volume 17, issue 1, 2025, pages 60-80

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64438/sbsABSP9941
Published online: 2025-06-01
Published in print: 2025-06-30

Abstract: Suffering is a serious reality present in human life and is much discussed in the Bible, specifically in the Book of Psalms. Despite this, the Psalter rarely uses the abstract term “pain”. Instead, it uses two roots: באכ (“to be in pain”) and בצע II (“to reproach, to hurt”). This study examines all instances of these roots in the Psalms that describe various forms of pain (Psalm 16:4, 32:10, 38:18, 39:3, 69:27, 30 and 147:3), revealing their meaning in the given psalms against the background of the literary context. At the same time, a gradual change in the perception of a person afflicted by illness throughout the Book of Psalms is noted in this study. The study points out that in the biblical tradition illness and the sick person is never treated separately. This is in line with modern medical research regarding the approach to human suffering. The Book of Psalms in particular perceives illness as an impetus for spiritual communication with God and as a means of self-transformation for the sick person to regain meaning and happiness in life.