In the biblical context, "woes" are expressions of deep sorrow, distress, or lamentation, often pronounced as divine judgments against individuals, cities, or nations due to their sinful actions or disobedience to God. The term is frequently used by prophets and Jesus Christ to convey the seriousness of sin and the impending consequences of unrepentance.

Old Testament Usage

The concept of "woes" is prevalent in the prophetic books of the Old Testament. Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel often used the term to warn Israel and surrounding nations of God's impending judgment due to their idolatry, injustice, and rebellion. For instance, Isaiah 5:20 declares, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter!" . This passage highlights the moral inversion and corruption that provokes divine lamentation and judgment.

In the book of Habakkuk, woes are pronounced against the Chaldeans for their greed, violence, and idolatry. Habakkuk 2:6-9 states, "Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?" . These woes serve as a reminder of God's justice and the certainty of retribution for wickedness.

New Testament Usage

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ frequently uses the term "woe" in His teachings, particularly in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The "Woes to the Pharisees" in Matthew 23 are among the most notable instances. Jesus criticizes the religious leaders for their hypocrisy and legalism, saying, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter" (Matthew 23:13). These woes underscore the spiritual blindness and self-righteousness that hinder true faith and obedience.

In the book of Revelation, woes are associated with the apocalyptic judgments that befall the earth. Revelation 8:13 warns, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the remaining three angels!" . These woes emphasize the severity of God's final judgment and the urgency of repentance.

Theological Significance

Theologically, woes serve as a divine warning and a call to repentance. They reflect God's holiness and justice, as well as His desire for His people to turn from sin and seek righteousness. The pronouncement of woes is not merely punitive but also redemptive, aiming to awaken the conscience and lead individuals and nations back to God.

Woes also highlight the consequences of rejecting God's commandments and the futility of relying on human wisdom and power. They remind believers of the importance of humility, obedience, and faithfulness in their relationship with God. Through the lens of woes, Scripture reveals the gravity of sin and the hope of redemption for those who heed the warning and turn to God in repentance.3759. ouai -- alas! woe! (an expression of grief or denunciation)
... Word Origin a prim. interj. Definition alas! woe! (an expression of grief or
denunciation) NASB Word Usage woe (46), woes (1). alas, woe. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3759.htm - 6k

A Prophet's Woes
... A PROPHET'S WOES. 'Woe unto them that join house to ... fiend has his way. Three
woes follow which are closely connected. That pronounced on ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/a prophets woes.htm

Are thy toils and woes increasing?
... Are thy toils and woes increasing? Methodius I, 836 ei kai ta paronta. Are thy
toils and woes increasing? Are the Foe's attacks unceasing? ...
/.../neale/hymns of the eastern church/are thy toils and woes.htm

Woes on the Pharisees
... The DESIRE of AGES Chapter 67 Woes on the Pharisees. [This chapter is based
on Matt.23; Mark 12:41-44; Luke 20:45-47; 21:1-4.] It ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 67 woes on the.htm

Sermon on the Mount Continued Its Woes in Strict Agreement with ...
... Jesus is the Christ of the Creator. Chapter XV."Sermon on the Mount Continued
Its Woes in Strict Agreement with the Creator's Disposition. ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter xv sermon on the mount.htm

Prayer Born of Compassion
... It stands at the other extreme to indifference of spirit to the wants and woes of
others, and is far removed from insensibility and hardness of heart, in the ...
/.../bounds/the essentials of prayer/x prayer born of compassion.htm

Whether Christ Went Down into the Hell of the Lost?
... clxiv): "If the sacred Scriptures had said that Christ came into Abraham's bosom,
without naming hell or its woes, I wonder whether any person would dare to ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether christ went down into.htm

Habakkuk
... The solution may be long delayed, but faith sees and grasps it already: "The just
shall live by his faithfulness," ii.1-4. Then follows a series of woes, ii.5 ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/habakkuk.htm

Whether the Saints have Knowledge of Our Prayers?
... to Objection 2: Although the saints, after this life, know what happens here below,
we must not believe that they grieve through knowing the woes of those whom ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the saints have knowledge.htm

The King's Farewell
... If, with the majority of authorities, we exclude verse 14 from the text, there are,
in this chapter, seven woes, like seven thunders, launched against the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the kings farewell.htm

C. The Third Period. Chs. 6:12 to 8:56
... The Beatitudes here recorded are four in number, while Matthew mentions eight or
nine; but Luke adds four woes, each one of which is in striking contrast with ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/c the third period chs.htm

Woes (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Woes (3 Occurrences). Revelation 9:12 The first woe
is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this. ...
/w/woes.htm - 7k

Habakkuk (3 Occurrences)
... live. 2:5-20: Woes against the Chaldeans. ... 2:1-4: Yahweh promises deliverance
(see above). 2:5-20: Woes against the Chaldeans. (3 ...
/h/habakkuk.htm - 26k

Affliction (120 Occurrences)
... vocation. So the "suffering servant" in Isaiah. Job, too, in spite of his many
woes, was firm in the conviction of his own integrity. To ...
/a/affliction.htm - 53k

Eschatology
... Judaism, on the basis of the Old Testament, had worked out the doctrine of "the
woes of the Messiah," chebhele ha-mashiach, the calamities and afflictions ...
/e/eschatology.htm - 70k

Woke (10 Occurrences)

/w/woke.htm - 9k

Tabeel (2 Occurrences)
... Judaism, on the basis of the Old Testament, had worked out the doctrine of "the
woes of the Messiah," chebhele ha-mashiach, the calamities and afflictions ...
/t/tabeel.htm - 101k

Mouth (534 Occurrences)
... Judaism, on the basis of the Old Testament, had worked out the doctrine of "the
woes of the Messiah," chebhele ha-mashiach, the calamities and afflictions ...
/m/mouth.htm - 91k

Zophar (4 Occurrences)
... to the fearful peril of the wicked (11:20); and in his 2nd speech, outdoing the
others, he presses their lurid description of the wicked man's woes to the ...
/z/zophar.htm - 10k

Zephaniah (11 Occurrences)
... priest" in the reign of Zedekiah, often mentioned in Jeremiah as having been sent
from the king to inquire (Jeremiah 21:1) regarding the coming woes which he ...
/z/zephaniah.htm - 32k

Woeful (1 Occurrence)

/w/woeful.htm - 6k

What are the three woes of Revelation? | GotQuestions.org

Why did Jesus rebuke the scribes and Pharisees so harshly in Matthew 23:13 36? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Sermon on the Plain? | GotQuestions.org

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