Clout

Clout is referenced here in contrast to John's posture — he refuses to claim titles or leverage his crowd-drawing ministry for status, instead pointing all attention away from himself.

Clout is used here as the foil to true glory — the passage contrasts the pursuit of social status and comfort with the radical self-giving that actually produces lasting fruit.

Clout is what Jesus conspicuously sets aside here — despite having every claim to status and authority, he picks up a towel instead, making the foot-washing a direct repudiation of power-for-power's-sake.

Clout represents the social capital and following John has built — the very platform he willingly relinquishes, treating its transfer to Jesus not as a loss but as confirmation that the plan is working.

Jesus explicitly rejects the clout-chasing logic His brothers are pitching — He isn't building a platform or managing optics; He's operating on a divine timeline that has nothing to do with fame.

Clout represents the world's counterfeit freedom — social influence and status that can make you look powerful on the outside while leaving the underlying bondage to sin completely untouched.

Clout represents what the 'wise and experts' possess — social and intellectual standing — which Jesus identifies as actually working against receiving divine revelation in this passage.

Clout represents the thorny soil category — the worldly pursuit of status and social currency that competes with the Kingdom message and ultimately chokes out any spiritual growth.

Clout is used here to name what Jesus explicitly warns against — the pursuit of worldly influence and status that costs a person their soul is the ultimate bad trade.

Clout is exactly what the disciples were chasing with their ranking question — and Jesus points to a child, the opposite of clout, as the Kingdom's standard of greatness.

Clout is invoked here to describe what Nazareth entirely lacks — the glossary term frames the town's social insignificance in contemporary terms, underlining the deliberate divine choice to plant the Messiah in a place with zero cultural currency.

Clout is invoked here as the corrupt motive Jesus is diagnosing — the Hypocrites give not out of compassion but to accumulate social standing, and Jesus says that trade-off is a losing one.

The text uses clout as a foil to calling — David's international recognition from Hiram could have fed his ego, but he correctly identifies it as God's mission, not personal status.

Clout is used to describe Nahshon's official standing as tribal prince of Judah — his recognized authority sets the Ram branch apart as the leadership line, not just another name buried in a list.

Clout is invoked here as the false currency David had been chasing with the census — the text contrasts empty status-seeking with the genuine leadership of owning failure and shielding others from its fallout.

Clout is used here as a foil — the entire lot-casting system was explicitly designed to exclude status-based favoritism, making divine assignment the only factor in who got what worship slot.

Clout is used here in contrast to what these priests were NOT about — they didn't return for status or recognition but out of genuine commitment to serving God's house.

Clout is the currency the false Apostles were trading in — social credibility, impressive presentation, and worldly status — which Paul is exposing as meaningless compared to genuine sacrifice.

Clout is invoked here as the antithesis of what Paul envisions for the church — the community he's calling the Corinthians to build is defined by mutual upbuilding, not social competition.

Clout is invoked as the cultural currency Paul explicitly refuses to chase — contrasting worldly influence-seeking with his commitment to plain, unspun truth.

Clout captures the surface-level value system of Paul's critics in Corinth — they evaluated ministry by outward impressiveness rather than inward integrity, the exact standard Paul is rejecting.

Clout is conspicuously absent from Paul's résumé — his point is that authentic ministry is validated by suffering and faithfulness, not by social influence or recognition.

Clout is used here to characterize Jair's social and political standing — thirty sons on thirty donkeys controlling thirty cities is a deliberate display of dynastic power and regional dominance.

Clout is the lens through which Abdon's seventy donkeys are interpreted — in ancient Near Eastern culture, mount ownership signaled political status and social power.

Clout is the real currency driving the priest's defection — a bigger tribe means more influence and status, and he chooses platform over loyalty without a moment's hesitation.

Gideon's new clout is the political and social capital he's just earned from his impossible victory — and the chapter is about to show how dangerously easy it is to misuse that kind of influence.

Used at the end of the hostile takeover section to name what Abimelech has just done — built a throne on fratricide, the most extreme form of clout-chasing in the Bible.

Clout is what Paul says the Gospel is fundamentally incompatible with — those chasing worldly influence and status will always find the message of a crucified savior absurd.

Clout is the Corinthian church's core dysfunction — they've been fighting over status and celebrity teachers all letter long, and Paul now holds up humble servants as the true heroes.

Clout represents exactly what Corinthian culture prized — rhetorical brilliance and philosophical prestige — which Paul explicitly rejected as the basis for his gospel presentation in this city.

Clout is precisely what Paul says authentic service to Christ does NOT produce — the Apostles have scars where the Corinthians expected status, exposing the church's misunderstanding of what faithfulness looks like.

Clout is used here to make a spiritual point — Solomon wasn't pursuing fame or status, yet the whole world was delivering gifts and seeking his presence because God was the true source of his influence.

Clout is what the messenger is really asking Micaiah to chase — match the crowd, protect your status, say what everyone else is saying — the temptation Micaiah flatly refuses.

Clout represents exactly what Solomon doesn't ask for — the text highlights that he bypassed all the obvious power moves and status plays that a newly crowned king might crave.

Clout is used here as a foil to describe what Solomon is NOT doing — his proposal to Hiram is grounded in genuine purpose and mutual respect rather than leveraging his new royal status for prestige.

Clout captures exactly what the Amalekite messenger was chasing — he believed delivering the crown of a dead king would elevate his status with the rising new leader, a fatal miscalculation.

Clout is used here as the foil to godly leadership — David's oracle defines true authority not as power-seeking or status-chasing, but as the kind of humble fear of God that makes others flourish.

The text explicitly clarifies that David's rise was not about personal clout — God exalted the kingdom for the sake of Israel, reorienting power away from self-promotion toward servant leadership.

Clout represents everything David deliberately sets aside in this prayer — his power, his conquests, his reputation — choosing instead to stand before God with open hands.

Clout is the currency at stake in Ahasuerus's party — his entire motivation for the 180-day event is to broadcast his status and authority to every leader in the empire, making influence the explicit goal.

Clout is introduced here as the thing Mordecai explicitly did NOT pursue — his greatness came from service to his people, not from chasing status or political influence for its own sake.

Clout is the false god Haman serves — he has accumulated every measurable form of it, yet Mordecai's refusal to validate him exposes how enslaving the pursuit of social power really is.

Clout describes Haman's core motivation in this scene — his answer to the king's question is entirely driven by his obsession with status, prestige, and being seen as the most important man in Persia.

Clout is precisely what the Babel builders are chasing — they want to 'make a name for themselves' through monumental construction, pursuing fame and influence entirely apart from God's purposes.

Clout is the social currency Abram is explicitly refusing here — he will not allow the king of Sodom to become part of his story, because he wants his prosperity credited only to God.

Clout here describes Shechem's social standing as the most honored man in his father's house — the influence that allows him to convince an entire city to undergo circumcision based on his personal desire.

Clout-chasing would have been the obvious play for a prisoner seeking freedom and royal favor, but Joseph deliberately refuses to treat this moment as a personal opportunity for status or recognition.

Clout is used here to describe what the king and queen mother are permanently losing — their royal authority and elevated status are stripped away as the crown physically comes off their heads.

Clout is invoked here in its absence — the people who had no social status, power, or influence are precisely the ones God allows to remain in the land after the powerful are swept away.

Clout is used here as the glossary anchor for Baruch's misplaced ambition — the "great things" he was seeking that God gently redirects away from, pointing him toward survival over status.

Pharaoh's clout is exposed as entirely hollow — all the status and influence of the ancient world's greatest empire meant nothing when God withdrew His support and Nebuchadnezzar arrived.

Clout is used here to translate what the wicked ultimately lose — not just life, but all influence, reputation, and remembered presence in the world.

The glossary term appears here as the author distinguishes Job's influence from mere social status — his standing in the city gate was not self-manufactured clout but the natural byproduct of genuine righteousness.

Clout-driven charity is explicitly contrasted with Job's generosity here — Job states he gave because he feared God's judgment, not to build social capital or public image.

Clout is what Elihu explicitly disclaims here — he states he's not performing for an audience or seeking social approval, distinguishing his motivation from the kind of reputation-driven speech the three friends exemplified.

Clout is used here to name what John deliberately refuses to claim — despite having the biggest following around, his entire message deflects all status toward Jesus.

Clout represents the entire Gentile power paradigm Jesus is contrasting with kingdom values — 'lording over' and 'throwing authority around' is exactly the model He forbids for His followers.

Clout is the idol Jesus exposes the Scribes as actually worshipping — their religious practice is reframed as a social influence operation rather than genuine service to God.

Clout is named as the currency the Kingdom of God explicitly does not use—directly rebuking the disciples' road argument and inverting the social logic they had been applying to themselves.

Clout is invoked here as the prime example of worldly currency that fades like grass — social influence and status are placed alongside looks and careers as things that cannot last.

Clout is explicitly contrasted with righteousness here — the commentary uses it to highlight that God's engagement metrics operate on character and faithfulness, not social status or influence.

Clout is what Peter explicitly warns elders against pursuing — the passage condemns leaders who use their position for status or financial gain rather than genuine service.

Clout is specifically what Elisha does NOT ask for here, highlighting that his request is spiritually rather than socially motivated — he wants the anointing, not the fame that came with it.

Clout represents the social capital Elisha offers the Shunammite woman — connections to the king and military commander — which she declines, showing her generosity was never transactional.

Clout is precisely what the four lepers lack — no social standing, no status, no influence — yet God chooses these marginalized outcasts as the unlikely instruments of deliverance for an entire city.

Clout is what the Jewish leaders are responding to — Paul's massive popular following has threatened their religious authority, and their jealousy-driven opposition is a clout war dressed up as theological concern.

Clout here represents the extraordinary social capital Paul and Barnabas could have seized — being worshiped as gods — and their deliberate, immediate rejection of it in favor of pointing to God.

Clout is the underlying motive exposed in this passage — Ananias and Sapphira wanted the reputation of radical generosity without actually paying the full cost of it.

Clout is used as a contrast to eternal radiance — the text argues that the starlike glory of the righteous is the opposite of fleeting earthly fame or influence.

Clout is used here as the modern equivalent of royal majesty and dominion — the chapter's closing point is that no amount of accumulated power or prestige places anyone beyond God's ability to humble them.

Clout is exactly what Belshazzar dangles before Daniel — royal robes, a gold chain, and political rank — assuming that worldly status is enough to motivate anyone, including a prophet of God.

Clout captures exactly what Samaria was chasing — not Assyria's gods per se, but their military dominance, political prestige, and regional influence that made God's covenant promises seem insufficient by comparison.

Clout is invoked here as precisely what Tyre possessed and lost — her fame, trade dominance, and influence caused surrounding kings to tremble at her fall because she embodied worldly power at its peak.

Clout here describes the geopolitical prestige Tyre had accumulated — foreign armies from Persia to Put considered it an honor to defend the city, reflecting influence that stretched far beyond economics.

Clout — the pursuit of human approval and social standing — is what Paul explicitly renounces, declaring it the opposite of genuine service to Christ.

Clout is the currency the false teachers are trading in — offering the Galatians social affirmation and status, but only to harvest loyalty for themselves rather than build them up in Christ.

Clout is the currency Paul explicitly rejects here — he contrasts the false teachers' pursuit of religious status with his own boast in the cross, which the world sees as powerless.

Clout is used here as the commentary framing James's warning — social status and financial influence are explicitly temporary, as perishable as a wildflower under the scorching sun.

Clout is the broken metric these believers are using to assign seating — prioritizing the wealthy visitor's social status over their own values and God's perspective on the poor.

Clout is the real currency driving the Pharisee's dinner parties — invitations are investments in social capital, not acts of genuine care for others.

Clout is introduced here as the worldly currency God deliberately ignored — the angel bypassed everyone with status, power, or influence to deliver the news to the lowest rung of society.

Clout here represents the social capital and popular momentum Jesus was accumulating — and deliberately choosing not to leverage, stepping away from crowds to pray instead.

Clout is what Nehemiah explicitly didn't seek — his final prayer asks only that God remember him, not that history celebrate him, distinguishing genuine faithfulness from reputation-building.

Clout is pointedly absent here — the Dung Gate offered no prestige, no honor, no visible glory. Malchijah's willingness to rebuild it becomes an example of faithfulness operating entirely outside the reward of social recognition.

Clout is exactly what Nehemiah refused to leverage — he had the position, the authority, and the entitlement to extract resources, but chose instead to serve at personal cost rather than use his status for self-enrichment.

Clout is precisely what Paul is accused of chasing — critics suggest his ministry was a status-seeking performance, which he spends the entire chapter refuting.

Clout appears as the cultural opposite of Paul's countercultural advice — while everyone chases fame and influence, Paul commends a quiet, responsible life that earns respect without performing for an audience.

Clout reappears here in the deacon section to drive home the same point — faithful behind-the-scenes service builds spiritual confidence, not social standing or followers.

Clout appears here as the underlying motive Paul diagnoses in false teachers — they're using religious influence as a platform for status and personal gain rather than genuine godliness.

Clout is the actual currency Israel was transacting in at their worship sites — every sacrifice and tithe was feeding their social and spiritual reputation rather than honoring God, making their religion a clout-chasing exercise.

Invoked here to name exactly what Amos lacked — no social capital, prophetic pedigree, or institutional standing — making the point that his authority was entirely divine, not earned or inherited.

Clout is what the text warns against as a selection criterion for kings — God's choice, not popular influence or social power, is the only legitimate basis for appointing Israel's ruler.

Clout is deliberately absent from Moses' legacy here — God hides his grave specifically so no shrine or cult of personality develops, separating his honor from worldly influence-seeking.

Clout captures what Moses felt he was lacking — after decades in the wilderness, he had no influence, no platform, and no reason anyone would take him seriously.

Clout is explicitly what church leadership is NOT about, according to this passage — the author reframes it as accountability and soul-care, directly countering any leadership model built on status or influence.

Clout is used here to contrast false motives for seeking priestly authority — the point being that Jesus didn't pursue the role for status or influence, but was divinely appointed.

The term is invoked to explicitly rule out self-promotion as Aaron's motive — he runs into a plague zone with no audience to impress, purely because his priestly calling demands intercession.

Clout is exactly what Balak is deploying in Round 2 — sending more prominent princes signals that this offer carries greater social weight, as if prestige can move what cash alone couldn't.

Clout is used here to translate the 'pride of life' — the desire to be seen, admired, and socially powerful — which John identifies as one of the world's core offerings that will ultimately perish.

Clout captures exactly what motivated Diotrephes — he wasn't protecting theological integrity but his own influence and standing, making him a cautionary example of leadership corrupted by self-interest.

Clout is conspicuously absent from Epaphras's ministry profile — he planted a church, discipled it faithfully, and traveled to a prisoner to report back, all without seeking recognition or status.

Clout is used here to explain how Jabin could assemble such a massive multi-ethnic coalition — his status as ruler of Canaan's most powerful city gave him the political leverage to get everyone in the group chat.

Clout is the false teachers' actual motivation here — Jude says they show favoritism to gain advantage, using social leverage and flattery as tools of influence rather than genuine spiritual service.

Clarifies that the poet's graphic, forensic documentation of suffering is not self-promotion or exaggeration — he is not performing grief for social effect but naming real devastation.

Clout is invoked here to make the point that social status provides zero exemption from the sin offering requirement — leaders must bring their failures to the altar just like everyone else.

Clout represents the military and political power the surrounding nations trusted in — which the text says will utterly fail when they encounter the living God.

Clout is invoked here to describe Nineveh's reputation — the very influence and fear it used to dominate nations will become worthless the moment God withdraws His favor.

Clout is invoked here to name what Edom actually trusted in — their status, their wise men, their military reputation — all of which God declares worthless on the day He moves.

Clout is what Epaphroditus lacked and didn't seek — Paul's point is that the people who serve without status or recognition are the ones truly worth honoring.