Adventure
The Biblical Meaning of Adventure
The word "adventure" in older English Bible translations does not carry the modern sense of an exciting journey or expedition. Instead, it means "to risk," "to venture," or "to dare", referring to an action undertaken despite significant peril. This older meaning survives in the related word "venture," which retains the sense of risk-taking. In the KJV and other early English translations, "adventure" appears in both the Old and New Testaments in contexts involving physical danger or personal risk.
Gideon's Father and the Risk of Life
In Judges 9:17, Jotham reminds the people of Shechem that his father Gideon (Jerubbaal) "adventured his life" to deliver Israel from the Midianites. The Hebrew here conveys the idea of casting one's life into danger, as Gideon literally threw himself into battle against overwhelming odds with only three hundred men (Judges 7:7). Gideon's willingness to risk everything for Israel's deliverance stands in sharp contrast to the treachery of Abimelech, who murdered his brothers to seize power.
The Delicate Woman of Deuteronomy
In Deuteronomy 28:56, Moses describes a woman so delicate and refined that she would not "adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground." This passage is part of the curses for disobedience, describing the horrific conditions that would prevail during a siege. Even the most sheltered woman would be driven to desperate measures. The word "adventure" here means "dare" or "venture", she would normally never risk the discomfort of walking barefoot, but siege conditions would transform her entirely.
Riches Lost by Evil Adventure
Ecclesiastes 5:14 uses the phrase "evil adventure" (in older translations) to describe the loss of wealth through a bad venture or unfortunate enterprise. The Preacher observes that a father may lose everything he has through a disastrous business undertaking, leaving nothing for his son. This use of "adventure" captures the inherent risk in any human enterprise and the uncertainty of material wealth, a recurring theme in Ecclesiastes.
Paul in Ephesus
The only New Testament occurrence appears in Acts 19:31, where Paul's friends begged him "not to adventure himself into the theater" during the riot at Ephesus. The silversmiths, whose trade in images of Artemis was threatened by the gospel, had stirred up a mob that filled the city theater. Paul wanted to enter and address the crowd, but both his companions and certain sympathetic city officials urged him not to risk his life. The Greek word used here simply means "to give himself" to the situation, conveying the same sense of personal risk.
The Theology of Courageous Risk
Though the word "adventure" is archaic, the concept it represents runs throughout Scripture. The Bible consistently honors those who risk everything in obedience to God, from Abraham leaving his homeland to David facing Goliath to Paul enduring shipwrecks and beatings. At the same time, Scripture distinguishes between courageous faith and reckless presumption. Paul's friends were right to urge caution in Ephesus, just as Gideon was right to follow God's unusual battle plan against the Midianites.
Biblical Context
The word 'adventure' (meaning 'to risk') appears in Judges 9:17 (Gideon risking his life), Deuteronomy 28:56 (daring to set foot on the ground), Ecclesiastes 5:14 (riches lost by bad venture), and Acts 19:31 (Paul's friends urging him not to enter the Ephesian theater).
Theological Significance
The concept of risking oneself for God's purposes is central to biblical faith. Gideon's adventure of his life for Israel's deliverance prefigures the ultimate self-giving of Christ. The biblical view of risk is nuanced: faith sometimes requires daring action, but wisdom also counsels prudence. The tension between bold faith and wise caution appears throughout the biblical narrative.
Historical Background
The English word 'adventure' derives from Latin 'adventura' (things about to happen), and in the 16th-17th centuries carried the primary meaning of risk or hazard. The shift to the modern meaning of exciting experience occurred gradually. The Ephesian theater mentioned in Acts 19 has been excavated and could hold approximately 25,000 spectators, making Paul's proposed entry genuinely dangerous during a mob uprising.