Noisome
Understanding the Biblical Meaning of 'Noisome'
In modern English, 'noisome' typically describes something foul-smelling or offensive. However, in biblical usage, particularly in the King James Version (KJV) and other older translations, the word carries a much stronger and more specific meaning. Derived from an older sense of 'annoy' (as in 'annoysome'), it signifies something that causes serious harm, calamity, or destruction. It translates words fundamentally concerned with evil, death, and devastation, not mere unpleasantness.
Key Scriptural Appearances and Translation
The term 'noisome' appears in several significant passages. In Psalm 91:3, the KJV speaks of God delivering the faithful from 'the noisome pestilence.' The Hebrew word here is hawwah, meaning 'mischief,' 'calamity,' or 'disaster.' Modern translations like the ESV and NIV render this as 'deadly pestilence,' accurately capturing the lethal nature of the threat.
In Ezekiel's prophecies of judgment, 'noisome beasts' are sent as a form of divine punishment (Ezekiel 14:15, 21). The Hebrew word is ra‘, the most common term for 'evil' or 'bad.' These are not merely annoying animals but destructive, evil forces unleashed in judgment. The book of Revelation uses 'noisome' in a Greek context. Revelation 16:2 describes the first bowl judgment: 'a noisome and grievous sore' (KJV). The Greek word is kakos, meaning 'evil' or 'bad,' again emphasizing the sore's malignant, harmful nature.
A more obscure reference is in Job 31:40, where the KJV margin suggests 'noisome weeds' for the Hebrew bo’shah (often translated as 'cockle' or 'stinkweed'), linking to agricultural ruin.
The Context of Judgment and Calamity
The use of 'noisome' is almost exclusively tied to contexts of divine judgment, severe trial, or existential threat. It describes agents of God's wrath, as in Ezekiel and Revelation, or the dire perils from which God promises protection, as in Psalm 91. The 'noisome pestilence' is one of the terrors of the night and arrows by day (Psalm 91:5-6)—a symbol of sudden, deadly disaster. In apocalyptic literature, the 'noisome and grievous sore' is a direct, physical manifestation of God's judgment on wickedness (Revelation 16:2, 11). This frames 'noisome' things not as random misfortunes but as instruments within God's sovereign purposes, whether for punishment or for testing faith.
Theological Significance: Evil, Harm, and Divine Sovereignty
Theologically, the biblical concept of 'noisome' forces a confrontation with the reality of evil and harm in the world, understood within a framework of divine sovereignty. It reminds readers that evil (ra‘, kakos) has tangible, destructive consequences. The 'noisome pestilence' and 'noisome beasts' are manifestations of a creation subjected to futility and under judgment (Romans 8:20-22).
Furthermore, these passages highlight a key biblical theme: God is sovereign over all forces, including destructive ones. He can unleash them in judgment (Ezekiel 14:21; Revelation 16) and equally promise to protect the faithful from them (Psalm 91:3, 9-10). The promise of deliverance from 'the noisome pestilence' is part of the covenant assurance for those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High. Thus, the term points to a world where real, deadly evil exists, but where God's ultimate authority and protective love for His people are also powerfully present.
Biblical Context
The term 'noisome' appears in the Old Testament books of Psalms (91:3), Ezekiel (14:15, 21), and Job (31:40 margin), and in the New Testament book of Revelation (16:2). It is used in poetic promises of protection (Psalms), prophetic oracles of judgment (Ezekiel), and apocalyptic visions of God's wrath (Revelation). It consistently describes agents of severe harm or calamity—whether pestilence, wild animals, or sores—that function within the narrative of divine action, either as threats from which God saves or as instruments He employs.
Theological Significance
The concept underscores the serious, destructive nature of evil (ra‘) in the biblical worldview. It teaches that sin and rebellion against God have consequences that are not merely spiritual but can manifest in physical and societal calamity. It also powerfully illustrates God's sovereignty: He controls these destructive forces, using them in judgment while simultaneously being the refuge and deliverer for those who trust in Him. The duality is seen in Psalm 91, where the same 'noisome pestilence' from which God protects the faithful is likely an instrument of judgment on the wicked.
Historical Background
The English word 'noisome' comes from Middle English noy (annoyance, harm) plus -some. Its meaning of 'harmful' was standard in the 17th century when the KJV was translated. The Hebrew terms it translates, like ra‘ and hawwah, were common in Ancient Near Eastern texts to describe social, physical, and cosmic evil. The 'pestilence' (dever) in Psalm 91:3 was a well-known and feared reality in the ancient world, often mentioned alongside sword and famine as ultimate disasters (Ezekiel 14:21). The 'evil beasts' of Ezekiel reflect a common prophetic motif where the breakdown of the covenant leads to a reversal of creation's order, allowing chaotic forces to threaten human society (Leviticus 26:22).