The term "fainted" in the Bible often refers to a state of physical weakness, exhaustion, or spiritual despondency. It is used to describe moments when individuals are overwhelmed by circumstances, whether due to physical exertion, emotional distress, or spiritual trials. The concept of fainting is both literal and metaphorical, illustrating the human condition in need of divine intervention and strength.

Old Testament References

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as "fainted" is "עָטַף" (ataf), which can mean to be overwhelmed or to languish. One notable instance is found in the book of Jonah. After delivering God's message to Nineveh, Jonah becomes faint due to the intense heat and his own emotional turmoil. Jonah 4:8 states, "As the sun was rising, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint and wished to die, saying, 'It is better for me to die than to live.'"

Another example is in the Psalms, where the psalmist often expresses a sense of fainting due to spiritual or emotional distress. Psalm 107:5 describes the plight of those wandering in the desert: "They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them." This verse highlights the physical and spiritual exhaustion experienced by the Israelites, emphasizing their dependence on God's provision.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, the Greek word "ἐκλύω" (ekluo) is used, meaning to be weary or to lose heart. Jesus addresses the issue of fainting in the context of prayer and perseverance. In Luke 18:1 , it is written, "Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart." Here, the concept of fainting is linked to spiritual perseverance, encouraging believers to remain steadfast in prayer.

The Apostle Paul also speaks to the issue of fainting in the context of spiritual endurance. In Galatians 6:9 , he exhorts, "Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." This passage encourages believers to persist in their good works and faith, promising a reward for those who do not faint.

Spiritual Implications

The theme of fainting in the Bible underscores the human need for God's strength and sustenance. It serves as a reminder of human frailty and the importance of relying on divine support. Isaiah 40:29-31 beautifully encapsulates this idea: "He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint."

This passage from Isaiah offers hope and assurance that God provides strength to those who are weary, encouraging believers to trust in Him during times of weakness. The biblical portrayal of fainting, therefore, is not just about physical exhaustion but also about spiritual renewal and the promise of divine aid.(imp. & p. p.) of Faint.5969. ulpeh -- fainted
... ulpeh. 5970 . fainted. Transliteration: ulpeh Phonetic Spelling: (ool-peh') Short
Definition: fainted. Word Origin the same as alaph, qv. fainted ...
/hebrew/5969.htm - 5k

5968. alaph -- to cover
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to cover NASB Word Usage became faint (1), faint
(1), fainted (1), inlaid (1), wilted away (1), wrapped (1). ...
/hebrew/5968.htm - 6k

5848c. ataph -- to be feeble or faint
... root Definition to be feeble or faint NASB Word Usage faint (4), fainted (1), fainting
away (1), feeble (1), feebler (1), grow faint (1), grows faint (1 ...
/hebrew/5848c.htm - 5k

A Christlike Judgment of Men
... A CHRISTLIKE JUDGMENT OF MEN. 'But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with
compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/a christlike judgment of men.htm

Declension from First Love
... are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne, and hast patience,
and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted." Oh, my ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/declension from first love.htm

The Lord Our Dwelling Place
... Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them." And I am afraid there are many
wandering souls in the church of Christ, whom this description of the wandering ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/smith/the god of all comfort/chapter 8 the lord our.htm

The Return of the Exiles
... The angel Gabriel gave him a partial interpretation; yet when the prophet heard
the words, "The vision . . . shall be for many days," he fainted away. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 45 the return of.htm

The Fainting Soul Revived
... "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord.""Jonah 2:7. ... "When my soul
fainted within me." Now why did his soul faint within him? ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/the fainting soul revived.htm

Notes
... 15 On Good Friday, March 30th, 1820, as Sister Emmerich was contemplating the descent
from the Cross she suddenly fainted, in the presence of the writer of ...
/.../emmerich/the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/notes.htm

Psalm LXXVII.
... This man hath become such an one. And again he saith what? "And my spirit
hath fainted.". 6. With weariness he had pined away; by ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxvii.htm

Love's Complaining
... The church at Ephesus was full of work. "I know thy works and thy labour, and for
my name's sake thou hast laboured, and hast not fainted." It was such a ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/loves complaining.htm

"Nineveh, that Great City"
... "Yet hast Thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. When my soul fainted
within me I remembered the Lord: And my prayer came in unto Thee,. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 22 nineveh that great.htm

Psalm XXXIX.
... "By the heaviness of Thy hand I fainted in corrections." That is, I "fainted" while
Thou wast correcting me. And what is meant by "correcting" me? ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xxxix.htm

Fainted (12 Occurrences)
...Fainted (12 Occurrences). ... (KJV WBS). Revelation 2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience,
and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. (KJV WBS). ...
/f/fainted.htm - 10k

Antelope (2 Occurrences)
... form [to'] (the King James Version "wild bull"; the Revised Version (British and
American) "antelope") found in Isaiah 51:20 ("Thy sons have fainted, they lie ...
/a/antelope.htm - 11k

Faint (76 Occurrences)
... efforts; faint resistance. 5. (n.) The act of fainting, or the state of
one who has fainted; a swoon. [R.] See Fainting, n. 6. (vi ...
/f/faint.htm - 38k

Vehement (10 Occurrences)
... 4:8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east
wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished ...
/v/vehement.htm - 11k

Oryx (2 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 51:20 Thy children have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets,
as an oryx in a net: they are full of the fury of Jehovah, the rebuke of thy ...
/o/oryx.htm - 7k

Jonah's (1 Occurrence)
... Jonah 4:8 It happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a sultry east wind;
and the sun beat on Jonah's head, so that he fainted, and requested for ...
/j/jonah's.htm - 6k

Labored (35 Occurrences)
... (WEB ASV WBS RSV). Revelation 2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for
my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. (WBS). ...
/l/labored.htm - 17k

Languished (10 Occurrences)
... Genesis 47:13 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore,
so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the ...
/l/languished.htm - 9k

Laboured (34 Occurrences)
... you. (WEY). Revelation 2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's
sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. (KJV). Deuteronomy ...
/l/laboured.htm - 16k

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