Gnawing, in a biblical context, often conveys a sense of persistent, consuming action, whether literal or metaphorical. The term is used to describe both physical and spiritual conditions, reflecting the broader biblical themes of decay, destruction, and the consequences of sin.

Physical Gnawing

In the literal sense, gnawing is associated with the action of animals or pests consuming or eroding materials. This imagery is used in the Bible to illustrate the destructive power of nature and the vulnerability of human constructs. For example, in the context of judgment and desolation, the prophet Joel describes a plague of locusts that gnaw at the land, leaving devastation in their wake: "What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the crawling locust has eaten; what the crawling locust has left, the consuming locust has eaten" (Joel 1:4). This passage highlights the relentless and comprehensive nature of divine judgment through natural calamities.

Metaphorical Gnawing

Metaphorically, gnawing can represent the inner turmoil and spiritual decay caused by sin and guilt. The Bible often uses vivid imagery to describe the effects of sin on the human soul, likening it to a consuming force that eats away at one's peace and righteousness. In Proverbs, the consequences of envy are described as a form of gnawing: "A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones" (Proverbs 14:30). Here, envy is depicted as a corrosive force that gnaws at the very foundation of one's well-being.

Gnawing and Divine Judgment

Gnawing is also used to depict the relentless nature of divine judgment. In the book of Revelation, the imagery of gnawing is employed to describe the suffering of those who face God's wrath: "They will gnaw their tongues in anguish and curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores, yet they will not repent of their deeds" (Revelation 16:10-11). This passage underscores the stubbornness of the unrepentant heart, even in the face of severe judgment, and the self-inflicted torment that results from rejecting God's mercy.

Spiritual Implications

The concept of gnawing serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of repentance. It illustrates the destructive nature of sin, which, if left unchecked, can consume and erode one's spiritual vitality. The Bible calls believers to seek God's forgiveness and restoration, turning away from the gnawing effects of sin and embracing the life-giving grace offered through Jesus Christ.

In summary, gnawing in the Bible is a multifaceted concept that conveys both physical destruction and spiritual decay. It serves as a vivid reminder of the consequences of sin and the need for repentance and divine intervention.(p. pr. & vb. n.) of Gnaw.4663. skolex -- a worm
... a worm. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: skolex Phonetic Spelling:
(sko'-lakes) Short Definition: a gnawing worm Definition: a gnawing worm ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4663.htm - 6k6207. araq -- to gnaw
... Short Definition: gnaw. Word Origin a prim. root Definition to gnaw NASB Word
Usage gnaw (1), gnawing (1). fleeing, sinew. A primitive ...
/hebrew/6207.htm - 5k

1501. gazam -- locusts
... locust. Word Origin from an unused word Definition locusts NASB Word Usage
caterpillar (1), gnawing locust (2). palmer-worm. From ...
/hebrew/1501.htm - 5k

Genesis.
... As is His own, He measures how he broods. Alone on gnawing cares. ... He, brooding over
envious lies instinct. 95 With gnawing sense, tempts the soft heart beneath. ...
/.../unknown/fathers of the third century tertullian appendix/3 genesis.htm

The Apocalypse of Peter.
... And near those there were again women and men gnawing their own lips, and being
punished and receiving a red-hot iron in their eyes: and these were they who ...
/.../unknown/the apocalypse of peter/the apocalypse of peter.htm

The Knowledge of God Naturally Implanted in the Human Mind.
... seem to vanish for a moment, it immediately returns, and rushes in with new impetuosity,
so that any interval of relief from the gnawing of conscience is not ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 3 the knowledge of.htm

Articles xiii and xiv Original Sin Will Condemn no Man.
... of loss, and not that of feeling; yet this feeling exists wherever the stings or
gnawings of conscience exists, that is, where the gnawing worm never dies. ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/articles xiii and xiv original.htm

Treatise x. On Jealousy and Envy.
... 7. But what a gnawing worm of the soul is it, what a plague-spot of our thoughts,
what a rust of the heart, to be jealous of another, either in respect of his ...
/.../cyprian/the treatises of cyprian/treatise x on jealousy and.htm

2 Cor. xii. 11
... bodies so long as it had a supply of food; but envy, even though thou spread for
it ever so endless a banquet, devoureth the soul itself, gnawing on every side ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xxvii 2 cor xii.htm

Leaving Home
... He had found that Ed, in order to satisfy the awful craving and gnawing in his stomach
(a sensation produced by the tobacco poison), was using a generous ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/byrum/how john became a man/chapter vii leaving home.htm

Book Nine the End of the Autobiography. ...
... eyes. Now was my soul free from the gnawing cares of seeking and getting,
of wallowing in the mire and scratching the itch of lust. ...
/.../augustine/confessions and enchiridion/book nine the end of.htm

Desire to Please.
... Hence it is quite natural that woman should feel in the depths of her heart a gnawing
desire to please and be agreeable, for in that she only obeys the ...
/.../sainte-foi/serious hours of a young lady/chapter xvi desire to please.htm

In the Sunless Crypt
... There she saw combats, terrible scenes of frenzy, deaths and unnamable horrors;
starvelings gnawing their nails; shadows of infants pressed to hollow bosoms ...
/.../miller/the city of delight/chapter xviii in the sunless.htm

Gnawing (4 Occurrences)
...Gnawing (4 Occurrences). ... Job 30:17 The night pierceth through my bones and detacheth
them from me, and my gnawing pains take no rest: (DBY NAS NIV). ...
/g/gnawing.htm - 7k

Gnawed (2 Occurrences)

/g/gnawed.htm - 7k

Gnawn (1 Occurrence)

/g/gnawn.htm - 6k

Remorse (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) The anguish, like gnawing pain, excited by a sense of guilt; compunction
of conscience for a crime committed, or for the sins of one's past life. ...
/r/remorse.htm - 7k

Detacheth (1 Occurrence)
... Detacheth (1 Occurrence). Job 30:17 The night pierceth through my bones and detacheth
them from me, and my gnawing pains take no rest: (DBY). ...
/d/detacheth.htm - 6k

Mole (2 Occurrences)
... of the rudimentary organ; no apparent ears, but, like the mole, with great internal
organs of hearing; a strong, bare snout, and with large gnawing teeth; its ...
/m/mole.htm - 12k

Pierceth (5 Occurrences)
... Jehovah. (YLT). Job 30:17 The night pierceth through my bones and detacheth
them from me, and my gnawing pains take no rest: (DBY). Job ...
/p/pierceth.htm - 7k

Cockatrice (3 Occurrences)
... Oxford Dictionary, under the word "Cockatrice") relates that the ichneumon darts
down the open mouth of the crocodile, and destroys it by gnawing through its ...
/c/cockatrice.htm - 10k

Achbor (7 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Gnawing = mouse. (1.) An Edomitish king (Genesis
36:38; 1 Chronicles 1:49). (2.) One of Josiah's officers ...
/a/achbor.htm - 10k

Gnawing: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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