The term "rotted" in the biblical context often refers to decay, corruption, or the process of decomposition, both in a physical and spiritual sense. The imagery of rotting is used throughout Scripture to illustrate the consequences of sin, the fleeting nature of earthly treasures, and the judgment of God.

Physical Decay and Corruption

In the Bible, physical rotting is often associated with the natural process of decay that affects all living things. This is a reminder of the fallen state of the world due to sin. In Job 13:28, Job laments his condition, saying, "So man wastes away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths" . This verse highlights the frailty and temporary nature of human life, emphasizing the inevitability of physical decay.

Spiritual Decay

Spiritually, rotting is used metaphorically to describe the corruption that sin brings into a person's life. In Proverbs 10:7, it is written, "The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot" . Here, the rotting of the wicked's name signifies the moral and spiritual decay that results from a life lived in opposition to God's commandments.

Earthly Treasures and Rot

The Bible also uses the concept of rotting to caution against placing trust in material wealth and earthly possessions. In Matthew 6:19-20, Jesus instructs, "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" . The mention of rust, which can be understood as a form of rotting, serves as a metaphor for the impermanence and vulnerability of worldly goods.

Judgment and Consequences

The imagery of rotting is also used to depict the judgment and consequences that befall those who turn away from God. In Isaiah 50:9, the prophet declares, "Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who is he who will condemn me? Indeed, they will all wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up" . This passage underscores the ultimate fate of those who oppose God, likening their end to garments consumed by moths, a symbol of divine judgment leading to decay and destruction.

Moral and Ethical Implications

The concept of rotting in the Bible serves as a powerful reminder of the moral and ethical implications of one's actions. It calls believers to pursue righteousness and to seek treasures that are eternal rather than temporal. The imagery of decay challenges individuals to examine their lives, repent of sin, and align themselves with God's will to avoid spiritual corruption.

In summary, the biblical use of "rotted" encompasses both the physical and spiritual realms, serving as a vivid illustration of the consequences of sin, the transient nature of earthly life, and the importance of living in accordance with God's eternal truths.(imp. & p. p.) of Rot.4595. sepo -- to make corrupt, pass. become corrupt
... Word Origin a prim. verb Definition to make corrupt, pass. become corrupt
NASB Word Usage rotted (1). be corrupted, perish. Apparently ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4595.htm - 6k

1 Thessalonians iv. 13
... It is God that does it. They who are then alive shall not anticipate those who are
dissolved, who are rotted, who have been dead ten thousand years. ...
/.../homily vii 1 thessalonians iv.htm

Incidents of Childhood
... to the rim of an old pocket book. It had lain there so long that the leather
had all rotted away. I was so delighted and spent so ...
/.../cole/trials and triumphs of faith/chapter iii incidents of childhood.htm

Human Flesh not the Proper or Natural Food of Men.
... of every animal, and furnished it with its peculiar powers, they are united suitably,
each to each, whether they have been burnt up by fire, or rotted by water ...
/.../chapter viii human flesh not the.htm

The Dead Christ
... They were allowed to hang, exposed to the weather, till they rotted and fell to
pieces; or they might be torn by birds or beasts; and at last a fire was ...
/.../stalker/the trial and death of jesus christ/chapter xxii the dead christ.htm

Parables. (xiii, xviii-xx, xxxv. )
... So had the Lord taken Israel to cleave to Him as such a cloth cleaves to the loins
of a man; but separated from Him they had likewise rotted and were good for ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/2 parables xiii xviii-xx xxxv.htm

Argument: Moreover, it is not at all to be Wondered at if this ...
... unless they are rotted: [1827] thus the body in the sepulchre is like the trees
which in winter hide their verdure with a deceptive dryness. ...
/.../felix/the octavius of minucius felix/chapter xxxiv argument moreover it is.htm

To Sister Daniella of Orvieto Clothed with the Habit of Saint ...
... When the roots of inclination in the soul are rotted by indiscretion, all
its works, relating to others or to itself, are rotten. ...
/.../benincasa/letters of catherine benincasa/to sister daniella of orvieto.htm

The Bread of God
... When experience had taught that what was saved rotted, then laziness would come
in and say, 'What is the use of gathering twice as much on the sixth day? ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the bread of god.htm

Of what Befell Julianus, the Emperor's Uncle, and Felix.
... Julianus forthwith fell sick of a painful disease; his entrails rotted away, and
he was no longer able to discharge his excrements through the normal organs of ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/chapter ix of what befell julianus.htm

Of the Number and Character of the Deeds done by Pagans against ...
... for all who had taken part in this abominable wickedness lost their teeth, which
all fell out at once, and lost, too, their tongues, which rotted away and ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/chapter iii of the number and.htm

Rotted (4 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Rotted (4 Occurrences). James 5:2 Your treasures have
rotted, and your piles of clothing are moth-eaten; (WEY YLT NAS RSV NIV). ...
/r/rotted.htm - 7k

Rotten (9 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Having rotted; putrid; decayed; as, a rotten apple;
rotten meat. 2. (a.) Offensive to the smell; fetid; disgusting. ...
/r/rotten.htm - 9k

Treasures (77 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). James 5:2 Your treasures have
rotted, and your piles of clothing are moth-eaten; (WEY). ...
/t/treasures.htm - 31k

Rots (1 Occurrence)

/r/rots.htm - 6k

Desolated (21 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Joel 1:17 Rotted have scattered things under their clods, Desolated have
been storehouses, Broken down have been granaries, For withered hath the corn. ...
/d/desolated.htm - 13k

Moths (3 Occurrences)
... (n.) Plural of Moth. Multi-Version Concordance Moths (3 Occurrences). James 5:2
your riches have rotted, and your garments have become moth-eaten; (See NIV). ...
/m/moths.htm - 7k

Piles (10 Occurrences)
... See Hemorrhoids. Multi-Version Concordance Piles (10 Occurrences). James 5:2 Your
treasures have rotted, and your piles of clothing are moth-eaten; (WEY). ...
/p/piles.htm - 9k

Brick (10 Occurrences)
... The wood rotted and the iron rusted away, leaving for the excavator a few bronze
and stone implements and the fragments of pottery which are so precious as a ...
/b/brick.htm - 15k

Storehouses (23 Occurrences)
... Joel 1:17 Rotted have scattered things under their clods, Desolated have been
storehouses, Broken down have been granaries, For withered hath the corn. ...
/s/storehouses.htm - 15k

Testify (110 Occurrences)
... James 5:3 your gold and silver have rotted, and the rust of them for a
testimony shall be to you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. ...
/t/testify.htm - 36k

Why is so much of the world still unevangelized? | GotQuestions.org

How should a Christian view wealth? | GotQuestions.org

Rotted: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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