Topical Encyclopedia
Mildew, a term often associated with mold or fungus, appears in the Bible primarily in the context of divine judgment and ceremonial law. It is mentioned in the Old Testament as a sign of God's displeasure and as a condition requiring purification under the Mosaic Law.
Biblical References:1.
Leviticus 13:47-59: In the Levitical laws, mildew is addressed in the context of defiling molds on clothing. The passage provides detailed instructions for the examination and treatment of garments afflicted with mildew. If the mildew persists after washing, the garment is to be burned, signifying the seriousness of maintaining purity and cleanliness among the Israelites.
"If any fabric is contaminated with mildew—any wool or linen garment, any weave or knit of linen or wool, or any leather or anything made of leather—and if the contamination in the fabric, the leather, the weave or knit, or any leather article is greenish or reddish, it is a mildew and must be shown to the priest." (Leviticus 13:47-49)
2.Leviticus 14:33-57: This passage extends the laws concerning mildew to houses. When mildew is found in a house, the priest is to inspect it, and if the mildew is spreading, the house must be cleansed or, in severe cases, demolished. This reflects the importance of holiness and the removal of impurity from the community.
"The LORD also said to Moses and Aaron, 'When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a mildew contamination in a house in the land you possess, the owner of the house must go and tell the priest, ‘Something like mildew has appeared in my house.’" (Leviticus 14:33-35)
3.Deuteronomy 28:22: Mildew is listed among the curses that would come upon Israel if they disobeyed God's commandments. It is grouped with other calamities such as disease and drought, emphasizing its role as a tool of divine retribution.
"The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, and with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish." (Deuteronomy 28:22)
Theological Significance:
In the biblical context, mildew is more than a mere physical ailment; it is a symbol of spiritual impurity and divine judgment. The meticulous laws concerning mildew in Leviticus highlight the holiness required by God and the need for His people to remain separate from defilement. The presence of mildew, whether in garments or houses, necessitated a response that involved the priesthood, underscoring the role of mediation and purification in maintaining the covenant relationship with God.
The mention of mildew in Deuteronomy as part of the curses for disobedience serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God's commandments. It illustrates the broader theme of covenant blessings and curses that permeate the Old Testament, where faithfulness to God results in prosperity and protection, while disobedience leads to suffering and loss.
Cultural and Historical Context:
In ancient Near Eastern cultures, mildew and other forms of mold were common issues due to the climate and building materials. The biblical laws concerning mildew reflect a practical concern for health and hygiene, as well as a theological concern for ritual purity. The detailed instructions for dealing with mildew demonstrate the comprehensive nature of the Mosaic Law, which governed not only spiritual and moral conduct but also everyday life.
Overall, mildew in the Bible serves as a tangible representation of the broader spiritual truths concerning sin, purity, and the necessity of divine intervention for cleansing and restoration.Easton's Bible Dictionary
(the rendering of a Hebrew word meaning "to be yellow, " yellowness), the result of cutting east winds blighting and thus rendering the grain unproductive (Deuteronomy 28:22;1 Kings 8:37;2 Chronicles 6:28).Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) A growth of minute powdery or webby fungi, whitish or of different colors, found on various diseased or decaying substances.2. (v. t.) To taint with mildew.
3. (v. i.) To become tainted with mildew.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
MILDEWmil'-du (yeraqon; Septuagint usually ikteros, literally, "jaundice"): In the 5 passages where it occurs it is associated with shiddaphon, "blasting" (Deuteronomy 28:221 Kings 8:372 Chronicles 6:28Amos 4:9Haggai 2:17). InJeremiah 30:6, the same word is translated "paleness," the yellow color of one with abdominal disease. The root-meaning is "greenish yellow"; compare the Arabic yarqan, meaning both "jaundice" and "blight." Mildrew or "rust" in grain is due to a special fungus, Puccinia graminis, whose life is divided between the barberry and cereals. Many other varieties of fungi which flourish upon other plants are also designated "mildew."
SeeBLASTING.
E. W. G. Masterman
Strong's Hebrew
3420. yeraqon --mildew, paleness, lividness... 3419, 3420. yeraqon. 3421 .
mildew, paleness, lividness. Transliteration: yeraqon
Phonetic Spelling: (yay-raw-kone') Short Definition:
mildew.
...6356. pechetheth -- a boring or eating out
... fret inward. From the same as pachath; a hole (bymildew in a garment) -- fret inward.
see HEBREW pachath. 6355, 6356. pechetheth. 6357 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
The Holy Spirit in the Mystery of the Incarnation.
... To illustrate: A beautiful geranium that adorned the window was killed by the frost.
Leaves and flowers withered, leaving only a mass ofmildew and decay....
God's People in the Furnace
... A child of God may have his crops blasted, andmildew seize his fields, but that
does not prove his election, for multitudes who never were chosen of God have...
The Death of the Christian
... When it has come to somewhat of maturity, how greatly has he feared lest
themildew and blast should shrivel up the precious ears....
The Oration of Moses at the Rehearsal of the Blessing and the...
... shall smite thee with consumption, and with fever, and with inflammation, and with
fiery heat, and with the sword, and with blasting, and withmildew; and they...
Introduction to the Treatise that no one Can Harm the Man who Does...
... Do you say for example that the eyes are liable to the evil of ophthalmia, the entire
body to disease, corn tomildew, timber to rot, copper and iron to rust...
Smitten in Vain
... city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied; yet have ye not returned unto
Me, saith the Lord.9. I have smitten you with blasting andmildew: when your...
The Pietist and the Perfectionist.
... And this is natural. Pharisaism is not a common corruption, but themildew
of the noblest fruit the earth ever saw"viz., godliness....
The Principle of Life in the Creature.
... An insect and a star, themildew on the wall and the cedar on Lebanon, a common
laborer and a man like Augustine, are all the creatures of God; yet how...
On Psalm Lxxvii. Or Lxxviii.
... 46. He gave also their fruits to themildew, and their labours to the locust. 47.
He destroyed their vine with hail, and their sycamines with frost....
The Answer that Without God's Help not Only Perfect Chastity but...
... and an earth of iron," and "the cankerworm eat what the locust hath left, and the
palmerworm eat what the cankerworm hath left, and themildew destroys what...
Thesaurus
Mildew (26 Occurrences)... substances. 2. (vt) To taint with
mildew. 3. (vi) To become tainted with
mildew. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
MILDEW. mil
...Blasting (4 Occurrences)
... Such a pestilence, only prolonged beyond endurance, was to be the fate of the
disobedient. This word should not be confused withmildew....
Blight (5 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.)Mildew; decay; anything nipping or blasting; -- applied as a general name
to various injuries or diseases of plants, causing the whole or a part to...
Destructive (14 Occurrences)
... the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in
the skin, whatever use the skin is used for, the plague is a destructivemildew...
Knitted (9 Occurrences)
... the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in
the skin, whatever use the skin is used for, the plague is a destructivemildew...
Woof (9 Occurrences)
... the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in
the skin, whatever use the skin is used for, the plague is a destructivemildew...
Article (17 Occurrences)
... the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in
the skin, whatever use the skin is used for, the plague is a destructivemildew...
Blast (28 Occurrences)
... Such a pestilence, only prolonged beyond endurance, was to be the fate of the
disobedient. This word should not be confused withmildew....
Warp (9 Occurrences)
... the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in
the skin, whatever use the skin is used for, the plague is a destructivemildew...
Locusts (33 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 8:37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be
blasting ormildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the...
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