Topical Encyclopedia
Longing, a deep and persistent desire or yearning, is a theme that resonates throughout the Bible. It reflects the human condition and the innate desire for connection with God, fulfillment, and the realization of divine promises. This entry explores the concept of longing as depicted in the Scriptures, highlighting its spiritual significance and implications for believers.
Longing for GodThe Psalms frequently express a profound longing for God, portraying the psalmists' deep desire for His presence and guidance.
Psalm 42:1-2 captures this sentiment vividly: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" This imagery of thirst and longing underscores the soul's innate need for communion with the Creator.
Similarly,
Psalm 63:1 declares, "O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You. My soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land without water." Here, the psalmist's longing is portrayed as an earnest pursuit of God, emphasizing the necessity of His presence in the believer's life.
Longing for Righteousness and JusticeThe Bible also speaks of a longing for righteousness and justice, reflecting God's character and the believer's desire to see His will manifested on earth. In
Matthew 5:6, Jesus proclaims, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." This beatitude highlights the promise that those who earnestly seek righteousness will find satisfaction in God's provision.
The prophets often voiced a longing for justice, as seen in
Isaiah 26:8-9: "Yes, in the path of Your judgments, O LORD, we wait for You; Your name and renown are the desire of our souls. My soul longs for You in the night; indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently." This passage reflects a deep yearning for God's righteous judgments and His ultimate vindication.
Longing for Redemption and RestorationThe theme of longing extends to the anticipation of redemption and restoration. The Apostle Paul articulates this in
Romans 8:23, where he writes, "Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." This longing for the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan is a central aspect of Christian hope.
In the Old Testament, the longing for restoration is evident in the exilic and post-exilic periods. The Israelites yearned for the return to their homeland and the rebuilding of the temple, as expressed in
Psalm 137:1: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept when we remembered Zion." This longing for restoration is a testament to the enduring hope in God's promises.
Longing for Christ's ReturnThe New Testament believers expressed a longing for the return of Jesus Christ, a hope that continues to inspire Christians today. In
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Paul describes the anticipation of Christ's return: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."
This longing for Christ's return is a source of comfort and motivation for believers, encouraging them to live in readiness and faithfulness. The Apostle John echoes this sentiment in
Revelation 22:20, where he records the words of Jesus: "He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"
ConclusionThe biblical concept of longing encompasses a deep desire for God, righteousness, justice, redemption, and the return of Christ. It reflects the believer's yearning for a closer relationship with the Creator and the fulfillment of His promises. Through longing, Christians are drawn into a deeper faith and reliance on God's eternal plan.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
p. pr. & vb. n.) of Long.
2. (n.) An eager desire; a craving; a morbid appetite; an earnest wish; an aspiration.
Greek
1974. epipothia --longing...longing. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: epipothia Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ee-poth-ee'-ah) Short Definition:
longing, eager desire Definition
...1972. epipothesis --longing
...longing. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: epipothesis Phonetic Spelling:
(ep-ee-poth'-ay-sis) Short Definition: eagerlonging, desire Definition...
1939. epithumia -- desire, passionatelonging, lust
... desire, passionatelonging, lust. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
epithumia Phonetic Spelling: (ep-ee-thoo-mee'-ah) Short Definition: desire...
3715. orexis -- desire,longing
... desire,longing. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: orexis Phonetic
Spelling: (or'-ex-is) Short Definition: strong desire, lust Definition: strong...
1937. epithumeo -- desire, lust after
... Definition desire, lust after NASB Word Usage covet (2), coveted (1), craved (1),
desire (1), desired (2), desires (1), gladly (1), long (3),longing (1), lust...
603. apokaradokia -- strained expectancy
... Word Origin from a comp. of apo, kara (the head) and dokeo Definition strained
expectancy NASB Word Usage anxiouslonging (1), earnest expectation (1)....
3713. orego -- to stretch out, to reach after, to yearn for
... Word Origin a prim. verb Definition to stretch out, to reach after, to yearn for
NASB Word Usage aspires (1), desire (1),longing (1). covet after, desire....
5355. phthonos -- envy
... 5355 ("ill-will") conveys "displeasure at another's good; . .withoutlonging to
raise oneself to the level of him whom he envies, but only to the...
1971. epipotheo -- to long for
... Word Origin from epi and potheo (to yearn) Definition to long for NASB
Word Usage desires (1), long (3),longing (4), yearn (1)....
Strong's Hebrew
8375. taabah -- alonging... 8374, 8375. taabah. 8376 . a
longing. Transliteration: taabah Phonetic
Spelling: (tah-ab-aw') Short Definition:
longing. Word Origin
...8669. teshuqah -- alonging
... 8668, 8669. teshuqah. 8670 . alonging. Transliteration: teshuqah Phonetic
Spelling: (tesh-oo-kaw') Short Definition: desire. Word...
7469. reuth --longing, striving
... 7468, 7469. reuth. 7470 .longing, striving. Transliteration: reuth Phonetic
Spelling: (reh-ooth') Short Definition: striving. Word...
7475. rayon --longing, striving
... 7474, 7475. rayon. 7476 .longing, striving. Transliteration: rayon Phonetic
Spelling: (rah-yone') Short Definition: striving. Word...
185. avvah -- desire
... desire, lust after, pleasure. From 'avah;longing -- desire, lust after, pleasure.
see HEBREW 'avah. 184, 185. avvah. 186 . Strong's Numbers.
8615b. tiqvah -- a hope
... a hope. Transliteration: tiqvah Short Definition: hope. Word Origin from qavah
Definition a hope NASB Word Usage expectation (3), hope (28),longing (1)....
5315. nephesh -- a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire...
... Himself (4), himself (19), human (1), human being (1), hunger (1), life (146), life*
(1), lifeblood* (2), lives (34), living creature (1),longing* (1), man (4...
6914. Qibroth Hattaavah -- "the graves of desire," a place in the...
... From the feminine plural of qeber, and ta'avah with the article interposed; graves
of thelonging; Kibroth-hat-Taavh, a place in the Desert -- Kibroth-hattaavah...
15. abeh -- desire
... Definition: desire. Word Origin see bayay. desire From 'abah;longing -- desire.
see HEBREW 'abah. 14, 15. abeh. 16 . Strong's Numbers.
183. avah -- to incline, desire
... crave (1), craved (1), craves (1), craving (1), desire (8), desired (2), desires
(5), desires* (1), had (1), had a craving (2), longed (1),longing (1), longs...
Library
Longing.
... THE SOUL. XXXI.LONGING. Fy ngweddi d??s i'r n?�f 6,6,8,6,6,6,8,6. Direct unto my
God,. With speed, my cry ascend: Present to Him this urgent plea:"....
Longing
... The Treasury of Sacred Song. Book First LVIIILONGING. With sick and famish'd eyes,
With doubling knees, and weary bones,. To Thee my cries,. To Thee my groans,...
The Life of FaithLonging for Home.
... The Life of FaithLonging for Home. XI.Longing for Home. 7,7,7,7,7,7,7,7,7,
7. Oeffne nun die Perlenthoren. [334]Wolfgang C. Deszler.1692....
Paul'sLonging
... ROMANS PAUL'SLONGING. 'I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some
spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 12....
Of theLonging with which the Old Patriarchs Desired to See the...
... Book V. Chapter XIII. Of thelonging with which the old patriarchs desired
to see the revelation of that mystery. This mystery then...
Mourning andLonging.
... III. CONFLICT. Hymn 24 Mourning andlonging. William Cowper 6,6,8,6. Mourning and
longing. The Savior hides his face! My spirit thirsts to prove....
Longing for the Courts of the Lord's House. --Ps. Xlii.
... ORIGINAL HYMNS HYMN XCVI.Longing for the Courts of the Lord's House."Ps. xlii.... James
Montgomery.Longing for the Courts of the Lord's House."Psalm 42.p>....
TheLonging of the Heathen for a Saviour. --The Star of the Wise...
... CHAPTER III. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. Section 19. TheLonging of the Heathen
for a Saviour."The Star of the Wise Men. Not only dwellers...
TheLonging Eyes that Sought the Light
... ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS Thelonging eyes that sought the light. tr., John Brownlie
8.6.8.6.8.8. I. Thelonging eyes that sought the light. Are filled with glad amaze...
Now from thisLonging on Both Sides, Nature Wanting God...
... [Way-3-52] Now from thislonging on both sides, nature wanting God? Now
from thislonging on both sides, nature wanting God, and...
Thesaurus
Longing (40 Occurrences)...Longing (40 Occurrences). Luke 16:21 covered with sores and
longing to make a full
meal off the scraps flung on the floor from the rich man's table.
...Lust (42 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Sinfullonging; the inward sin which leads to
the falling away from God (Romans 1:21). "Lust, the origin...
Desire (565 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) The naturallonging that is excited by the enjoyment or the thought of any
good, and impels to action or effort its continuance or possession; an eager...
Yearn (4 Occurrences)
... 4. (vi) To be filled withlonging desire; to be harassed or rendered uneasy with
longing, or feeling the want of a thing; to strain with emotions of affection...
Envy (56 Occurrences)
... have a feeling of uneasiness or mortification in regard to (any one), arising from
the sight of another's excellence or good fortune and alonging to possess it...
Zeal (45 Occurrences)
... 2 Corinthians 7:7 and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort with which
he was comforted in you, while he told us of yourlonging, your mourning, and...
Longingly (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (adv.) Withlonging. Multi-Version Concordance
Longingly (2 Occurrences). 2 Samuel 23:15 And David longed...
Fond (6 Occurrences)
... 5. (superl.) Loving; much pleased; affectionately regardful, indulgent, or desirous;
longing or yearning; -- followed by of (formerly also by on)....
Concern (35 Occurrences)
... 2 Corinthians 7:7 and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort with which
he was comforted in you, while he told us of yourlonging, your mourning, and...
Appetite (22 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Desire for, or relish of, food or drink; hunger. 3. (n.) Any strong
desire; an eagerness orlonging. 4. (n.) Tendency; appetency....
Resources
Should Christians seek after spiritual enlightenment? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the Valley of Baca in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is New Monasticism? | GotQuestions.orgLonging: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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