In the Bible, moths are often used symbolically to represent the transient and perishable nature of earthly possessions and human life. The imagery of moths is employed to convey the idea of decay, destruction, and the futility of placing trust in material wealth.

Biblical References:

1. Job 13:28 · "So man wastes away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths." In this verse, Job laments the frailty and impermanence of human life, comparing it to a garment that is gradually consumed by moths. This imagery underscores the theme of human mortality and the inevitable decay that accompanies it.

2. Psalm 39:11 · "You discipline a man with punishment for iniquity, consuming like a moth what he holds dear; surely each man is but a vapor." Here, the psalmist reflects on the fleeting nature of human existence and the divine discipline that can strip away earthly attachments, much like a moth consumes fabric. This serves as a reminder of the need for humility and reliance on God rather than on temporal possessions.

3. Isaiah 50:9 · "Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who is he who will condemn me? Indeed, they will all wear out like a garment; a moth will devour them." In this passage, the prophet Isaiah speaks of the ultimate triumph of God's servant over his adversaries, who are likened to garments that will be devoured by moths. This metaphor highlights the eventual downfall of those who oppose God's purposes.

4. Isaiah 51:8 · "For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will devour them like wool. But My righteousness will last forever, My salvation through all generations." This verse contrasts the temporary nature of human opposition with the eternal nature of God's righteousness and salvation. The moth serves as a symbol of the inevitable decay that befalls those who do not align with God's will.

5. Hosea 5:12 · "So I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like decay to the house of Judah." In this context, God uses the metaphor of a moth to describe His judgment on the northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and the southern kingdom of Judah. The moth signifies a slow but certain process of deterioration as a consequence of their unfaithfulness.

6. Matthew 6:19-20 · "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against the accumulation of earthly wealth, which is vulnerable to decay and theft. The moth is used to illustrate the impermanence of material possessions, urging believers to focus on eternal treasures.

Symbolism and Themes:

Moths in the Bible are emblematic of the transient nature of worldly goods and the inevitable decay that accompanies them. They serve as a poignant reminder of the futility of placing trust in material wealth and the importance of seeking spiritual riches. The consistent use of moth imagery across both the Old and New Testaments underscores a central biblical theme: the contrast between the temporary nature of earthly life and the enduring nature of God's kingdom and righteousness.(n.) Plural of Moth.

The Simple Nature of the Soul is Asserted with Plato. The Identity ...
... dissection. Philosophers have affirmed it to be a certain fact, that gnats,
and ants, and moths have no pulmonary or arterial organs. ...
/.../tertullian/a treatise on the soul/chapter x the simple nature of.htm

Jesus' Teaching.
... statement. Or it may be lost through rust or moths, the two things that threaten
all inactivity. The stuff that isn't in use wears away. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks with world winners/jesus teaching.htm

On God's vineyard
... They were continually reproached for this very thing; some terming them, in derision,
Bible-bigots; others, Bible-moths; feeding, they said, upon the Bible, as ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 107 on gods vineyard.htm

Hearts and Treasures
... And are the other kinds of treasure that we cleave to more reliable? Have
they not their moths and their rusts? Is it pleasure? ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/hearts and treasures.htm

John xix. 16-18
... is in order that they may lie safely with the dead that we use all these contrivances."
Well then, if the robbers do not get them, will not the moths get them ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily lxxxv john xix 16-18.htm

Matt. xxvi. 36-38.
... 3. The covetous man indeed all join in vexing. And why do I say men, when moths
and worms war against such a man? And why do I speak of moths? ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily lxxxiii matt xxvi 36-38.htm

Sowing and Reaping
... It is said that some years ago a Harvard professor brought some gypsy-moths to this
country in the hope that they could with advantage be crossed with silkworms ...
/.../moody/sowing and reaping/chapter i sowing and reaping.htm

Sorrow the Pledge of Joy.
... So good a medicine is sorrow, so powerful to slay the moths that infest and devour
the human heart, that the Lord is glad to see a man weep. ...
/.../macdonald/hope of the gospel/sorrow the pledge of joy.htm

Moravians and Methodists, 1735-1742.
... They were called the Reforming Club, the Holy Club, the Godly Club, the Sacramentarians,
the Bible Moths, the Supererogation Men, the Enthusiasts, and, finally ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter ix moravians and methodists.htm

Wisdom Brevities
... cleaveth to harlots will be the more reckless. Moths and worms shall have
him to heritage; and a reckless soul shall be taken away. ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/wisdom brevities.htm

Moths (3 Occurrences)
... (n.) Plural of Moth. Multi-Version Concordance Moths (3 Occurrences). James 5:2
your riches have rotted, and your garments have become moth-eaten; (See NIV). ...
/m/moths.htm - 7k

Silkworm
... n.) The larva of any one of numerous species of bombycid moths, which spins a large
amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon before changing to a pupa. ...
/s/silkworm.htm - 9k

Moth (10 Occurrences)
... the larvae of several species of beetles of the genera Dermestes and
Anthrenus. Carpet moths are often the larvae of Anthrenus. ...
/m/moth.htm - 13k

Silk (4 Occurrences)
... Silk is produced by all Lepidoptera, butterflies and moths, but it is of great economic
importance only in the Chinese silkworm, Bombyx mori, whose larva, a ...
/s/silk.htm - 12k

Wormwood (10 Occurrences)
... plant (Artemisia Absinthium), having a bitter and slightly aromatic taste, formerly
used as a tonic and a vermifuge, and to protect woolen garments from moths. ...
/w/wormwood.htm - 13k

Wolf (4 Occurrences)
... man. 2. (a.) One of the destructive, and usually hairy, larvae of several
species of beetles and grain moths; as, the bee wolf. 3 ...
/w/wolf.htm - 13k

Mother-town (2 Occurrences)
Mother-town. Mother's, Mother-town. Moths . Multi-Version Concordance
Mother-town (2 Occurrences). ... (BBE). Mother's, Mother-town. Moths . Reference
/m/mother-town.htm - 7k

Moth's (1 Occurrence)

/m/moth's.htm - 6k

Palmerworm (2 Occurrences)
... insects. 2. (n.) In America, the larva of any one of several moths, which
destroys the foliage of fruit and forest trees, esp. the ...
/p/palmerworm.htm - 8k

Beard (23 Occurrences)
... 6. (n.) The gills of some bivalves, as the oyster. 7. (n.) In insects,
the hairs of the labial palpi of moths and butterflies. 8 ...
/b/beard.htm - 21k

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