Bible Dictionary: Wormwood

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Easton's Bible Dictionary

Hebrews la'anah, the Artemisia absinthium of botanists. It is noted for its intense bitterness (Deuteronomy 29:18; Proverbs 5:4; Jeremiah 9:15; Amos 5:7). It is a type of bitterness, affliction, remorse, punitive suffering. In Amos 6:12 this Hebrew word is rendered "hemlock" (R.V., "wormwood"). In the symbolical language of the Apocalypse (Revelation 8:10, 11) a star is represented as falling on the waters of the earth, causing the third part of the water to turn wormwood.

The name by which the Greeks designated it, absinthion, means "undrinkable." The absinthe of France is distilled from a species of this plant. The "southernwood" or "old man," cultivated in cottage gardens on account of its fragrance, is another species of it.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) A composite plant (Artemisia Absinthium), having a bitter and slightly aromatic taste, formerly used as a tonic and a vermifuge, and to protect woolen garments from moths. It gives the peculiar flavor to the cordial called absinthe. The volatile oil is a narcotic poison. The term is often extended to other species of the same genus.

2. (n.) Anything very bitter or grievous; bitterness.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

WORMWOOD

wurm'-wood (la'anah (Deuteronomy 29:18 Proverbs 5:4 Jeremiah 9:15; Jeremiah 23:15 Lamentations 3:15, 19 Amos 5:7; Amos 6:12, the King James Version hemlock); apsinthos (Revelation 8:11)): What the Hebrew la`anah may have been is obscure; it is clear it was a bitter substance and it is usually associated with "gall"; in the Septuagint it is variously translated, but never by apsinthos, "wormwood." Nevertheless all ancient tradition supports the English Versions of the Bible translation. The genus Artemisia (Natural Order Compositae), "wormwood," has five species of shrubs or herbs found in Palestine (Post), any one of which may furnish a bitter taste. The name is derived from the property of many species acting as anthelmintics, while other varieties are used in the manufacture of absinthe.

E. W. G. Masterman

WORMWOOD, THE STAR

In Revelation 8:11, the name is figurative, given to a great star which, at the sounding of the third angel's trumpet, fell from heaven upon the third part of the rivers and on the fountains of the waters, turning them to a bitterness of which many died. Wormwood is used of bitter calamities (of Lamentations 3:15), and may here indicate some judgment, inflicted under a noted leader, affecting chiefly the internal sources of a country's prosperity. Older expositors, applying the earlier trumpets to the downfall of the Roman empire, saw in the star a symbol of the barbarian invasions of Attila or Genseric.

See also ASTRONOMY, sec. I, 8.

James Orr

STAR OF WORMWOOD

See WORMWOOD.

Greek

894. apsinthos -- wormwood
... wormwood. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine; Noun, Masculine Transliteration: apsinthos
Phonetic Spelling: (ap'-sin-thos) Short Definition: wormwood Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/894.htm - 6k

5521. chole -- gall (a bitter herb)
... Feminine of an equivalent perhaps akin to the same as Chloe (from the greenish hue);
"gall" or bile, ie (by analogy) poison or an anodyne (wormwood, poppy, etc ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5521.htm - 6k

Topical Bible Verses

Revelation 8:11
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
Topicalbible.org

Revelation 8:10-11
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell on the third part of the rivers, and on the fountains of waters;
Topicalbible.org

Jeremiah 23:15
Therefore thus said the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.
Topicalbible.org

Jeremiah 9:15
Therefore thus said the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
Topicalbible.org

Lamentations 3:19
Remembering my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
Topicalbible.org

Revelation 8:10
And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell on the third part of the rivers, and on the fountains of waters;
Topicalbible.org

Proverbs 5:4
But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
Topicalbible.org

Strong's Hebrew

3939. laanah -- wormwood
... 3938, 3939. laanah. 3940 . wormwood. Transliteration: laanah Phonetic Spelling:
(lah-an-aw') Short Definition: wormwood. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/3939.htm - 6k

Library

Commandment Fifth. Of Sadness of Heart, and of Patience.
... [183] For if an exceedingly small piece of wormwood be taken and put into a jar
of honey, is not the honey entirely destroyed, and does not the exceedingly ...
/.../pastor/the pastor books first second third/commandment fifth of sadness of.htm

The Third Trumpet.
... It follows: "And the name of the star is called Wormwood." It is the prophetic plan,
that the quality or fate of the thing or person of which it treats should ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the third trumpet.htm

The Second vision "On Earth"
... viii.10, 11. The 3rd Trumpet. Burning star falls on third part of Rivers ("Wormwood").
viii.12, 13. ... 11-. Third part of waters wormwood. g viii. -11. ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the second vision on earth.htm

Love Unknowable and Known
... A man must be hungry to know what hunger is; he must taste honey or wormwood in
order to know the taste of honey or wormwood, and in like manner he cannot know ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/love unknowable and known.htm

The Meaning of the Seventh Seal, that Is, of the Seven Trumpets.
... And the name of the star was Wormwood, and a third part of the waters became as
wormwood, and many men died of he waters because they were embittered."""And ...
/.../mede/a key to the apocalypse/the meaning of the seventh.htm

Joy
... When Stephen was being stoned he saw heaven open, and the Sun of Righteousness
shone upon his face. God candies our wormwood with sugar. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/8 joy.htm

The Seven Trumpets.
... heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on the third part of the rivers, and on
the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the seven trumpets.htm

The Justice of God
... disinherited? If God deals so favourably with his children, he only puts wormwood
in their cup, whereas he might put fire and brimstone. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/8 the justice of god.htm

Introduction to Oration ii.
... For indeed a little wormwood most quickly imparts its bitterness to honey; while
not even double the quantity of honey can impart its sweetness to wormwood ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/introduction to oration ii.htm

Lama Sabachthani?
... sentence more full of anguish. Here the wormwood and the gall, and all
the other bitternesses, are outdone. Here you may look as ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 36 1890/lama sabachthani.htm

Thesaurus

Wormwood (10 Occurrences)
... suffering. In Amos 6:12 this Hebrew word is rendered "hemlock" (RV, "wormwood").
In ... bitterness. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. WORMWOOD. wurm ...
/w/wormwood.htm - 13k

Gall (17 Occurrences)
... original probably denotes some bitter, poisonous plant, most probably the poppy,
which grows up quickly, and is therefore coupled with wormwood (Deuteronomy 29 ...
/g/gall.htm - 17k

Poisonous (8 Occurrences)
... turns away this day from Yahweh our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations;
lest there should be among you a root that bears gall and wormwood; (See NAS ...
/p/poisonous.htm - 9k

Bitter (203 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) Having a peculiar, acrid, biting taste, like that of wormwood or
an infusion of hops; as, a bitter medicine; bitter as aloes. ...
/b/bitter.htm - 42k

Poisoned (7 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 9:15 therefore thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, Behold, I
will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall ...
/p/poisoned.htm - 8k

Star (16 Occurrences)
...WORMWOOD, THE STAR. ... See STAR OF THE MAGI. STAR OF BETHLEHEM. See STAR OF THE MAGI.
STAR OF WORMWOOD. See WORMWOOD. STAR; STARS. star, starz. See ASTRONOMY, sec. ...
/s/star.htm - 29k

Vast (54 Occurrences)
... Revelation 8:11 The name of the star is 'Wormwood;' and a third part of the waters
were turned into wormwood, and vast numbers of the people died from drinking ...
/v/vast.htm - 22k

Drinking (114 Occurrences)
... Revelation 8:11 The name of the star is 'Wormwood;' and a third part of the waters
were turned into wormwood, and vast numbers of the people died from drinking ...
/d/drinking.htm - 38k

Waters (386 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS). Revelation 8:11 The name of the star is called
"Wormwood." One third of the waters became wormwood. ...
/w/waters.htm - 42k

Worms (14 Occurrences)

/w/worms.htm - 10k

Bible Concordance

Wormwood (10 Occurrences)

Revelation 8:11 The name of the star is called "Wormwood." One third of the waters became wormwood. Many people died from the waters, because they were made bitter.
(WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Deuteronomy 29:18 lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turns away this day from Yahweh our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations; lest there should be among you a root that bears gall and wormwood;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS)

Job 30:4 They pluck salt-wort by the bushes; And the roots of the broom are their food.
(See JPS)

Proverbs 5:4 But in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Jeremiah 9:15 therefore thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Jeremiah 23:15 Therefore thus says Yahweh of Armies concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem is ungodliness gone forth into all the land.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Lamentations 3:15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has sated me with wormwood.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Lamentations 3:19 Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Amos 5:7 You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Amos 6:12 Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? that ye have turned justice into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood;
(See JPS ASV DBY YLT NAS RSV)

Subtopics

Wormwood

Wormwood: A Bitter Plant

Wormwood: Figurative

Wormwood: Symbolical

Related Terms

Gall (17 Occurrences)

Poisonous (8 Occurrences)

Bitter (203 Occurrences)

Poisoned (7 Occurrences)

Star (16 Occurrences)

Vast (54 Occurrences)