In biblical literature, the concept of "fade" often symbolizes the transient nature of life, beauty, and worldly possessions. The term is used to convey the impermanence of earthly things in contrast to the eternal nature of God and His promises.

Old Testament References

One of the most poignant uses of the term "fade" is found in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah 40:7-8 states, "The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever." Here, the prophet Isaiah uses the imagery of withering grass and fading flowers to illustrate the fleeting nature of human life and the enduring truth of God's word.

Similarly, Psalm 37:2 warns, "For they will wither quickly like grass and fade like green plants." This verse serves as a reminder of the temporary success of the wicked, emphasizing that their prosperity is short-lived and will ultimately fade away.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, the theme of fading is echoed in the epistle of James. James 1:10-11 states, "But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits." This passage underscores the transient nature of wealth and human achievement, urging believers to focus on spiritual riches that do not fade.

Theological Implications

The biblical use of "fade" serves as a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of human life and worldly possessions. It calls believers to place their trust in the eternal and unchanging nature of God. The Scriptures consistently contrast the temporary with the eternal, urging followers to seek treasures in heaven that do not fade, as Jesus taught in Matthew 6:19-20 : "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

Practical Application

For Christians, the concept of fading serves as a reminder to prioritize spiritual growth and eternal values over temporary pleasures and material wealth. It encourages a life of humility, recognizing that earthly achievements and possessions are fleeting. By focusing on the eternal word of God and His promises, believers can find hope and assurance in the midst of life's uncertainties.1. (a.) Weak; insipid; tasteless; commonplace.

2. (v.) To become fade; to grow weak; to lose strength; to decay; to perish gradually; to wither, as a plant.

3. (v.) To lose freshness, color, or brightness; to become faint in hue or tint; hence, to be wanting in color.

4. (v.) To sink away; to disappear gradually; to grow dim; to vanish.

5. (v. t.) To cause to wither; to deprive of freshness or vigor; to wear away.

FADE

fad (nabhel; maraino): "To fade" is in the Old Testament the translation of nabhel, "to droop or wither," figuratively, "to fade," or "pass way" (Psalm 18:45 Isaiah 1:30; Isaiah 24:4; Isaiah 28:1, 4; 40:7, 8); once it is the translation of balal "to well up," "to overflow"; perhaps from nabhal (Isaiah 64:6, "We all do fade as a leaf"); in the New Testament of maraino, "to come to wither or to fade away" (James 1:11, "So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways," the Revised Version (British and American) "in his goings"); compare The Wisdom of Solomon 28, "Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds, before they be withered" (maraino); amardntinos (amaranth), "unfading," occurs in 1 Peter 5:4, "the crown of glory that fadeth not away," and amarantos (1 Peter 1:4), "an inheritance. that fadeth not away"; compare The Wisdom of Solomon 6:12, "Wisdom is glorious (the Revised Version (British and American) "radiant"), and fadeth not away."

For "fade" (Ezekiel 47:12), the Revised Version (British and American) has "wither"; for "fall" "falleth" "falling" (Isaiah 34:4), "fade," "fadeth," "fading".

W. L. Walker

3133. maraino -- to quench, waste away
... 3133 -- properly, dry out (wither); (figuratively) fade away because (consumed). ...
word Definition to quench, waste away NASB Word Usage fade away (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3133.htm - 6k

1601. ekpipto -- to leap out
... to leap out. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: ekpipto Phonetic Spelling:
(ek-pip'-to) Short Definition: I fall out, fall off, fall away, fade away, wither ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1601.htm - 6k

263. amarantos -- unfading
... enduring. 263 (an adjective, derived from 1 "without" and 3133 , "to fade") --
properly, what will (). Word Origin from alpha (as a neg. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/263.htm - 7k

5034b. nabel -- to sink or drop down, languish, fade
... 5034a, 5034b. nabel. 5035 . to sink or drop down, languish, fade.
Transliteration: nabel Short Definition: wither. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/5034b.htm - 5k

4448c. malal -- to languish, wither, fade
... 4448b, 4448c. malal. 4448d . to languish, wither, fade. Transliteration:
malal Short Definition: off. Word Origin a prim. root Definition ...
/hebrew/4448c.htm - 5k

1101. balal -- to mingle, mix, confuse, confound
... baw-lal') Short Definition: anoint. anoint, confound, fade, mingle, mix
self, give provender, temper A primitive root; to overflow ...
/hebrew/1101.htm - 5k

535. amal -- to be weak, languish
... root Definition to be weak, languish NASB Word Usage decays (1), fade away (1),
fades (1), fails (2), languish (1), languished (1), languishes (2), languishing ...
/hebrew/535.htm - 6k

1809. dalal -- to hang, be low, languish
... root Definition to hang, be low, languish NASB Word Usage brought low (1),
brought...low (3), fade (1), hang (1), look wistfully (1), thin (1). ...
/hebrew/1809.htm - 6k

5486. suph -- to come to an end, cease
... root Definition to come to an end, cease NASB Word Usage come to an end (2), completely
remove (1), fade (1), remove (2), surely snatch (1), surely snatch away ...
/hebrew/5486.htm - 6k

5034. nabel -- to be senseless or foolish
... away, fail, faint; figuratively, to be foolish or (morally) wicked; causatively,
to despise, disgrace -- disgrace, dishounour, lightly esteem, fade (away, - ing ...
/hebrew/5034.htm - 5k

January the Fifth the Flowers that Never Fade
... JANUARY The Fifth THE FLOWERS THAT NEVER FADE. 1 PETER i.1-9. ... The world's
garland begins to fade as soon as it is laid upon the brow. ...
/.../my daily meditation for the circling year/january the fifth the flowers.htm

As Fade the Stars. PM
... 504 As Fade the Stars. PM. The Life of the Departed. As fade the stars at
morn away, Their glory gone in perfect day, So pass away ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lorenz/the otterbein hymnal/504 as fade the stars.htm

"And we all do Fade as a Leaf, and Our Iniquities, Like the Wind ...
... Sermon XVII. "And we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the
wind, have taken us away.". Isaiah lxiv.6.""And we all ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xvii and we all.htm

"All Our Righteousnesses are as Filthy Rags, and we all do Fade as ...
... Sermon XVI. "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as
a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.". ...
/.../the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xvi all our righteousnesses.htm

Index of First Lines.
... 196 Arise, O King of grace, arise, 535 Arise, ye saints, arise, 425 Arm of the Lord,
awake, awake, 450 Ascend thy throne, almighty King, 449 As fade the stars ...
//christianbookshelf.org/lorenz/the otterbein hymnal/index of first lines.htm

Baptism and the Cross Prefigured in the Old Testament.
... who doeth these things shall be like a tree planted by the courses of waters, which
shall yield its fruit in due season; and his leaf shall not fade, and all ...
/.../barnabas/the epistle of barnabas /chapter xi baptism and the cross.htm

Song 3. The Rose. 12,8,12,8
... How fair is the Rose! what a beautiful flower! The glory of April and May: But the
leaves are beginning to fade in an hour, And they wither and die in a day. ...
/.../watts/divine songs for children/song 3 the rose 128128.htm

Song 3. The Rose.
... The glory of April and May: But the leaves are beginning to fade in an hour,. ... Since
both of them wither and fade; But gain a good name by well doing my duty: ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watts/divine and moral songs/song 3 the rose.htm

The Freighted Ship
... So that the Master could say, "When the true light of God ariseth, the light that
is God Himself, then must all created light vanish and fade. ...
/.../bevan/three friends of god/chapter xviii the freighted ship.htm

Cathismata of the Resurrection
... I. Gone is the glowing orb of day,. The hues of sunset fade away,. And all the world
is still; ... V. Gone is the glowing orb of day,. The hues of sunset fade away,. ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the apostolic church/cathismata of the resurrection.htm

Fade (16 Occurrences)
... 2. (v.) To become fade; to grow weak; to lose strength; to decay; to perish gradually;
to wither, as a plant. ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. FADE. ...
/f/fade.htm - 13k

Leaf (20 Occurrences)
... dissolved. The sky will be rolled up like a scroll, and all its armies will
fade away, as a leaf fades from off a vine or a fig tree. ...
/l/leaf.htm - 16k

Wither (30 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) To fade; to lose freshness; to become sapless; to become sapless; to
dry or shrivel up. ... 4. (vt) To cause to fade, and become dry. ...
/w/wither.htm - 15k

Flowers (42 Occurrences)
... The fresh and brilliant colors fade into masses of withered leaves (not uncommonly
cleared by burning), and then even these are blown, away, so that but bare ...
/f/flowers.htm - 22k

Fortresses (45 Occurrences)
... En-gedi. (YLT). 2 Samuel 22:46 The foreigners will fade away, and will come
trembling out of their close places. (See NAS). 2 Kings ...
/f/fortresses.htm - 19k

Fastnesses (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Fastnesses (2 Occurrences). 2 Samuel 22:46 The foreigners
will fade away, and will come trembling out of their close places. (See RSV) ...
/f/fastnesses.htm - 6k

Faded (12 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (imp. & pp) of Fade. 2. (a.) That has lost freshness,
color, or brightness; grown dim. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/f/faded.htm - 10k

Strongholds (44 Occurrences)
... (WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV NIV). 2 Samuel 22:46 The sons of the stranger fade
away, and come halting out of their close places. (See NIV). ...
/s/strongholds.htm - 19k

Withered (46 Occurrences)
... with'-erd (nabhel, "to fade away," "to be dried up"): (1) Used figuratively to express
leanness of soul, spiritual impotence, a low condition of spiritual life ...
/w/withered.htm - 22k

Obtain (63 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV). 1 Peter 1:4 to an incorruptible and undefiled
inheritance that doesn't fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, (See NAS). ...
/o/obtain.htm - 24k

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Fade: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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