In the Bible, the concept of thirst is often used both literally and metaphorically to convey a deep longing or need, particularly for God and His righteousness. The physical sensation of thirst is a powerful image that illustrates the spiritual yearning for divine presence and sustenance.

Old Testament References

1. Physical Thirst: The Israelites experienced physical thirst during their journey through the wilderness. In Exodus 17:3 , the people quarreled with Moses, saying, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?" This incident highlights the human need for water and God's provision, as He instructed Moses to strike the rock at Horeb to bring forth water (Exodus 17:6).

2. Spiritual Thirst: The Psalms frequently use the imagery of thirst to express a deep spiritual longing for God. Psalm 42:1-2 states, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God’s presence?" This metaphor illustrates the soul's intense desire for communion with the Creator.

New Testament References

1. Jesus and Thirst: In the New Testament, Jesus addresses both physical and spiritual thirst. In John 4:13-14 , Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman at the well, saying, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life." Here, Jesus offers Himself as the source of eternal satisfaction, contrasting the temporary relief of physical water with the everlasting fulfillment found in Him.

2. The Cross: Jesus' own experience of thirst is recorded during His crucifixion. In John 19:28 , it is written, "After this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, 'I am thirsty.'" This statement fulfills the prophecy found in Psalm 69:21 and underscores His full participation in human suffering.

3. Spiritual Fulfillment: Revelation 21:6 promises the ultimate satisfaction of spiritual thirst: "To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life." This assurance is a culmination of the biblical theme of God as the provider of spiritual nourishment and eternal life.

Theological Implications

The theme of thirst in the Bible underscores the human condition of longing for something beyond the material world. It points to the innate desire for a relationship with God, who alone can satisfy the deepest needs of the soul. The imagery of thirst serves as a reminder of the insufficiency of earthly things to fulfill spiritual needs and directs believers to seek fulfillment in Christ, the living water.(imp. & p. p.) of Thirst.6770. tsame -- to be thirsty
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to be thirsty NASB Word Usage became...thirsty
(1), thirst (3), thirsted (1), thirsts (2), thirsty (3). be suffer thirsty. ...
/hebrew/6770.htm - 6k

Psalm LXIII.
... 3. "My soul hath thirsted for Thee" (ver.2). Behold that desert of Idum??a. ... 4. Wisdom
therefore must be thirsted after, righteousness must be thirsted after. ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxiii.htm

Letter xiv. --(For 342. ) Coss. Augustus Constantius iii, Constans ...
... Who is all things for us, and was laden in ten thousand ways for our salvation;
Who hungered and thirsted for us, though He gives us food and drink in His ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/letter xiv for 342 coss augustus.htm

Simon Cephas Said unto Him, Our Lord, is it to us that Thou Hast ...
... my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations [3003] of the
world: [47] [3004] I hungered, and ye gave me to eat; and I thirsted, and ye ...
/.../hogg/the diatessaron of tatian/section xliii simon cephas said.htm

Psalm CXLVIII.
... One should say to them, "Getulia does at all events thirst, thou dost not even thirst."
For good were it for thee to say to God, "My soul hath thirsted for Thee ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cxlviii.htm

The Shortest of the Seven Cries
... streams from Lebanon? He was innocent, and yet he thirsted; shall we marvel
if guilty ones are now and then chastened? If he was ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 24 1878/the shortest of the seven.htm

1 John iii. 18-Sep
... For when the Lord was in mortal flesh, He hungered, He thirsted: at that time when
He hungered and thirsted, He was taken in as a guest; those who had the means ...
/.../ten homilies on the epistle of john to the parthians/homily v 1 john iii.htm

The Little Flower Enters the Carmel
... esteem me. I thirsted to suffer and to be forgotten. Most merciful has been
the way by which the Divine Master has ever led me. He ...
/.../martin/the story of a soul/chapter vii the little flower.htm

But, in Order that it May be More Clearly Understood...
... For that our Lord Jesus Christ in truth of flesh hungered and thirsted, ate and
drank, no one doubts of such as out of the Gospel are believers. ...
/.../augustine/on the good of marriage/section 26 but in order.htm

And Bring us not into Temptation but Deliver us from Evil
... a day in the deep, a man in every way afflicted, in straits, persecuted, cast down,
confessing: Until the present hour we have hungered, thirsted, gone naked ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origen on prayer/chapter xix and bring us.htm

Messiah Derided Upon the Cross
... conduct. Yet they thirsted for His blood; and, because He came into the world
to save sinners, they accomplished their cruel designs. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon xxi messiah derided upon.htm

Thirsted (6 Occurrences)
...Thirsted (6 Occurrences). Matthew 25:35 for I hungered, and ye gave me to eat; I
thirsted, and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; (DBY). ...
/t/thirsted.htm - 8k

Thirsteth (7 Occurrences)

/t/thirsteth.htm - 8k

Hungered (8 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV DBY YLT). Matthew 25:35 for I hungered, and ye gave me to eat; I thirsted,
and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; (DBY). ...
/h/hungered.htm - 8k

Hunger (52 Occurrences)
... Matthew 25:35 for I hungered, and ye gave me to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me
to drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; (Root in DBY YLT). ...
/h/hunger.htm - 25k

Thirst (40 Occurrences)

/t/thirst.htm - 20k

Longed (24 Occurrences)
... O God, Thou 'art' my God, earnestly do I seek Thee, Thirsted for Thee hath my soul,
Longed for Thee hath my flesh, In a land dry and weary, without waters. ...
/l/longed.htm - 13k

Cleaveth (26 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 48:21 And they have not thirsted in waste places, He hath caused them to
go on, Waters from a rock he hath caused to flow to them, Yea, he cleaveth a ...
/c/cleaveth.htm - 13k

Clave (16 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 48:21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused
the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the ...
/c/clave.htm - 11k

Cleft (15 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 48:21 And they thirsted not when He led them through the deserts; He caused
the waters to flow out of the rock for them; He cleaved the rock also, and ...
/c/cleft.htm - 12k

Cleaved (36 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 48:21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts; he caused
the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he clave the rock also, and the ...
/c/cleaved.htm - 16k

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