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Subjects in this Topic:
fam´in (רעב, rā‛aÌ„bh; λιμοÌÏ‚, limoÌs):
1. Natural Causes
2. Famines Mentioned
3. Divine Relations
4. Figurative Uses
The common Old Testament word for “famine†is rā‛aÌ„bh; re‛aÌ„bhoÌ„n also occurs (, ; ), and kaÌ„phaÌ„n (; ), all meaning “hunger†and “famineâ€; in the New Testament the word is limos, meaning primarily “failure,†“want of food.â€
1. Natural Causes
In early times, especially in lands dependent on their own productions, famines were not infrequent. They were generally caused by local irregularities of the rainfall, by destructive hail storms (, , ), by ravages of insects (; ) and by enemies (); in a city a famine might be caused by a siege (); pestilence often followed in its wake, and the suffering was great.
2. Famines Mentioned
Famines are recorded in the time of Abraham (, etc.), of Isaac (), of Jacob, when Joseph was in Egypt - seven years of famine even in Egypt after seven of plenty (), which also affected Canaan (), and, indeed, “was over all the face of the earth†(); in the time of the Judges (), of David, for three years (), of Ahab and Elijah (; ; Ecclesiasticus 48:2, 3), of Elisha (), during the siege of Samaria (), the seven years foretold by Elisha (), in the reign of Zedekiah in Jerusalem when besieged by Nebuchadnezzar (; ; compare ), its great severity is referred to (; Baruch 2:25); a “dearth†is also mentioned after the return from Captivity (); when the city was besieged by Antiochus Eupator (1 Macc 6:54), after the death of Judas (1 Macc 9:24), when Jerusalem was besieged by Simon (1 Macc 13:49), in the time of Claudius (, in his reign there were frequent famines, one of which in 45 ad severely affected Palestine; Josephus, Ant, XX, v); Christ predicted “famines ... in divers places†as characterizing the end of the age (; ; ); in the siege of Jerusalem by Titus a terrible famine raged, the consequences of which to the people have never been surpassed.
3. Divine Relations
Famines are frequently said to be sent as punishments sometimes threatened as such ( f; -51; ; ; ; ; , ; , etc.; , etc.; ; 2 Esdras 15:5, 49; 16:19; Tobit 4:13; Ecclesiasticus 39:29; 40:9).
The righteous or godly should be preserved by God in time of famine (, “In famine he will redeem thee from deathâ€; , “to keep them alive in famineâ€; , “In the days of famine they shall be satisfiedâ€); this was a special mark of the Divine favor and power.
4. Figurative Uses
A famine is used by Amos to indicate the absence of Divine communications as a punishment that should come on the people, a “famine ... of hearing the words of Yahweh†(; compare ; ; ; ; ); by Zephaniah of the destruction of heathen deities ().
The Revised Version (British and American) has “dearth†for “famine†(); “famine†for “dearth†(; ; ; ); for “hunger†(; ; ); “famines†for “famines and pestilences†(), “famines and troubles†(), revised texts.