In biblical terms, "want" often refers to a state of lacking or needing something essential, whether it be material, spiritual, or emotional. The concept of want is addressed throughout the Scriptures, highlighting both the human experience of need and God's provision.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often translated as "want" is "ḥāsēr," which means to lack or be in need. One of the most well-known passages addressing want is found in Psalm 23:1, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." This verse expresses a profound trust in God's provision, suggesting that those who follow the Lord will not lack anything necessary for their well-being.

The theme of want is also evident in the narratives of the Israelites in the wilderness. Despite their frequent complaints of want, such as the lack of food and water, God consistently provided for their needs, as seen in Exodus 16 with the provision of manna and quail.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the Greek word "hystereō" is often used to denote lack or deficiency. Jesus addresses the issue of want in the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing God's care for His creation. In Matthew 6:31-33, Jesus instructs, "Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you."

The Apostle Paul also speaks to the issue of want in Philippians 4:11-12, where he writes, "I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances. I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation—to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need." Here, Paul highlights the virtue of contentment, regardless of one's material circumstances, trusting in God's sufficiency.

Spiritual Implications

The Bible often contrasts physical want with spiritual abundance. While material needs are acknowledged, the Scriptures emphasize the greater importance of spiritual fulfillment. In John 6:35, Jesus declares, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst." This statement underscores the belief that true satisfaction and the fulfillment of all wants are found in a relationship with Christ.

Practical Application

Believers are encouraged to trust in God's provision and to seek His kingdom above all else. The biblical response to want involves prayer, faith, and a focus on spiritual riches over material wealth. In James 1:5, believers are reminded, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." This verse illustrates the principle that God is willing to provide for our needs, especially when we seek His guidance and wisdom.

Throughout Scripture, the concept of want serves as a reminder of human dependency on God and His faithfulness to meet the needs of His people.1. (n.) The state of not having; the condition of being without anything; absence or scarcity of what is needed or desired; deficiency; lack; as, a want of power or knowledge for any purpose; want of food and clothing.

2. (v. i.) Specifically, absence or lack of necessaries; destitution; poverty; penury; indigence; need.

3. (v. i.) That which is needed or desired; a thing of which the loss is felt; what is not possessed, and is necessary for use or pleasure.

4. (n.) A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before the subsequent deposition took place.

5. (v. t.) To be without; to be destitute of, or deficient in; not to have; to lack; as, to want knowledge; to want judgment; to want learning; to want food and clothing.

6. (v. t.) To have occasion for, as useful, proper, or requisite; to require; to need; as, in winter we want a fire; in summer we want cooling breezes.

7. (v. t.) To feel need of; to wish or long for; to desire; to crave.

8. (v. i.) To be absent; to be deficient or lacking; to fail; not to be sufficient; to fall or come short; to lack; -- often used impersonally with of; as, it wants ten minutes of four.

9. (v. i.) To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack.

5304. husteresis -- need, want
... need, want. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: husteresis Phonetic
Spelling: (hoos-ter'-ay-sis) Short Definition: poverty, want Definition: poverty ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5304.htm - 6k

4326. prosdeomai -- to want further
... to want further. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: prosdeomai Phonetic Spelling:
(pros-deh'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I want more Definition: I want more ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4326.htm - 6k

1189. deomai -- to want, entreat
... to want, entreat. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: deomai Phonetic Spelling:
(deh'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I request, beg Definition: I want for myself ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1189.htm - 7k

192. akrasia -- want of power
... want of power. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: akrasia Phonetic
Spelling: (ak-ras-ee'-a) Short Definition: incontinence, intemperance, lack of ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/192.htm - 7k

1729b. endees -- in want, needy
... 1729a, 1729b. endees. 1730 . in want, needy. Transliteration: endees Short
Definition: needy. Word Origin from endeo (to fall short ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1729b.htm - 5k

1189a. deomai -- to want, entreat
... 1189, 1189a. deomai. 1189b . to want, entreat. Transliteration: deomai
Short Definition: beg. Word Origin a form of deo Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1189a.htm - 5k

5303. husterema -- that which is lacking, need
... ay-mah) Short Definition: that which is lacking, poverty Definition: (a) of things
or persons: that which is lacking, a defect or shortcoming, (b) want, poverty ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5303.htm - 7k

5535. chrezo -- to need, have need of
... need of. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: chrezo Phonetic Spelling:
(khrade'-zo) Short Definition: I need Definition: I need, have need of, want, desire. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5535.htm - 6k

5532. chreia -- need, business
... Word Origin akin to chraomai Definition need, business NASB Word Usage necessary
(1), need (40), needed (1), needs (6), task (1). need, want. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5532.htm - 6k

769. astheneia -- weakness, frailty
... weakness, frailty. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: astheneia Phonetic
Spelling: (as-then'-i-ah) Short Definition: want of strength, weakness ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/769.htm - 7k

2639. cheser -- want, poverty
... 2638, 2639. cheser. 2640 . want, poverty. Transliteration: cheser Phonetic
Spelling: (kheh'-ler) Short Definition: want. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/2639.htm - 6k

2638. chaser -- needy, lacking, in want of
... needy, lacking, in want of. Transliteration: chaser Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-sare')
Short Definition: lacks. ... destitute, fail, lack, have need, void, want. ...
/hebrew/2638.htm - 6k

2640. choser -- want, lack
... want, lack. Transliteration: choser Phonetic Spelling: (kho'-ser) Short Definition:
lack. Word Origin from chaser Definition want, lack NASB Word Usage lack (3) ...
/hebrew/2640.htm - 6k

34. ebyon -- in want, needy, poor
... 33, 34. ebyon. 35 . in want, needy, poor. Transliteration: ebyon Phonetic
Spelling: (eb-yone') Short Definition: needy. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/34.htm - 6k

7326. rush -- to be in want or poor
... 7325, 7326. rush. 7327 . to be in want or poor. Transliteration: rush Phonetic
Spelling: (roosh) Short Definition: poor. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/7326.htm - 6k

2637. chaser -- to lack, need, be lacking, decrease
... 2), depriving (1), empty (1), have...lack (1), lack (2), lacked (2), lacking (4),
lacks (2), made him a lower (1), need (1), scarce (1), want (3), withhold (1 ...
/hebrew/2637.htm - 6k

4270. machsor -- a need, thing needed, poverty
... machsor or machsor. 4271 . a need, thing needed, poverty. Transliteration: machsor
or machsor Phonetic Spelling: (makh-sore') Short Definition: want. ...
/hebrew/4270.htm - 6k

2308. chadal -- to cease
... flabby, ie (by implication) desist; (figuratively) be lacking or idle -- cease,
end, fall, forbear, forsake, leave (off), let alone, rest, be unoccupied, want. ...
/hebrew/2308.htm - 6k

3808. lo -- not
... thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, +
surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without ...
/hebrew/3808.htm - 7k

3423. yarash -- to take possession of, inherit, dispossess
... 1), take over (1), take possession (19), take possession of his possessors (1),
taken possession (2), takes possession (1), took possession (8), want (1). ...
/hebrew/3423.htm - 7k

What do they Want?
... The Present Opportunity What Do They Want? There can be no doubt about
the knocking. But"but what is it they are after? Well, in ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks with world winners/what do they want.htm

Want of Sympathy. May 5.
... Want of Sympathy. May 5. If we do not understand our fellow-creatures
we shall never love them. And it is equally true, that if ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/daily thoughts /want of sympathy may 5.htm

I Want to be a Worker. PM
... 413 I Want to Be a Worker. PM. Delight in God's Work. I want to be a worker
for the Lord, I want to love and trust his holy word; I ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lorenz/the otterbein hymnal/413 i want to be.htm

The Real Presence, the Great Want of the Church
... The Real Presence, the Great Want of the Church. A Sermon ... The poverty of the members,
their want of learning, their want of rank, all these shall be as nothing. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 18 1872/the real presence the great.htm

September the Fourteenth the Sense of Want
... SEPTEMBER The Fourteenth THE SENSE OF WANT. ... We are justified by the penitent
sense of want and not by the boastful sense of possession. ...
/.../september the fourteenth the sense.htm

Want of Simplicity. October 10.
... Want of Simplicity. October 10. Faith and prayer are simple things, . . .
but when we begin to want faith, and to assist prayer ...
/.../kingsley/daily thoughts /want of simplicity october 10.htm

Want of Universality in the Knowledge and Reception of ...
... CHAPTER VI. WANT OF UNIVERSALITY IN THE KNOWLEDGE AND RECEPTION OF
CHRISTIANITY, AND OF GREATER CLEARNESS IN THE EVIDENCE. Or, a ...
/.../paley/evidences of christianity/chapter vi want of universality.htm

A Preservative against Unsettled Notions, and Want of Principles ...
... A Preservative Against Unsettled Notions, and Want of Principles, in Regard
to Righteousness and Christian Perfection. Ecclesiastes ...
/.../a preservative against unsettled notions.htm

Work or Want. July 12.
... Work or Want. July 12. Remember that we are in a world where it is not safe
to sit under the tree and let the ripe fruit drop into ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/daily thoughts /work or want july 12.htm

You must Want Like a God that You May be Satisfied Like God
... THE FIRST CENTURY 44 You must want like a God that you may be satisfied like God.
You must want like a God that you may be satisfied like God. ...
/.../traherne/centuries of meditations/44 you must want like.htm

Want (607 Occurrences)
... n.) The state of not having; the condition of being without anything; absence or
scarcity of what is needed or desired; deficiency; lack; as, a want of power ...
/w/want.htm - 7k

Wish (141 Occurrences)
... be here. If you want, let's make three tents here: one for you, one for
Moses, and one for Elijah." (See NAS RSV NIV). Matthew 19 ...
/w/wish.htm - 36k

Release (61 Occurrences)
... NIV). Matthew 27:17 When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said
to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas ...
/r/release.htm - 26k

Clean (298 Occurrences)
... Matthew 8:2 Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, if you
want to, you can make me clean." (WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/c/clean.htm - 44k

Need (914 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A state that requires supply or relief;
pressing occasion for something; necessity; urgent want. ...
/n/need.htm - 7k

Ignorance (27 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) The condition of being ignorant; the want of knowledge in general, or in
relation to a particular subject; the state of being uneducated or uninformed. ...
/i/ignorance.htm - 21k

Touched (96 Occurrences)
... Matthew 8:3 Jesus stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I want to. ... Luke
5:13 He stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I want to. ...
/t/touched.htm - 36k

Miss (7 Occurrences)
... 7. (vt) To discover the absence or omission of; to feel the want of; to mourn
the loss of; to want. ... 13. (n.) Loss; want; felt absence. 14. ...
/m/miss.htm - 10k

Supply (40 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) The act of supplying. 6. (n.) That which supplies a want; sufficiency of
things for use or want. 7. (n.) Auxiliary troops or reinforcements. ...
/s/supply.htm - 21k

Stretched (234 Occurrences)
... Matthew 8:3 Jesus stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I want to. ... Luke
5:13 He stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, "I want to. ...
/s/stretched.htm - 38k

What does God want me to do? | GotQuestions.org

What does God want from me? | GotQuestions.org

Why should I want to serve God? | GotQuestions.org

Want: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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