The term "bewaileth" is an archaic form of the verb "bewail," which means to express deep sorrow or lamentation over a person, event, or situation. In the context of the Bible, bewailing is often associated with mourning, repentance, or expressing profound grief over sin, loss, or divine judgment.

Biblical Instances and Contexts

1. Mourning for the Dead: Bewailing is frequently mentioned in the context of mourning for the deceased. In ancient Israelite culture, mourning was a significant communal activity, often involving loud lamentations, tearing of garments, and wearing sackcloth. For example, in Genesis 50:10, Joseph mourns for his father Jacob: "When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father."

2. Lamenting Over Sin and Judgment: Bewailing is also associated with the acknowledgment of sin and the resulting divine judgment. The prophets often called the people to lament and bewail their transgressions as a step toward repentance. In Joel 1:13, the prophet urges the priests to mourn: "Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God, for the grain and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God."

3. Expressions of Personal Grief: Individuals in the Bible also bewail personal misfortunes or the suffering of others. In the book of Job, Job bewails his own suffering and the loss of his family and possessions. Job 3:24-26 captures his lament: "For my sighing comes before my bread, and my groanings are poured out like water. For the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me. I am not at ease or quiet; I have no rest, for trouble has come."

4. Prophetic Lamentations: The prophets often used bewailing as a rhetorical device to convey the seriousness of Israel's situation and the impending judgment. Jeremiah, known as the "weeping prophet," frequently bewails the fate of Jerusalem and the people of Judah. In Lamentations 1:16, he writes, "For these things I weep; my eyes overflow with tears, for a comforter is far from me, one to revive my soul. My children are desolate because the enemy has prevailed."

5. New Testament References: In the New Testament, bewailing is less frequent but still present. In the account of Jesus raising Jairus's daughter, the mourners are described as bewailing her death. Luke 8:52 states, "Meanwhile everyone was weeping and mourning for her. But Jesus said, 'Stop weeping; she is not dead but asleep.'"

Theological Significance

Bewailing in the Bible is not merely an expression of sorrow but often serves as a catalyst for spiritual reflection and transformation. It is a recognition of the brokenness of the world and the need for divine intervention. In the context of repentance, bewailing is a step toward reconciliation with God, acknowledging human frailty and the need for His mercy and grace.

The act of bewailing, therefore, is deeply intertwined with the themes of repentance, redemption, and hope. It reflects the human condition's vulnerability and the longing for restoration and peace that only God can provide.

1 John ii. 17-Dec
... charity in the apostle travailing in birth with her little ones, exposeth her own
bowels, with words doth as it were rend her breasts, bewaileth her children ...
/.../ten homilies on the epistle of john to the parthians/homily ii 1 john ii.htm

Psalm L.
... Behold those afflictions that abound in mankind; one afflicted with loss bewaileth;
another smitten with bereavement mourneth; another exiled from country ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm l.htm

Bewaileth (2 Occurrences)
...Bewaileth (2 Occurrences). Psalms 35:14 I behaved myself as though it had been my
friend or my brother: I bowed down mourning, as one that bewaileth his mother. ...
/b/bewaileth.htm - 7k

Mournful (3 Occurrences)
... Mournful (3 Occurrences). Psalms 35:14 I behaved myself as though it had been my
friend or my brother: I bowed down mourning, as one that bewaileth his mother. ...
/m/mournful.htm - 7k

Bewailing (2 Occurrences)

/b/bewailing.htm - 7k

Bewailed (4 Occurrences)

/b/bewailed.htm - 7k

Slayers (2 Occurrences)
... 31 For a voice as of a sick woman I have heard, Distress, as of one bringing forth
a first-born, The voice of the daughter of Zion, She bewaileth herself, she ...
/s/slayers.htm - 7k

Wearied (36 Occurrences)
... voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her
first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that ...
/w/wearied.htm - 17k

Spreadeth (37 Occurrences)
... voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her
first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that ...
/s/spreadeth.htm - 17k

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