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Suffering
Excerpt from the Lexham Bible Dictionary, the most advanced Bible dictionary.
Provides an overview of the Bible’s presentation and discussions of human suffering, both physical and emotional.
Lexham Bible Dictionary
The most advanced Bible Dictionary
The most advanced Bible dictionary as a part of Biblia Plus, which includes everything you need to take your Bible study to the next level. For less than $1 a week, you'll get devotionals, Bible study guides, thematic studies, and much more!
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Dictionaries
The Lexham Bible Dictionary
Suffering
Suffering Provides an overview of the Bible’s presentation and discussions of human suffering, both physical and emotional.
The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary
Suffering
SUFFERING. The Bible portrays innumerable examples of suffering. It could come in many different forms—a loss in battle, destruction of the nation and the symbols of worship, ravaging illnesses, premature death, great physical pain, rejection and loneliness, spiritual torment such as guilt or disbelief
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised
Suffering
Suffering I. Terminology II. Its Reality III. Its Origins IV. Its PurposesA. In the OTB. Intertestamental DevelopmentsC. In the NT V. Conclusion
Tyndale Bible Dictionary
Suffering
SUFFERING Anything causing pain or distress; calamity. From the biblical viewpoint, affliction began with the entrance of sin into the world. Both mankind and all creation were afflicted with “thorns and thistles,” sin, death, and decay (cf. Gn 3:16–19; Rom 8:18–21). Because of sin, misery is a common
The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated)
Suffering
suffering. In the Bible, suffering takes many forms: physical pain, frustrated hopes, depression, isolation, loneliness, grief, anxiety, spiritual crises, and more. The biblical peoples struggled with the presence of suffering and sought ways to understand and cope with it in view of their belief in
The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia
Suffering
SUFFERINGThe Fact of SufferingIn the Bible both man and the whole physical creation are spoken of as suffering. Man suffers from physical calamities resulting from the curse, such as storms, droughts, heat, cold, wars, famines, diseases, etc., as well as from the effects of his own individual sin.
The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition
Suffering
SUFFERING. In the Bible suffering is regarded as an intrusion into this created world. Creation was made good (Gn. 1:31). When sin entered, suffering also entered in the form of conflict, pain, corruption, drudgery and death (Gn. 3:15–19). In the new heaven and earth suffering has been finally abolished
Dictionary of Paul and His Letters
Suffering
SufferingThe questions of the inevitability and purpose of suffering in the life of Christians in general, and in the life of Paul as an apostle in particular, are recurring themes of great significance throughout Paul’s letters. In addition to the issues of death, his own imprisonment, and other specific
Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments
Suffering
SufferingCertain NT books are more focused on the subject of suffering than are others. The authors of 1 Peter and Revelation are intensely interested in understanding and interacting with the problem of suffering in their communities. Since suffering is a central focus of these two works, their contribution
Harper’s Bible Dictionary
Suffering
Sufferingsuffering, pain or distress, one of the most persistent of all human problems. Even those who experience relatively minor suffering in their own lives are constantly confronted with the suffering of others—within their own families, among their acquaintances, or even in distant lands. Suffering
Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Suffering
SUFFERING — agony, affliction, or distress; intense pain or sorrow. Suffering has been part of the human experience since people fell into sin (Genesis 3). The Psalms, one-third of which are laments, include graphic descriptions of suffering (Psalm 22). A theme of the Book of Job is the problem of suffering
Dictionary of Biblical Imagery
Suffering
SufferingSuffering in the Bible is usually understood as a distinctively human experience, and thus the imagery of God’s suffering and the story of the incarnate Son offer remarkable insights into God’s redemptive love.Prior to Christ, suffering in the Bible typically refers to an anguished mortal
Cross Before Crown
Cross Before CrownChristianity is the religion of the agony and the ecstasy, with the former preceding the latter. Romans 8:17 sounds the keynote: Christians are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (RSV).Other NT passages
Key passages
Ge 3:16–19

To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bear children. And to your husband shall be your desire. And he shall rule over you.” And to Adam he said, “Because you listened to the voice of your wife and you ate from the tree from which …

Job 14:1

“A human being born of a woman is short of days and full of troubles.

Ps 22:1

My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Why are you far from helping me, far from the words of my groaning?

Is 63:9

In all their distress, there was no distress, and the messenger of his presence saved them, in his love and compassion he himself redeemed them, and he lifted them up, and he supported them all the days of old.

Lk 13:1–5

Now at the same time some had come to tell him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And he answered and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were sinners worse than all the Galileans, because they suffered these things? No, I tell …

Ro 8:16–18

The Spirit himself confirms to our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together with him so that we may also be glorified together with him. For I consider that the sufferings …

Heb 5:7–8

who in the days of his flesh offered up both prayers and supplications, with loud crying and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard as a result of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered,

See also
Ge 3:1–24; Ge 5:1–32; Ge 12:10–20; Ge 14:1–17; Ge 15:1–16:16; Ge 20:1–18; Ge 27:30–40; Ge 29:31–30:24; Ge 31:22–42; Ge 40:1–23; Ge 45:1–28; Ex 1:1–22; Ex 2:11–3:22; Ex 4:18–5:21; Ex 15:22–17:7; Le 26:14–46; Nu 5:11–31; Nu 14:26–38; Nu 20:14–21; Nu 24:15–25; Dt 4:15–40; Dt 16:1–8; Dt 26:1–15; Dt 28:15–68; Dt 32:19–38; Jos 10:16–27; Jdg 2:11–23; Jdg 3:7–30; Jdg 4:1–24; Jdg 6:1–10; Jdg 10:6–18; 1 Sa 5:1–12; 2 Sa 12:1–23; 2 Sa 15:13–37; 2 Sa 18:33–19:8; 1 Ki 8:22–53; 2 Ki 14:23–29; 2 Ki 25:1–21; 1 Ch 21:1–30; 2 Ch 16:11–14; 2 Ch 21:1–20; 2 Ch 28:5–8; 2 Ch 32:24–26; 2 Ch 33:10–17; Ne 9:22–38; Job 1:13–3:26; Job 5:1–7:21; Job 13:20–14:22; Job 16:1–22; Job 19:1–6; Job 23:1–24:25; Job 30:1–31; Job 33:1–33; Ps 9:1–20; Ps 22:1–31; Ps 25:1–22; Ps 34:1–22; Ps 38:1–22; Ps 42:1–11; Ps 44:1–26; Ps 55:1–23; Ps 57:1–11; Ps 66:1–20; Ps 69:1–36; Ps 71:1–24; Ps 77:1–20; Ps 79:1–13; Ps 80:1–19; Ps 86:1–17; Ps 88:1–18; Ps 94:1–23; Ps 102:1–28; Ps 106:24–107:22; Ps 109:1–31; Ps 116:1–19; Ps 119:49–56; Ps 119:65–80; Ps 119:89–96; Ps 119:105–112; Ps 119:129–144; Ps 119:153–160; Ps 129:1–8; Pr 1:20–33; Pr 10:15; Pr 14:1; Pr 15:15; Pr 17:17; Pr 20:30; Pr 23:29–35; Ec 3:16–4:3; Ec 7:1–8:1; Is 1:2–20; Is 8:11–22; Is 13:1–22; Is 15:1–9; Is 17:1–14; Is 21:1–10; Is 23:1–24:23; Is 26:1–19; Is 30:18–26; Is 43:1–21; Is 48:1–11; Is 49:1–13; Is 50:1–11; Is 51:17–23; Is 52:13–53:12; Is 63:7–65:16; Je 2:14–25; Je 4:5–6:30; Je 7:28–8:3; Je 10:17–25; Je 15:10–18; Je 22:11–23; Je 30:1–24; Je 48:12–33; Je 50:21–46; La 1:1–3:21; La 3:43–5:22; Eze 5:1–17; Eze 7:1–27; Eze 23:22–35; Eze 24:15–27; Eze 26:1–21; Eze 30:1–19; Da 10:10–11:4; Da 12:1–13; Ho 2:2–13; Ho 5:1–15; Ho 7:11–16; Joe 1:2–2:11; Am 1:3–2:3; Am 2:6–16; Am 3:9–4:5; Am 8:1–14; Mic 4:6–5:1; Na 3:1–19; Hab 1:12–2:1; Hab 2:5–3:16; Zep 1:2–18; Zec 9:1–8; Zec 13:7–14:15; Mal 3:1–7; Mt 2:16–18; Mt 4:1–4; Mt 5:1–12; Mt 8:5–13; Mt 12:22–30; Mt 15:21–28; Mt 16:21–23; Mt 17:1–21; Mt 20:17–28; Mt 24:4–26; Mt 25:31–46; Mt 26:36–46; Mt 26:57–68; Mt 27:26–34; Mt 27:45–50; Mk 5:25–34; Mk 8:27–9:13; Mk 10:32–45; Mk 13:5–23; Mk 14:17–21; Mk 14:32–65; Mk 15:1–41; Lk 4:1–13; Lk 9:18–22; Lk 10:29–37; Lk 13:1–9; Lk 13:22–30; Lk 15:11–32; Lk 16:19–31; Lk 17:20–37; Lk 18:31–34; Lk 19:28–44; Lk 20:9–18; Lk 21:8–24; Lk 22:14–18; Lk 22:21–23; Lk 22:39–53; Lk 22:63–65; Lk 23:8–12; Lk 23:26–49; Lk 24:13–32; Lk 24:44–48; Jn 9:1–12; Jn 11:28–37; Jn 15:18–25; Jn 16:16–33; Jn 18:1–23; Jn 18:39–19:37; Jn 21:15–23; Ac 1:1–3; Ac 3:11–26; Ac 5:33–42; Ac 9:10–19; Ac 14:21–28; Ac 17:1–4; Ac 20:17–38; Ac 26:19–23; Ro 5:1–5; Ro 8:12–39; 1 Co 12:12–31; 2 Co 1:3–11; 2 Co 1:15–2:11; 2 Co 4:7–18; 2 Co 6:1–10; 2 Co 7:2–12; 2 Co 8:1–7; 2 Co 11:22–33; 2 Co 12:7–10; Ga 3:1–9; Ga 4:8–20; Ga 6:16–18; Eph 3:8–13; Php 1:19–30; Php 3:1–11; Php 4:10–20; Col 1:24–29; 1 Th 1:2–2:16; 1 Th 3:1–10; 2 Th 1:3–12; 2 Ti 1:8–12; 2 Ti 2:1–13; 2 Ti 3:10–4:5; Heb 2:5–18; Heb 5:5–11; Heb 9:23–28; Heb 10:26–39; Heb 11:23–12:11; Heb 13:7–17; Jas 1:2–8; Jas 1:12–18; Jas 5:1–18; 1 Pe 1:3–12; 1 Pe 2:18–25; 1 Pe 3:13–4:6; 1 Pe 4:12–19; 1 Pe 5:5–11; Jud 5–11; Re 1:9–20; Re 2:8–11; Re 2:18–29; Re 6:3–11; Re 7:9–17; Re 9:1–12; Re 16:10–11; Re 18:1–8; Re 20:7–10; Re 21:1–8;
See also
Topics & Themes
Adversity
Affliction
Pain