WORMWOOD
Wormwood is a bitter plant used in Scripture as a symbol of bitterness, sorrow, and divine judgment. In Revelation it is also the name of a star whose waters become bitter.
At a Glance
Wormwood is a bitter plant used in Scripture as a symbol of bitterness, sorrow, and divine judgment. In Revelation it is also the name of a star whose waters become bitter.
Description
Wormwood is a bitter plant whose name becomes a biblical image for grief, moral corruption, and the bitter effects of God's judgment. In the Old Testament, references to wormwood often appear in contexts of covenant breaking, injustice, idolatry, or suffering, where it represents the painful results of sin and divine discipline. In Revelation 8:11, “Wormwood” is the name given to a falling star that makes many waters bitter, contributing to death; interpreters differ on whether this image should be read more literally, more symbolically, or as a combination of both within apocalyptic vision, but the passage clearly communicates severe judgment. A careful summary, then, is that wormwood functions in Scripture primarily as a symbol of bitterness and judgment rather than as a developed theological concept on its own.