Definition and Meaning:
To condole means to express sympathy or sorrow, particularly in the context of mourning or grief. In the biblical context, condoling often involves offering comfort and support to those who are suffering or bereaved.

Biblical Context:
The act of condoling is deeply rooted in the biblical tradition, where expressing compassion and empathy towards those who are grieving is seen as a righteous and godly act. The Bible provides numerous examples and teachings that emphasize the importance of supporting one another in times of sorrow.

Old Testament References:
In the Old Testament, condoling is often associated with mourning rituals and the expression of grief. For instance, in the book of Job, Job's friends come to condole with him after he suffers immense loss and hardship. Job 2:11 states, "Now when Job’s three friends heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, each of them came from his own place... They met together to go and sympathize with Job and comfort him."

The practice of mourning and offering condolences is also evident in the account of Joseph, who mourns the death of his father, Jacob. Genesis 50:10 describes the mourning period: "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."

New Testament Teachings:
In the New Testament, the call to condole and comfort others is reinforced through the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. The Beatitudes, as recorded in Matthew 5:4 , highlight the blessedness of those who mourn: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." This verse underscores the promise of divine comfort for those who grieve, as well as the Christian duty to offer consolation.

The Apostle Paul also emphasizes the importance of comforting others in his letters. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 , Paul writes, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." This passage highlights the reciprocal nature of comfort and the responsibility of believers to extend the comfort they have received from God to others.

Practical Application:
Condoling is an essential aspect of Christian fellowship and community life. Believers are encouraged to be present with those who are grieving, offering words of comfort, prayer, and practical support. The act of condoling is not only a reflection of God's love and compassion but also a means of strengthening the bonds within the body of Christ.

Conclusion:
While the Bible does not provide a specific commandment to condole, the overarching themes of love, compassion, and community support make it clear that offering condolences is a vital expression of Christian faith and practice. Through condoling, believers fulfill the law of Christ by bearing one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2) and demonstrating the love of God to a hurting world.1. (v. i.) To express sympathetic sorrow; to grieve in sympathy; as, to condole with a widow.

2. (v. t.) To lament or grieve over.

Relation iv. Of the Graces the Saint Received in Salamanca at the ...
... I condole with thee in thy suffering; but it is good for thee now." My pain was
gone, and I was comforted; for He seemed to be really with me then, and the ...
/.../teresa/the life of st teresa of jesus/relation iv of the graces.htm

Meditations for the Sick.
... compassion toward our fellow-brethren that be in distress and misery; whereby we
learn to have a fellow-feeling of their calamities, and to condole their estate ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bayly/the practice of piety/meditations for the sick.htm

Prefatory Note
... I now write to condole with you; for I am very sensible, after all, that you run
a great risk in having your book committed to hands far less competent for ...
/.../borrow/a supplementary chapter to the bible in spain/prefatory note.htm

Unbelievers Upbraided
... as the subjects of a disease which we cannot help, and even to claim pity at the
hands of our fellow-men, and to think that they should condole with us, and ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 50 1904/unbelievers upbraided.htm

The Arrest
... that he came on in front, as if he did not belong to the band behind; and, hurrying
towards Jesus, as if to apprise Him of His danger and condole with Him on ...
/.../stalker/the trial and death of jesus christ/chapter i the arrest.htm

Letter Xlv (Circa AD 1120) to a Youth Named Fulk, who Afterwards ...
... For it is Charity which compels me to reprove you; to condole with you, though you
do not grieve; to pity you, though you do not think yourself pitiable. ...
/.../some letters of saint bernard abbot of clairvaux/letter xlv circa a d 1120.htm

Letter xx (Circa AD 1130) to Guy, Abbot of Mol?�smes
... God who knows the hearts of all men, and is the inspirer of all good dispositions,
knows with what sympathy I condole with you in this your adversity, of which ...
/.../some letters of saint bernard abbot of clairvaux/letter xx circa a d 1130.htm

But Where in My Memory Residest Thou, O Lord...
... itself also), neither wert Thou there: for as Thou art not a corporeal image, nor
the affection of a living being (as when we rejoice, condole, desire, fear ...
/.../augustine/the confessions of saint augustine/chapter xxv but where in.htm

Psalm 35:2. 12-14. Second Part. Love to Enemies; Or, the Love of ...
... heart. 3 How did his flowing tears condole As for a brother dead! And fasting
mortify'd his soul, While for their life he pray'd. ...
/.../watts/the psalms of david/psalm 35 2 0 12-14 second part.htm

Epistle Cix. To Brunichild, Queen of the Franks.
... Hence I am greatly distressed, and condole with that land; since, while they scorn
to have as a divine gift, but compass by bribes, the Holy Spirit which ...
/.../the epistles of saint gregory the great/epistle cix to brunichild queen.htm

Condole (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vi) To express sympathetic sorrow; to grieve in
sympathy; as, to condole with a widow. ...Condole (1 Occurrence). ...
/c/condole.htm - 6k

Conditions (11 Occurrences)

/c/conditions.htm - 10k

Zophar (4 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Chirping, one of Job's friends who came to condole
with him in his distress (Job 2:11. The LXX. render ...
/z/zophar.htm - 10k

Eliphaz (14 Occurrences)
... The first and most prominent of the three friends of Job (Job 2:11), who come from
distant places to condole with and comfort him, when they hear of his ...
/e/eliphaz.htm - 15k

Bildad (5 Occurrences)
... bil'-dad (bildadh, "Bel has loved"): The second of the three friends of Job who,
coming from distant regions, make an appointment together to condole with and ...
/b/bildad.htm - 11k

Condoled (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Condole. Multi-Version Concordance
Condoled (1 Occurrence). Job 42:11 And all his brethren ...
/c/condoled.htm - 7k

Ambassador (5 Occurrences)
... ambassadors, eg, to contract alliances (Joshua 9:4), to solicit favours (Numbers
20:14), to remonstrate when wrong was done (Judges 11:12), to condole with a ...
/a/ambassador.htm - 11k

Mary (50 Occurrences)
... act of Mary's, and from the circumstance that they possessed a family vault
(11:38), and that a large number of Jews from Jerusalem came to condole with them ...
/m/mary.htm - 72k

Condole: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus