Bible teachers constantly harp on the importance of context. And for good reason! Context is vital to proper Bible understanding and interpretation. Without considering the broader context of a passage, Bible verses might sound like they say something very different than what they mean.
A simple example can be found in 1 Samuel 23:21. There, we find the phrase, “May you be blessed by the LORD, for you have had compassion on me.” What a wonderful verse! Perhaps you can picture that on a t-shirt or home décor painting. And what a lovely message—the Lord will bless those with compassion. But in context, the verse is quite sad. See, those are the words King Saul spoke to some people who were willing to turn David over to Saul’s evil and murderous plans. Compassion? Not hardly. A reason to be blessed? Nope. Context matters. Before latching on to a Biblical phrase, study it and interpret it within its context.