Lexical Summary iph: Darkness, gloom Original Word: עָיֵף Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be wearied A primitive root; to languish -- be wearied. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be faint NASB Translation became weary (1), exhausted (1), faint (1), weary (2). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Nuanceעָיֵף (ʿāyēp) conveys the idea of utter weariness, exhaustion that drains vitality to the point of collapse. It is not casual tiredness but the kind of fatigue that leaves the soul gasping. The term therefore carries emotional, psychological, and spiritual weight as much as physical. Biblical Occurrence Jeremiah 4:31 is the sole canonical occurrence: “I hear a cry like that of a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child—the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands: ‘Woe is me, for my soul faints before the murderers!’ ” (Berean Standard Bible). Historical Setting in Jeremiah Jeremiah preached during the final decades before the Babylonian exile. Chapter 4 depicts imminent judgment for covenant unfaithfulness. The prophet hears Zion’s voice, personified as a woman in labor who realizes that her calamity is unavoidable. עָיֵף communicates the nation’s utter depletion after years of rebellion, siege, and looming destruction. The exhaustion is intensified by terror (“murderers”) and by labor imagery, evoking the curses of Genesis 3:16 and Deuteronomy 28:33–35. Literary Imagery 1. Labor Pains: The birthing metaphor heightens desperation; labor normally ends in new life, yet here the child is death. Theological Themes • Covenant Breakdown: Weariness stands as a symptom of sin’s cumulative toll (Jeremiah 2:13). Related Hebrew Vocabulary עָיֵף shares thematic space with יָגֵעַ (“toil-worn,” Isaiah 40:28) and לָאָה (“weary,” Jeremiah 15:6). Together they sketch the portrait of human limits encountered without divine strength. Canonical Connections • Isaiah 40:30–31: “Even youths grow weary and tired, and young men stumble and fall, but those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength…”—the answer to עָיֵף is found in the LORD’s empowering grace. Pastoral Applications 1. Recognizing Spiritual Fatigue: Believers must diagnose the deeper causes of exhaustion, distinguishing between normal labor and covenant-breaking weariness. Christological Fulfillment Jesus, bearing the full weight of sin, “sat down by the well, tired from the journey” (John 4:6), identifying with human exhaustion. At the cross He embraced the ultimate weakness so that, in resurrection power, He might impart unending strength to a weary world (2 Corinthians 13:4). Summary עָיֵף captures the profound weariness—physical, emotional, and spiritual—that overtakes those estranged from God. Jeremiah’s lone use of the term crystallizes Judah’s condition on the brink of exile. Yet within that faintness lies a summons to repent, trust, and find renewed strength in the Lord, a promise ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations עָיְפָ֥ה עיפה ‘ā·yə·p̄āh ‘āyəp̄āh ayeFahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 4:31 HEB: לִ֔י כִּֽי־ עָיְפָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י לְהֹרְגִֽים׃ NAS: woe is me, for I faint before murderers. KJV: [is] me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers. INT: Ah for faint my soul murderers 1 Occurrence |
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