Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of biblical teachings, "excess" often refers to overindulgence or the lack of moderation, particularly in relation to physical desires and material possessions. The Bible addresses the concept of excess in various forms, warning against the dangers of living a life characterized by indulgence and lack of self-control.
Old Testament ReferencesThe Old Testament provides several examples and teachings that caution against excess. In Proverbs, wisdom literature frequently highlights the importance of moderation.
Proverbs 23:20-21 advises, "Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags." This passage underscores the consequences of excessive behavior, linking it to poverty and ruin.
The account of the Israelites in the wilderness also serves as a cautionary tale against excess. In
Exodus 16, when God provided manna, the Israelites were instructed to gather only what they needed for each day. Those who gathered more than necessary found that the excess spoiled, illustrating the principle of relying on God's provision and avoiding greed.
New Testament TeachingsThe New Testament continues to address the issue of excess, particularly in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. In
Luke 21:34 , Jesus warns, "But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life, and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a trap." Here, Jesus cautions against the distractions and burdens that come from excessive living, which can lead to spiritual unpreparedness.
The Apostle Paul also speaks against excess in his epistles. In
Ephesians 5:18 , he instructs, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." Paul contrasts the excess of drunkenness with the fullness of the Holy Spirit, advocating for a life led by spiritual rather than physical desires.
Moral and Spiritual ImplicationsExcess is often associated with a lack of self-control, which is considered a fruit of the Spirit (
Galatians 5:22-23). The Bible encourages believers to exercise self-discipline and to live lives marked by moderation and temperance. In
1 Corinthians 9:25 , Paul uses the metaphor of an athlete to illustrate the importance of self-control: "Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable."
The moral implications of excess extend beyond personal conduct to include social and economic dimensions. The parable of the rich fool in
Luke 12:16-21 serves as a warning against hoarding wealth and living in luxury without regard for others or for one's spiritual state. The rich man's focus on material excess ultimately leads to his downfall, as he fails to recognize the transient nature of earthly possessions.
Practical ApplicationsBelievers are encouraged to practice moderation in all areas of life, including consumption, speech, and behavior. The call to avoid excess is not merely about abstaining from certain activities but about cultivating a heart and mind oriented towards God and His purposes. By prioritizing spiritual growth and community well-being over personal indulgence, Christians can live out the biblical principles that counteract the temptations of excess.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The state of surpassing normal limits or needs; superabundance; extravagance; as, an excess of wealth; an excess of light.
2. (n.) An undue indulgence of the appetite; transgression of proper moderation in natural gratifications; intemperance; dissipation.
3. (n.) The degree or amount by which one thing or number exceeds another; remainder; as, the difference between two numbers is the excess of one over the other.
Greek
5236. huperbole -- a throwing beyond,excess, superiority... a throwing beyond,
excess, superiority. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
huperbole Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-er-bol-ay') Short Definition
...401. anachusis -- a pouring out, overflow
... Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: anachusis Phonetic Spelling:
(an-akh'-oo-sis) Short Definition: outpouring,excess Definition: outpouring...
810. asotia -- unsavedness, ie wastefulness
... Word Origin from alpha (as a neg. prefix) and sozo Definition unsavedness, ie
wastefulness NASB Word Usage dissipation (3).excess, debauchery....
193. akrates -- powerless, impotent
... of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: akrates Phonetic Spelling: (ak-rat'-ace) Short
Definition: lacking self-control, inclined toexcess Definition: lacking...
4051. perisseuma -- superfluity
... Cognate: 4051 (a neuter noun derived from 4012 , "all-around/excess") -- abundance,
especially as a situation (ie by its ); what is greater than expected...
2261. epios -- gentle, mild
... 2307 ). It describes the believer acting even-handedly, avoiding unnecessary
harshness orexcess by into a situation that God reveals....
4053. perissos -- abundant
... Cognate: 4053 (an adjective, derived from 4012 , "all-around,excess") -- properly ,
"more than" ("abundantly"); beyond what is anticipated, exceeding...
4052. perisseuo -- to be over and above, to abound
... From perissos; to superabound (in quantity or quality), be inexcess, be superfluous;
also (transitively) to cause to superabound or excel -- (make, more...
4057. perissos -- abundantly
... Cognate: 4057 (an adjective, derived from 4012 , "all-around,excess") --
"extraordinarily, exceedingly" (J. Thayer); expectation; further than the upper...
4012. peri -- about, concerning, around (denotes place, cause or...
... In comparative, it retains substantially the same meaning of circuit (around),
excess (beyond), or completeness (through). see GREEK peran....
Strong's Hebrew
5736. adaph -- to remain over, be inexcess... 5735, 5736. adaph. 5737 . to remain over, be in
excess. Transliteration: adaph
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-daf') Short Definition:
excess. Word Origin a prim.
...3499. yether -- remainder,excess, preeminence
... 3498, 3499. yether. 3499a . remainder,excess, preeminence. Transliteration:
yether Phonetic Spelling: (yeh'-ther) Short Definition: abundant....
3499a. yether -- remainder,excess, preeminence
... 3499, 3499a. yether. 3499b . remainder,excess, preeminence. Transliteration:
yether Short Definition: rest. Word Origin from yathar...
3148. yother -- superiority, advantage,excess
... 3147, 3148. yother. 3149 . superiority, advantage,excess. Transliteration:
yother Phonetic Spelling: (yo-thare') Short Definition: advantage....
5629. serach --excess
... 5628, 5629. serach. 5630 .excess. Transliteration: serach Phonetic Spelling:
(seh'-rakh) Short Definition: part. Word Origin from...
7646. saba -- to be sated, satisfied or surfeited
... fed them to the full (1), filled (9), full (2), get enough (1), glutted (1), had
enough (2), have his fill (1), have in plenty (1), have it inexcess (1), have...
5628. sarach -- to go free, be unrestrained, overrun, exceed
... exceeding, hand, spread, stretch self, banish. A primitive root; to extend (even
toexcess) -- exceeding, hand, spread, stretch self, banish. 5627, 5628....
8311. sara -- to extend
... A primitive root; to prolong, ie (reflex) be deformed byexcess of members -- stretch
out self, (have any) superfluous thing. 8310, 8311. sara. 8312 ....
5606. saphaq -- to slap, clap
... the hands (in token of compact, derision, grief, indignation, or punishment); by
implication of satisfaction, to be enough; by implication ofexcess, to vomit...
Library
Whether There Can be anyExcess in the Worship of God?
... OF SUPERSTITION CONSISTING IN UNDUE WORSHIP OF THE TRUE GOD (TWO ARTICLES)
Whether there can be anyexcess in the worship of God?...
WhetherExcess and Deficiency Diversify the Species of Sins?
... OF THE DISTINCTION OF SINS (NINE ARTICLES) Whetherexcess and deficiency
diversify the species of sins? Objection 1: It would seem...
Whether Presumption is Opposed to Magnanimity byExcess?
... OF PRESUMPTION (TWO ARTICLES) Whether presumption is opposed to magnanimity
byexcess? Objection 1: It seems that presumption is...
Whether Ambition is Opposed to Magnanimity byExcess?
... OF AMBITION (TWO ARTICLES) Whether ambition is opposed to magnanimity byexcess?
Objection 1: It seems that ambition is not opposed to magnanimity byexcess....
Whether There Can be Sin in theExcess of Play?
... OF MODESTY AS CONSISTING IN THE OUTWARD MOVEMENTS OF THE BODY (FOUR ARTICLES)
Whether there can be sin in theexcess of play? Objection...
Excess in Dress, as Well as in Personal Culture, to be Shunned...
... Book II. Chapter IX."Excess in Dress, as Well as in Personal Culture,
to Be Shunned Arguments Drawn from I Cor. VII. Wherefore...
TheExcess of his Pious Concern Caused Him to Shed Tears; and his...
... Book II. Chapter LXXII."TheExcess of his Pious Concern caused him to shed Tears;
and his Intended Journey to the East was postponed because of These Things....
The Triacontad of the Heretics Errs Both by Defect andExcess...
... Against Heresies: Book II Chapter XII."The Triacontad of the heretics errs both
by defect andexcess: Sophia could never have produced anything apart from...
Origin of the Devil, in the CriminalExcess of the Sorrow of...
... Chapter XXII."Origin of the Devil, in the CriminalExcess of the Sorrow of Achamoth
The Devil, Called Also Munditenens, Actually Wiser Than the Demiurge...
Whether the Theological virtues Observe the Mean?
... Therefore theological virtue observes the mean. On the contrary, Wherever virtue
observes the mean it is possible to sin byexcess as well as by deficiency....
Thesaurus
Excess (20 Occurrences)... 1. (n.) The state of surpassing normal limits or needs; superabundance; extravagance;
as, an
excess of wealth; an
excess of light.
...Excess (20 Occurrences).
...Riot (14 Occurrences)
... 4. (vi) To engage in riot; to act in an unrestrained or wanton manner; to indulge
inexcess of luxury, feasting, or the like; to revel; to run riot; to go to...
Overrun (4 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To grow or spread over inexcess; to invade and occupy; to take possession
of; as, the vine overran its trellis; the farm is overrun with witch grass....
Odds (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (a.) Difference in favor of one and against another;excess of one of two things
or numbers over the other; inequality; advantage; superiority; hence...
Flood (70 Occurrences)
... 6. (vt) To cause or permit to be inundated; to fill or cover with water or other
fluid; as, to flood arable land for irrigation; to fill toexcess or to its...
Ransomed (27 Occurrences)
... Numbers 3:46 And for those that are to be ransomed, the two hundred and
seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are inexcess over...
Excesses (3 Occurrences)
... 1 Peter 4:4 in which they think it strange -- your not running with them to
the sameexcess of dissoluteness, speaking evil, (See NAS)....
Drinking (114 Occurrences)
... 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Drink. 2. (n.) The act of one who drinks; the act of imbibing.
3. (n.) The practice of partaking toexcess of intoxicating liquors....
Surfeit (1 Occurrence)
... 3. (n.) Disgust caused byexcess; satiety. 4. (vi) To load the stomach with
food, so that sickness or uneasiness ensues; to eat toexcess....
Banquet (58 Occurrences)
... Birthday banquets are mentioned (Genesis 40:20; Matthew 14:6). They were sometimes
protracted, and attended with revelry andexcess (Genesis 21:8; 29:22; 1...
Resources
What does the Bible say about moderation? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about drinking alcohol / wine? Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol / wine? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the treasury of merit? | GotQuestions.orgExcess: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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