Wednesday Word Study | Cares – Episode 9
Key Takeaways
- In this biblical study on cares, we examine I Peter 5:7 to uncover the distinct Greek words used for 'care' and 'careth'.
- The Greek word 'meló' (Strong's #3199) is used when describing how God cares for us, signifying that we are the direct object of His loving concern.
- The word 'merimna' (Strong's #3308) represents a destructive, sinful anxiety that fractures a person's being and pulls them in opposite directions.
- While it is natural and healthy to have a rightful concern for our loved ones, allowing that concern to cross into extreme worry will cause us to go to pieces.
- Recognizing when our worries have crossed the line enables us to cast our anxiety onto the Father, trusting that we are securely held as the objects of His care.
Strongs Concordance Number: 3199
Transliteration: meló
Phonetic Spelling: (mel'-o)
Definition: it is a care, it is an object of anxiety, it concerns.
Our verse for Monday Meditations this week was I Peter 5:7 and in the King James reads like this…
I Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
At first glance, we would think that the first care and careth are just similar versions of the same word, but they are not.
The word above is the second word, careth or cares. When it says that the Lord cares for us using this word, it means that we are the object of His concern.
Here is the word care as it is in the first part of the verse.
Strongs Concordance Number: 3308
Transliteration: merimna
Phonetic Spelling: (mer'-im-nah)
Definition: care, worry, anxiety, properly, a part, separated from the whole; (figuratively) worry (anxiety), dividing and fracturing a person's being into parts.
This word is a noun and was translated to anxiety in the Amplified Bible. It is similar, but paints a different picture from the first care. In the first word we are an object of concern or an object of care. Here we see that the word care is taken to an extreme.
When studying this word, it refers to word #3309, which is the verb derivative of this word. The expounded definition is:
drawn in opposite directions; "divided into parts", "to go to pieces" because pulled apart (in different directions), like the force exerted by sinful anxiety (worry).
I have heard many mothers and fathers talk about worrying about their children. When they are not home late at night or don’t call when they should. There is no doubt that we should care (3199) about our children and the other parts of our lives.
But when that care (3199) turns into the care of (3308) it will literally pull us apart in different directions and we will go to pieces. And this is sinful. So let’s insert these meanings fully into this scripture and see what we find.
Casting all your sinful anxiety, which pulls you apart, upon him; for you are an object of His concern.
Do we take care or concern to the wrong extreme? When we feel it pulling us apart, we can know that we have crossed the line and we must cast this care on the Father, because we are the object of His care.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does I Peter 5:7 mean in this biblical study on cares?
The verse tells believers to cast all their destructive anxieties onto God because they are the direct objects of His loving concern and care.
What is the difference between the two Greek words for care in I Peter 5:7?
The first word for care refers to a fracturing, sinful anxiety that pulls a person apart, while the second word ('careth') means that God holds us as the object of His active concern.
When does normal concern cross over into sinful worry?
Normal concern turns into sinful anxiety when it takes matters to an extreme, literally dividing a person's mind and pulling them apart in different directions.
Wednesday Word Study | Cares – Episode 9
Originally written August 10, 2011 posted here: https://forthesakeofthetruth.com/2011/08/10/wednesday-word-study-conviction/
Strongs Concordance Number: 3199
Transliteration: meló
Phonetic Spelling: (mel'-o)
Definition: it is a care, it is an object of anxiety, it concerns.
Our verse for Monday Meditations this week was I Peter 5:7 and in the King James reads like this…
I Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
At first glance, we would think that the first care and careth are just similar versions of the same word, but they are not.
The word above is the second word, careth or cares. When it says that the Lord cares for us using this word, it means that we are the object of His concern.
Here is the word care as it is in the first part of the verse.
Strongs Concordance Number: 3308
Transliteration: merimna
Phonetic Spelling: (mer'-im-nah)
Definition: care, worry, anxiety, properly, a part, separated from the whole; (figuratively) worry (anxiety), dividing and fracturing a person's being into parts.
This word is a noun and was translated to anxiety in the Amplified Bible. It is similar, but paints a different picture from the first care. In the first word we are an object of concern or an object of care. Here we see that the word care is taken to an extreme.
When studying this word, it refers to word #3309, which is the verb derivative of this word. The expounded definition is:
drawn in opposite directions; "divided into parts", "to go to pieces" because pulled apart (in different directions), like the force exerted by sinful anxiety (worry).
I have heard many mothers and fathers talk about worrying about their children. When they are not home late at night or don’t call when they should. There is no doubt that we should care (3199) about our children and the other parts of our lives.
But when that care (3199) turns into the care of (3308) it will literally pull us apart in different directions and we will go to pieces. And this is sinful. So let’s insert these meanings fully into this scripture and see what we find.
Casting all your sinful anxiety, which pulls you apart, upon him; for you are an object of His concern.
Do we take care or concern to the wrong extreme? When we feel it pulling us apart, we can know that we have crossed the line and we must cast this care on the Father, because we are the object of His care.
Each Wednesday, I will post a Wednesday Word Study to further elaborate on a significant word from the previous Monday’s Meditation episode. On Mondays, I focus on one verse to meditate on for the week. On the Wednesday after I drill down to look at one specific word to gain further information and knowledge. Then, on the following Friday, I will post a teaching pulling it all together. Each week will provide a thorough study into a verse, a word, and then the overall concept.
Shop all versions of my novels here: Shop Here
My Media Website: NancyJacksonPodcast.com
Check out my website: NancyJacksonAuthor.com
Follow me here:
Substack: https://nancyjackson.substack.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJacksonAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NAJackson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/najackson/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancyannjackson
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