag a chain, serve, obey, submit, break in, tame, subject, subjugate, master, tread down, tread under foot, weigh down, drag at one's chariot wheels, reduce to subjection, reduce to slavery, enthrall, inthrall, bethrall, enslave, lead captive, take into custody, rule, drive into a corner, hold at the sword's point, keep under, hold in bondage, hold in leading strings, hold in swaddling clothes
Adj. subject, dependent, subordinate, feudal, feudatory, in subjection to, under control, in leading strings, in harness, subjected, enslaved, constrained, downtrodden, overborne, overwhelmed, under the lash, on the hip, led by the nose, henpecked, the puppet of, the sport of, the plaything of, under one's orders, under one's command, under one's thumb, a slave to, at the mercy of, in the power of, in the hands of, in the clutches of, at the feet of, at one's beck and call, liable, parasitical, stipendiary
Adv. under
Phr. "slaves - in a land of light and law"
Observance Roget’s Thesaurus §772
N. observance, performance, compliance, acquiescence, concurrence, obedience, fulfillment, satisfaction, discharge, acquittance, acquittal, adhesion, acknowledgment, fidelity, exact - observance
V. observe, comply with, respect, acknowledge, abide by, cling to, adhere to, be faithful to, act up to, meet, fulfill, carry out, carry into execution, execute, perform, keep, satisfy, discharge, do one's office, perform an obligation, fulfill an obligation, discharge an obligation, acquit oneself of an obligation, make good, make good one's word, make good one's promise, keep one's word, keep one's promise, redeem one's pledge, keep faith with, stand to one's engagement
Adj. observant, faithful, true, loyal, honorable, true as the dial to the sun, true as the needle to the pole, punctual, punctilious, literal, as good as one's word
Adv. faithfully
Phr. ignoscito saepe alteri nunquam tibi, tempori parendum, "to god, thy country, and thy friend be true"
King James Bible KJV Bible
Berean Standard Bible BSB Bible
12 KJV and 17 BSB verses contain “obedience”
And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.
And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons in obedience to the word of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded him.
And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.
Israel, however, did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the LORD’s commandments; they did not do as their fathers had done.
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.
By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
Through Him and on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
but now revealed and made known through the writings of the prophets by the command of the eternal God, in order to lead all nations to the obedience that comes from faith—
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
Women are to be silent in the churches. They are not permitted to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered.
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.