Depression, a state of persistent sadness and hopelessness, is a condition that affects many individuals, including those within the biblical narrative. While the term "depression" is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, the Scriptures provide numerous accounts of individuals experiencing deep emotional distress, offering insight into the human condition and God's response to it.

Biblical Examples of Depression:

1. David: King David, a man after God's own heart, often expressed feelings of despair and sorrow. In Psalm 42:11, he writes, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." David's psalms frequently reflect a journey from anguish to hope, demonstrating the importance of turning to God in times of emotional turmoil.

2. Elijah: The prophet Elijah experienced a profound sense of despair after his victory over the prophets of Baal. In 1 Kings 19:4, Elijah, overwhelmed and fearing for his life, prays, "It is enough, O LORD. Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers." God responds by providing Elijah with rest, nourishment, and a renewed sense of purpose, illustrating His care and provision during times of depression.

3. Job: Job's account is one of immense suffering and loss, leading him to curse the day of his birth (Job 3:1). Despite his deep anguish, Job maintains his faith in God, ultimately declaring, "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him" (Job 13:15). Job's perseverance through depression underscores the importance of steadfast faith amidst trials.

4. Jeremiah: Known as the "weeping prophet," Jeremiah experienced significant emotional pain due to the rejection of his message and the impending doom of Jerusalem. In Lamentations 3:20, he laments, "Surely my soul remembers and is humbled within me." Yet, he finds hope in God's faithfulness, stating, "The LORD is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in Him" (Lamentations 3:24).

Biblical Guidance for Dealing with Depression:

1. Prayer and Supplication: The Bible encourages believers to bring their burdens to God in prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 advises, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

2. Community and Support: The early church exemplified the importance of community support. Galatians 6:2 instructs, "Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Fellowship with other believers provides encouragement and strength during difficult times.

3. Renewing the Mind: Romans 12:2 emphasizes the transformation of the mind, stating, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Focusing on God's truth and promises can help combat negative thoughts and feelings associated with depression.

4. Hope in Christ: The ultimate hope for believers lies in Jesus Christ. In John 16:33, Jesus assures, "In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world." This victory offers believers a foundation of hope and peace, even amidst life's challenges.

Conclusion: The Bible acknowledges the reality of depression and provides both examples and guidance for those who suffer. Through prayer, community, and a focus on God's promises, believers can find solace and strength in their faith.1. (n.) The act of depressing.

2. (n.) The state of being depressed; a sinking.

3. (n.) A falling in of the surface; a sinking below its true place; a cavity or hollow; as, roughness consists in little protuberances and depressions.

4. (n.) Humiliation; abasement, as of pride.

5. (n.) Dejection; despondency; lowness.

6. (n.) Diminution, as of trade, etc.; inactivity; dullness.

7. (n.) The angular distance of a celestial object below the horizon.

8. (n.) The operation of reducing to a lower degree; -- said of equations.

9. (n.) A method of operating for cataract; couching. See Couch, v. t., 8.

5014. tapeinosis -- low estate, humiliation
... humiliation, low estate. From tapeinoo; depression (in rank or feeling) --
humiliation, be made low, low estate, vile. see GREEK tapeinoo. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5014.htm - 7k8258. sheqaarurah -- depression, hollow
... depression, hollow. Transliteration: sheqaarurah Phonetic Spelling: (shek-ah-roo-
raw') Short Definition: depressions. ... From shaqa'; a depression -- hollow strake. ...
/hebrew/8258.htm - 6k

991. Beten -- "depression," a city in Asher
... 990, 991. Beten. 992 . "depression," a city in Asher. Transliteration:
Beten Phonetic Spelling: (beh'-ten) Short Definition: Beten. ...
/hebrew/991.htm - 6k

1026. Beth Haarabah -- "place of the depression," a place near the ...
... "place of the depression," a place near the Dead Sea. Transliteration: Beth Haarabah
Phonetic Spelling: (bayth haw-ar-aw-baw) Short Definition: Beth-arabah. ...
/hebrew/1026.htm - 6k

6040. oniy -- affliction, poverty
... affliction, poverty. Transliteration: oniy Phonetic Spelling: (on-ee') Short Definition:
misery. depression, Misery From anah; depression, ie Misery: ...
/hebrew/6040.htm - 5k

4618. maanah -- a field for plowing
... furrow. From anah, in the sense of depression or tilling; a furrow -- + acre, furrow.
see HEBREW anah. 4617, 4618. maanah. 4619 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/4618.htm - 6k

6010. emeq -- a vale
... dale, vale, valley often used as a part of proper names. From amaq; a vale (ie Broad
depression) -- dale, vale, valley (often used as a part of proper names). ...
/hebrew/6010.htm - 6k

8218. shiphlah -- humiliation
... Word Origin from shaphel Definition humiliation NASB Word Usage utterly (1). low
place. Feminine of shephel; depression -- low place. see HEBREW shephel. ...
/hebrew/8218.htm - 6k

8424. tugah -- grief
... Tubal-cain. From yagah; depression (of spirits); concretely a grief -- heaviness,
sorrow. see HEBREW yagah. 8423, 8424. tugah. 8425 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/8424.htm - 6k

4601. Maakah -- an Israelite name, also a non-Isr. name, also a ...
... 13:13) {mah-ak-awth'}; from ma'ak; depression; Maakah (or Maakath), the name of
a place in Syria, also of a Mesopotamian, of three Israelites, and of four ...
/hebrew/4601.htm - 6k

Letter xx. --Depression under Trials.
... Letter XX."Depression under Trials. To the same Sister (1738). On depression
during trials, distractions and resentment. 1st. ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter xx depression under trials.htm

Whether the Effect of Sorrow or Pain is to Burden the Soul?
... Therefore depression is not an effect of sorrow. ... But the effect of pleasure is expansion:
the opposite of which is not depression but contraction. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the effect of sorrow.htm

The Mediaeval History of Continental Churches
... and the native Christians of Abyssinia appear to have preserved the Apostolic
Succession, but both these Churches are in a state of great depression, and the ...
/.../a key to the knowledge of church history/chapter xi the mediaeval history.htm

"The Great Awakening. "
... in New England and that became known as the "Great Awakening." History in all times
and countries shows a periodicity of religious activity and depression. ...
/.../chapter ix the great awakening.htm

The Sorrowful Man's Question
... joyous ones, and just seek after those who have no such delight as you now possess;
but who are, on the contrary, suffering from extreme depression of spirit. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 46 1900/the sorrowful mans question.htm

Letter x. The Preservation of Health.
... The one acts upon the other. Depression of spirits enfeebles all the animal powers;
and particularly disturbs digestion, thereby deranging the whole system. ...
/.../letter x the preservation of.htm

The Gethsemane Prayer
... way. The super-incumbent load of the world's sin is upon Him. The lowest
point of His depression has been reached. The bitterest ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/xii the gethsemane prayer.htm

Early Afflictions
... After having a spasm my mind was greatly afflicted with melancholy and depression. ...
My suffering was greatly increased by melancholy and mental depression. ...
/.../cole/trials and triumphs of faith/chapter ii early afflictions.htm

A Stanza of Deliverance
... Egypt may very fairly represent those states of sorrow and sadness, depression
and oppression, into which God's people come far too frequently. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 38 1892/a stanza of deliverance.htm

What the Redbird Told Me
... Many times I have been sorely pressed down in spirit, but I have found that I can
act cheerfully and talk cheerfully even in the midst of depression, and that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/naylor/heart talks/talk seventeen what the redbird.htm

Depression (1 Occurrence)
... equations. 9. (n.) A method of operating for cataract; couching. See Couch,
vt, 8. Multi-Version Concordance Depression (1 Occurrence). 2 ...
/d/depression.htm - 7k

Features (3 Occurrences)
... The Arabah (Revised Version) includes the Jordan valley from the Sea of Galilee
to the Dead Sea, as well as the depression running from the Dead Sea to the ...
/f/features.htm - 12k

Arabah (32 Occurrences)
... It denotes the hollow depression through which the Jordan flows from the Lake of
Galilee to the Dead Sea. It is now called by the Arabs el-Ghor. ...
/a/arabah.htm - 33k

Revive (31 Occurrences)
... 2. (vi) Hence, to recover from a state of oblivion, obscurity, neglect, or depression;
as, classical learning revived in the fifteenth century. ...
/r/revive.htm - 18k

Edomites (22 Occurrences)
... land called es-Sebkha; then, beyond the line of white cliffs that crosses the valley
diagonally from Northwest to Southeast, a broad depression strewn with ...
/e/edomites.htm - 23k

Mad (22 Occurrences)
... self-conscious young man, became, on his exaltation to the kingship, puffed up with
a megalomania, alternating with fits of black depression with homicidal ...
/m/mad.htm - 19k

Madness (13 Occurrences)
... self-conscious young man, became, on his exaltation to the kingship, puffed up with
a megalomania, alternating with fits of black depression with homicidal ...
/m/madness.htm - 17k

Pit (110 Occurrences)
... Also used figuratively. 7. (n.) A depression or hollow in the surface of the human
body. ... 14. (n.) A depression or thin spot in the wall of a duct. 15. ...
/p/pit.htm - 41k

Elamites (2 Occurrences)
... Semitic Elam. 2. Surface Configuration: Elam consisted of a plain occupying
a depression in the mountains of Iran or Persia. Of this ...
/e/elamites.htm - 39k

Edom (108 Occurrences)
... land called es-Sebkha; then, beyond the line of white cliffs that crosses the valley
diagonally from Northwest to Southeast, a broad depression strewn with ...
/e/edom.htm - 53k

What does the Bible say about depression? How can a Christian overcome depression? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about Bipolar Disorder / Manic Depression? | GotQuestions.org

Is it wrong for a Christian to be depressed? | GotQuestions.org

Depression: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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