The phrase "feeble knees" is a metaphorical expression found in the Bible, symbolizing weakness, fear, or lack of resolve. It is often used to describe a state of spiritual or emotional frailty, where an individual or group is in need of encouragement and strength. This imagery is rooted in the physical experience of weakened knees, which can cause instability and an inability to stand firm.

Biblical References:

1. Isaiah 35:3 : "Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!" This verse is part of a prophetic message of hope and restoration. Isaiah calls for the strengthening of those who are weak and discouraged, promising that God will bring about a time of renewal and healing. The imagery of feeble knees here underscores the need for divine intervention to restore strength and stability to God's people.

2. Hebrews 12:12 : "Therefore strengthen your limp hands and weak knees." The author of Hebrews exhorts believers to persevere in their faith despite trials and hardships. By invoking the imagery of feeble knees, the passage encourages Christians to seek strength from God and to support one another in their spiritual journey. This call to action is part of a larger discourse on discipline and endurance, emphasizing the importance of remaining steadfast in the face of adversity.

Theological Significance:

In the biblical context, feeble knees represent more than just physical weakness; they symbolize a spiritual condition that requires attention and remedy. The call to strengthen feeble knees is an invitation to rely on God's power and to find courage in His promises. It reflects the biblical theme of God's strength being made perfect in human weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Practical Application:

For believers, the concept of feeble knees serves as a reminder to seek God's strength in times of personal weakness or when facing challenges. It encourages the Christian community to support and uplift one another, fostering an environment where faith can flourish despite difficulties. By addressing the condition of feeble knees, Christians are called to be proactive in their spiritual growth and to trust in God's ability to provide the necessary strength and stability.

Related Concepts:

· Spiritual Weakness: Feeble knees are often associated with spiritual weakness, a condition that can be addressed through prayer, scripture study, and fellowship with other believers.
· Encouragement and Support: The biblical mandate to strengthen feeble knees highlights the importance of encouragement and mutual support within the body of Christ.
· Perseverance: The imagery of feeble knees is closely linked to the theme of perseverance, urging believers to remain steadfast in their faith journey.

In summary, the metaphor of feeble knees in the Bible serves as a powerful illustration of human frailty and the need for divine strength. It calls believers to seek God's help and to support one another in overcoming spiritual and emotional challenges.Feeble Knees

FEEBLE KNEES

fe'-b'-l nez: The expression. is found in three places (one being a free quotation of another): Job 4:4, "Thou hast made firm the feeble (kara`, "bending," "bowing") knees," and Hebrews 12:12, "Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the palsied (the King James Version "feeble") knees." The Greek word used here (paralelumena, "paralyzed," "motionless") implies the loss of junction, interrupted articulation, the cutting off of vital strength; compare Greek cholos, "lame," and see Delitzsch in his Commentary on Heb, in the place cited

Such an affection of the knees may be due to different causes. It is, e.g., a very frequent symptom of the disease known in the Orient as beriberi, when the muscles of the lower leg shrink to such a degree as to render voluntary locomotion impossible. It always disables its victim, and is therefore often expressive of general debility, e.g. in Psalm 109:24, where such weakness is described as the outcome of protracted fasting in Ezekiel 7:17 and 21:7, "All knees shall be weak as water," the expression indicates a complete relaxation of the muscles. Fear effected the same condition in Belshazzar's case, when he saw the writing on the wall (Daniel 5:6), "The joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another" (compare Nahum 2:10).

The "sore boil. in the knees, and in the legs," a disease announced in Deuteronomy 28:35 as a punishment upon Israel for disobedience, cannot now be fully determined. Driver (in his commentary on the passage) thinks of elephantiasis, which is possible but not probable on account of the additional statement, "whereof thou canst not be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the crown of thy head" which would be unexplained, as elephantiasis rarely presents a form in which the whole body is sympathetically affected. I rather think of some form of bubonic plague, which causes very high fever all over the body. In Deuteronomy 28:27 in the enumeration of plagues mention is made of the "boil of Egypt," and some commentators have explained this as "bubonic plague." There is, however, no doubt that the "boil or botch of Egypt" is identical with the disease known to modern medicine as bouton du Nil, Biskra button, Bagdad or Aleppo sore.

H. L. E. Luering

1290. berek -- the knee
... Word Origin from barak Definition the knee NASB Word Usage feeble* (1), knee
(1), kneeled* (1), kneels* (1), knees (20), lap (1). knee. ...
/hebrew/1290.htm - 6k

Weak Hands and Feeble Knees
... Weak Hands and Feeble Knees. A Sermon ... at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens.
"Strenghten ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees.""Isaiah 35:8. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/weak hands and feeble knees.htm

Thanksgiving after Chastisement.
... who would not count this just as great a blessing"after having endured chastisement,
to lift up again the hands that hang down and the feeble knees; that is ...
/.../selected sermons of schleiermacher/xxi thanksgiving after chastisement.htm

Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on ...
... And this he shows near the end, saying, "Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down,
and the feeble knees"; [2706] and again, "Yet a little while, he that ...
/.../homilies of st john chrysostom.htm

Hebrews xii. 13-Nov
... Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees: and make straight
paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xxx hebrews xii 13-nov.htm

God Showed Himself, by the Fall of Man, as Patient, Benign ...
... The grace of Jesus Christ our Lord." And Isaiah declares this also, [when he says:]
"Be ye strengthened, ye hands that hang down, and ye feeble knees; be ye ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xx god showed himself by.htm

Preached Before the Governor, and Council, and the House of ...
... even Zechariah, (who with Haggai had been joint sufferer in the captivity) is sent
to lift up the hands that hang down, to strengthen the feeble knees, and by ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/preached before the governor and.htm

Argument. --That Christ is God, is Proved by the Authority of the ...
... The same prophet says: "Be ye strengthened, ye relaxed hands, and ye feeble knees;
be consoled, ye that are cowardly in heart; be strong; fear not. ...
/.../chapter xii argument that christ is.htm

Isaiah's Discourse
... Strengthen ye the weak hands, And confirm the feeble knees; Say to them that are
of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: Behold, your God will come with ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/v isaiahs discourse.htm

Further Proofs of the Same Truth in the Same Chapter, from the ...
... glory, and what excellency? "Be strong, ye weak hands, and ye feeble knees:"
[3763] this refers to the palsy. "Be strong; fear not ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter x further proofs of the.htm

What Manner of Man Ought not to Come to Rule.
... Hence it is that Paul says, Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,
and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter xi what manner of.htm

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