Definition and Context
Paleness, in biblical terms, often refers to a lack of color or liveliness in the complexion, which can symbolize fear, illness, death, or divine judgment. It is a physical manifestation that can reflect a deeper spiritual or emotional state. In the ancient Near Eastern context, a healthy complexion was associated with vitality and divine favor, while paleness could indicate the opposite.

Biblical References
Paleness is mentioned in several passages throughout the Bible, often in the context of fear or impending doom. One of the most notable references is found in the Book of Jeremiah, where paleness is associated with the terror of judgment: "Ask now, and see: Can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, and every face turned pale?" (Jeremiah 30:6). This imagery conveys the overwhelming fear and helplessness that accompany divine retribution.

In the Book of Daniel, paleness is depicted as a reaction to a supernatural encounter. When King Belshazzar sees the handwriting on the wall, his countenance changes: "Then the king’s face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together" (Daniel 5:6). Here, paleness signifies the king's terror and the realization of impending judgment.

Symbolism and Interpretation
Paleness in the Bible often symbolizes fear and the recognition of one's vulnerability in the face of divine power. It can also represent the physical manifestation of spiritual or emotional turmoil. In prophetic literature, paleness is frequently linked to the Day of the Lord, a time of judgment and reckoning. The imagery of pale faces serves as a stark reminder of human frailty and the need for repentance.

In Revelation, the pale horse is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, symbolizing death and the grave: "Then I looked and saw a pale horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind" (Revelation 6:8). This passage underscores the association of paleness with mortality and divine judgment.

Theological Implications
From a theological perspective, paleness can be seen as a call to awareness and repentance. It serves as a visual cue of the consequences of sin and the reality of divine justice. The Bible uses the imagery of paleness to convey the seriousness of turning away from God and the urgency of seeking His mercy.

In the broader biblical narrative, paleness contrasts with the vibrancy of life that comes from living in accordance with God's will. It highlights the transformative power of faith, which can restore spiritual vitality and bring about a renewed relationship with the Creator.(n.) The quality or condition of being pale; want of freshness or ruddiness; a sickly whiteness; lack of color or luster; wanness.3420. yeraqon -- mildew, paleness, lividness
... 3419, 3420. yeraqon. 3421 . mildew, paleness, lividness. Transliteration: yeraqon
Phonetic Spelling: (yay-raw-kone') Short Definition: mildew. ...
/hebrew/3420.htm - 6k

There have Come to Me Ransomers from among the Saints, but None ...
... But Sheol when her graves were rent, what saw she in Him even in Jesus?"Instead
of splendour He put on the paleness of the dead and made her tremble. ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/hymn xxxix there have come.htm

Christian Ballads.
... 'Tis the wink of an eye; 'tis the draft of a breath From the blossom of health to
the paleness of death, From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud, Oh ...
/.../brown/the story of the hymns and tunes/chapter vi christian ballads.htm

The Opinion of the Stoics Concerning God; of his Anger and ...
... countenance trembles, the tongue stammers, the teeth chatter, the countenance is
alternately stained now with redness spread over it, now with white paleness. ...
/.../chap v the opinion of the.htm

Another Account of the Strange Aberrations of Sophia, and the ...
... After her vain endeavours, and the disappointment of her hope, she was, I suppose,
disfigured with paleness and emaciation, and that neglect of her beauty ...
/.../tertullian/against the valentinians/chapter x another account of the.htm

Probable view of the Stoics, that the Soul Has a Corporeal Nature.
... afflicted with anxiety, distress, or love) in the loss of vigour which its companion
sustains, whose shame and fear it testifies by its own blushes and paleness ...
/.../tertullian/a treatise on the soul/chapter v probable view of the.htm

Treatise vi. On the Vanity of Idols: Showing that the Idols are ...
... the rape of the Sabines. Tatius also both invented and worshipped the goddess
Cloacina; Hostilius, Fear and Paleness. By and by, I ...
/.../cyprian/the treatises of cyprian/treatise vi on the vanity.htm

The Situation of the Jews During this Period.
... child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman
in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/5 the situation of the.htm

Vive Jesus. Preface.
... say If you sleep among the midst of lots; you shall be as the wings of a dove covered
with silver, and the hinder parts of her back with the paleness of gold. ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/vive jesus preface.htm

Of the Last Times.
... men for causing fear. Comets will frequently appear. The sun will be
overshadowed with perpetual paleness. The moon will be stained ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap lxxi of the last times.htm

How Fasting is not Good in Its Own Nature.
... to those men also will these things be found bad, who are on the lookout for the
praises of men by their fasts, and by a foolish show of paleness gain credit ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xiv how fasting is.htm

Paleness (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Paleness (3 Occurrences). ... (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT).
Joel 2:6 From its face pained are peoples, All faces have gathered paleness. ...
/p/paleness.htm - 7k

Moon (70 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Hebrews yareah, from its paleness (Ezra 6:15),
and lebanah, the "white" (Cant. 6:10; Isaiah 24:23), was ...
/m/moon.htm - 36k

Pale (16 Occurrences)
... blue. 2. (vi) Not bright or brilliant; of a faint luster or hue; dim; as,
the pale light of the moon. 3. (n.) Paleness; pallor. 4 ...
/p/pale.htm - 12k

Whiteness (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (n.) Want of a sanguineous tinge; paleness; as from terror, grief, etc. 3. (n.)
Freedom from stain or blemish; purity; cleanness. 4. (n.) Nakedness. ...
/w/whiteness.htm - 7k

Travailing (16 Occurrences)
... Wherefore have I seen every man, His hands on his loins, as a travailing
woman, And all faces have been turned to paleness? (YLT). ...
/t/travailing.htm - 11k

Emptiness (17 Occurrences)
... and waste, And the heart hath melted, And the knees have smitten together, And great
pain 'is' in all loins, And the faces of all of them have gathered paleness...
/e/emptiness.htm - 11k

Deathly (3 Occurrences)
... and see whether a man does travail with child: why do I see every man with his hands
on his waist, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness...
/d/deathly.htm - 7k

Mildew (26 Occurrences)
... 2:17). In Jeremiah 30:6, the same word is translated "paleness," the yellow
color of one with abdominal disease. The root-meaning ...
/m/mildew.htm - 16k

Melting (9 Occurrences)
... and waste, And the heart hath melted, And the knees have smitten together, And great
pain 'is' in all loins, And the faces of all of them have gathered paleness...
/m/melting.htm - 9k

Paleness: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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