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Table of Contents NAVE: Care
ISBE: CARE; CAREFULNESS; CAREFUL CAREFUL; CAREFULNESS
BAKER: Care

Careful

Care [nave]

CARE
See: Anxiety.

CARE; CAREFULNESS; CAREFUL [isbe]

CARE; CAREFULNESS; CAREFUL - kar, kar'-fool-ness, kar'-fool: The English word "care" has such a variety of meanings, and so many Hebrew and Greek words in the Bible are translated by this English expression and its compounds, that it is difficult to organize them into a single brief article. We may do so, however, by remembering that into our word are really woven two strands, one Teutonic and one Latin. The former element implies a measure of trouble or sorrow, as the pain from a blow, a throb, a distress in the mind; the latter, from Latin cura, implies a stretching forward, attention to some person or thing. We can often discern these two senses side by side in the Bible, and sometimes they almost run into one another. This is so especially in the King James Version. We can treat the subject best by keeping separate, as far as possible, these two senses.

I. In the Sense of Anxiety, Solicitude.

1. Substantives:

In the Old Testament several words are translated "care" in this sense. "Thy father hath left off caring for the asses," concern about them literally, "matters of the asses" (dibhre, 1 Sam 10:2). "They shall eat bread by weight, and with care" (de'-aghah, "carefulness" the Revised Version (British and American); "fearfulness" the American Standard Revised Version, Ezek 4:16). The same word is rendered carefulness (the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American); "fearfulness," the American Standard Revised Version, Ezek 12:18-19); and "fear" (King James Version; "carefulness," the Revised Version (British and American) and the American Standard Revised Version, Josh 22:24). Again, "heaviness" (the Kings James Version; the Revised Version (British and American) and the American Standard Revised Version), but "care" (the Revised Version, margin and the American Revised Version, margin, Prov 12:25). Once more, "sorrow" (the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) and the American Standard Revised Version), but "care" (the Revised Version, margin and the American Revised Version, margin, Jer 49:23). There is also the word charadhah "trembling," "fear," "anxiety." It is rendered "trembling" (Gen 27:33 the King James Version). But "thou hast been careful for us with all this care" ("showed us all this reverence," the Revised Version, margin, the American Revised Version, margin, 2 Ki 4:13).

In the New Testament, "care," in the sense of anxiety, is the meaning given to merimna, the condition of being drawn mentally in different directions, distraction of mind. "Care of the world" (Mt 13:22; Mk 4:19; Lk 8:14, "cares of this life," Lk 21:34); "care of all the churches" (2 Cor 11:28) ("anxiety," the Revised Version (British and American) and the American Standard Revised Version); "casting all your care upon him" ("anxiety," the Revised Version (British and American), the American Standard Revised Version, 1 Pet 5:7). Also in the Apocrypha, "My heart faileth for care" (1 Macc 6:10); "Care bringeth old age before the time" (Sirach 30:24). To these may be added the adjective amerimnos, "I would have you without carefulness" (King James Version; "free from cares," the Revised Version (British and American) and the American Standard Revised Version, 1 Cor 7:32).

2. Verbs:

In the Old Testament (da'agh, "to have concern or anxiety for"). "Not be careful in the year of drought" (Jer 17:8). (sum lebh, "to set the heart upon"), "If we flee away, they will not care for us" ("set their heart upon us" King James Version, margin, 2 Sam 18:3).

In the New Testament (memrinao), "Thou art careful and troubled" ("anxious" the Revised Version (British and American) and the American Standard Revised Version, Lk 10:41). "He that is unmarried careth for things that belong to the Lord" ("is careful for," the Revised Version (British and American) and the American Standard Revised Version, 1 Cor 7:32-34). "Members should have the same care one for another" (1 Cor 12:25). "Who will naturally care (the American Standard Revised Version "care truly") for your state" (Phil 2:20). "Be careful for nothing" ("in nothing be anxious," the Revised Version (British and American) and the American Standard Revised Version, Phil 4:6). The Apocrypha has "careful" (Baruch 3:18) and the Revised Version (British and American) has "be not careful overmuch," where a distinction is plainly made between care in the sense of anxiety and of attention, for a person cannot be too attentive, but he may be too anxious (2 Esdras 2:27).

The impersonal verb (melei), though not quite so strong as merimnao, always implies a degree of concern higher than is felt in mere attention. "Carest thou not that we perish?" (Mk 4:38). "Carest not for anyone" (the King James Version "no man," Mt 22:16; Mk 12:14). "Dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone?" (Lk 10:40). "Careth not for the sheep" (Jn 10:13). "Cared for the poor" (Jn 12:6). "Gallio cared for none of these things" (Acts 18:17). "Care not for it" (1 Cor 7:21). "He careth for you" (1 Pet 5:7). "Doth God care for oxen?" (better, "Is it for the oxen that God careth?" the Revised Version (British and American) and the American Standard Revised Version, 1 Cor 9:9).

II. In the Sense of Attention.

1. Substantives:

In the sense of attention, with the flavor of earnestness added from the original Teutonic meaning of the word care, we have the translation of spoude, "speed," "earnest care." "What carefulness it wrought in you" ("earnest care," the Revised Version (British and American), the American Standard Revised Version, 2 Cor 7:11). "Our care for you in the sight of God" ("earnest care," the Revised Version (British and American), the American Standard Revised Version, 2 Cor 7:12). "Put the same care into the heart of Titus" ("earnest care," the Revised Version (British and American), the American Standard Revised Version, 2 Cor 8:16). We have also phronein, the infin. used as a substantive "Your care for me hath flourished" ("thought," the Revised Version (British and American), the American Standard Revised Version, Phil 4:10). Also phrontis,"thought" ("care" the American Standard Revised Version, The Wisdom of Solomon 6:17; 7:4).

2. Verbs:

"A land which Yahweh thy God careth for" darash, "seek after") ("seeketh after," the Revised Version, margin, the American Revised Version, margin, Dt 11:12). "No man careth for my soul" ("sought" King James Versions margin, Ps 142:4; chashach). "We are not careful to answer" (King James Version, also compare the margin, the American Revised Version, margin; "We have no need to answer," the Revised Version (British and American), the American Standard Revised Version, Dan 3:16). In the New Testament epimeleomai, "Take care of him" (Lk 10:34,35). "How shall he take care of the church of God?" (1 Tim 3:5). phrontizo, "to be thoughtful or mindful of," "may be careful to maintain good works" (Tit 3:8).

G. H. Trever

CAREFUL; CAREFULNESS [isbe]

CAREFUL; CAREFULNESS - See CARE.

Care [baker]

[N]

In the Old Testament several Hebrew words are translated as "care" or a similar word (e.g., "worry" or "anxious"). In 1 Samuel 10:2, when Samuel anoints Saul as king, a series of signs are predicted by Samuel to prove God's favor on Saul, culminating in the indwelling of God's Spirit. The first sign is that two men will say to Saul, "The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has stopped worrying about them and is worrying about you" (NRSV).

The connotation of caring about something to the point of "worrying" about it is picked up in the New Testament. As in the Old Testament, the undertone can be positive or negative. In the New Testament, the principal utilization is negative. The most common Greek word that is translated "care" is the noun merimna [mevrimna] (or the verb merimnao [merimnavw]).

In Matthew 13:22 in Christ's parable of the four seeds, the third person is represented by the seed that was choked out by the "cares of the world." The enigmatic meaning of the parable is that preoccupation with the world depletes one's devotion to God. Because the world is temporal, inordinate care for the world causes preoccupation with the result of not caring for eternal things; consequently, the Word does not become deeply implanted.

In Luke 21:34 believers are warned to be watchful of the Lord's return and not to be "weighed down with ... the worries of this life" (NRSV). In 2 Corinthians 11:28 Paul lists his sufferings as his glory in his defense against the "superapostles." Besides his external sufferings, his care for all the churches and the subsequent heartache because of an intense concern for those he loved is Paul's mark of true apostleship. It can be seen that care to the point of burden is intended.

Another Greek word for "care" is melo. It, too, can denote anxiety or earnest concern, depending on the context. In 1 Peter 5:7 both the verb melo and the noun merimna [mevrimna] are used: "Cast all your anxiety (merimna [mevrimna]) on him, because he cares (melo [ejpimelw'"]) for you" (NRSV).

Care to the point of anxiety is seen as harmful and as contrary to faith in God. Matthew 6:25 says, "Do not worry about your life." It is necessary that a person gives basic attention to having food and shelter. The fact that the same words for "care" are also translated "anxiety" or "worry" shows that the derivation of anxiety could be a reasonable care turned awry. When one's desires are inordinate with the result being a focus on temporal existence instead of eternal life, the consequence can be harmful. For example, the negative effects of anxiety can be seen in one's health status. Too much stress can cause manifold health problems. Worry cannot add a single hour to our life span, according to Matthew 6:27, and therefore, it is a waste of time. Trusting in God when one cannot change a situation is biblical faith. Inactive, worrisome reasoning is diametrically opposed to the Jewish and Christian concept of faith.

Paul says in Philippians 4:6, "Do not worry about anything" (NRSV). The word merimnao [merimnavw] does not mean "do not 'care' about anything." Rather, Paul wants the Philippians to "in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." In other words, thankfulness, which is a part of faith, resolves the quandary of anxiety.

Eric W. Adams