The term "languisheth" is an archaic English word often found in older translations of the Bible, conveying a sense of weakness, decline, or suffering. It is derived from the verb "languish," which means to become weak or feeble, to suffer neglect, or to experience prolonged suffering. In the context of Scripture, "languisheth" is used to describe both physical and spiritual states of decline or distress.

Biblical Usage

In the Bible, "languisheth" is used to depict the condition of individuals, nations, or even the land itself when they are in a state of distress or under divine judgment. The term is often associated with the consequences of sin, disobedience, or the absence of God's favor.

Isaiah 24:4 :
"The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the exalted of the earth languish."

In this passage, the prophet Isaiah describes a scene of universal judgment where the earth itself is in a state of mourning and decline. The use of "languisheth" here emphasizes the profound impact of sin and divine judgment on creation. The earth and its inhabitants are depicted as suffering under the weight of transgression, highlighting the interconnectedness of human sin and the natural world.

Hosea 4:3 :
"Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it will waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and even the fish of the sea will perish."

Hosea uses similar imagery to convey the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness to God. The land "mourns" and "languisheth" as a result of the people's sin, illustrating the principle that spiritual decay leads to physical and environmental decline. This passage underscores the covenantal relationship between God and His people, where obedience brings blessing and disobedience results in curse and suffering.

Jeremiah 14:2 :
"Judah mourns, and her gates languish; they wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem."

Here, Jeremiah speaks of the lamentation and suffering of Judah during a time of drought and famine. The "gates languish" as a metaphor for the city's vulnerability and the people's despair. This imagery serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of turning away from God and the resultant spiritual and physical desolation.

Spiritual Implications

The concept of "languisheth" in the Bible often serves as a call to repentance and a return to God. It reflects the reality that apart from God, individuals and nations experience decline and suffering. The use of this term in Scripture is a vivid reminder of the need for spiritual renewal and the restoration that comes through obedience to God's commandments.

Theological Reflection

From a theological perspective, "languisheth" highlights the fallen state of humanity and creation due to sin. It points to the ultimate hope of redemption and restoration through Jesus Christ, who offers healing and renewal to those who turn to Him. The imagery of languishing serves as a powerful illustration of the consequences of sin and the transformative power of God's grace.

In summary, "languisheth" is a term that captures the essence of decline and suffering in the biblical narrative, serving as both a warning and an invitation to seek God's mercy and restoration.

Nahum's Doom of Nineveh
... He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan
languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. ...
/.../select masterpieces of biblical literature/xi nahums doom of nineveh.htm

Joel's Rhapsody of the Locust Plague
... mourn. The field is wasted, The land mourneth; For the corn is wasted,
The new wine is dried up, The oil languisheth. HUSBANDMEN. ...
/.../select masterpieces of biblical literature/joels rhapsody of the locust.htm

SM Anonymous. Rejoice in the Lord Alway.
... heaviness. 3 Rejoice in hope and fear; Rejoice in life and death; Rejoice
when threatening storms are near, And comfort languisheth. 4 ...
/.../book of hymns for public and private devotion/257 s m anonymous rejoice.htm

Rhapsody
... She that hath borne seven languisheth; she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone
down while it was yet day; she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/rhapsody.htm

Motives from the Necessities of the Work
... Are you intrusted with the charge of an hospital, where one languisheth in one corner,
and another groaneth in another, and crieth out, Oh, help me, pity me ...
//christianbookshelf.org/baxter/the reformed pastor/article 3.htm

Deliverance from Assyria
... He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan
languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 30 deliverance from assyria.htm

Visions of Future Glory
... are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made
desolate." "The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 60 visions of future.htm

Pope Anterus.
... precipitately who follow them. When the head languisheth, the other members
of the body are affected thereby. And viler are those ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/the decretals/pope anterus.htm

Whosoever Confesses that one God is the Author of Both Testaments ...
... Jeremiah, too, makes this point still clearer, when he thus speaks concerning Jerusalem:
"She that hath born [seven] languisheth; her soul hath become weary ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxxiii whosoever confesses that one.htm

The Unseen Watcher
... are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made
desolate." The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 43 the unseen watcher.htm

Languisheth (10 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Languisheth (10 Occurrences). ... My soul thirsteth for thee,
my flesh languisheth for thee, in a dry and weary land without water: (DBY). ...
/l/languisheth.htm - 9k

Mourneth (14 Occurrences)
... (KJV WBS). Isaiah 24:4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth
and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. (KJV ASV DBY WBS) ...
/m/mourneth.htm - 10k

Faileth (26 Occurrences)
... (KJV JPS ASV WBS). Isaiah 24:4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world
languisheth and fadeth away, the lofty people of the earth do languish. (See JPS). ...
/f/faileth.htm - 13k

Fadeth (9 Occurrences)
... (KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS). Isaiah 24:4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world
languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. ...
/f/fadeth.htm - 8k

Rebuketh (5 Occurrences)
... Nahum 1:4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers:
Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. ...
/r/rebuketh.htm - 7k

Drieth (6 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Nahum 1:4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers:
Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. ...
/d/drieth.htm - 8k

Languishes (11 Occurrences)

/l/languishes.htm - 9k

Shamed (91 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 33:9 The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down:
Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits. ...
/s/shamed.htm - 33k

Languished (10 Occurrences)
... hired out themselves for bread; And they that were hungry have ceased to hunger:
Yea, the barren hath borne seven; And she that hath many children languisheth. ...
/l/languished.htm - 9k

Languish (13 Occurrences)
... Joel 1:12 The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree,
the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field ...
/l/languish.htm - 11k

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