Definition and Usage:
The term "vex" in the Bible is used to describe a state of being troubled, distressed, or annoyed. It often conveys a sense of persistent disturbance or irritation, whether emotional, spiritual, or physical. The word is used in various contexts throughout the Scriptures to depict the afflictions and challenges faced by individuals or groups.

Old Testament References:
In the Old Testament, "vex" is frequently used to describe the oppression or harassment of the Israelites by their enemies. For example, in Numbers 25:17-18 , God commands Moses, "Treat the Midianites as enemies and strike them down, for they have been hostile to you with their tricks, with which they deceived you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister who was killed on the day of the plague because of Peor."

The term is also used in the context of personal affliction. In Job 19:2 , Job laments, "How long will you torment me and crush me with words?" Here, "vex" is translated as "torment," highlighting the emotional and psychological distress caused by his friends' accusations.

New Testament References:
In the New Testament, the concept of vexation is often associated with spiritual and moral struggles. In 2 Peter 2:7-8 , the Apostle Peter refers to Lot, who was "distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless" and whose "righteous soul was tormented day after day by their lawless deeds." This passage illustrates the inner turmoil experienced by Lot as he lived among the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Theological Implications:
The use of "vex" in the Bible underscores the reality of suffering and the challenges of living in a fallen world. It reflects the tension between the righteous and the wicked, as well as the internal struggles faced by believers. The Bible acknowledges that vexation is a part of the human experience, yet it also offers hope and comfort through faith in God.

Practical Application:
Believers are encouraged to seek God's strength and guidance when faced with vexation. The Scriptures provide numerous examples of individuals who turned to God in times of distress and found solace in His promises. Psalm 34:17 assures, "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles." This verse serves as a reminder that God is attentive to the cries of His people and is capable of delivering them from their afflictions.

Conclusion:
While vexation is an inevitable part of life, the Bible offers a framework for understanding and overcoming it through reliance on God's wisdom and grace. By turning to Scripture and prayer, believers can find peace and resilience in the face of adversity.1. (v. t.) To to/s back and forth; to agitate; to disquiet.

2. (v. t.) To make angry or annoyed by little provocations; to irritate; to plague; to torment; to harass; to afflict; to trouble; to tease.

3. (v. t.) To twist; to weave.

4. (v. i.) To be irritated; to fret.

VEX, VEXATION

veks, vek-sa'-shun: "Vex," meaning originally to shake or toss in carrying, has a much more intensive meaning in Scripture than in common modern usage. It represents over a score of Hebrew and Greek words, most of them translated by this word only once, and many of them changed in the Revised Version (British and American) into other forms. Thus bahel in Psalm 6:2, 3, 10. is in the American Standard Revised Version "troubled" (in Psalm 2:5, the Revised Version margin. "trouble"); tsarar in Nehemiah 9:27 is in the Revised Version (British and American) "distressed";. pascho in Matthew 17:15 is "suffereth grievously"; kakoo in Acts 12:1 is "afflict," etc. So "vexation only" in Isaiah 28:19 is in the Revised Version (British and American) "nought but terror," and there are other changes of this word (compare Deuteronomy 28:20, "discomfiture"; Isaiah 9:1, "in anguish"). On the other hand, the Revised Version (British and American) has "vex" for "distress" (Deuteronomy 2:9, 19); "they that vex" for "the adversaries of" (Isaiah 11:13); "vexeth himself" for "meddleth" (Proverbs 26:17), etc.

W. L. Walker

2669. kataponeo -- to wear down
... oppress, vex. From kata and a derivative of ponos; to labor down, ie Wear with toil
(figuratively, harass) -- oppress, vex. see GREEK kata. see GREEK ponos. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2669.htm - 6k

3076. lupeo -- to distress, to grieve
... to distress, to grieve. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: lupeo Phonetic Spelling:
(loo-peh'-o) Short Definition: I pain, grieve, vex Definition: I pain ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3076.htm - 8k

3791. ochleo -- to disturb, trouble
... of Speech: Verb Transliteration: ochleo Phonetic Spelling: (okh-leh'-o) Short
Definition: I trouble, torment, worry Definition: I trouble, torment, worry, vex. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3791.htm - 7k

2559. kakoo -- to ill-treat
... to mistreat, harm. From kakos; to injure; figuratively, to exasperate -- make
evil affected, entreat evil, harm, hurt, vex. see GREEK kakos. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2559.htm - 7k

928. basanizo -- to torture
... pain, toil, torment. From basanos; to torture -- pain, toil, torment, toss,
vex. see GREEK basanos. (basanizomene) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/928.htm - 7k

1559. ekdioko -- to pursue out, ie expel or persecute
... Phonetic Spelling: (ek-dee-o'-ko) Short Definition: I persecute, expel by persecuting
Definition: I persecute, expel by persecuting, drive out, vex, harass. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1559.htm - 7k

3958. pascho -- to suffer, to be acted on
... pen'-tho), used only in certain tenses for it apparently a primary verb; to experience
a sensation or impression (usually painful) -- feel, passion, suffer, vex ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3958.htm - 9k

4660. skullo -- to skin, fig. to trouble
... Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: skullo Phonetic Spelling: (skool'-lo) Short
Definition: I flay, trouble, annoy Definition: I flay, trouble, annoy, vex. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4660.htm - 6k

6887c. tsarar -- to show hostility toward, vex
... 6887b, 6887c. tsarar. 6887d . to show hostility toward, vex. Transliteration:
tsarar Short Definition: adversaries. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/6887c.htm - 5k

7561. rasha -- to be wicked, act wickedly
... condemn, make trouble, vex, be commit, deal, depart, do wickedly,. A primitive
root; to be (causatively, do or declare) wrong; by ...
/hebrew/7561.htm - 6k

3238. yanah -- to oppress, maltreat, perhaps suppress
... destroy, thrust out by oppressing proud, vex, do violence. A primitive root;
to rage or be violent: by implication, to suppress, to ...
/hebrew/3238.htm - 6k

6973. quts -- to feel a loathing, abhorrence, or sickening dread
... loathe (2), terrorize (1), tired (1). abhor, be distressed, be grieved, loathe,
vex, be weary. A primitive root (identical with quwts ...
/hebrew/6973.htm - 6k

3013. yagah -- to suffer
... afflict, cause grief, grieve, sorrowful, vex. A primitive root; to grieve -- afflict,
cause grief, grieve, sorrowful, vex. 3012, 3013. yagah. 3014 . ...
/hebrew/3013.htm - 6k

2000. hamam -- to make a noise, move noisily, confuse, discomfit
... into confusion (1), troubled (1). break, consume, crush, destroy, discomfit,
trouble, vex. A primitive root (compare huwm, hamah); properly ...
/hebrew/2000.htm - 6k

2111. zua -- to tremble, quake
... move, tremble, vex. A primitive root; properly, to shake off, ie (figuratively)
to agitate (as with fear) -- move, tremble, vex. 2110, 2111. zua. 2112 . ...
/hebrew/2111.htm - 6k

7492. raats -- to shatter
... dash in pieces, vex. A primitive root; to break in pieces; figuratively, harass --
dash in pieces, vex. 7491, 7492. raats. 7493 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7492.htm - 5k

1766. dachaq -- to thrust, crowd, oppress
... 1), crowd (1). thrust, vex. A primitive root; to press, ie Oppress -- thrust,
vex. 1765, 1766. dachaq. 1767 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1766.htm - 5k

6087. atsab -- to hurt, pain, grieve
... displease, grieve, hurt, make, be sorry, vex, worship, wrest A primitive
root; properly, to carve, ie Fabricate or fashion; hence ...
/hebrew/6087.htm - 5k

It is the Part of the Wicked to Vex the Righteous.
... Chapter XLV."It is the part of the wicked to vex the righteous. Ye are fond
of contention, brethren, and full of zeal about things ...
/.../the first epistle of clement to the corinthians/chapter xlv it is the part.htm

It is the Part of the Wicked to Vex the Righteous.
... The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. Chapter XLV."It is the
Part of the Wicked to Vex the Righteous. Ye are fond of ...
/.../keith/the epistles of clement/chapter xlv it is the part.htm

Letter clx. To Diodorus.
... 3. It is written, he says, in Leviticus "Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister,
to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter clx to diodorus.htm

Herod and Peter.
... "Now about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of
the Church." The ... "He stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the Church.". ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xiv herod and peter.htm

The Fainting Warrior
... able ministers, and they say, "Surely, such men as these do not suffer as I do;
they do not contend with the same evil passions as those which vex and trouble ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the fainting warrior.htm

Psalm II.
... 4. "Then He shall speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure"
(ver.5). For showing more clearly how He will "speak unto them," he added ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm ii.htm

Psalm 129
... A Song of degrees. 8,6,8,6. ^1Oft did they vex me from my youth,. may Isr'el now
declare; ^2Oft did they vex me from my youth,. yet not victorious were. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/scottish psalter and paraphrases/psalm 129.htm

Wish Not, Dear Friends, My Pain Away --
... The only Son of His dear love? But we, like vex'd unquiet sprights,. ... Thy precious
things, whate'er they be,. That haunt and vex thee, heart and brain,. ...
/.../palgrave/the treasury of sacred song/cclxxix wish not dear friends.htm

From the Talmud and Hebraica
... difficulty of the style, the frightful roughness of the language, and the amazing
emptiness and sophistry of the matters handled, do torture, vex, and tire him ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/title page.htm

Introductory
... Which I learn at JESUS' side! Earthly cares can never vex me,. Neither trials lay
me low; For when Satan comes to vex me,. To the secret place I go! ...
//christianbookshelf.org/taylor/union and communion/introductory.htm

Vex (20 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To twist; to weave. 4. (vi) To be irritated; to fret. Int. Standard
Bible Encyclopedia. VEX, VEXATION. veks, vek-sa'-shun: "Vex...
/v/vex.htm - 14k

Vexation (36 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) A harassing by process of law; a vexing or troubling, as by a malicious
suit. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. VEX, VEXATION. ...
/v/vexation.htm - 18k

Displease (7 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To make not pleased; to excite a feeling of disapprobation or dislike in;
to be disagreeable to; to offend; to vex; -- often followed by with or at. ...
/d/displease.htm - 9k

Harass (14 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 2:19 and when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, vex
them not, nor contend with them; for I will not give thee of the land of the ...
/h/harass.htm - 10k

Yearn (4 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To pain; to grieve; to vex. 2. (vi) To be pained
or distressed; to grieve; to mourn. 3. (vi & t.) To curdle, as milk. ...
/y/yearn.htm - 7k

Veteran (1 Occurrence)

/v/veteran.htm - 6k

Nip (1 Occurrence)
... 4. (vt) Hence: To blast, as by frost; to check the growth or vigor of; to destroy.
5. (vt) To vex or pain, as by nipping; hence, to taunt. ...
/n/nip.htm - 7k

Nettle (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To fret or sting; also a plant of the genus Urtica, covered with minute
sharp hairs; to irritate or vex; to cause to experience sensations of ...
/n/nettle.htm - 8k

Usury (17 Occurrences)
... 25 Isaiah 24:2 Jeremiah 15:10), and the noun form, mashsha' (Nehemiah 5:7, 10);
(2) a stronger and more picturesque word, nashakh, "to bite," "to vex," and so ...
/u/usury.htm - 15k

Gall (17 Occurrences)
... 8. (vt) To fret; to vex; as, to be galled by sarcasm. 9. (vt) To injure; to harass;
to annoy; as, the troops were galled by the shot of the enemy. 10. ...
/g/gall.htm - 17k

What does the Bible say about feeling overwhelmed? | GotQuestions.org

Topical Bible Questions (All) | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean to vex / be vexed? | GotQuestions.org

Vex: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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