Reference: Entertain
Easton
Entertainments, "feasts," were sometimes connected with a public festival (De 16:11,14), and accompanied by offerings (1Sa 9:13), in token of alliances (Ge 26:30); sometimes in connection with domestic or social events, as at the weaning of children (Ge 21:8), at weddings (Ge 29:22; Joh 2:1), on birth-days (Mt 14:6), at the time of sheep-shearing (2Sa 13:23), and of vintage (Jg 9:27), and at funerals (2Sa 3:35; Jer 16:7).
The guests were invited by servants (Pr 9:3; Mt 22:3), who assigned them their respective places (1Sa 9:22; Lu 14:8; Mr 12:39). Like portions were sent by the master to each guest (1Sa 1:4; 2Sa 6:19), except when special honour was intended, when the portion was increased (Ge 43:34).
The Israelites were forbidden to attend heathenish sacrificial entertainments (Ex 34:15), because these were in honour of false gods, and because at such feast they would be liable to partake of unclean flesh (1Co 10:28).
In the entertainments common in apostolic times among the Gentiles were frequent "revellings," against which Christians were warned (Ro 13:13; Ga 5:21; 1Pe 4:3). (See Banquet.)
See Verses Found in Dictionary
The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned.
So he prepared a banquet for them, and they ate and drank.
So Laban invited all the men of the place to a feast.
Portions were served to them from Joseph's table, and Benjamin's portion was five times larger than any of theirs. They drank, and they got drunk with Joseph.
"Do not make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land, or else when they prostitute themselves with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, they will invite you, and you will eat of their sacrifice.
Rejoice before the Lord your God in the place where He chooses to have His name dwell-you, your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreign resident, the fatherless, and the widow among you.
Rejoice during your festival-you, your son and daughter, your male and female slave, as well as the Levite, the foreign resident, the fatherless, and the widow within your gates.
So they went out to the countryside and harvested grapes from their vineyards. They trod the grapes and held a celebration. Then they went to the house of their god, and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.
Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he always gave portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters.
If you go quickly, you can catch up with him before he goes to the high place to eat. The people won't eat until he comes because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests can eat. Go up immediately-you can find him now."
Samuel took Saul and his attendant, brought them to the banquet hall, and gave them a place at the head of the 30 or so men who had been invited.
Then they came to urge David to eat bread while it was still day, but David took an oath: "May God punish me and do so severely if I taste bread or anything else before sunset!"
Two years later, Absalom's sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons.
Food won't be provided for the mourner to comfort him because of the dead. A cup of consolation won't be given him because of [the loss of] his father or mother.
But when Herod's birthday celebration came, Herodias' daughter danced before them and pleased Herod.
He sent out his slaves to summon those invited to the banquet, but they didn't want to come.
"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don't recline at the best place, because a more distinguished person than you may have been invited by your host.
On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and
Let us walk with decency, as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy.
But if someone says to you, "This is food offered to an idol," do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who told you, and for conscience' sake.
envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar, about which I tell you in advance-as I told you before-that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.