📖 Biblical Definition
Winter in Scripture is the hard season — stripped trees, shortened days, travel difficult. Jesus warned, "Pray that your flight may not be in winter" (Mark 13:18) when fleeing the coming destruction of Jerusalem. Paul urged Timothy, "Do your best to come to me before winter" (2 Tim 4:21) — shipping closed in winter on the Mediterranean; if Timothy did not come before, he would not come until spring. Song of Songs 2:11-12: "For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come." Winter always ends in the biblical register; resurrection is the promised spring.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
WIN'TER, n.
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WIN'TER, n. [Sax. winter.] The cold season of the year; in the temperate zones, December, January, and February. In Scripture, winter is the hard season — stripped trees, closed shipping, shortened days, difficult travel. Jesus warned that flight in winter would be harder. Paul urged Timothy to come before winter. But Song of Songs promises: the winter is past; the rain is over and gone; flowers appear. Every biblical winter is followed by a biblical spring.
📖 Key Scripture
Song of Songs 2:11-12 — "For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come."
Mark 13:18 — "Pray that it may not happen in winter."
2 Timothy 4:21 — "Do your best to come before winter."
Psalm 74:17 — "You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Winter seasons in the soul are hard but not unending. Resurrection follows the burial; spring follows every biblical winter.
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Some Christian seasons are winter — grief, dryness, silence, long nights. Scripture does not pretend otherwise. But Scripture also insists winters end. Song of Songs 2:11 is promise and rebuke both: "the winter is past." If you feel yourself in winter, name it honestly, wait faithfully, trust the coming spring. And if you have a brother or sister in winter, do not rush them out of it; sit with them. The first sign of spring is the flowers appearing, not your sermon about how they should.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
H2779 — choref. G5494 — cheimōn.
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H2779 — choref (חֹרֶף) — winter, cold season.
G5494 — cheimōn (χειμών) — winter; also storm.
Usage
"Pray that your flight be not in winter. Some seasons compound every hardship; pray for better timing."
"Winter always ends in the biblical register. Resurrection is the promised spring after every burial."