Topical Bible: Man: Called: A Worm

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In the Scriptures, the term "worm" is used metaphorically to describe the frailty, humility, and lowliness of man in comparison to the majesty and holiness of God. This imagery is particularly poignant in highlighting the human condition and the need for divine intervention and grace.

Biblical References:

1. Job 25:6 : "how much less man, who is but a maggot, and the son of man, who is but a worm!" In this passage, Bildad the Shuhite speaks to Job, emphasizing the insignificance and impurity of man in the sight of God. The comparison to a worm underscores the vast chasm between human beings and the divine, pointing to the need for humility before the Creator.

2. Psalm 22:6 : "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people." This verse is part of a Messianic psalm that prophetically describes the suffering of Christ. Here, the psalmist, traditionally understood as David, expresses a deep sense of rejection and humiliation. The term "worm" conveys the depth of his abasement and foreshadows the ultimate humility of Jesus on the cross.

3. Isaiah 41:14 : "Do not fear, O worm Jacob, O few men of Israel. I will help you, declares the LORD. Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel." In this passage, God addresses the nation of Israel, referring to them as "worm Jacob" to highlight their vulnerability and weakness. Despite this, the Lord promises His help and redemption, demonstrating His power and faithfulness to His covenant people.

Theological Implications:

The use of "worm" to describe man serves as a powerful reminder of human limitations and the need for divine grace. It reflects the biblical theme of humility, where recognition of one's lowly state is a precursor to receiving God's mercy and strength. This imagery also points to the transformative power of God, who lifts the humble and redeems the lowly.

In the context of the New Testament, the humility of Christ, who "made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7), is the ultimate example of this theme. Jesus' willingness to be scorned and despised, as depicted in Psalm 22, fulfills the prophetic imagery of the "worm" and demonstrates the path to exaltation through humility.

Practical Application:

Believers are called to embrace humility, recognizing their dependence on God for salvation and strength. The metaphor of the worm encourages Christians to approach God with a contrite heart, acknowledging their need for His grace. It also serves as a reminder of the dignity bestowed upon humanity through Christ, who, though He was despised, was exalted by God and given the name above all names (Philippians 2:9).

In summary, the biblical depiction of man as a "worm" is a profound illustration of human frailty and the necessity of divine redemption. It calls believers to a life of humility, trust in God's promises, and reliance on His redemptive power.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 25:6
How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Whether the Worm of the Damned is Corporeal?
... will remain in the renewed world except only the body of man, because the ... nature:
and this is the remorse of conscience, which is called a worm because it ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the worm of the.htm

Fear Not
... "Worm," says he, "I am no worm: I am a man; a man is the most glorious thing that
God has made; I am not going to be called a worm; I am a man"I can do ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/fear not.htm

Christ's Saying, "The Father is Greater than I," is Explained in ...
... still you wonder that speaking in the person of a man He called the Father greater
than Himself, when in the person of a man He called Himself a worm, and not ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter viii christs saying the.htm

The Author's Concluding Address.
... Tartarus as punishment for their sins; and you shall escape the worm that ceaselessly ...
And God called man His likeness from the beginning, and has evinced in a ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xxx the authors concluding address.htm

Whether any Procession in God Can be Called Generation?
... Not everything of that kind, however, is called begotten; but ... will any likeness suffice;
for a worm which is ... in the same specific nature; as a man proceeds from ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether any procession in god.htm

The Wicked Man's Life, Funeral, and Epitaph
... a thing up, and thank him still more, that there is a worm called Time, to eat up
the evil influence and the accursed memory, which such a man leaves behind him ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the wicked mans life funeral.htm

An Anonymous Sermon, Commonly Called Clement's Second Letter to ...
... let us do the will of Him who called us, and ... What shall be done with the man who
cheats in the ... have not guarded the seal, [570] it says, "Their worm shall not ...
/.../richardson/early christian fathers/an anonymous sermon commonly called 2.htm

Further Exposition of the Heresy of the Naasseni; Profess to ...
... A worm, and not a man; a reproach of man, and an ... words which it would not be possible
for man to declare ... These are, he says, what are by all called the secret ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter iii further exposition of the.htm

Acts xii. 18, 19
... Why is it that the lame man does not walk upright ... it gets its name: but just as that
is called glory, which ... Why cater for the worm that it may have a sumptuous ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxvii acts xii 18.htm

The Mission of the Son of Man
... He that hath the most of them is a worm still, and is in nature no greater than
his fellows. If Jesus called himself the Son of Man, when he had far greater ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the mission of the son.htm