Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Significance:Thirst, in the biblical context, often represents both a physical need and a spiritual metaphor. Physically, it refers to the body's craving for water, a fundamental necessity for life. Spiritually, thirst symbolizes a deep yearning for God and His righteousness, reflecting the soul's desire for spiritual fulfillment and communion with the Creator.
Old Testament References:In the Old Testament, thirst is frequently mentioned in the context of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness. God provided water miraculously to quench their physical thirst, demonstrating His provision and care. In
Exodus 17:6 , God instructs Moses, "Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. When you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink." This event not only satisfied their immediate need but also served as a testament to God's faithfulness.
The Psalms often use thirst as a metaphor for spiritual longing.
Psalm 42:1-2 expresses this yearning: "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 in God’s presence?" Here, the psalmist equates physical thirst with a deep spiritual desire to be in God's presence.
New Testament References:In the New Testament, Jesus addresses both physical and spiritual thirst. In
John 4:13-14 , during His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus declares, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life." Jesus offers Himself as the source of living water, satisfying the deepest spiritual thirst.
Furthermore, in
John 7:37-38 , Jesus proclaims during the Feast of Tabernacles, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." This invitation highlights the promise of the Holy Spirit, who indwells believers and fulfills their spiritual needs.
Theological Implications:Thirst, as a spiritual metaphor, underscores humanity's inherent need for God. It reflects the soul's recognition of its insufficiency apart from divine grace and the fulfillment found only in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The imagery of thirst and water in Scripture points to the essential nature of God's presence and the life-giving power of His Word and Spirit.
Practical Application:Believers are encouraged to cultivate a spiritual thirst for God, seeking Him earnestly in prayer, worship, and the study of Scripture. This pursuit leads to a deeper understanding of God's character and a more intimate relationship with Him. As Jesus promised, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled (
Matthew 5:6), emphasizing the blessedness of those who earnestly seek God.
Conclusion:While the Bible does not explicitly conclude on the topic of thirst, it consistently presents God as the ultimate source of satisfaction for both physical and spiritual needs. Through Christ, believers are invited to experience the fullness of life that quenches the deepest longings of the soul.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A sensation of dryness in the throat associated with a craving for liquids, produced by deprivation of drink, or by some other cause (as fear, excitement, etc.) which arrests the secretion of the pharyngeal mucous membrane; hence, the condition producing this sensation.
2. (n.) Fig.: A want and eager desire after anything; a craving or longing; -- usually with for, of, or after; as, the thirst for gold.
3. (n.) To feel thirst; to experience a painful or uneasy sensation of the throat or fauces, as for want of drink.
4. (n.) To have a vehement desire.
5. (v. t.) To have a thirst for.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
THIRSTthurst (tsama', verb tsame'; dipsao, dipsos, dipsa): One of the most powerful natural appetities, the craving for water or other drink. Besides its natural significance, thirst is figuratively used of strong spiritual desire. The soul thirsts for God (Psalm 42:2;Psalm 63:1). Jesus meets the soul's thirst with water of life (John 4:13; 6:35; 7:37). It is said of the heavenly bliss, "They shall hunger no more; neither thirst any more" (Revelation 7:16, 17; compareIsaiah 49:10).
Greek
1372. dipsao -- tothirst... to
thirst. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: dipsao Phonetic Spelling:
(dip-sah'-o) Short Definition: I
thirst for, desire earnestly Definition: I
thirst...1373. dipsos --thirst
... dipsos. 1374 .thirst. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: dipsos Phonetic
Spelling: (dip'-sos) Short Definition:thirst Definition:thirst....
Strong's Hebrew
6772. tsama --thirst... 6771, 6772. tsama. 6773 .
thirst. Transliteration: tsama Phonetic Spelling:
(tsaw-maw') Short Definition:
thirst. Word Origin from
...6773. tsimah -- parched condition
... 6772, 6773. tsimah. 6774 . parched condition. Transliteration: tsimah Phonetic
Spelling: (tsim-aw') Short Definition:thirst. Word Origin fem....thirst....
6770. tsame -- to be thirsty
... 6769, 6770. tsame. 6771 . to be thirsty. Transliteration: tsame Phonetic Spelling:
(tsaw-may') Short Definition:thirst. Word Origin a prim....
3864. Lubim -- inhab. of N. Africa
... 11:43) {loob-bee'}; partrial from a name probably derived from an unused root meaning
tothirst, ie A dry region; apparently a Libyan or inhabitant of interior...
5315. nephesh -- a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire...
... perfume* (1), person (68), person* (1), persons (19), slave (1), some (1), soul
(238), soul's (1), souls (12), strength (1), themselves (6),thirst (1), throat...
6771. tsame -- thirsty
... that thirsts,. From tsame'; thirsty (literally or figuratively) -- (that)
thirst(-eth, -y). see HEBREW tsame'. 6770, 6771. tsame. 6772 . Strong's Numbers.
7301. ravah -- to be saturated, drink one's fill
... A primitive root; to slake thethirst (occasionally of other appetites) -- bathe,
make drunk, (take the) fill, satiate, (abundantly) satisfy, soak, water...
Library
IThirst for Love
... SELECTED POEMS OF SOEUR TH??R??SE, THE LITTLE FLOWER OF JESUS ITHIRST FOR LOVE.... "I
thirst"Ithirst"Ithirst"for love alway!". I, too, Thy prisoner am I;...
Thirst and Satisfaction
... VOLUME II: PSALMS LI to CXLVTHIRST AND SATISFACTION. 'My soul... surface. I.
The soul that knows its own needs willthirst after God. The...
TheThirst of God
... TheThirst of God. Heinrich Suso John 4:7. The hart panteth after the waters,. The
dying for life that departs; The Lord in His glory for sinners,....
"The SpiritualThirst (Which was in Him from Without Beginning) is...
... THE THIRTEENTH REVELATION CHAPTER XXXI "The SpiritualThirst (which was in Him from
without beginning) is desire in Him as long as we be in need, drawing us up...
Knox Little --Thirst Satisfied
... KNOX LITTLE "THIRST SATISFIED.THIRST SATISFIED BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE. William...
KNOX LITTLE. BORN IN 1839.THIRST SATISFIED[1]. [Footnote...
The Divine Hunger andThirst
... THE DIVINE HUNGER ANDTHIRST.... For just in as far as a man hungers and thirsts after
righteousness and truth, he will hunger andthirst after nothing else....
Whether Pleasure CausesThirst or Desire for Itself?
... OF THE EFFECTS OF PLEASURE (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether pleasure causesthirst
or desire for itself? Objection 1: It would seem that...
TheThirst of the Rich Man in Hell Does not Prove the Soul to be...
... Book II. Chapter 8."TheThirst of the Rich Man in Hell Does Not Prove the
Soul to Be Corporeal. Now with regard to the point, which...
The Divine Hunger andThirst. December 14.
... The Divine Hunger andThirst. December 14. God grant us to be among "those
who really hunger andthirst after righteousness," and...
LM Miss Bremer.Thirst for Living Waters.
... VI. THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 236. LM Miss Bremer.Thirst for Living Waters.
1 Ithirst!"O, grant the waters pure Which they who...
Thesaurus
Thirst (40 Occurrences)... 2. (n.) Fig.: A want and eager desire after anything; a craving or longing; --
usually with for, of, or after; as, the
thirst for gold.
...THIRST.
...Quench (14 Occurrences)
... said of flame and fire, of things burning, and figuratively of sensations and emotions;
as, to quench flame; to quench a candle; to quenchthirst, love, hate...
Thirsty (38 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Feelingthirst; having a painful or distressing
sensation from want of drink; hence, having an eager desire....
Thirsted (6 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) ofThirst. Multi-Version Concordance
Thirsted (6 Occurrences). Matthew 25:35 for I hungered...
Nakedness (50 Occurrences)
... 1 Corinthians 4:11 To the present hour we both hunger andthirst, and are in
nakedness, and buffeted, and wander without a home, (DBY)....
Parched (37 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 5:13 Therefore my people go into captivity for lack of knowledge. Their
honorable men are famished, and their multitudes are parched withthirst....
Toil (66 Occurrences)
... (WEY DBY NAS). 2 Corinthians 6:5 by floggings, by imprisonments; by facing riots,
by toil, by sleepless watching, by hunger andthirst; (WEY)....
Drinketh (33 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV WBS). John 4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh
of this water shallthirst again: (KJV ASV WBS). John...
Drinks (28 Occurrences)
... WEB DBY). John 4:13 Jesus answered her, "Everyone who drinks of this water
willthirst again, (WEB WEY DBY NAS RSV NIV). John 4:14...
Sleepless (2 Occurrences)
... 2 Corinthians 6:5 by floggings, by imprisonments; by facing riots, by toil,
by sleepless watching, by hunger andthirst; (WEY NAS NIV)....
Resources
What does it mean that blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness? | GotQuestions.orgWhy did Jesus say, “I thirst,” from the cross? | GotQuestions.orgWhat did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35)? | GotQuestions.orgThirst: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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