μᾰραίνω G3133
μαραίνω — to cause to wither, fade away, or extinguish; to waste away
This verb appears in James 1:11, illustrating how the rich person will fade away in their pursuits like grass withering under the scorching sun. The word literally means to quench or extinguish (originally used of fire), then extended to describe plants wilting or people wasting away. James employs the image from Isaiah 40:6-8, contrasting the transient glory of wealth with the enduring word of God. The rich person's activities and achievements, like the wildflower's beauty, prove temporary — heat rises, the flower falls, and the appearance perishes.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The future passive 'will fade away' describes the inevitable withering of the wealthy person's pursuits. Cross-linguistic renderings (Spanish 'se-marchitará,' German 'verwelken') emphasize the botanical imagery of wilting under heat, a powerful metaphor for the ephemeral nature of earthly prosperity apart from eternal values. 1×
AR["سَيَذبُلُ"]·ben["শুকিয়ে-যাবে"]·DE["verwelken"]·EN["will-fade-away"]·FR["μαρανθήσεται"]·heb["יִבּוֹל"]·HI["मुरझाएगा"]·ID["akan-layu."]·IT["maranthēsetai"]·jav["badhé-alum."]·KO["시들리라."]·PT["murchará"]·RU["увянет."]·ES["se-marchitará"]·SW["atanyauka"]·TR["solacak"]·urd["مرجھا-جائے-گا۔"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μᾰραίνω, future μᾰρᾰνῶ Refs 5th c.AD+: aorist 1 ἐμάρᾱνα Refs 5th c.BC+ —middle, aorist ἐμᾰρηνάμην (see. below):—passive, future μᾰρανθήσομαι NT+2nd c.AD+: aorist ἐμᾰράνθην Refs 8th c.BC+: perfect μεμάρασμαι Refs 1st c.AD+ (to be read -αμμ-) variant in Refs 1st c.AD+: 3rd.pers. singular pluperfect μεμάραντο Refs 4th c.AD+:—quench fire, ἀνθρακιήν Refs[same place]:—passive, die away, go slowly out,…