Topical Encyclopedia
The term "languished" in the Bible often conveys a sense of weakness, deterioration, or decline, both physically and spiritually. It is used to describe the state of individuals, nations, or even the land itself when they are in a condition of suffering or depletion.
Biblical Usage and Context1.
Physical and Spiritual Weakness: In the Scriptures, languishing can refer to a state of physical weakness or illness. For example, in
Psalm 6:2 , David cries out, "Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am frail; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are in agony." Here, the psalmist expresses a deep sense of physical and spiritual languishing, seeking God's mercy and healing.
2.
Moral and Spiritual Decline: Languishing can also describe a moral or spiritual decline. In
Isaiah 24:4 , it is written, "The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the exalted of the earth languish." This passage speaks to the consequences of sin and disobedience, where the earth and its inhabitants suffer due to their estrangement from God.
3.
National and Societal Decay: The term is used to describe the decline of nations or societies. In
Jeremiah 14:2 , the prophet laments, "Judah mourns, and her gates languish; they wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem." This reflects the dire state of Judah due to drought and the people's unfaithfulness to God, leading to societal and economic collapse.
4.
Environmental Desolation: Languishing is also applied to the land itself, often as a result of divine judgment. In
Joel 1:10 , the prophet declares, "The fields are ruined, the ground mourns; for the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails." This imagery of a languishing land underscores the impact of sin and the need for repentance and restoration.
Theological ImplicationsThe concept of languishing in the Bible serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of sin and the human condition apart from God. It highlights the need for divine intervention and the hope of restoration through repentance and faith. The recurring theme of languishing due to disobedience calls believers to remain steadfast in their relationship with God, seeking His strength and guidance in times of weakness and decline.
Practical ApplicationFor believers, the biblical portrayal of languishing encourages a reliance on God's strength and mercy. It serves as a call to prayer and repentance, recognizing that true healing and restoration come from the Lord. In times of personal or communal languishing, Christians are reminded to turn to God, trusting in His promises and seeking His will for renewal and revival.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
imp. & p. p.) of Languish.
Strong's Hebrew
3856. lahah -- to languish, faint... 3855, 3856. lahah. 3857 . to languish, faint. Transliteration: lahah Phonetic
Spelling: (law-hah') Short Definition:
languished. Word Origin a prim.
...535. amal -- to be weak, languish
... root Definition to be weak, languish NASB Word Usage decays (1), fade away (1),
fades (1), fails (2), languish (1),languished (1), languishes (2), languishing...
Library
The Acquiescence of Pure Love
... I watch my hours, and see them fleet away; The time is long that I have
languished here; Yet all my thoughts thy purposes obey,....
Carmel
... But now its beautylanguished under a withering curse. The altars erected to
the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth stood now in leafless groves....
"I Desired to Suffer with Him"
... to suffer with Him. Footnotes: [13] "I langorid forth"=languished on. [14]
I thought often that I was about to die. [15] Or it may...
The Life of Mr. James Mitchel.
... during which time the Lord was very merciful and gracious to him, both in an external
and internal way.""For his body by degrees dailylanguished till he...
That by virtue of this Work a Sinner Truly Turned and Called to...
... yet, it may be said and affirmed by Scripture, that she had a more hearty sorrow,
a more doleful desire, and a more deep sighing, and more shelanguished, yea!...
Third Sunday in Advent and it Shall be Said in that Day, Lo, this...
... Rejoicing in Thy fame; And puts forth all her sleeping powers,. To honour Jesus'
name. In heavy bonds Ilanguished long,. Thou com'st to set me free;...
How Our Lord Practised all the Most Excellent Acts of Love.
... [488] The hour in which he was baptized in his blood was not yet come, and he
languished after it; the love which he bore unto us urging him thereunto, that he...
In the Holy Land.
... There He hath the devil vanquished,. Whom no Kaiser e'er could quell,. Freed those
who in prisonlanguished; Then sore griefs the Jews befell,....
Doubts of John the Baptist in his Imprisonment. --His Message to...
... His view of the relation between the Old and New Dispensations. John the Baptist
had nowlanguished in prison for several months in the fortress Machoerus....
Christ Appears in the Synagogue at Nazareth. --His Life is...
... prophetical Jubilee, and declared himself to be the promised one that was to open
the eyes of the blind, and to bring liberty to those wholanguished in the...
Thesaurus
Languished (10 Occurrences)... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Languish. Multi-Version Concordance
Languished (10 Occurrences). Genesis 47:13 And there
...Mourned (54 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 19:8 And lamented have the fishers, And mourned have all casting angle into
a brook, And those spreading nets on the face of the waters havelanguished....
Faded (12 Occurrences)
... (DBY). Isaiah 24:4 Mourned, faded hath the land,Languished, faded hath the world,
Languished have they -- the high place of the people of the land. (YLT)....
Languish (13 Occurrences)
Languishes (11 Occurrences)
Lamented (19 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 19:8 And lamented have the fishers, And mourned have all casting angle into
a brook, And those spreading nets on the face of the waters havelanguished....
Forlorn (3 Occurrences)
... full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry have ceased;
while the barren hath borne seven, she that had many children hathlanguished....
Breathed (16 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 15:9Languished hath the bearer of seven, She hath breathed out her spirit,
Gone in hath her sun while yet day, It hath been ashamed and confounded...
Bithynia (2 Occurrences)
... 113 AD He found Christians under his jurisdiction in such numbers that the heathen
temples were almost deserted, and the trade in sacrificial animalslanguished...
Abounding (28 Occurrences)
... the hungry have ceased. While the barren hath borne seven, And she abounding
with sons hathlanguished. (YLT). Nehemiah 9:17 and...
Resources
Who was Cyrus in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about loneliness? | GotQuestions.orgSummary of the Book of Ezekiel - Bible Survey | GotQuestions.orgLanguished: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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