Misery, as depicted in the Bible, is a state of great distress or discomfort of mind and body, often resulting from sin, suffering, or divine judgment. The Scriptures provide numerous examples and teachings on the nature, causes, and responses to misery, offering both warnings and hope to believers.

Biblical Instances of Misery

1. Job's Suffering: The Book of Job is perhaps the most profound biblical exploration of human misery. Job, a righteous man, experiences intense suffering and loss, prompting him to lament, "Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul?" (Job 3:20). Job's misery is not a result of his own sin but serves as a test of faith and a demonstration of God's sovereignty.

2. Israel's Oppression: The Israelites experienced misery during their bondage in Egypt. Exodus 3:7 records God's acknowledgment of their suffering: "I have surely seen the affliction of My people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sufferings." This misery led to their eventual deliverance, highlighting God's compassion and intervention.

3. Consequences of Sin: Misery is often portrayed as a consequence of sin. Proverbs 13:15 states, "Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the faithless is hard." The Bible frequently associates disobedience to God with a life of hardship and distress, as seen in the curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28.

Causes of Misery

1. Sin and Disobedience: Sin is a primary cause of misery in the biblical narrative. The fall of man in Genesis 3 introduced sin into the world, resulting in pain, toil, and death. Romans 6:23 declares, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

2. Divine Judgment: Misery can also be a form of divine judgment. The prophets often warned Israel of impending misery due to their idolatry and rebellion. For instance, Isaiah 47:11 warns Babylon, "But disaster will come upon you; you will not know how to charm it away. A calamity will befall you that you cannot ward off."

3. Human Wickedness: The actions of others can also bring about misery. The Psalms frequently express the anguish of the righteous suffering at the hands of the wicked. Psalm 10:14 acknowledges, "But You have seen it, for You observe trouble and grief, to repay it by Your hand."

Responses to Misery

1. Repentance and Turning to God: The Bible encourages those in misery to turn to God in repentance and faith. Joel 2:12-13 calls for repentance: "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning."

2. Trust in God's Deliverance: Believers are urged to trust in God's deliverance and faithfulness. Psalm 34:17 assures, "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles."

3. Hope in Christ: The New Testament offers hope through Jesus Christ, who came to bear our sorrows and provide eternal relief from misery. Revelation 21:4 promises, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away."

Conclusion

While misery is a reality in the fallen world, the Bible provides a framework for understanding and responding to it. Through repentance, trust in God, and hope in Christ, believers can find comfort and assurance amidst life's trials.1. (n.) Great unhappiness; extreme pain of body or mind; wretchedness; distress; woe.

2. (n.) Cause of misery; calamity; misfortune.

3. (n.) Covetousness; stinginess; avarice.

5004. talaiporia -- hard work, hardship, distress
... Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: talaiporia Phonetic Spelling:
(tal-ahee-po-ree'-ah) Short Definition: hardship, misery Definition: hardship ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5004.htm - 6k

2561. kakosis -- ill-treatment
... Transliteration: kakosis Phonetic Spelling: (kak'-o-sis) Short Definition: affliction,
ill-treatment Definition: affliction, ill-treatment, oppression, misery. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2561.htm - 6k

5005. talaiporos -- distressed, miserable
... bear, undergo" and , "a callous," J. Thayer) -- properly, (beaten-down) from continued
strain, leaving a person literally full of (deep misery) -- describing a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5005.htm - 7k

4190. poneros -- toilsome, bad
... which is also used substantively, derived from 4192 , "pain, laborious trouble") --
properly, , emphasizing the inevitable agonies (misery) that always go with ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4190.htm - 8k

5003. talaiporeo -- to suffer hardship or distress
... endure. From talaiporos; to be wretched, ie Realize one's own misery -- be afflicted.
see GREEK talaiporos. (talaiporesate) -- 1 Occurrence. 5002, 5003. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5003.htm - 6k

7463a. raah -- evil, misery, distress, injury
... 7463, 7463a. raah. 7463b . evil, misery, distress, injury. Transliteration:
raah Short Definition: evil. Word Origin from the same ...
/hebrew/7463a.htm - 6k

7451b. ra -- evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
... 7451a, 7451b. ra. 7452 . evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity.
Transliteration: ra Short Definition: evil. Word Origin from ...
/hebrew/7451b.htm - 5k

7463. re'eh -- evil, misery, distress, injury
re'eh. 7462c, 7463. re'eh. 7463a . evil, misery, distress, injury. Transliteration:
re'eh Phonetic Spelling: (ray-eh') Short Definition: friend. friend ...
/hebrew/7463.htm - 5k

6040. oniy -- affliction, poverty
... affliction, poverty. Transliteration: oniy Phonetic Spelling: (on-ee') Short Definition:
misery. depression, Misery From anah; depression, ie Misery: ...
/hebrew/6040.htm - 5k

4788. marud -- restlessness, straying
... cast out, misery. From ruwd in the sense of maltreatment; an outcast; (abstractly)
destitution -- cast out, misery. see HEBREW ruwd. 4787b, 4788. marud. 4789 ...
/hebrew/4788.htm - 6k

5999. amal -- trouble, labor, toil
... amal Definition trouble, labor, toil NASB Word Usage anguish (1), fruit of his labor
(1), fruit of my labor (3), labor (16), mischief (9), misery (1), sorry (1 ...
/hebrew/5999.htm - 6k

6001. amel -- a laborer, sufferer
... Definition: labors. that labors, that is a misery, had taken labor, wicked, workman
From amal; toiling; concretely, a laborer; figuratively ...
/hebrew/6001.htm - 5k

2822. choshek -- darkness, obscurity
... From chashak; the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction,
death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness -- dark(-ness), night, obscurity. ...
/hebrew/2822.htm - 6k

2825. chashekah -- darkness
... darkness. Or chashekah {khash-ay-kaw'}; from chashak; darkness; figuratively, misery --
darkness. see HEBREW chashak. 2824, 2825. chashekah. 2826 . ...
/hebrew/2825.htm - 6k

6040a. oni -- affliction, poverty
... Word Origin from anah Definition affliction, poverty NASB Word Usage afflicted*
(1), affliction (33), great pains (1), misery (2). 6040, 6040a. oni. 6040b ...
/hebrew/6040a.htm - 5k

Misery
... The Treasury of Sacred Song. Book First L MISERY. LORD, Let the angels
praise Thy name; Man is a foolish thing, a foolish thing; ...
//christianbookshelf.org/palgrave/the treasury of sacred song/l misery.htm

What is the Misery of that Estate Whereinto Man Fell?
... Question 19: What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell? A19: All
mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under ...
/.../anonymous/the westminster shorter catechism/question 19 0 what is the.htm

Man's Misery by the Fall
... 4. The fall 4. Man's Misery By The Fall. Q-19: WHAT IS THE MISERY OF THAT
ESTATE WHEREINTO MAN FELL? A: All mankind by their fall ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/4 mans misery by the.htm

The Shortness and Misery of Life.
... Hymns. Book 2. Composed on Divine Subjects. Hymn 2:39. The shortness and
misery of life. 1 Our days, alas! our mortal days Are short ...
/.../watts/hymns and spiritual songs/hymn 2 39 the shortness and.htm

Meditations of the Misery of a Man not Reconciled to God in Christ ...
... THE PRACTICE OF PIETY. MEDITATIONS OF THE MISERY OF A MAN NOT RECONCILED TO
GOD IN CHRIST. O wretched Man! ... Consider therefore thy misery". ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/meditations of the misery of.htm

The State of Misery to which Adam's Sin Reduced Mankind, and the ...
... Chapter 27."The State of Misery to Which Adam's Sin Reduced Mankind, and the
Restoration Effected Through the Mercy of God. Thus, then, matters stood. ...
/.../augustine/the enchiridion/chapter 27 the state of misery.htm

The Twenty-Second Chapter: Thoughts on the Misery of Man
... BOOK ONE. THOUGHTS HELPFUL IN THE LIFE OF THE SOUL The Twenty-Second Chapter:
Thoughts on the Misery of Man. ... Living on earth is truly a misery. ...
/.../kempis/the imitation of christ/the twenty-second chapter thoughts on.htm

The Misery of Your Fall Ariseth Naturally from the Greatness of ...
... THE SECOND CENTURY 4 The misery of your fall ariseth naturally from the greatness
of your sin. The misery of your fall ariseth naturally ...
/.../traherne/centuries of meditations/4 the misery of your.htm

The Misery of them who have and Prize Not
... THE FIRST CENTURY 49 The misery of them who have and prize not. The misery of them
who have and prize not, differeth from others, who prize and have not. ...
/.../traherne/centuries of meditations/49 the misery of them.htm

On the Contemplation of Human Misery
... THE FIRST BOOK. ADMONITIONS PROFITABLE FOR THE SPIRITUAL LIFE CHAPTER XXII
On the contemplation of human misery. Thou art miserable ...
/.../kempis/imitation of christ/chapter xxii on the contemplation.htm

Misery (38 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Great unhappiness; extreme pain of body or mind; wretchedness; distress;
woe. 2. (n.) Cause of misery; calamity; misfortune. ...Misery (38 Occurrences). ...
/m/misery.htm - 16k

Torment (19 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Extreme pain; anguish; torture; the utmost degree of misery, either of body
or mind. 3. (n.) That which gives pain, vexation, or misery. ...
/t/torment.htm - 13k

Bitterness (37 Occurrences)
... spheres of application: (1) the physical sense of taste; (2) a figurative meaning
in the objective sense of cruel, biting words; intense misery resulting from ...
/b/bitterness.htm - 21k

Fall (522 Occurrences)
... borrowed from the Apocryphal Book of Wisdom, to express the fact of the revolt of
our first parents from God, and the consequent sin and misery in which they ...
/f/fall.htm - 62k

Groan (32 Occurrences)
... by Babylon, the sound being that uttered by a deadly wounded man (Ezekiel 30:24;
similarly in the prophecy of the Persian conquest the misery of Babylon is ...
/g/groan.htm - 21k

Gnash (12 Occurrences)
... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. GNASH. nash (charaq; brugmos): "Gnash" is used of grinding
or striking together the teeth in rage, pain or misery of disappointment ...
/g/gnash.htm - 12k

Ruth (19 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Sorrow for the misery of another; pity; compassion. 2. (v.) That which causes
pity or compassion; misery; distress; a pitiful sight. Int. ...
/r/ruth.htm - 26k

Down (12601 Occurrences)
... ascent; from an upright position; to the ground or floor; to or into a lower or
an inferior condition; as, into a state of humility, disgrace, misery, and the ...
/d/down.htm - 9k

Mercy (467 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Compassion for the miserable. Its object is misery.
By the atoning sacrifice of Christ a way is open for ...
/m/mercy.htm - 43k

Pity (165 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A feeling for the sufferings or distresses of another or others; sympathy
with the grief or misery of another; compassion; fellow-feeling; commiseration ...
/p/pity.htm - 39k

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