5685. abash
Lexical Summary
abash: To be ashamed, to dry up, to wither

Original Word: עָבַשׁ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: `abash
Pronunciation: ah-bash'
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-bash')
KJV: be rotten
NASB: shrivel
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to dry up

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
be rotten

A primitive root; to dry up -- be rotten.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to shrivel
NASB Translation
shrivel (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[עָבַשׁ] verb shrivel (compare Arabic contract (especially face), frown); —

Qal Perfect3masculine plural עָֽבְשׁוּ פְרֻדוֺת Joel 1:17 the grains have shrivelled (compare Dr Now).

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Context

The term appears a single time in the Hebrew Scriptures, within Joel 1:17: “The seeds lie shriveled beneath the clods; the storehouses are in ruins, the granaries are broken down, for the grain has withered away” (Berean Standard Bible). It captures the graphic moment in which the prophet depicts seed-grain that has become useless before it can even germinate. The word, therefore, serves as a vivid emblem of hopeless barrenness at the very first stage of agricultural life.

Agricultural Imagery in Prophetic Literature

Joel places ruined seed alongside ruined storehouses, dried vines, and devastated flocks (Joel 1:10–20). Prophets frequently employ such agricultural collapse to illustrate covenant discipline (for example, Deuteronomy 28:38–40; Amos 4:9). The picture of seed decaying in the earth rather than sprouting underscores a total judgment that reaches from field to temple, for without healthy grain the daily grain offering ceases (Joel 1:9, 13). All subsequent stages of growth—stem, ear, harvest—are aborted at inception, highlighting the severity of divine interruption.

Historical Background of Joel’s Lament

Joel’s audience appears to be facing successive waves of locust devastation (Joel 1:4) compounded by drought (Joel 1:19–20). Whether the description is literal, metaphorical, or both, the prophet’s aim is clear: awaken Judah to national repentance so that covenant blessings may be restored (Joel 2:12–14). The ruined seed becomes a tangible sign that the nation’s future is imperiled; only wholehearted return to the Lord can reverse the curse.

Theological Themes

1. Covenant Accountability: The unusable seed dramatizes the consequences of covenant neglect. Famine and pestilence were forewarned in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.
2. Dependence on God: Agriculture, normally seen as a sign of divine favor, is shown to be utterly contingent on the Lord’s sustaining word (cf. Psalm 104:27–29).
3. The Day of the Lord: Joel moves from present crisis to eschatological warning (Joel 2:1–11). The spoiled seed foreshadows the more comprehensive upheaval of the coming Day, urging ears to listen before it is too late.
4. Hope of Restoration: Even as the prophet laments, he also announces that God can “repay you for the years the locusts have eaten” (Joel 2:25). The same sovereign hand that allowed the seed to rot can cause harvest to overflow.

Practical and Ministry Applications

• Personal Examination: Just as seed can rot unseen beneath the surface, so unrepentant sin can fester in a hidden heart. Pastors may employ Joel 1:17 to call believers to transparent confession (1 John 1:9).
• Corporate Revival: Congregations facing spiritual barrenness can find a biblical model for solemn assembly (Joel 1:14). Fasting, prayer, and unified repentance remain means God uses to restore fruitfulness.
• Stewardship of Blessings: The verse warns against presuming upon future yield—time, talents, or resources. Believers should sow generously while opportunity remains (Galatians 6:7–9).
• Comfort for the Penitent: The God who judges is eager to bless. Promises of abundant grain (Joel 2:24) encourage those who turn back to Him.

Christological and Eschatological Connections

Jesus applies agricultural imagery to His own death and resurrection: “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed” (John 12:24). Where Joel’s seed dies and yields nothing, Christ’s self-sacrifice yields “much fruit,” reversing the curse. Ultimately, Revelation 22:2 portrays a restored creation where fruitfulness is perpetual, sealing the promise that divine restoration will surpass every former loss.

Related Biblical Motifs

• Withered fig tree—Matthew 21:19: an enacted parable of fruitlessness under judgment.
• Dry bones—Ezekiel 37:1–14: lifelessness reversed by the Spirit’s breath.
• Grass that withers—Isaiah 40:7–8: human frailty contrasted with the enduring word of God.

Key Insights for Preaching and Teaching

1. A single, obscure verb can open a window onto the breadth of redemptive history.
2. Physical calamity may be God’s megaphone for spiritual deafness.
3. True revival begins at the “seed” level of the heart; external activity alone cannot replace inner renewal.
4. God’s purposes in judgment are ultimately restorative, pointing forward to the harvest of righteousness secured in Christ.

Thus the lone biblical use of עָבַשׁ serves as a concise yet forceful reminder that when seed fails, the only remedy is humble return to the Lord who alone gives growth.

Forms and Transliterations
עָבְשׁ֣וּ עבשו ‘ā·ḇə·šū ‘āḇəšū aveShu
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Englishman's Concordance
Joel 1:17
HEB: עָבְשׁ֣וּ פְרֻד֗וֹת תַּ֚חַת
NAS: The seeds shrivel under their clods;
KJV: The seed is rotten under their clods,
INT: shrivel the seeds under

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5685
1 Occurrence


‘ā·ḇə·šū — 1 Occ.

5684
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