In the context of biblical literature, the term "brittle" is not directly mentioned in the Scriptures. However, the concept of brittleness can be inferred through various passages that discuss fragility, weakness, and the transient nature of life and human constructs. The idea of brittleness can be applied metaphorically to describe the frailty of human life, the instability of earthly riches, and the vulnerability of those who do not place their trust in God.

Human Frailty

The Bible often speaks to the fragile nature of human life. In Psalm 39:4-5 , David reflects on the brevity and frailty of life: "O LORD, make me know my end and the measure of my days, let me know how fleeting my life is. Behold, You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before You. Truly, each man at his best exists as but a breath." This passage highlights the ephemeral nature of human existence, akin to something brittle that can easily be broken or shattered.

Instability of Earthly Riches

The brittleness of relying on material wealth is a recurring theme in Scripture. Proverbs 23:4-5 warns against the pursuit of riches: "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself. When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky." Here, wealth is depicted as unstable and fleeting, much like a brittle object that cannot withstand pressure or time.

Vulnerability Without God

The Bible also addresses the vulnerability of those who do not place their trust in God. In Jeremiah 17:5-6 , the prophet declares, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes the flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD. He will be like a shrub in the desert; he will not see when prosperity comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives." This imagery conveys the idea of brittleness, as those who rely on human strength and wisdom are compared to a withering shrub, unable to thrive or endure.

Spiritual Weakness

The New Testament also touches on the concept of spiritual brittleness. In Matthew 7:26-27 , Jesus speaks of the foolish man who builds his house on sand: "But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse." This parable illustrates the fragility of a life not founded on the solid rock of Christ's teachings, emphasizing the brittleness of spiritual foundations that are not rooted in obedience to God.

Conclusion

While the term "brittle" itself is not explicitly found in the Bible, the concept is woven throughout Scripture in various forms. It serves as a reminder of the importance of building one's life on the enduring and unbreakable foundation of faith in God, rather than on the fragile and temporary things of this world.(a.) Easily broken; fragile; apt to break; not tough or tenacious.8406. tebar -- to break
... 8405, 8406. tebar. 8407 . to break. Transliteration: tebar Phonetic Spelling:
(teb-ar') Short Definition: brittle. Word Origin (Aramaic ...
/hebrew/8406.htm - 6k

The Sea of Glass
... on it, and behold it was mingled with fire;"the sea of time, and space, and mortal
life, on which we all have our little day; the brittle and dangerous sea ...
/.../kingsley/the good news of god/sermon xxxiv the sea of.htm

The Beginning of Miracles.
... It is well for the weak that their faith should fail them, for it may at the moment
be resting its wings upon the twig of some brittle fancy, instead of on a ...
/.../macdonald/miracles of our lord/ii the beginning of miracles.htm

Answers to Prayer.
... become. There was so little rain during the hot months that things became
dry and brittle. One day she heard the cry of "Fire! Fire ...
/.../byrum/the value of a praying mother/chapter xviii answers to prayer.htm

There are Certain Moments in Life which Seem Weighted with the ...
... he sat so rigidly, so coldly, without a movement or a gesture, that it seemed as
if the touch of a hand might break him into atoms, so brittle and delicate a ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxviii there are certain moments.htm

Cardinal Felix Bonpre Sat Alone in the Largest and Loneliest Room ...
... For with such advanced years the faculties are often as brittle as the bones, and
the failing powers of the brain are often brought to bear with more ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xxii cardinal felix bonpre sat.htm

A Faithful Friend
... zeal,. Full of fair seeming, but delusion all.". And so for the most part
they are. The world's friendship is ever brittle. Trust ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/a faithful friend.htm

A Faithful Friend
... zeal,. Full of fair seeming, but delusion all.". And so for the most part
they are. The world's friendship is ever brittle. Trust ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/a faithful friend.htm

Christ a Complete Saviour:
... No sinner will ever totally rely upon the Saviour until he is sensible of his own
perishing state; hanging by the brittle thread of life over the yawning gulf ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/christ a complete saviour .htm

The British Bayonet.
... Some of them are brittle, and break, others are soft, and bend, so there are a large
number of those in use which will have to be discarded on account of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/champness/broken bread/xliv the british bayonet.htm

A Thanksgiving to God, for his House
... so my hall And kitchen's small; A little buttery, and therein A little bin, Which
keeps my little loaf of bread Unchipt, unflead; Some brittle sticks of thorn ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/a thanksgiving to god for.htm

Brittle (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Easily broken; fragile; apt to break; not tough
or tenacious. Multi-Version Concordance Brittle (1 Occurrence). ...
/b/brittle.htm - 6k

Glass (12 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A hard, brittle, translucent, and commonly transparent substance, white
or colored, having a conchoidal fracture, and made by fusing together sand or ...
/g/glass.htm - 21k

Ice (20 Occurrences)
... cold; frozen water. It is a white or transparent colorless substance,
crystalline, brittle, and viscoidal. Its specific gravity ...
/i/ice.htm - 13k

Fragile (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Easily broken; brittle; frail; delicate; easily
destroyed. Multi-Version Concordance Fragile (3 Occurrences). ...
/f/fragile.htm - 7k

Tin (6 Occurrences)
... found as an oxide in the mineral cassiterite, and reduced as a soft white crystalline
metal, malleable at ordinary temperatures, but brittle when heated. ...
/t/tin.htm - 10k

Tamarisk (5 Occurrences)
... Eight species are described. They are characterized by their brittle, feathery
branches and by their tiny scale-like leaves. Some ...
/t/tamarisk.htm - 10k

Eager (43 Occurrences)
... chase. 4. (a.) Brittle; inflexible; not ductile. 5. (n.) Same as Eagre.
Multi-Version Concordance Eager (43 Occurrences). Matthew ...
/e/eager.htm - 18k

Myrrh (22 Occurrences)
... growing in Arabia, having a light-gray bark; the gum resin exudes in small
tear-like drops which dry to a rich brown or reddish-yellow, brittle substance, ...
/m/myrrh.htm - 18k

Potash (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (n.) The hydroxide of potassium hydrate, a hard white brittle substance, KOH,
having strong caustic and alkaline properties; -- hence called also caustic ...
/p/potash.htm - 7k

Bitumen (3 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) By extension, any one of the natural hydrocarbons, including the hard, solid,
brittle varieties called asphalt, the semisolid maltha and mineral tars ...
/b/bitumen.htm - 8k

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