What is the meaning of woe in the Bible?
The word “woe” appears frequently throughout the Bible, often carrying a tone of lamentation, grief, or distress. In the original languages of Scripture, “woe” translates from Hebrew and Greek terms that convey calamity, trouble, misery, and affliction.
In the Old Testament, the prophets often used the word “woe” when pronouncing coming judgment or calamity on nations or people who had rebelled against God. The Lord spoke through the prophet Isaiah, for example, telling the sinful nation of Israel, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). Ezekiel used the word “woe” repeatedly when pronouncing God’s coming wrath on various nations (Ezekiel 16:23, 30:2, 34:2, etc.).
Jesus Himself used “woe” on multiple occasions, particularly when addressing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. In Matthew 23, Jesus declared “woe” upon the Pharisees and teachers of the law for their self-righteousness, oppressive legalism, and lack of compassion. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” Jesus warned (Matthew 23:13). Christ’s woes warned of the judgment that would come upon them for leading people astray.
The Bible also uses “woe” to express grief, regret, or distress. Job cried out in his suffering, “Woe to me if I remain silent” (Job 7:11). The prophet Jeremiah spoke of “woe” and anguish when anticipating the coming destruction of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 4:31). King David wrote mournfully of his sin, “Woe to me that I dwelt in Meshech” (Psalm 120:5).
In the New Testament, Jesus Himself wept aloud and lamented the coming judgment on Jerusalem: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'” (Matthew 23:37-39). The Lord pronounced “woe” with profound grief for those who rejected Him.
The apostle Paul wrote of the danger of causing a fellow believer to stumble, declaring, “Woe to that person” who leads others into sin (Romans 14:15). This expresses the gravity and consequence of misleading others in the faith.
The word appears repeatedly in Revelation amidst the trumpet and bowl judgments, with the angel warning “woe to the inhabitants of the earth” who persist in their sin and defiance of God (Revelation 8:13). The judgments about to be unleashed will bring unparalleled tribulation upon the world.
So in summary, “woe” in the Bible can express:
- Impending judgment or calamity
- A warning of consequences for sin and rebellion against God
- Lamentation and grief over suffering or sin
- Distress and concern for the lost and the vulnerable
- A declaration of the sorrows and pains to come
The precise meaning depends on the context, but the word often carries a weight of ominous warning, a sense of grief over the fallen state of the world, and an urgency to walk in righteousness before God.
Throughout Scripture, “woe” underlines the realities of good and evil, light and darkness, redemption and judgment. It highlights the high stakes of the spiritual battle between the kingdom of God and the powers of darkness. “Woe” pulls no punches in revealing the desperation of a world lost in sin, the necessity of repentance, and the coming Day of Judgment when Christ returns as King. But it also reminds us of God’s deep love and compassion for humanity demonstrated through the cross of Christ.
For believers, “woe” reminds us of the destructiveness and devastation of sin. It warns us of the spiritual battle being waged around us and the vital need to cling to Jesus Christ, walk by the Spirit, renew our minds in the truth of God’s Word, and live lives of holiness and purity before our Maker. The woes of Scripture call us to intercede for the lost, reach out with compassion, and shine as lights in a dark world, pointing others to salvation and hope in the gospel.
Examples of “Woe” in the Old Testament
Isaiah and Jeremiah’s use of woe
Two major prophets who frequently used the word “woe” in pronouncing coming judgment were Isaiah and Jeremiah. Here are a few examples:
- “Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, ‘Who sees us? Who will know?'” (Isaiah 29:15)
- “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.” (Isaiah 5:21)
- “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice” (Jeremiah 22:13)
- “Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask how you are? You have rejected me, declares the Lord. You keep on backsliding. So I will lay hands on you and destroy you; I can no longer show compassion.” (Jeremiah 15:5-6)
Isaiah and Jeremiah used “woe” as a literary device to draw attention to Israel’s sins – such as hypocrisy, injustice, idolatry – and warn of coming judgment if they did not repent.
Ezekiel’s use of woe
The prophet Ezekiel repeatedly pronounced “woe” and God’s impending wrath on the pagan nations around Israel:
- “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?'” (Ezekiel 34:2)
- “You took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough? You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.” (Ezekiel 16:20-21)
- “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring a sword against you and kill your men and their animals.” (Ezekiel 25:13)
For Ezekiel, “woe” underlined how God would judge surrounding nations who had persecuted Israel or led the people into idolatry and wickedness.
Nahum’s pronouncement of woe against Nineveh
The prophet Nahum, who predicted the downfall of the Assyrian empire and its capital Nineveh, opened his oracle with a series of woes and impending catastrophe:
“Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims!…Nineveh is in ruins; who will mourn for her?…Everyone who hears the news about you claps his hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?” (Nahum 3:1-19)
Nahum’s proclamation warned Nineveh that God was bringing their cruel empire to an end in keeping with His justice.
Zephaniah’s declaration of woe
Zephaniah opened his book warning of God’s coming “day of wrath” and catastrophe. He too warned of “woe” to the wicked:
“Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city [Jerusalem]!” (Zephaniah 3:1)
“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria” (Amos 6:1)
Again, “woe” signaled coming judgment on the Day of the Lord because of Judah’s complacency and sin.
Examples of “Woe” in the New Testament
Jesus’ woes against the Pharisees
In Matthew 23, Jesus repeatedly pronounced “woe” upon the hypocritical religious leaders of His day, the Pharisees, as well as the experts in the law. Consider a few of Christ’s warnings:
- “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (Matthew 23:13)
- “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.” (Matthew 23:15)
- “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” (Matthew 23:23)
Christ strongly rebuked the religious leaders for their harsh legalism, hypocrisy, and leading others astray, warning that judgment would come upon them.
Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem
As Jesus drew closer to the cross, He mourned over Jerusalem’s coming destruction for rejecting their Messiah. Luke records this emotional scene:
“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.’” (Luke 19:41-44)
Christ pronounced woe over the coming devastation of Jerusalem because they rejected His message and failed to recognize Him as the Messiah.
Paul’s warning against tempting/hindering believers
Paul warned the Romans about causing a fellow believer to stumble in their conscience and sin against their convictions:
“It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall…For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.” (Romans 14:13-21)
John’s woes in Revelation
The apostle John recorded a series of ominous woes that unfold during the end times judgments described in the book of Revelation:
- “The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.” (Revelation 8:7)
- “The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.” (Revelation 9:1)
- The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.” (Revelation 16:8)
John used woe to warn people of the cataclysmic end times judgments God would pour out on the earth because of humanity’s unrepentant sin and corruption.
Major Themes and Applications of “Woe”
In examining the many biblical examples of “woe” in both the Old and New Testaments, we can identify several major themes surrounding its use:
Warning of God’s Impending Judgment
The prophets, Jesus Himself, and apostles like John repeatedly used the word “woe” to warn people and nations that God’s judgment was imminent if they persisted in sin and idolatry. The woes served as a final warning and call to repent.
Highlighting Specific Sins
“Woe” often accompanied a scathing rebuke of specific sins that provoked God’s wrath – hypocrisy, greed, injustice, deceit, complacency, etc. Jesus focused on the legalistic sins of the Pharisees, for example.
Lamenting the Suffering Caused by Sin
Jesus wept over Jerusalem and the pain its inhabitants would soon face for rejecting Him as Messiah. Woe expresses grief over the destruction sin inevitably unleashes.
Urging Repentance
Implicit within every declaration of “woe” was also the urgent plea – there is still time to repent! Turn from wickedness and obedience before it is too late.
Reverence for God’s Holiness
“Woe” reminds us of God’s uncompromising holiness and His righteous anger towards sin, rebellion, and hardness of heart. It instills a healthy fear of the Lord.
For Christians today, the woes found in Scripture serve as vital warnings. They remind us to pursue holiness, walk in humility, intercede for the lost, shine as lights in the darkness, flee from hypocrisy and legalism, show compassion to the suffering, and above all cling to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. He alone can turn our own woes into eternal joy.