In the Bible, the term "worm" is used both literally and metaphorically, appearing in various contexts to convey themes of decay, judgment, and humility. The Hebrew word often translated as "worm" is "תּוֹלֵעָה" (tola'ath), and in Greek, it is "σκώληξ" (skōlēx).

Literal Usage

1. Decay and Corruption: Worms are frequently associated with decay and corruption, symbolizing the transient nature of earthly life. In Job 25:6, the insignificance of man is highlighted: "how much less man, who is but a maggot, and the son of man, who is but a worm!" . This verse underscores human frailty and the inevitability of death and decay.

2. Judgment and Punishment: In Acts 12:23, the death of Herod Agrippa I is described: "Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died" . This account serves as a stark reminder of divine judgment against pride and blasphemy.

Metaphorical Usage

1. Humility and Lowliness: The metaphorical use of "worm" often conveys humility and lowliness. In Psalm 22:6, a Messianic psalm, the suffering servant declares, "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people" . This expression of deep humiliation and rejection is prophetically applied to Jesus Christ, emphasizing His suffering and the contempt He endured.

2. Eternal Consequences: The imagery of worms is also used to describe the eternal consequences of sin. In Mark 9:48, Jesus speaks of hell, "where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched'" . This vivid imagery is drawn from Isaiah 66:24 and serves to illustrate the unending torment and corruption of those who reject God.

Symbolism in Prophecy

In Isaiah 14:11, the fall of Babylon is depicted with the imagery of worms: "Your pomp has been brought down to Sheol, along with the music of your harps. Maggots are spread out beneath you, and worms cover you" . This prophetic vision symbolizes the complete and utter downfall of a once-proud empire, reduced to decay and ruin.

Theological Implications

The use of "worm" in Scripture serves as a powerful reminder of human mortality, the consequences of sin, and the need for humility before God. It calls believers to recognize their dependence on the Creator and to seek His grace and redemption through Jesus Christ. The imagery of worms underscores the contrast between the temporal nature of earthly life and the eternal realities of God's kingdom.Worm

the representative in the Authorized Version of several Hebrew words. Sas , which occurs in (Isaiah 51:18) probably denotes some particular species of moth, whose larva is injurious to wool. Rimmah , (Exodus 16:20) points evidently to various kinds of maggots and the larvae of insects which feed on putrefying animal matter, rather than to earthworms. Toleah is applied in (28:39) to some kinds of larvae destructive to the vines. In (Job 19:26; 21:26; 24:20) there is an allusion to worms (insect larvae) feeding on the dead bodies of the buried. There is the same allusion in (Isaiah 66:24) which words are applied by our Lord, (Mark 9:44,46,48) metaphorically to the torments of the guilty in the world of departed spirits. The valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem, where the filth of the city was cast, was alive with worms. The death of Herod Agrippa I, was caused by worms. (Acts 12:23)

(1.) Hebrews sas (Isaiah 51:8), denotes the caterpillar of the clothes-moth.

(2.) The manna bred worms (tola'im), but on the Sabbath there was not any worm (rimmah) therein (Exodus 16:20, 24). Here these words refer to caterpillars or larvae, which feed on corrupting matter.

These two Hebrew words appear to be interchangeable (Job 25:6; Isaiah 14:11). Tola'im in some places denotes the caterpillar (Deuteronomy 28:39; Jonah 4:7), and rimmah, the larvae, as bred from putridity (Job 17:14; 21:26; 24:20). In Micah 7:17, where it is said, "They shall move out of their holes like worms," perhaps serpents or "creeping things," or as in the Revised Version, "crawling things," are meant.

The word is used figuratively in Job 25:6; Psalm 22:6; Isaiah 41:14; Mark 9:44, 46, 48; Isaiah 66:24.

1. (n.) A creeping or a crawling animal of any kind or size, as a serpent, caterpillar, snail, or the like.

2. (n.) Any small creeping animal or reptile, either entirely without feet, or with very short ones, including a great variety of animals; as, an earthworm; the blindworm.

3. (n.) Any helminth; an entozoon.

4. (n.) Any annelid.

5. (n.) An insect larva.

6. (n.) Same as Vermes.

7. (n.) An internal tormentor; something that gnaws or afflicts one's mind with remorse.

8. (n.) A being debased and despised.

9. (n.) Anything spiral, vermiculated, or resembling a worm

10. (n.) The thread of a screw.

11. (n.) A spiral instrument or screw, often like a double corkscrew, used for drawing balls from firearms.

12. (n.) A certain muscular band in the tongue of some animals, as the dog; the lytta. See Lytta.

13. (n.) The condensing tube of a still, often curved and wound to economize space. See Illust. of Still.

14. (n.) A short revolving screw, the threads of which drive, or are driven by, a worm wheel by gearing into its teeth or cogs. See Illust. of Worm gearing, below.

15. (v. i.) To work slowly, gradually, and secretly.

16. (v. t.) To effect, remove, drive, draw, or the like, by slow and secret means; -- often followed by out.

17. (v. t.) To clean by means of a worm; to draw a wad or cartridge from, as a firearm. See Worm, n. 5 (b).

18. (n.) To cut the worm, or lytta, from under the tongue of, as a dog, for the purpose of checking a disposition to gnaw. The operation was formerly supposed to guard against canine madness.

19. (n.) To wind rope, yarn, or other material, spirally round, between the strands of, as a cable; to wind with spun yarn, as a small rope.

SCARLET (WORM)

(tola`ath shani (Exodus 25:4, etc.)): Cermes vermilio, a scale insect from which a red dye is obtained.

See COLOR; DYEING; WORM.

WORM; SCARLET-WORM

wurm, skar'-let-wurm:

(1) tola`, tole`ah, tola`ath, tola`ath, from tala`; compare Arabic tala, "to stretch the neck"; usually with shani, "bright" (of Arabic sana, "a flash of lightning"), the term tola`ath shani being translated "scarlet" in English Versions of the Bible; also in the same sense the following: sheni tola`ath (Leviticus 14:4), tola` (Isaiah 1:18, English Versions of the Bible "crimson"), shanim (Proverbs 31:21 Isaiah 1:18, English Versions of the Bible "scarlet"), shani (Genesis 38:28 Joshua 2:18 Songs 4:3); also kokkos, and kokkinos (Matthew 27:23 Hebrews 9:19 Revelation 17:3, 4; Revelation 18:12, 16).

(2) rimmah, from ramam, "to putrefy" (Exodus 16:20); compare Arab ramm, "to become carious" (of bone).

(3) cac (only in Isaiah 51:8); compare Arabic sus, "worm"; ses, "moth" (Matthew 6:19).

(4) zochalim (Micah 7:17, the King James Version "worms," the Revised Version (British and American) "crawling things"), from zachal, "to crawl."

(5) skolex (Mark 9:48), skolekobrotos, "eaten of worms" (Acts 12:23).

Besides the numerous passages, mostly in Exodus, referring to the tabernacle, where tola`ath, with shani, is translated "scarlet," there are eight pasages in which it is translated "worm." These denote worms which occur in decaying organic matter or in sores (Exodus 16:20 Isaiah 14:11; Isaiah 66:24); or which are destructive to plants (Deuteronomy 28:39 Jonah 4:7); or the word is used as a term of contempt or depreciation (Job 25:6 Psalm 22:6 Isaiah 41:14). Rimmah is used in the same senses. It occurs with tola`ath as a synonym in Exodus 16:24 Job 25:6 Isaiah 14:11. In Job 25:6, English Versions of the Bible, rendering both tola`ath and rimmah by "worm," 'enosh and 'adham by "man," and introducing twice "that is a," makes a painfully monotonous distich out of the concise and elegant original, in which not one word of the first part is repeated in the second. Cac (Isaiah 51:8), English Versions of the Bible "worm," is the larva of the clothes-moth. See MOTH. In none of the cases here considered are worms, properly so called, denoted, but various insect larvae which are commonly called "worms," e.g. "silkworm," "apple-worm," "meal-worm," etc. These larvae are principally those of Diptera or flies, Coleoptera or beetles, and Lepidoptera or butterflies and moths.

Tola`ath shani, "scarlet," is the scarlet-worm, Cermes vermilio, a scale-insect which feeds upon the oak, and which is used for producing a red dye. It is called by the Arabs dudeh, "a worm," a word also used for various insect larvae. It is also called qirmiz, whence" crimson" and the generic name Cermes. This scarlet-worm or scale-insect is one of the family Coccidae of the order Rhynchota or Hemiptera. The female is wingless and adheres to its favorite plant by its long, sucking beak, by which it extracts the sap on which it lives. After once attaching itself it remains motionless, and when dead its body shelters the eggs which have been deposited beneath it. The males, which are smaller than the females, pass through a complete metamorphosis and develop wings. The dye is made from the dried bodies of the females. Other species yielding red dyes are Porphyrophora polonica and Coccus cacti. The last named is the Mexican cochineal insect which feeds on the cactus and which largely supplanted the others after the discovery of America. Aniline dyes have in turn to a great extent superseded these natural organic colors, which, however, continue to be unsurpassed for some purposes.

See COLORS.

Alfred Ely Day

4663. skolex -- a worm
... a worm. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: skolex Phonetic Spelling:
(sko'-lakes) Short Definition: a gnawing worm Definition: a gnawing worm ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4663.htm - 6k

4596. serikos -- silk.
... silk. From Ser (an Indian tribe from whom silk was procured; hence the name of the
silk-worm); Seric, ie Silken (neuter as noun, a silky fabric) -- silk. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4596.htm - 6k

1389. doloo -- to ensnare, fig. to adulterate
... Cognate: 1389 (from 1388 , "bait") -- properly, to lure (or snare) -- holding out
the worm and concealing the hook!; ; "primarily, ; then to corrupt -- used of ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1389.htm - 7k

4662. skolekobrotos -- eaten by worms
... eaten of worms. From skolex and a derivative of bibrosko; worm-eaten, ie Diseased
with maggots -- eaten of worms. see GREEK skolex. see GREEK bibrosko. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4662.htm - 6k

7415. rimmah -- a worm
... 7414, 7415. rimmah. 7416 . a worm. Transliteration: rimmah Phonetic Spelling:
(rim-maw') Short Definition: worm. Word Origin from ...
/hebrew/7415.htm - 6k

8439b. toleah -- a worm
toleah or tolaath. 8439a, 8439b. toleah or tolaath. 8440 . a worm.
Transliteration: toleah or tolaath Short Definition: worm. Word ...
/hebrew/8439b.htm - 5k

8438. tola -- worm, scarlet stuff
... 8437, 8438. tola. 8439 . worm, scarlet stuff. Transliteration: tola
Phonetic Spelling: (to-law') Short Definition: crimson. Word ...
/hebrew/8438.htm - 6k

2119. zachal -- to shrink back, crawl away
... be afraid, serpent, worm A primitive root; to crawl; by implication, to fear --
be afraid, serpent, worm. 2118, 2119. zachal. 2119a . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/2119.htm - 5k

8439. Towla' -- two men of Issachar
... crimson, scarlet, worm The same as towla'; worm; Tola, the name of two Israelites --
Tola. see HEBREW towla'. 8438, 8439. Towla'. 8439a . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/8439.htm - 5k

1501. gazam -- locusts
... palmer-worm. From an unused root meaning to devour; a kind of locust --
palmer-worm. 1500, 1501. gazam. 1502 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1501.htm - 5k

7537. raqeb -- to rot
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to rot NASB Word Usage rot (2). rot. A primitive
root; to decay (as by worm-eating) -- rot. 7536, 7537. raqeb. 7538 . ...
/hebrew/7537.htm - 5k

The Inch-Worm and the Mountain
... THE INCH-WORM AND THE MOUNTAIN. ... If you are tempted to trust too much to your
brightness, remember the animals who made fun of the inch-worm. ...
/.../fifty-two story talks to boys and girls/the inch-worm and the mountain.htm

Whether the Worm of the Damned is Corporeal?
... OF THE PUNISHMENT OF THE DAMNED (SEVEN ARTICLES) Whether the worm of the damned
is corporeal? ... Because flesh cannot be tormented by a spiritual worm. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the worm of the.htm

December 16. "I Will Restore to You the Years that the Locust Hath ...
... DECEMBER 16. "I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker
worm and the caterpillar and the palmer worm, my great army, which I sent ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /december 16 i will restore.htm

Of Hell, and the Nature of Eternal Punishments.
... then what God by His prophet has said of the everlasting punishment of the damned
shall come to pass"shall without fail come to pass,""their worm shall not ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 9 of hell and the.htm

February the Seventh Leaving Its Mark
... FEBRUARY The Seventh LEAVING ITS MARK. "Fear not, thou worm Jacob, I will make
thee a threshing instrument with teeth." "Isaiah 41:8-14. ...
/.../my daily meditation for the circling year/february the seventh leaving its.htm

The Author's Concluding Address.
... fire and the eye ever fixed in menacing glare of fallen angels chained in Tartarus
as punishment for their sins; and you shall escape the worm that ceaselessly ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xxx the authors concluding address.htm

When Diamond Got Home He Found his Father at Home Already...
... "What shall I do if things don't reform? I don't know where there's a single worm. ...
We want a storm"-. I don't know where there's a single worm.". ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 23 when diamond got.htm

The Apple Trees
... lying there, yet if you were to take them up one by one, and handle them, and turn
them round, perhaps you would scarcely find two that were not worm-eaten and ...
/.../bevan/three friends of god/chapter xix the apple trees.htm

Brokenness
... In a pathetic passage in a prophetic Psalm, He says, "I am a worm and no
man."[footnote2:Psalm 22:6.] Those who have been in tropical lands tell us that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hession/the calvary road/chapter i brokenness.htm

The Twenty-Second Psalm.
... "But I am a worm, and not man; a reproach of men, and despised of the
people" (verse 6). This is His own complaint. No longer a ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the lord of glory/the twenty-second psalm.htm

Worm (22 Occurrences)
... (2.) The manna bred worms (tola'im), but on the Sabbath there was not any worm
(rimmah) therein (Exodus 16:20, 24). ... See Illust. of Worm gearing, below. 15. ...
/w/worm.htm - 21k

Canker-worm (7 Occurrences)
Canker-worm. Cankerworm, Canker-worm. Canneh . Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia CANKER-WORM. kan'-ker-wurm (yeleq, (Joel ...
/c/canker-worm.htm - 9k

Scarlet-worm
Scarlet-worm. Scarletworm, Scarlet-worm. Scars . Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia WORM; SCARLET-WORM. wurm, skar'-let-wurm ...
/s/scarlet-worm.htm - 11k

Palmer-worm (2 Occurrences)
Palmer-worm. Palmerworm, Palmer-worm. Palms . Easton's Bible Dictionary
(Hebrews gazam). ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. PALMER-WORM. ...
/p/palmer-worm.htm - 7k

Plant-worm (2 Occurrences)
Plant-worm. Plants, Plant-worm. Plaster . Multi-Version Concordance
Plant-worm (2 Occurrences). Joel 1:4 What the worm...
/p/plant-worm.htm - 7k

Scarletworm
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia WORM; SCARLET-WORM. ... (3) cac (only in Isaiah
51:8); compare Arabic sus, "worm"; ses, "moth" (Matthew 6:19). ...
/s/scarletworm.htm - 11k

Insects (17 Occurrences)
... caterpillar, creeping thing, cricket, crimson, flea, fly, gnat, grasshopper, honey,
hornet, locust, louse, (lice), moth, palmer-worm, sandfly, scarlet-worm...
/i/insects.htm - 14k

Field-fly (2 Occurrences)
... Joel 1:4 What the worm did not make a meal of, has been taken by the locust; and
what the locust did not take, has been food for the plant-worm; and what the ...
/f/field-fly.htm - 7k

Quenched (22 Occurrences)
... Mark 9:44 'where their worm doesn't die, and the fire is not quenched.' (WEB KJV
WEY BBE DBY WBS YLT). Mark 9:45 If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. ...
/q/quenched.htm - 14k

Moth (10 Occurrences)
... moth (`ash; compare Arabic `uththat, "moth"; colloquial, `itt; cac, "worm" (Isaiah
51:8); compare Arabic sus, "worm," especially an insect larva in flesh, wood ...
/m/moth.htm - 13k

Why does God call Jacob a worm in Isaiah 41:14? | GotQuestions.org

What is the worm that will not die in Mark 9:48? | GotQuestions.org

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Worm: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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