The term "inclined" in the Bible often refers to a disposition or tendency of the heart or mind towards a particular direction, whether towards God, righteousness, or sin. It is used to describe the inner orientation of a person, which can be influenced by divine intervention, personal choice, or external circumstances.

Inclination Towards God

In the Scriptures, an inclination towards God is seen as a desirable and blessed state. Psalm 119:36 says, "Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetous gain." Here, the psalmist expresses a desire for his heart to be inclined towards God's laws and away from materialism. This inclination is often portrayed as a result of divine grace, where God actively works in the hearts of believers to draw them closer to Himself.

Inclination Towards Righteousness

Proverbs 2:2 encourages believers to "incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding." This verse highlights the importance of actively seeking wisdom and understanding, suggesting that an inclination towards righteousness requires intentional effort and a willingness to listen and learn. The inclination towards righteousness is often contrasted with the natural human tendency towards sin, emphasizing the need for divine guidance and personal discipline.

Inclination Towards Sin

The Bible also acknowledges the human propensity to be inclined towards sin. In Genesis 6:5 , it is written, "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time." This verse illustrates the depth of human depravity before the flood, where the natural inclination of humanity was towards evil. It underscores the need for redemption and the transformative power of God's grace to change the human heart.

Divine Influence on Inclination

God's role in influencing human inclination is a recurring theme in the Bible. In 1 Kings 8:58 , Solomon prays, "May He incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep the commandments, statutes, and ordinances He commanded our fathers." This prayer reflects the belief that God can and does influence human hearts, turning them towards Himself and His commandments. It is a recognition of human dependence on divine assistance to maintain a righteous inclination.

Human Responsibility

While divine influence is significant, the Bible also emphasizes human responsibility in maintaining a godly inclination. James 4:8 exhorts believers, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." This passage suggests that while God is willing to draw near and influence the heart, individuals must also take active steps to purify their hearts and align their inclinations with God's will.

In summary, the concept of being "inclined" in the Bible encompasses the orientation of the heart and mind towards God, righteousness, or sin. It involves a dynamic interplay between divine influence and human responsibility, highlighting the need for God's grace and personal commitment to live a life pleasing to Him.1. (imp. & p. p.) of Incline.

2. (p. p. & a.) Having a leaning or tendency towards, or away from, a thing; disposed or moved by wish, desire, or judgment; as, a man inclined to virtue.

3. (p. p. & a.) Making an angle with some line or plane; -- said of a line or plane.

4. (p. p. & a.) Bent out of a perpendicular position, or into a curve with the convex side uppermost.

3711. orgilos -- inclined to anger, passionate
... inclined to anger, passionate. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: orgilos
Phonetic Spelling: (org-ee'-los) Short Definition: prone to anger Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3711.htm - 6k

193. akrates -- powerless, impotent
... impotent. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: akrates Phonetic Spelling:
(ak-rat'-ace) Short Definition: lacking self-control, inclined to excess ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/193.htm - 7k

3626. oikourgos -- working at home
... Domestically inclined. From oikos and ouros (a guard; be "ware"); a stayer at home,
ie Domestically inclined (a "good housekeeper") -- keeper at home. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3626.htm - 6k

1380. dokeo -- to have an opinion, to seem
... Word Origin from dokos (opinion) Definition to have an opinion, to seem NASB Word
Usage deem (1), expect (1), has a mind (1), inclined (1), recognized (1 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1380.htm - 9k

2431. hilaros -- cheerful
... persuaded"). 2431 ("won over, already inclined") is only used in 2 Cor
9:7 where it describes spontaneously giving. Word Origin ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2431.htm - 6k

2309. thelo -- to will, wish
... a passive acquiescence in objective considerations), ie Choose or prefer (literally
or figuratively); by implication, to wish, ie Be inclined to (sometimes ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2309.htm - 11k

3713. orego -- to stretch out, to reach after, to yearn for
... 3713 ("a primitive verb," ) -- properly, towards; (figuratively) strongly inclined
to (pulled towards); aspire to; desire to (), reach to. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3713.htm - 7k

4289. prothumos -- willing, ready
... Cognate: 4289 (from 4253 , "before" and 2372 , "passion") -- properly, pre-disposed
(positively inclined); enthusiastically willing; eager, "ready-to-go"; free ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4289.htm - 7k

6634. tseba -- to be inclined, desire, be pleased
... 6633, 6634. tseba. 6635 . to be inclined, desire, be pleased. Transliteration:
tseba Phonetic Spelling: (tseb-aw') Short Definition: wished. ...
/hebrew/6634.htm - 6k

5081. nadib -- inclined, generous, noble
... 5080, 5081. nadib. 5082 . inclined, generous, noble. Transliteration: nadib
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-deeb') Short Definition: nobles. ...
/hebrew/5081.htm - 6k

5186. natah -- to stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
... deviated (1), distort (1), distorts (1), entices (1), extend (1), extended (3),
extends (2), followed* (2), held high (1), incline (27), inclined (7), intended ...
/hebrew/5186.htm - 7k

Men, Though Prone to Lust, and Inclined, through Weakness of ...
... Book IV. 23 Men, though prone to lust, and inclined, through weakness of
character? Men, though prone to lust, and inclined, through ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/23 men though prone to.htm

Are we Then So Corrupt that we are Wholly Incapable of Doing any ...
... Lord's Day 3 Question 8 Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable
of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness? Are ...
/.../various/the heidelberg catechism /question 8 are we then.htm

Thus the Word Condescended to Man's Engrossment in Corporeal ...
... All man's superstitions He met halfway; whether men were inclined to worship Nature,
Man, Demons, or the dead, He shewed Himself Lord of all these. ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/section 15 thus the word.htm

Sundry Quotations from Hermogenes Now Uncertain and Vague are his ...
... If it oscillated this way and that way, and inclined rather to one particular side,
it would plainly in that case merit the reproach of unevenness, and ...
/.../tertullian/against hermogenes/chapter xli sundry quotations from hermogenes.htm

Psalm CXVI.
... Since, he saith, "He hath inclined His ear unto me: and in my days I have called
upon Him" (ver.2). I loved, therefore, because He will hear; He will hear ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cxvi.htm

That we are to Love the Divine Goodness Sovereignly Above ...
... on earth, where we do not see this sovereign goodness in its beauty, but only have
a half-sight of it amid our obscurities, we are indeed inclined and allured ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter x that we are.htm

Showing How Some Men Live Contrary to These Exercises
... And therefore such a one cannot unite himself with God; for all those who live without
supernatural love are inclined towards themselves and seek their rest in ...
/.../john/the adornment of the spritual marriage/chapter lxvi showing how some.htm

Napoleon Bonaparte.
... atheist. He was constitutionally inclined to fatalism; and like his nephew,
the present Emperor of France, he believed in his star. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/schaff/the person of christ/napoleon bonaparte.htm

How a Soul is to Behave Herself to Obtain Light in Doubtful Cases ...
... 5. In case the soul in her nature be inclined more to the one side of the doubt
than the other, she must enforce herself, especially in prayer, to an ...
/.../chapter vii how a soul.htm

Life on the Top Floor
... If I have the blood of a shark, shall I not be inclined sometimes to play
the shark? If I have the blood of a fox, shall I not be ...
/.../stones rolled away and other addresses to young men/v life on the top.htm

Inclined (23 Occurrences)
... 2. (pp & a.) Having a leaning or tendency towards, or away from, a thing; disposed
or moved by wish, desire, or judgment; as, a man inclined to virtue. ...
/i/inclined.htm - 14k

Incline (38 Occurrences)
... 7. (n.) An inclined plane; an ascent o/ descent; a grade or gradient; a
slope. Multi-Version Concordance Incline (38 Occurrences). ...
/i/incline.htm - 18k

Prone (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Bending forward; inclined; not erect. ... 4. (a.) Sloping,
with reference to a line or surface; declivous; inclined; not level. ...
/p/prone.htm - 7k

Disposed (16 Occurrences)
... 1. (imp. & pp) of Dispose. 2. (pa) Inclined; minded. 3. (pa) Inclined to mirth;
jolly. Multi-Version Concordance Disposed (16 Occurrences). ...
/d/disposed.htm - 11k

Persistently (16 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 25:4 Yahweh has sent to you all his servants the prophets, rising up early
and sending them (but you have not listened, nor inclined your ear to hear ...
/p/persistently.htm - 11k

Partial (14 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Inclined to favor one party in a cause, or one side of a question, more
then the other; biased; not indifferent; as, a judge should not be partial. ...
/p/partial.htm - 11k

Bent (107 Occurrences)
... 4. (a. & pp) Strongly inclined toward something, so as to be resolved, determined,
set, etc.; -- said of the mind, character, disposition, desires, etc., and ...
/b/bent.htm - 36k

Critical (2 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) Inclined to make nice distinctions, or to exercise careful judgment
and selection; exact; nicely judicious. 4. (n.) Inclined...
/c/critical.htm - 8k

Affectionate (5 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Having affection or warm regard; loving; fond; as, an affectionate brother.
2. (a.) Kindly inclined; zealous. ... 4. (a.) Strongly inclined; -- with to. ...
/a/affectionate.htm - 8k

Slant (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vi) To be turned or inclined from a right
line or level; to lie obliquely; to slope. 2. (vt) To turn ...
/s/slant.htm - 7k

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