Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of the Bible, the concept of "lose" can be understood in various dimensions, including spiritual, material, and relational aspects. The term often carries significant theological implications, particularly concerning the loss of one's soul, possessions, or relationships.
1.
Spiritual Loss: The most profound form of loss discussed in the Bible is the loss of one's soul. Jesus emphasizes the gravity of this in
Matthew 16:26 : "What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" This verse underscores the eternal consequence of prioritizing worldly gains over spiritual well-being. The loss of one's soul is depicted as the ultimate tragedy, highlighting the eternal value of spiritual life over temporal success.
2.
Material Loss: The Bible also addresses the loss of material possessions, often in the context of testing faith or divine discipline. Job is a quintessential example, as he experiences the loss of wealth, health, and family. Despite these losses, Job maintains his faith, illustrating the biblical principle that material loss can serve as a test of character and faithfulness. In the New Testament, Jesus advises against storing up treasures on earth, where they can be lost to decay or theft (
Matthew 6:19-20).
3.
Relational Loss: Relational loss is another theme, often seen in the context of familial and community relationships. Jesus speaks to this in
Luke 14:26 : "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple." Here, "hate" is understood as a hyperbolic expression to indicate the necessity of prioritizing one's relationship with Christ above all others, even if it results in the loss of earthly relationships.
4.
Loss as Sacrifice: The Bible also presents loss as a form of sacrifice, which can lead to greater spiritual gain. In
Philippians 3:7-8 , Paul writes, "But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things." This passage reflects the idea that willingly losing worldly status or possessions for the sake of Christ is a noble and rewarding sacrifice.
5.
Redemptive Loss: The concept of redemptive loss is evident in the parables of Jesus, such as the Parable of the Lost Sheep (
Luke 15:4-7). Here, the shepherd's willingness to leave the ninety-nine sheep to find the one lost sheep illustrates God's redemptive pursuit of those who are spiritually lost. This parable highlights the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, emphasizing the value of each soul.
6.
Warnings Against Loss: The Bible also contains warnings against spiritual complacency that can lead to loss. In
Revelation 3:11 , Jesus warns the church in Philadelphia: "I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one will take your crown." This admonition serves as a reminder to remain vigilant in faith to avoid spiritual loss.
In summary, the concept of "lose" in the Bible encompasses a range of meanings, from the loss of material possessions and relationships to the more significant spiritual implications of losing one's soul or eternal rewards. The biblical narrative consistently points to the importance of prioritizing spiritual over temporal concerns, encouraging believers to view loss through the lens of faith and eternal perspective.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
v. t.) To part with unintentionally or unwillingly, as by accident, misfortune, negligence, penalty, forfeit, etc.; to be deprived of; as, to lose money from one's purse or pocket, or in business or gaming; to lose an arm or a leg by amputation; to lose men in battle.
2. (v. t.) To cease to have; to possess no longer; to suffer diminution of; as, to lose one's relish for anything; to lose one's health.
3. (v. t.) Not to employ; to employ ineffectually; to throw away; to waste; to squander; as, to lose a day; to lose the benefits of instruction.
4. (v. t.) To wander from; to miss, so as not to be able to and; to go astray from; as, to lose one's way.
5. (v. t.) To ruin; to destroy; as destroy; as, the ship was lost on the ledge.
6. (v. t.) To be deprived of the view of; to cease to see or know the whereabouts of; as, he lost his companion in the crowd.
7. (v. t.) To fail to obtain or enjoy; to fail to gain or win; hence, to fail to catch with the mind or senses; to miss; as, I lost a part of what he said.
8. (v. t.) To cause to part with; to deprive of.
9. (v. t.) To prevent from gaining or obtaining.
10. (v. i.) To suffer loss, disadvantage, or defeat; to be worse off, esp. as the result of any kind of contest.
Greek
1457b. egkakeo -- tolose heart... 1457a, 1457b. egkakeo. 1458 . to
lose heart. Transliteration: egkakeo
Short Definition: disheartened. Word Origin from en and kakos
...131. haimorroeo -- tolose blood
... tolose blood. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: haimorroeo Phonetic Spelling:
(hahee-mor-hreh'-o) Short Definition: I suffer from a continual flow (oozing...
1601b. ekpipto -- to drop away, fig. tolose, become inefficient
... to drop away, fig. tolose, become inefficient. Transliteration: ekpipto Short
Definition: aground. Word Origin from ek and pipto Definition to drop away, fig....
622. apollumi -- to destroy, destroy utterly
... to destroy, destroy utterly. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apollumi Phonetic
Spelling: (ap-ol'-loo-mee) Short Definition: I destroy,lose, am perishing...
1601. ekpipto -- to leap out
... out, fall off, fall away; hence in nautical language: I fall off from the straight
course; of flowers: I fade away, wither away; I fall from,lose, forfeit; I...
2210. zemioo -- to damage, suffer loss
... the irony of how . As a person grows in knowing Christ they willingly
"lose" their "right" to be #NAME? eternal significance in...
3471. moraino -- to be foolish
... make foolish,lose savor. From moros; to become insipid; figuratively, to make
(passively, act) as a simpleton -- become fool, make foolish,lose savour....
120. athumeo -- to gather
... to gather. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: athumeo Phonetic Spelling:
(ath-oo-meh'-o) Short Definition: Ilose heart Definition: Ilose heart, am...
3119. malakia -- softness, weakness
... softens") the victim. 3119 () is an ailment that -- "a infirmity" causing
the tolose muscle fiber, etc. Word Origin from malakos...
358. analos -- saltless
... without saltiness. From a (as a negative particle) and hals; saltless, ie Insipid --
Xlose saltness. see GREEK a. see GREEK hals. (analon) -- 1 Occurrence....
Strong's Hebrew
5301. naphach -- to breathe, blow... blow NASB Word Usage blow (3), blows (1), boiling (2), breathe (1), breathed (1),
breathing is labored* (1), disdainfully sniff (1),
lose (1), unfanned (1).
...6. abad -- to perish
... break, destroy uction, not escape, fail,lose, cause to, make perish, spend,.
A primitive root; properly, to wander away, ieLose...
622. asaph -- to gather, remove
... collected (2), collects (1), cure (4), destroy (1), disappear (1), drew (1), garner
(1), gather (33), gathered (81), gathering (1), gathers (3),lose (3), pick...
7843. shachath -- perhaps to go to ruin
... batter, cast off, corrupter, thing, destroyerlose, mar, perish, spill,.
A primitive root; to decay, ie (causatively) ruin (literally...
5287. naar -- to shake, shake out or off
... root Definition to shake, shake out or off NASB Word Usagelose (1), overthrew
(2), shake (2), shake free (1), shaken (2), shaken off (1), shakes (1), shook (1...
5034b. nabel -- to sink or drop down, languish, fade
... Definition to sink or drop down, languish, fade NASB Word Usage crumbles away (1),
fade (1), fade away (1), fades (2), fades away (1), fading (2),lose heart (1...
7503. raphah -- sink, relax
... 2), let her alone (1), let him alone (1), let him go (1), let it go (1), let me
alone (1), let us alone (1), let go (1), limp (1), loosens (1),lose courage* (1...
4549. masas -- to dissolve, melt
... root Definition to dissolve, melt NASB Word Usage completelylose heart (1), drenched
(1), dropped (1), melt (7), melt away (1), melted (5), melting (1), melts...
7921. shakol -- to be bereaved
... literally or figuratively) -- bereave (of children), barren, cast calf (fruit, young),
be (make) childless, deprive, destroy, X expect,lose children, miscarry...
3027. yad -- hand
... 1), hold* (1), human agency (1), idle* (1), influence (1), jaws (1), labor (1),
large* (2), leadership (1), left-handed* (2), let go* (1),lose courage* (1...
Library
That the SaintsLose Nothing in Losing Temporal Goods.
... The City of God.Book I. Chapter 10."That the SaintsLose Nothing in Losing
Temporal Goods. These... [54] Did theylose these? For...
May oneLose the Blessing?
... CHAPTER XVIII. MAY ONELOSE THE BLESSING? The question trembles from many a
lip"If I get the blessing, may Ilose it? Most certainly. But, glory be to God!...
Whether we CanLose Charity when once we have It?
... OF THE SUBJECT OF CHARITY (TWELVE ARTICLES) Whether we canlose charity when once
we have it?... For if welose it, this can only be through sin....
TimesLose no Time; nor do they Roll Idly By...
... Book IV Chapter VIII Timeslose no time; nor do they roll idly by? Times
lose no time; nor do they roll idly by; through our senses...
So Then, if SoulsLose all their Knowledge on Being Fettered with...
... Book II. 27 So then, if soulslose all their knowledge on being fettered
with the body? So then, if soulslose all their knowledge...
That the Jews ShouldLose Jerusalem, and Should Leave the Land...
... First Book. 6. That the Jews shouldlose Jerusalem, and should leave the
land which they had received. In Isaiah: "Your country...
Also that they ShouldLose the Light of the Lord.
... First Book. 7. Also that they shouldlose the Light of the Lord. In Isaiah:
"Come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord....
That the Jews WouldLose While we Should Receive the Bread and the...
... That the Jews wouldlose while we should receive the bread and the cup of Christ
and all His grace, and that the new name of Christians should be blessed in...
The Great Misery of those whoLose the Saints' Rest.
... CHAPTER V. THE GREAT MISERY OF THOSE WHOLOSE THE SAINTS' REST.... Theylose that shining
lustre of the body, surpassing the brightness of the sun at noon-day....
The Misery of those Who, Besides Losing the Saints' Rest,Lose the...
... CHAPTER VI. THE MISERY OF THOSE WHO, BESIDES LOSING THE SAINTS' REST,LOSE
THE ENJOYMENTS OF TIME, AND SUFFER THE TORMENTS OF HELL....
Thesaurus
Lose (59 Occurrences)... 1. (vt) To part with unintentionally or unwillingly, as by accident, misfortune,
negligence, penalty, forfeit, etc.; to be deprived of; as, to
lose money from
...Loses (17 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Loses (17 Occurrences). Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of
the land, but if the salt maylose savour, in what shall it be salted?...
Wishes (37 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). Matthew 16:25 For whoever desires to save his life willlose it, and
whoever willlose his life for my sake will find it. (See NAS)....
Sake (241 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV ASV WBS RSV). Matthew 10:39 He who seeks his life willlose it;
and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. (WEB...
Forfeit (12 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) Tolose, orlose the right to, by some error, fault, offense, or crime;
to render one's self by misdeed liable to be deprived of; to alienate the right...
Desires (151 Occurrences)
... (WEB WEY DBY). Matthew 16:25 For whoever desires to save his life willlose it,
and whoever willlose his life for my sake will find it. (WEB WEY)....
Save (375 Occurrences)
... We are dying!" (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Matthew 10:39 To save
your life is tolose it, and tolose your life for my sake is to save it. (WEY)....
Wither (30 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) To fade; tolose freshness; to become sapless; to become sapless; to dry
or shrivel up.... 3. (n.) Tolose vigor or power; to languish; to pass away....
Trip (4 Occurrences)
... 3. (ni) To take a quick step, as when in danger of losing one's balance; hence,
to make a false; to catch the foot; tolose footing; to stumble....
Desire (565 Occurrences)
... The Hebrew kacaph, literally, "tolose in value," is translated (Zep 2:1) by "hath
no shame" (the Revised Version, margin "longing," the King James Version...
Resources
Can you lose the Holy Spirit? | GotQuestions.orgCan a Christian lose salvation? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean to gain the whole world but lose your soul? | GotQuestions.orgLose: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
