Lexical Summary pentheó: To mourn, to lament, to grieve Original Word: πενθέω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance mourn, bewail. From penthos; to grieve (the feeling or the act) -- mourn, (be-)wail. see GREEK penthos HELPS Word-studies 3996 penthéō – properly, grieve over a death; (figuratively) to grieve over a personal hope (relationship) that dies, i.e. comes to divine closure ("ends"). 3996 /penthéō ("mourn over a death") refers to "manifested grief" (WS, 360) – so severe it takes possession of a person and cannot be hid. (This is the same meaning of 3996 /penthéō throughout antiquity, cf. LS, R. Trench, Synonyms.) NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom penthos Definition to mourn, lament NASB Translation mourn (6), mourned (1), mourning (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3996: πενθέωπενθέω, πένθω; future πενθήσω; 1 aorist ἐπένθησα (πένθος); from Homer down; the Sept. chiefly for אָבַל; to mourn; a. intransitive: Matthew 5:4 ( b. transitive, to mourn for, lament, one: 2 Corinthians 12:21 (cf. Winers Grammar, 635f (590); Buttmann, § 131, 4. Synonym: see θρηνέω, at the end.) Biblical Scope The verb appears ten times in the Greek New Testament and consistently depicts profound sorrow that is either godly—aligned with repentance and dependence on the Lord—or worldly, lamenting the loss of earthly pleasure and prosperity. Old Testament Background In the Septuagint, πενθέω renders Hebrew terms for lamentation over death (Genesis 37:34), national calamity (Isaiah 19:8), and personal sin (Joel 2:12). This background supplies the prophetic texture heard in New Testament calls to mourn, linking grief to covenant violation and anticipation of divine comfort. Mourning and the Kingdom (Matthew 5:4; Luke 6:25) Jesus opens the Beatitudes with a promise: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). Kingdom citizens acknowledge the brokenness of the present age, grieve over it, and are assured of eschatological consolation. Luke’s parallel warning—“Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep” (Luke 6:25)—adds the sobering reversal that awaits the complacent. Mourning, therefore, is both a present grace and a future dividing line. Mourning During the Bridegroom’s Absence (Matthew 9:15) “The wedding guests cannot mourn while the bridegroom is with them… But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast”. Jesus locates mourning in the rhythm of salvation history: joy in His presence, fasting and lament during His physical absence, and final comfort at His return. This verse grounds the historic Christian practice of seasons of fasting and penitence. Mourning and Sin in the Church (1 Corinthians 5:2; 2 Corinthians 12:21; James 4:9) • 1 Corinthians 5:2 rebukes Corinth for pride when they should have “been filled with grief” over public immorality. Together these texts establish corporate and personal mourning as essential to church discipline and spiritual restoration. Mourning is not optional sentiment but the fitting response to sin that dishonors Christ. Witnesses of the Resurrection (Mark 16:10) Mary Magdalene finds the disciples “mourning and weeping” after the crucifixion. Their grief intensifies the glory of the resurrection and models the honest lament that faithful hearts may experience even when ultimate hope is secure. Judgment on Babylon (Revelation 18:11, 15, 19) Earth’s merchants “weep and mourn” over the fall of the great city. Their grief exposes worldly mourning: sorrow rooted in material loss rather than repentance. The contrast with Beatitude mourning underscores the moral polarity of Scripture—those who mourn for sin receive comfort, while those who mourn for lost luxury face desolation. Pastoral and Practical Implications 1. Worship: Confession and lament should accompany praise, reflecting both the cross and the empty tomb. Summary of New Testament Usage Matthew 5:4 – Kingdom blessing for mourners. Matthew 9:15 – Mourning linked to fasting during Christ’s absence. Mark 16:10 – Disciples’ grief prior to resurrection witness. Luke 6:25 – Eschatological warning to the self-satisfied. 1 Corinthians 5:2 – Required grief over tolerated sin. 2 Corinthians 12:21 – Apostolic grief anticipating unrepentance. James 4:9 – Command to mourn in repentance. Revelation 18:11, 15, 19 – Worldly mourning at divine judgment. Theological Synthesis πενθέω reveals a decisive line between godly sorrow that leads to life and worldly sorrow that ends in loss. In Christ, mourning becomes a beatific pathway: it humbles the sinner, purifies the church, sustains the suffering, and will be forever transformed into joy when “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4). Englishman's Concordance Matthew 5:4 V-PPA-NMPGRK: μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες ὅτι αὐτοὶ NAS: are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. KJV: Blessed [are] they that mourn: for INT: Blessed they who mourn for they Matthew 9:15 V-PNA Mark 16:10 V-PPA-DMP Luke 6:25 V-FIA-2P 1 Corinthians 5:2 V-AIA-2P 2 Corinthians 12:21 V-FIA-1S James 4:9 V-AMA-2P Revelation 18:11 V-PIA-3P Revelation 18:15 V-PPA-NMP Revelation 18:19 V-PPA-NMP Strong's Greek 3996 |
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