Topical Encyclopedia
The term "bewailed" refers to the act of expressing deep sorrow or lamentation, often in response to a significant loss or tragedy. In the context of the Bible, bewailing is a profound expression of grief that is both personal and communal, reflecting the deep emotional and spiritual impact of sin, death, or divine judgment.
Old Testament ContextIn the Old Testament, bewailing is frequently associated with mourning rituals and the expression of grief over death or calamity. For instance, in
Genesis 50:10, Joseph mourns for his father Jacob: "When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father." This passage illustrates the cultural practice of mourning, which often included loud lamentations and extended periods of grief.
The prophets also speak of bewailing in the context of divine judgment. In
Jeremiah 9:10, the prophet laments the desolation of the land: "I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains, and a lament for the pastures of the wilderness, because they are laid waste so that no one passes through; the lowing of cattle is not heard. Both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled; they are gone." Here, the act of bewailing is a response to the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness and the resulting devastation.
New Testament ContextIn the New Testament, bewailing continues to be a significant expression of sorrow. In the Gospels, Jesus encounters professional mourners who bewail the death of Jairus' daughter. In
Mark 5:38-39, it is written: "When they arrived at the house of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion, with people weeping and wailing loudly. He went inside and asked, 'Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.'" This passage highlights the cultural practice of hiring mourners to express grief, while also demonstrating Jesus' authority over life and death.
The book of Revelation also uses the imagery of bewailing to describe the lament of the nations over the fall of Babylon.
Revelation 18:9-10 states: "Then the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: 'Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!'" This prophetic vision uses the act of bewailing to convey the profound impact of God's judgment on the sinful systems of the world.
Theological SignificanceBewailing in the Bible is not merely an emotional response but often carries a deeper theological significance. It serves as a reminder of the brokenness of the world due to sin and the need for repentance and divine intervention. The act of bewailing can also be seen as a form of intercession, where individuals or communities cry out to God for mercy and restoration.
In the broader biblical narrative, the expressions of grief and lamentation ultimately point to the hope of redemption and the promise of comfort found in God. As believers, the act of bewailing is tempered by the assurance of God's presence and the hope of resurrection, as articulated in passages like
1 Thessalonians 4:13: "Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope."
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
imp. & p. p.) of Bewail.
Library
That Sons are not to beBewailed.
... LXXIII."That Sons are Not to BeBewailed. Although the death of sons leaves
grief for the heart, yet it is not right either to...
How Hermes Openly Confessed the Error of his Forefathers, the...
... Book VIII. Chapter 24."How Hermes Openly Confessed the Error of His Forefathers,
the Coming Destruction of Which He NeverthelessBewailed....
The Crucifixion.
... they impressed him after the manner mentioned on p.245.] 27 And there followed him
a great multitude of the people, and of women whobewailed and lamented him....
The History of David
... king anointed of our Lord. David sorrowed andbewailed much the death
of Saul and of Jonathan. After this David counselled with...
Funeral Oration on Meletius .
... burst out with a voice of lamentation adequate to the greatness of the distress,
as these excellent preachers of yours have done, who havebewailed with loud...
Penitence, as Explained in the Sophistical Jargon of the Schoolmen...
... commit what is to be deplored. Again that it is to bewail past evils and
not to sin to do what is to bebewailed. Again, that it is a...
On the Words, Crucified and Buried.
... He saw your destruction, he beheld your downfall, hebewailed Jerusalem which then
was; for that which now is [1518] shall not bebewailed; for that Jerusalem...
The Instructions of Commodianus in favour of Christian Discipline
... LXXI.--To Visit the Sick. LXXII.--To the Poor in Health. LXXIII.--That Sons are
Not to BeBewailed. LXXIV.--Of Funeral Pomp. LXXV.--To the Clerks....
Bourdaloue -- the Passion of Christ
... BOURDALOUE. 1632-1704. THE PASSION OF CHRIST. And there followed him a great company
of people, and of women, which alsobewailed and lamented him....
The Children of the Poor.
... The writer of these wordsbewailed a state of War and Captivity"a state of things
in which the great relations of human life are broken up and desecrated....
Thesaurus
Bewailed (4 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Bewailed (4 Occurrences). Luke 8:52 And all wept, and
bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. (KJV WBS).
...Bewail (9 Occurrences)
Virginity (12 Occurrences)
... emphasis on chastity before marriage (Deuteronomy 22:21), but childlessness was
so great a misfortune that death before marriage was to bebewailed (Judges 11...
Jeremiah (141 Occurrences)
... 23:1-25). The death of this pious king wasbewailed by the prophet as a
national calamity (2 Chronicles 35:25). During the three...
Lamented (19 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (imp. & pp) of Lament. 2. (a.) Mourned for;bewailed.
Multi-Version Concordance Lamented (19 Occurrences)....
Wailed (11 Occurrences)
... (ASV RSV). Luke 23:27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women,
which alsobewailed and lamented him. (Root in KJV ASV DBY WBS RSV NIV)....
Wept (78 Occurrences)
... wept. (KJV DBY WBS). Luke 8:52 And all wept, andbewailed her: but he said,
Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. (KJV WBS). Luke...
Four (3139 Occurrences)
... 12 Revelation 7:1; Revelation 20:8, the King James Version "quarters"); "the four
corners of the house" (Job 1:19); Jephthah's daughter wasbewailed four days...
Thorn (30 Occurrences)
... to believe that not the least probable hypothesis concerning the `thorn' or `stake'
in the flesh is that the loving heart of the apostlebewailed as his sorest...
Tammuz (1 Occurrence)
... At this festival, which lasted six days, the worshippers, with loud lamentations,
bewailed the funeral of the god, they sat "weeping for Tammuz" (Ezek. 8:14)....
Resources
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