Wormwood is an important biblical plant that has been mentioned numerous times in the Bible. It is a small shrub-like plant that produces a bitter-tasting extract that was believed to have medicinal properties. However, its use was often associated with bitterness and sorrow, making it a symbol of judgment and punishment.

The name “wormwood” comes from the Greek “apsinthos,” meaning “undrinkable.” This name was given to the plant because its extract was so bitter that it could not be consumed without causing nausea and vomiting. This is why the Bible often uses wormwood as a metaphor for bitterness and sorrow.

In the book of Revelation, Wormwood is mentioned as a star that falls from heaven and poisons the rivers and springs of water. This is interpreted by many scholars as a reference to a future event that will bring great suffering and ruin. The verse reads, “The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water—the name of the star is Wormwood. ”

In the Old Testament, wormwood is also mentioned several times as a symbol of punishment and judgment. In the book of Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah laments the destruction of Jerusalem, saying, “He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead. He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighted me down with chains. Even when I call out or cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked. Like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding, he dragged me from the path and mangled me and left me without help. He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows. He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver. I became the laughingstock of all my people; they mock me in song all day long. He has filled me with bitter herbs and given me gall to drink. He has broken my teeth with gravel; he has trampled me in the dust.”

In Deuteronomy, God warns the Israelites not to turn away from him, saying, “Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras. The Lord will judge his people and have compassion on his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free. He will say: ‘Now where are their gods, the rock they took refuge in, the gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up to help you! Let them give you shelter!'”

Interestingly, wormwood is also mentioned in literature outside of the Bible, including in poems by William Shakespeare and Robert Frost. In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Hamlet says, “Why, then, ’tis none to you, for there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so: to me it is a prison.” This line has been interpreted to mean that Hamlet sees life as bitter and meaningless, much like wormwood.

In Robert Frost’s “The Witch of Coös,” the protagonist discovers a plant that he believes to be wormwood, symbolizing the bitter fruit of evil deeds. Frost writes, “Fifty years back, he said, or two, I found it / When I was hunting partridge. Over what / Became of it after that, I never knew. / I’ve always kind of wished I had come back / To see if it was there still in commission, / Although I don’t suppose I’ve missed much by it.”

In conclusion, the biblical plant Wormwood is an important symbol of bitterness, sorrow, and punishment. Its use is mentioned throughout the Old and New Testaments as a metaphor for the consequences of turning away from God. The plant also appears in literature outside of the Bible, where it is used to signify the bitter fruit of evil deeds. Regardless of its context, Wormwood remains an important symbol of adversity and punishment.

Quest'articolo è stato scritto a titolo esclusivamente informativo e di divulgazione. Per esso non è possibile garantire che sia esente da errori o inesattezze, per cui l’amministratore di questo Sito non assume alcuna responsabilità come indicato nelle note legali pubblicate in Termini e Condizioni
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