יָבֵשׁ (ya.vesh)
ya.vesh
to wither
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 43 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb yavesh describes the process of becoming dry, withering, or losing moisture. It applies to a wide range of subjects, from natural elements like rivers and fields to living things such as plants and human bodies. In Genesis 8:7, the waters of the flood recede until the ground is dry, marking a physical change in the earth. The word captures the transition from vitality to desiccation, whether through natural evaporation or divine action.
Beyond its literal sense, yavesh carries a metaphorical weight regarding strength and joy. When Psalm 22:16 describes the psalmist’s strength drying up like a potsherd, it uses this term to convey profound physical exhaustion and weakness. Similarly, in Joel 1:12, the withering of vegetation signals that joy has dried up from among the people. The sources note that while the root can occasionally imply shame or confusion, its primary biblical usage focuses on the visible loss of life-giving moisture.
The word appears in different verb forms to show agency. The Qal stem indicates a state of being dry, as seen when the land is dry in Joshua 4:23. The Hiphil form often implies an external cause, such as God drying up the Red Sea or a prophet’s hand withering in 1 Kings 13:4. This distinction highlights how the text portrays both natural processes and supernatural interventions using the same core imagery of aridity.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word yavesh describes the quiet, inevitable process of losing moisture and vitality. It appears in nature when rivers recede or grass fades under the sun, but it also captures the human experience of exhaustion. When our strength feels like a dried-up riverbed, we are not alone in feeling this physical and emotional depletion.
Scripture uses this imagery to show that while life’s circumstances can wither us, God remains the source of lasting sustenance. The psalmist contrasts fading grass with the eternal stability of God’s word. This offers a gentle reminder that our temporary struggles do not define our ultimate hope.
In moments when you feel drained or uncertain, look to the Creator who controls the waters and the wind. His faithfulness does not dry up like seasonal rain. You can rest in the assurance that He provides enduring strength for every season of life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 43 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- it has dried up5×
- it dries up3×
- he dried up3×
- they have dried up2×
- and/ they will dry up2×
- and/ it dried up2×
- I will dry up2×
- you dried up1×
- will it be dried up1×
- when/ dry up1×
- totally <wither>1×
- they have become dry1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/יָבֵֽשׁ\׃3×
- יָבֵ֤שׁ2×
- יָבֵ֖שׁ2×
- הוֹבִ֨ישׁ2×
- הוֹבִ֥ישׁ2×
- אוֹבִֽישׁ\׃2×
- תִּיבָֽשׁ\׃1×
- תִּיבָ֔שׁ1×
- תְּיַבֶּשׁ\־1×
- תְּיַבֵּ֣שׁ1×
- יָבֵֽשׁ\׃1×
- יָבֵ֥שׁ1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 90:6
In the morning it sprouts and springs up. By evening, it is withered and dry.
This verse highlights the fleeting nature of human life by comparing it to grass that withers quickly, emphasizing our dependence on God's eternal presence.
-
Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God stands forever.”
Here the withering of vegetation serves as a contrast to the permanent stability of God’s word, offering comfort against temporary troubles.
-
I Kings 13:4
When the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam put out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” His hand, which he put out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back again to himself.
The king's hand drying up demonstrates God's direct intervention and power over physical strength when His authority is challenged.
-
Genesis 8:7
and he sent out a raven. It went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from the earth.
This occurrence marks a pivotal moment of renewal, as the drying waters signal the end of judgment and the beginning of new life on earth.