Starvation, the severe deficiency in caloric energy intake needed to maintain life, is a condition that is addressed in various contexts throughout the Bible. It is often depicted as a consequence of famine, war, or divine judgment, and serves as a backdrop for demonstrating God's provision, human suffering, and moral lessons.

Biblical Instances of Starvation:

1. Famine in Egypt and Canaan: One of the most notable instances of starvation in the Bible is the famine during the time of Joseph. In Genesis 41, Pharaoh dreams of seven years of abundance followed by seven years of severe famine. Joseph, through divine wisdom, interprets the dream and advises Pharaoh to store grain during the years of plenty. As a result, Egypt becomes a source of sustenance for surrounding nations, including Jacob's family in Canaan. "When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt" (Genesis 41:56).

2. The Siege of Samaria: In 2 Kings 6:24-29, the city of Samaria experiences a dire famine during the siege by the Arameans. The situation becomes so desperate that people resort to cannibalism. This tragic event highlights the extremity of human suffering during times of starvation and the moral decay that can accompany it.

3. The Widow of Zarephath: In 1 Kings 17:8-16, during a time of drought and famine, God sends the prophet Elijah to a widow in Zarephath. Despite her meager resources, she provides for Elijah, and God miraculously sustains her household with an unending supply of flour and oil. This account illustrates God's provision and the blessings of faith and obedience.

4. The Famine in Jerusalem: In Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah laments the severe famine that strikes Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege. "The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children; they became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people" (Lamentations 4:10). This graphic depiction underscores the horror of starvation and the consequences of national disobedience to God.

Theological Implications:

Starvation in the Bible is often linked to themes of divine judgment and human sinfulness. It serves as a reminder of the consequences of turning away from God and the fragility of human life. However, it also provides a backdrop for demonstrating God's mercy and provision. In times of famine, God often raises up individuals, like Joseph and Elijah, to provide for His people and to show His power and faithfulness.

Moral and Ethical Lessons:

The biblical accounts of starvation call believers to trust in God's provision and to act with compassion towards those in need. The account of the widow of Zarephath, for example, teaches the importance of generosity and faith, even in dire circumstances. Additionally, the Bible encourages believers to be wise stewards of resources, as seen in Joseph's management of Egypt's grain supplies.

New Testament Perspective:

In the New Testament, Jesus addresses physical and spiritual hunger. In the feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21), Jesus miraculously provides food for the multitudes, demonstrating His compassion and divine authority. Moreover, Jesus declares Himself the "bread of life" (John 6:35), emphasizing that spiritual nourishment is found in Him alone.

Overall, the theme of starvation in the Bible serves as a powerful reminder of human dependence on God, the reality of suffering in a fallen world, and the call to live out faith through acts of compassion and trust in divine provision.(n.) The act of starving, or the state of being starved.

Work
... beings. The savage has an easy life enough, if that be any gain: but it
is a life of poverty, uncertainty, danger of starvation. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xii work.htm

Feasting on the Sacrifice
... which alone I get any good from it. It is possible to die of starvation
at the door of a granary. It is possible to have a table ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/feasting on the sacrifice.htm

The Children of the Poor.
... There is no essential difference in starvation, whether it ensues from
the ravages of an invading host or from the lack of means. ...
/.../chapin/humanity in the city/discourse vii the children of.htm

Weak Hands and Feeble Knees
... A more frequent cause, however, of weak hands and feeble knees, is starvation, absolute
starvation. Is there such a thing known in England as starvation? ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/weak hands and feeble knees.htm

The Inwardness of Prayer
... sin. And it ends in not being able to pray. That is its punishment"spiritual
dumbness, or at least aphasia, and starvation. We ...
/.../forsyth/the soul of prayer/chapter i the inwardness of.htm

Preface
... hypnotism nor hysteria, and in its expression is neither superlative nor apostrophic,
lest the hungered minds of men die of surfeit following on starvation. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/on prayer and the contemplative life/preface.htm

The Ethics of Elfland
... caricature. Death is more tragic even than death by starvation. Having
a nose is more comic even than having a Norman nose. This ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/orthodoxy/iv the ethics of elfland.htm

The Foundlings
... These unfortunate little creatures, in a state of semi-starvation and utter neglect,
were crowded together into two filthy holes, where the greater number died ...
/.../forbes/life of st vincent de paul/chapter 7 the foundlings.htm

Greek-Amerikan-Christian-Association
... The Greeks, a brave people, who, in the face of starvation, for lack of food, and
horrified by the sword of the conqueror, dishonored in their holiest sacreds ...
/.../chapter x greek-amerikan-christian-association.htm

Carey's College
... ladies, addressed a pathetic letter to Parliament about the time that the great
missionary died, praying that they might not be doomed to starvation by being ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter i careys college.htm

Starvation (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Starvation (1 Occurrence). Jeremiah 15:2 It shall
happen, when they tell you, Where shall we go forth? ...
/s/starvation.htm - 6k

Starve (3 Occurrences)

/s/starve.htm - 8k

Numbers (136 Occurrences)
... an expression of the exaggerated fears of the spies, whose language could not mean
that the land was so barren that they would die of starvation, a statement ...
/n/numbers.htm - 71k

Juniper (7 Occurrences)
... yields good charcoal, giving out much heat (Psalm 120:4). For people to be reduced
to chew it for nourishment betokens the lowest depth of starvation (Job 30:4 ...
/j/juniper.htm - 11k

Wolf (4 Occurrences)
... 3. (a.) Fig.: Any very ravenous, rapacious, or destructive person or thing; especially,
want; starvation; as, they toiled hard to keep the wolf from the door. ...
/w/wolf.htm - 13k

Aristobulus (1 Occurrence)
... entrusted to his mother. Three other brothers and his mother he cast into
prison, where they died of starvation. He murdered Antigonus ...
/a/aristobulus.htm - 9k

Starts (1 Occurrence)

/s/starts.htm - 6k

Siege (63 Occurrences)
... An attempt might be made to reduce the city by starvation (2 Kings 6:24 2 Kings
17:5). The city might be invested and captured by assault and storm, as Lachish ...
/s/siege.htm - 51k

Cross (157 Occurrences)
... than is commonly supposed. When he was tied to the cross nothing further
was done and he was left to die from starvation. If he was ...
/c/cross.htm - 50k

Hunger (52 Occurrences)
... desire for food, a physiological sensation associated with emptiness of the stomach,
and dependent on some state of the mucous membrane; (2) starvation as the ...
/h/hunger.htm - 25k

Should Christians stockpile food/supplies in preparation for a possible future disaster? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about cannibalism? Is there cannibalism in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the importance of Patmos in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Starvation: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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