Definition and Context:
Wailings refer to expressions of deep sorrow, grief, or lamentation, often vocalized through loud cries or weeping. In the biblical context, wailings are frequently associated with mourning over death, destruction, or profound loss. They are a natural human response to tragedy and are depicted throughout Scripture as part of the human experience in a fallen world.

Old Testament References:
Wailings are prominently featured in the Old Testament, often in the context of national calamity or personal loss. In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet frequently calls for wailing as a response to the impending judgment on Judah. Jeremiah 9:10 states, "I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains and a lament for the pastures of the wilderness, because they are desolate and untraveled; the lowing of cattle is not heard, the birds have all fled, and the animals are gone."

The book of Lamentations, traditionally attributed to Jeremiah, is a profound expression of wailing over the destruction of Jerusalem. Lamentations 1:16 captures this sentiment: "For these things I weep; my eyes overflow with tears, for there is no one to comfort me, no one to restore my soul. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed."

New Testament References:
In the New Testament, wailings are often associated with the eschatological judgment and the final separation of the righteous from the wicked. Jesus Himself speaks of wailing in the context of judgment. In Matthew 13:42 , He describes the fate of the wicked: "And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

The book of Revelation also depicts wailing as a response to divine judgment. Revelation 18:9 describes the lament of the kings of the earth over the fall of Babylon: "Then the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning."

Cultural and Religious Significance:
In ancient Israelite culture, wailing was often a communal activity, with professional mourners sometimes employed to lead the lamentation. This practice underscores the communal nature of grief and the importance of expressing sorrow in the face of loss. Wailings served as a public acknowledgment of suffering and a call for divine intervention or comfort.

Theological Implications:
Wailings in the Bible highlight the reality of human suffering and the brokenness of the world due to sin. They serve as a reminder of the need for repentance and the hope of redemption. While wailings express the depth of human despair, they also point to the promise of God's ultimate restoration and comfort for His people. As seen in Revelation 21:4 , the hope of the Christian faith is that God "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."

Practical Application:
For believers, wailings can be a form of prayer, an honest expression of grief before God. The Psalms, for example, are filled with cries of lament that model how to bring sorrow and pain to the Lord. In times of personal or communal tragedy, Christians are encouraged to turn to God with their wailings, trusting in His compassion and sovereignty.

Hebrews xi. 7
... of which he is not himself the cause; but when of his own choice he has entangled
himself in evil, he is not worthy [3247] of tears, but of wailings; [3248] or ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xxiii hebrews xi 7.htm

John xi. 1, 2
... 4.] But in our days, among our other evils there is one malady very prevalent among
our women; they make a great show in their dirges and wailings, baring [1700 ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily lxii john xi 1.htm

Sin Laid on Jesus
... own way.". I hear no dolorous wailings attending this confession of sin;
for the next sentence makes it almost a song. "The Lord ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 12 1866/sin laid on jesus.htm

Of Querulousness.
... Author of his danger, to overwhelm the sense of his deliverance, and instead of
Hymns and praises, breaks out into ejaculations and effeminate wailings.2. Sam ...
/.../allestree/the government of the tongue/section x of querulousness.htm

The Shout of Faith
... In the history of the children of Israel there were many occasions when they indulged
in these moanings and wailings and always to their sad undoing; but on ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/smith/the god of all comfort/chapter 14 the shout of.htm

Accidents, not Punishments
... reaper, has come forth to out down his harvest; full sheaves have been gathered
into his garner"the tomb, and terrible have been the wailings which compose ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/accidents not punishments.htm

Argument: Octavius Attests the Fact that Men were Adopted as Gods ...
... consider the sacred rites themselves, and their very mysteries: you will find mournful
deaths, misfortunes, and funerals, and the griefs and wailings of the ...
/.../the octavius of minucius felix/chapter xxi argument octavius attests the.htm

On the Incarnation of Christ.
... man who appeared in Judea; nay, that the Wisdom of God can have entered the womb
of a woman, and have been born an infant, and have uttered wailings like the ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/chapter vi on the incarnation of.htm

Here, by Way of Objection, Several Questions are Raised. ...
... of unbelievers are not denied; and, secondly, to stimulate his true worshippers
to more urgent prayer, when they see that sometimes even the wailings of the ...
/.../calvin/of prayer--a perpetual exercise of faith/chapter 15 here by way.htm

The Seven Sleepers
... And when they had taken their refection and sat in weeping and wailings, suddenly,
as God would, they slept, and when it came on the morn they were sought and ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/the seven sleepers.htm

Wailings (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Wailings (1 Occurrence). Amos 8:3 The songs of the
temple will be wailings in that day," says the Lord Yahweh. ...
/w/wailings.htm - 6k

Wails (3 Occurrences)

/w/wails.htm - 7k

Wailing-place
Wailing-place. Wailingplace, Wailing-place. Wailings . Easton's Bible Dictionary ...
Wailingplace, Wailing-place. Wailings . Reference Bible.
/w/wailing-place.htm - 7k

Flung (11 Occurrences)
... me. (See RSV). Amos 8:3 The songs of the temple will be wailings in that
day," says the Lord Yahweh. "The dead bodies will be many. ...
/f/flung.htm - 9k

Corpses (16 Occurrences)
... forever. (See NAS). Amos 8:3 The songs of the temple will be wailings in that
day," says the Lord Yahweh. "The dead bodies will be many. ...
/c/corpses.htm - 11k

Wailing (44 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV). Amos 8:3 The songs of the temple will be wailings
in that day," says the Lord Yahweh. "The dead bodies will be many. ...
/w/wailing.htm - 19k

Silence (80 Occurrences)
... name. (DBY). Amos 8:3 The songs of the temple will be wailings in that
day," says the Lord Yahweh. "The dead bodies will be many. ...
/s/silence.htm - 31k

Songs (100 Occurrences)
... NAS RSV). Amos 8:3 The songs of the temple will be wailings in that day,"
says the Lord Yahweh. "The dead bodies will be many. In ...
/s/songs.htm - 62k

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