The concept of being "saddened" is a significant emotional state that appears throughout the Bible, reflecting the human experience of sorrow, grief, and disappointment. This emotional response is often depicted in the context of sin, loss, or the realization of one's distance from God.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, sadness is frequently associated with mourning and lamentation. The Hebrew word often translated as "sorrow" or "sadness" is "yāgôn," which conveys a deep sense of grief. For instance, in Genesis 6:6, God Himself is described as being grieved by the wickedness of humanity: "And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart" . This passage highlights the divine response to human sinfulness, illustrating that sadness is not only a human emotion but also one experienced by God in response to moral failure.

The Book of Psalms frequently captures the emotional spectrum of sadness, often in the context of personal or communal lament. Psalm 42:11 expresses a yearning for hope amidst sadness: "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God" . Here, the psalmist acknowledges the reality of sadness while also pointing towards hope and trust in God as a remedy.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, sadness is often linked to repentance and the recognition of sin. The Greek word "lupē" is used to describe sorrow, particularly in the context of godly sorrow that leads to repentance. In 2 Corinthians 7:10, Paul writes, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death" . This distinction emphasizes that while sadness can be a natural response to sin, it should lead to a transformative repentance rather than despair.

The Gospels also depict moments of sadness in the life of Jesus. In John 11:35, the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept" , captures the profound sorrow of Christ at the death of Lazarus, reflecting His empathy and compassion for human suffering. This moment underscores the reality that Jesus, fully divine yet fully human, experienced the depths of human emotion.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, sadness is not inherently negative but can serve as a catalyst for spiritual growth and deeper reliance on God. The Bible encourages believers to bring their sorrows to God, trusting in His comfort and sovereignty. In Matthew 5:4, Jesus declares, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" , promising divine consolation to those who experience sadness.

Moreover, the Christian hope is that ultimate joy and the eradication of sadness will be realized in the eschatological fulfillment of God's kingdom. Revelation 21:4 offers a vision of this future reality: "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away" .

In summary, the biblical portrayal of sadness encompasses a range of experiences from personal grief to divine sorrow over sin. It serves as a reminder of the brokenness of the world while pointing believers towards the hope and comfort found in God.(imp. & p. p.) of Sadden.4768. stugnazo -- to have a gloomy appearance
... Word Origin from stugnos (hated, gloomy); from stugetos Definition to have a gloomy
appearance NASB Word Usage saddened (1), threatening (1). lower, be sad. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4768.htm - 6k

The Same Subject Continued.
... For I offer you withal, for your investigation, this very question: Whether there
were in the first Epistle others, too, who "wholly saddened" the apostle by ...
/.../tertullian/on modesty/chapter xiv the same subject continued.htm

Of St. Paul, and the Person whom He Urges the Corinthians to ...
... flesh," [825] "impious heir as he was to his father's wedlock; as if he subsequently
erased his own words, writing: "But if any hath wholly saddened, he hath ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/on modesty/chapter xiii of st paul and.htm

The Ninth Chapter: we Should Offer Ourselves and all that we have ...
... I offer You also these prayers and the Sacrifice of Propitiation for those especially
who have in any way injured, saddened, or slandered me, inflicted loss or ...
/.../kempis/the imitation of christ/the ninth chapter we should.htm

Whether There was Sorrow in Christ?
... Prov.12:21): "Whatever shall befall the just man, it shall not make him sad." And
the reason of this the Stoics asserted to be that no one is saddened save by ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether there was sorrow in.htm

How they are to be Admonished who Lament Sins of Deed, and those ...
... the soul, seduced by these deceptions, may be suspended from its purpose of penitence,
to the end that it may receive no good hereafter, being saddened by no ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter xxix how they are.htm

Liii. The Contemplation of Death.
... it much that is ugly, but there is pleasure and beauty in it still, the traces of
its own loveliness before sin drew furrows in its face and saddened its heart ...
/.../liii the contemplation of death.htm

(On the Passion, vii. )
... For they are saddened not by the accusations of conscience, but by the uncertainty
of man's changeableness; fearing lest what each knew against himself be less ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/sermon lviii on the passion.htm

The Second Beatitude
... character. How different our claims upon other men would be if we possessed
this sober, saddened estimate of what we really are! ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the second beatitude.htm

Letter v. --The Fear of Being Wanting in Submission.
... these temptations to hatred, impurity, etc., cause her, and will add that the fear
of having given way to them makes her feel troubled, saddened, and downcast. ...
/.../de caussade/abandonment to divine providence/letter v the fear of being.htm

The Home Scene.
... In one word, Martha was one of those meteor spirits rushing to and fro amid the
ceaseless activities of life, softened and saddened, but not prostrated and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macduff/memories of bethany/ii the home scene.htm

Saddened (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Sadden. Multi-Version Concordance
Saddened (1 Occurrence). Mark 10:22 But his face became ...
/s/saddened.htm - 6k

Sadas

/s/sadas.htm - 6k

Sadder (1 Occurrence)

/s/sadder.htm - 6k

Empire (8 Occurrences)
... number of the moderate party, who in better days would have furnished leaders to
the state, disgusted with the universal corruption, saddened by the hopeless ...
/e/empire.htm - 80k

Roman (26 Occurrences)
... number of the moderate party, who in better days would have furnished leaders to
the state, disgusted with the universal corruption, saddened by the hopeless ...
/r/roman.htm - 101k

Christianity
... number of the moderate party, who in better days would have furnished leaders to
the state, disgusted with the universal corruption, saddened by the hopeless ...
/c/christianity.htm - 101k

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