Topical Encyclopedia In the biblical context, the term "weak" can refer to physical frailty, spiritual vulnerability, or moral incapacity. The concept of weakness is addressed throughout Scripture, often highlighting human limitations and the need for divine strength and support.Physical Weakness: The Bible acknowledges the reality of physical weakness as part of the human condition. In the Old Testament, figures like Moses and David experienced physical frailty. Moses, despite his leadership, expressed his own limitations in Exodus 4:10, saying, "O Lord, I am not eloquent... I am slow of speech and tongue." Similarly, David, in his old age, was described as weak and unable to keep warm (1 Kings 1:1). Spiritual Weakness: Spiritual weakness is a recurring theme, often associated with a lack of faith or understanding. In the New Testament, Jesus addresses the spiritual weakness of His disciples. In Matthew 26:41 , He warns them, "Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak." This highlights the tension between human intentions and the frailty of human nature. Moral Weakness: The Bible also speaks to moral weakness, where individuals struggle with sin and temptation. The Apostle Paul discusses this in Romans 7:18-19 , stating, "For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do." This passage reflects the internal battle between the desire to follow God's law and the weakness of the flesh. Divine Strength in Weakness: Despite human weakness, the Bible consistently points to God's strength as the ultimate source of support and empowerment. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 , Paul recounts the Lord's words to him: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness." Paul concludes, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me." This passage underscores the transformative power of God's grace, which turns human weakness into an opportunity for divine strength to be displayed. Compassion for the Weak: Scripture calls believers to show compassion and support for those who are weak. In Romans 15:1 , Paul exhorts, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." This reflects the Christian duty to support and uplift those who struggle, embodying the love and grace of Christ. Weakness as a Path to Humility: The Bible often presents weakness as a means to cultivate humility and reliance on God. In James 4:10 , believers are encouraged to "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you." Recognizing one's own weakness can lead to a deeper dependence on God and a more profound experience of His power and presence. In summary, the concept of weakness in the Bible serves as a reminder of human limitations and the necessity of relying on God's strength. It calls believers to humility, compassion, and a deeper faith in the transformative power of God's grace. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (v. i.) Wanting physical strength.2. (v. i.) Deficient in strength of body; feeble; infirm; sickly; debilitated; enfeebled; exhausted. 3. (v. i.) Not able to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain; as, a weak timber; a weak rope. 4. (v. i.) Not firmly united or adhesive; easily broken or separated into pieces; not compact; as, a weak ship. 5. (v. i.) Not stiff; pliant; frail; soft; as, the weak stalk of a plant. 6. (v. i.) Not able to resist external force or onset; easily subdued or overcome; as, a weak barrier; as, a weak fortress. 7. (v. i.) Lacking force of utterance or sound; not sonorous; low; small; feeble; faint. 8. (v. i.) Not thoroughly or abundantly impregnated with the usual or required ingredients, or with stimulating and nourishing substances; of less than the usual strength; as, weak tea, broth, or liquor; a weak decoction or solution; a weak dose of medicine. 9. (v. i.) Lacking ability for an appropriate function or office; as, weak eyes; a weak stomach; a weak magistrate; a weak regiment, or army. 10. (v. i.) Not possessing or manifesting intellectual, logical, moral, or political strength, vigor, etc. 11. (v. i.) Feeble of mind; wanting discernment; lacking vigor; spiritless; as, a weak king or magistrate. 12. (v. i.) Resulting from, or indicating, lack of judgment, discernment, or firmness; unwise; hence, foolish. 13. (v. i.) Not having full confidence or conviction; not decided or confirmed; vacillating; wavering. 14. (v. i.) Not able to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable; as, weak resolutions; weak virtue. 15. (v. i.) Wanting in power to influence or bind; as, weak ties; a weak sense of honor of duty. 16. (v. i.) Not having power to convince; not supported by force of reason or truth; unsustained; as, a weak argument or case. 17. (v. i.) Wanting in point or vigor of expression; as, a weak sentence; a weak style. 18. (v. i.) Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be prevalent; not potent; feeble. 19. (v. i.) Lacking in elements of political strength; not wielding or having authority or energy; deficient in the resources that are essential to a ruler or nation; as, a weak monarch; a weak government or state. 20. (v. i.) Tending towards lower prices; as, a weak market. 21. (v. i.) Pertaining to, or designating, a verb which forms its preterit (imperfect) and past participle by adding to the present the suffix -ed, -d, or the variant form -t; as in the verbs abash, abashed; abate, abated; deny, denied; feel, felt. See Strong, 19 (a). 22. (v. i.) Pertaining to, or designating, a noun in Anglo-Saxon, etc., the stem of which ends in -n. See Strong, 19 (b). 23. (v.) To make or become weak; to weaken. Greek 770. astheneo -- to be weak, feeble ... to be weak, feeble. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: astheneo Phonetic Spelling: (as-then-eh'-o) Short Definition: I am weak, sick Definition: I am weak ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/770.htm - 8k 772. asthenes -- without strength, weak 1133. gunaikarion -- a little woman, (contemptuously) a silly ... 102. adunatos -- unable, powerless 3499. nekroo -- to put to death 1573. ekkakeo -- faint, be weary. 1502. eiko -- to yield 769. astheneia -- weakness, frailty 1161. de -- but, and, now, (a connective or adversative particle) 1590. ekluo -- to loose, release, to grow weary Strong's Hebrew 2523. challash -- weak... weak. Transliteration: challash Phonetic Spelling: (khal-lawsh') Short Definition: weak. Word Origin from chalash Definition weak NASB Word Usage weak (1). weak ... /hebrew/2523.htm - 6k 2470a. chalah -- to be weak or sick 535. amal -- to be weak, languish 1800b. dal -- low, weak, poor, thin 2470. chalah -- to be weak or sick 605. anash -- to be weak, sick 7401. rakak -- to be tender, weak or soft 2522. chalash -- to be weak or prostrate 7390. rak -- tender, delicate, soft 7504. rapheh -- an Israelite in the line of Saul Library To Defend the Weak, or to Help Strangers, or to Perform Similar ... Strength in the Weak. Weak Hands and Feeble Knees How the Weak are Harmful and Cannot Bear Wrongs. But Perhaps those Seem to You Weak-Minded and Silly... God's Use of Weak Things. Great Effects by Weak Means. The Answer that the Weak Does not Always Allow Himself to be Borne ... How the Weak are Easily Moved. Great Evil Ensues to the Weak in Faith, from any Discussion Out of ... Thesaurus Weak (102 Occurrences)... 3. (vi) Not able to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain; as, a weak timber; a weak rope. 4. (vi) Not firmly united or adhesive ... /w/weak.htm - 38k Weak-willed (1 Occurrence) Weak-handed (1 Occurrence) Weakling (1 Occurrence) Infirm (25 Occurrences) Powerful (93 Occurrences) Weaken (5 Occurrences) Weaknesses (7 Occurrences) Offended (26 Occurrences) Leah (30 Occurrences) Resources What does it mean to “let the weak say I am strong” in Joel 3:10? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak? | GotQuestions.org What are the disputable matters in Romans 14:1? | GotQuestions.org Weak: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Weak (102 Occurrences)Matthew 26:41 Mark 9:24 Mark 14:38 Acts 20:35 Romans 4:19 Romans 5:6 Romans 6:19 Romans 8:3 Romans 14:1 Romans 14:2 Romans 14:21 Romans 15:1 1 Corinthians 1:27 1 Corinthians 4:10 1 Corinthians 8:7 1 Corinthians 8:9 1 Corinthians 8:10 1 Corinthians 8:11 1 Corinthians 8:12 1 Corinthians 9:22 1 Corinthians 11:30 2 Corinthians 10:10 2 Corinthians 11:21 2 Corinthians 11:29 2 Corinthians 12:10 2 Corinthians 13:3 2 Corinthians 13:4 2 Corinthians 13:9 Galatians 4:9 1 Thessalonians 5:14 2 Timothy 3:6 Hebrews 7:18 Hebrews 7:28 Hebrews 12:12 Genesis 27:1 Genesis 29:17 Genesis 30:42 Leviticus 13:6 Leviticus 13:21 Leviticus 13:26 Leviticus 13:28 Leviticus 13:39 Leviticus 13:56 Numbers 13:18 Deuteronomy 34:7 Judges 6:6 Judges 6:15 Judges 16:7 Judges 16:11 Judges 16:13 Judges 16:17 1 Samuel 3:2 1 Samuel 15:9 2 Samuel 3:1 2 Samuel 3:39 2 Samuel 17:2 2 Chronicles 14:11 2 Chronicles 15:7 2 Chronicles 28:15 Nehemiah 4:2 Nehemiah 6:9 Job 4:3 Job 14:10 Job 26:2 Psalms 6:2 Psalms 6:7 Psalms 10:2 Psalms 12:5 Psalms 31:9 Psalms 31:10 Psalms 34:10 Psalms 35:10 Psalms 41:1 Psalms 72:13 Psalms 79:8 Psalms 82:3 Psalms 82:4 Psalms 109:24 Proverbs 22:22 Proverbs 24:10 Proverbs 26:7 Proverbs 28:3 Isaiah 14:10 Isaiah 19:6 Isaiah 26:6 Isaiah 35:3 Isaiah 38:14 Isaiah 40:29 Isaiah 42:4 Jeremiah 17:9 Lamentations 2:8 Ezekiel 7:17 Ezekiel 16:30 Ezekiel 21:7 Ezekiel 29:15 Ezekiel 34:4 Ezekiel 34:16 Ezekiel 34:21 Hosea 4:3 Joel 3:10 Subtopics Related Terms |