The concept of "forsaking" in the Bible often carries the connotation of abandonment or leaving behind, whether it be in the context of relationships, commitments, or spiritual devotion. The term is frequently used to describe both human actions and divine responses, highlighting the gravity of turning away from God or others.

Old Testament Usage

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as "forsake" is עָזַב (azab), which means to leave, abandon, or desert. One of the most poignant uses of this term is found in the context of Israel's relationship with God. The Israelites are repeatedly warned against forsaking the Lord by turning to other gods. In Deuteronomy 31:16, God tells Moses, "Behold, you will rest with your fathers, and this people will rise up and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land into which they are going. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them."

The consequences of forsaking God are severe, often leading to judgment and exile. Yet, the call to return and the promise of God's faithfulness remain. In 2 Chronicles 15:2, the prophet Azariah declares, "The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you."

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, the Greek word ἐγκαταλείπω (egkataleipō) is used to convey the idea of forsaking or abandoning. Jesus Himself experienced the feeling of being forsaken on the cross, as He cried out in Matthew 27:46, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" This moment underscores the depth of Christ's suffering and the weight of sin He bore on behalf of humanity.

Believers are admonished not to forsake their commitments to God and to one another. Hebrews 10:25 encourages Christians not to forsake assembling together: "Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Divine Assurance

Despite human tendencies to forsake, God's promise of steadfast presence is a recurring theme. In Joshua 1:5, God assures Joshua, "No man shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." This promise is echoed in Hebrews 13:5, where believers are reminded, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: 'Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.'"

Practical Implications

The biblical teaching on forsaking calls for a commitment to faithfulness in relationships, both with God and with others. It serves as a warning against the dangers of idolatry, spiritual neglect, and relational abandonment. At the same time, it offers comfort in the assurance of God's unwavering presence and faithfulness, encouraging believers to remain steadfast in their devotion and community.5800a. azab -- to leave, forsake, loose
... Word Usage abandon (3), abandoned (11), abandons (1), commits (1), deserted (1),
failed (1), fails (1), forsake (48), forsaken (56), forsakes (2), forsaking (1 ...
/hebrew/5800a.htm - 6k

Whether the Angel Guardian ever Forsakes a Man?
... OF THE GUARDIANSHIP OF THE GOOD ANGELS (EIGHT ARTICLES) Whether the angel
guardian ever forsakes a man? Objection 1: It would seem ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the angel guardian ever.htm

That God's Lover Forsakes the World, Idleness and Irksomeness: and ...
... THE FIRE OF LOVE. BOOK I CHAPTER X THAT GOD'S LOVER FORSAKES THE WORLD, IDLENESS
AND IRKSOMENESS: AND OF HYPOCRITES AND COVETOUS MEN. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter x that gods lover.htm

God Forsakes us to Some Extent that we May not Grow Proud.
... A Treatise on nature and grace, against pelagius; Chapter 32 [XXVIII.]"
God Forsakes Us to Some Extent that We May Not Grow Proud. ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 32 xxviii god forsakes us.htm

God Forsakes Only those who Deserve to be Forsaken. We are ...
... A Treatise on nature and grace, against pelagius; Chapter 25 [XXIII.]"God
Forsakes Only Those Who Deserve to Be Forsaken. We are ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 25 xxiii god forsakes only.htm

Of his Own Will a Man Forsakes God, So that He is Deservedly ...
... A Treatise on the gift of perseverance, Chapter 12."Of His Own Will a Man
Forsakes God, So that He is Deservedly Forsaken of Him. ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 12 of his own will.htm

A Simile to Show that God's Grace is Necessary for Doing any Good ...
... Doing Any Good Work Whatever. God Never Forsakes the Justified Man If He
Be Not Himself Forsaken. Observe, indeed, how cautiously ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 29 xxvi a simile to.htm

Of that Death which Can Affect an Immortal Soul, and of that to ...
... The death, then, of the soul takes place when God forsakes it, as the death
of the body when the soul forsakes it. Therefore the ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 2 of that death which.htm

All Perseverance is God's Gift.
... For certainly he does not "do no evil" who forsakes good, and, not persevering
in good, turns to the evil, from which he ought to turn aside. ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 10all perseverance is gods.htm

How those are to be Admonished who Abstain not from the Sins which ...
... And one who mourns past transgressions, yet forsakes them not, subjects himself
to the penalty of more grievous sin, since he both despises the very pardon ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter xxx how those are.htm

Whether Fasting is an Act of virtue?
... Objection 2: Further, no act of virtue forsakes the mean of virtue. Now
fasting forsakes the mean of virtue, which in the virtue ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether fasting is an act.htm

Forsakes (7 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Forsakes (7 Occurrences). Luke 14:33 Thus then every one
of you who forsakes not all that is his own cannot be my disciple. (DBY). ...
/f/forsakes.htm - 8k

Reproof (29 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Proverbs 10:17 He is in the way of life who heeds correction, but he who
forsakes reproof leads others astray. (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV). ...
/r/reproof.htm - 15k

Forsake (88 Occurrences)
... Job 6:14 "To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his
friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty. ...
/f/forsake.htm - 34k

Newborn (3 Occurrences)
... RSV NIV). Jeremiah 14:5 Yes, the hind also in the field calves, and forsakes
her young, because there is no grass. (See RSV NIV). ...
/n/newborn.htm - 7k

Withholds (11 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Job 6:14 "To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from
his friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty. (See RSV). ...
/w/withholds.htm - 9k

Fawn (2 Occurrences)
... (Root in WEB NIV). Jeremiah 14:5 Yes, the hind also in the field calves, and
forsakes her young, because there is no grass. (See NIV). ...
/f/fawn.htm - 7k

Forsakest (1 Occurrence)

/f/forsakest.htm - 6k

Forgets (8 Occurrences)
... may trample them. (WEB NAS). Proverbs 2:17 who forsakes the friend of her
youth, and forgets the covenant of her God: (WEB NAS RSV). ...
/f/forgets.htm - 8k

Deserts (18 Occurrences)
... (See JPS YLT NAS). Jeremiah 14:5 Yes, the hind also in the field calves, and
forsakes her young, because there is no grass. (See NIV). ...
/d/deserts.htm - 12k

Devotion (17 Occurrences)
... Job 6:14 "To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend;
even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty. (See NIV). ...
/d/devotion.htm - 12k

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