Consume

Consume - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

CONSUME, v.t. [L., to take. So in English we say, it takes up time, that is, it consumes time.]

1. To destroy, by separating the parts of a thing, by decomposition, as by fire, or eating, devouring, and annihilating the form of a substance. Fire consumes wood, coal, stubble; animals consume flesh and vegetables.

2. To destroy by dissipating or by use; to expend; to waste; to squander; as, to consume an estate.

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. James 4.

3. To spend; to cause to pass away, as time; as, to consume the day in idleness.

Their days did he consume in vanity. Psa 78.

4. To cause to disappear; to waste slowly.

My flesh is consumed away. Job 38.

5. To destroy; to bring to utter ruin; to exterminate.

Let me alone-- that I may consume them. Exo 32.

CONSUME, v.i. To waste away slowly; to be exhausted.

Their flesh--their eyes--their tongue shall consume away. Zec 14.

The wicked shall perish--they shall consume. Psa 37.

Devour - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

DEVOUR, v.t. [L., to eat.]

1. To eat up; to eat with greediness; to eat ravenously, as a beast of prey, or as a hungry man.

We will say, some evil beast hath devoured him. Gen 37.

In the morning, he shall devour the prey. Gen 49.

2. To destroy; to consume with rapidity and violence.

I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Ben-Hadad. Amos 1.

Famine and pestilence shall devour him. Ezek 7.

3. To destroy; to annihilate; to consume.

He seemed in swiftness to devour the way.

4. To waste; to consume; to spend in dissipation and riot.

As soon as this thy son had come, who hath devoured thy living with harlots. Luke 15.

5. To consume wealth and substance by fraud, oppression, or illegal exactions.

Ye devour widows houses. Mat 23.

6. To destroy spiritually; to ruin the soul.

Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Pet 5.

7. To slay.

The sword shall devour the young lions. Nahum 2.

8. To enjoy with avidity.

Longing they look, and gaping at the sight, devour her oer and oer with vast delight.

kon-sum' (akhal, kalah, tamam; analisko): In Old Testament 'akhal ("to eat," "devour") occurs very frequently, and is translated "consumed" (Ge 31:40; Ex 15:7; Ps 78:63, etc.); kalah ("to finish") is also frequently translated "consume," "consumed" (Ge 41:30; Ex 32:10; Ps 59:13, etc.); tamam, "to be perfect," "finished" (Nu 17:13; De 2:15; Ps 73:19, etc.). There are many other words translated "consume" and "consumed," e.g. cuph, "to end" (Jer 8:13; Zec 1:2,3); balah, "to fade," "wear away" (Job 13:28; Ps 49:14); gazal, implying violence (Job 24:19); caphah, "to end" (Ge 19:15,17; Isa 7:20, etc.); ashesh, "to be old" (Ps 6:7; 31:9,10 the King James Version); maqaq, "to become completed" (Eze 4:17; Zec 14:12 bis); `asah kalah is rendered "utterly consume" (Ne 9:31); analisko, "to use up," occurs in Lu 9:54; Ga 5:15; 2Th 2:8 (the King James Version); dapanao, "to spend," is translated "consume" in Jas 4:3 (the Revised Version (British and American) "spend"); katanalisko, "to consume utterly," occurs only in Heb 12:29; "for our God is a consuming fire."

In the Revised Version (British and American) "devour," "devoured" are several times substituted for "consume," "consumed," e.g. Job 20:26; Jer 49:27; Nu 16:35; "boil well" (Eze 24:10); for "be consumed with dying" (Nu 17:13), "perish all of us"; "consume" is substituted for "corrupt" in Mt 6:19; "my spirit is consumed," for "my breath is corrupt" (Job 17:1); instead of "the flame consumeth the chaff" (Isa 5:24) we have "as the dry grass sinketh down in the flame"; and for "whom the Lord shall consume" (2Th 2:8), the Revised Version (British and American) reads (after a different text) "whom the Lord Jesus shall slay," "consume" in the American Revised Version, margin.

W. L. Walker

Definition

The term “consume” literally means to use up something. It has several figurative meanings.

• In the Bible, the word “consume” often refers to destroying things or people.
• A fire is said to consume things, which means it destroys them by burning them up.
• God is described as a “consuming fire,” which is a description of his anger against sin. His anger results in terrible punishment for sinners who do not repent.
• To consume food means to eat or drink something.
• The phrase, “consume the land” could be translated as “destroy the land.”

Translation Suggestions

• In the context of consuming the land or people, this term could be translated as “destroy.”
• When fire is referred to, “consume” could be translated as “burn up.”
• The burning bush that Moses saw “was not consumed” which could be translated as “did not get burned up” or “did not burn up.”
• When referring to eating, “consume” could be translated as “eat” or “devour.”
• If someone’s strength is “consumed,” it means his strength is “used up” or “gone.”
• The expression, “God is a consuming fire” could be translated as “God is like a fire that burns things up” or “God is angry against sin and will destroy sinners like a fire.”

(See also: devour, wrath)

Bible References

• 1 Kings 18:38-40
• Deuteronomy 7:16
• Jeremiah 3:23-25
• Job 7:9
• Numbers 11:1-3

Word Data

• Strong’s: H0398, H0402, H1086, H1104, H1197, H2628, H3615, H3617, H3857, H4529, H5595, H8046, H8552, G03550, G26180, G26540, G27190, G53150

Definition

The term “devour” means to eat or consume in an aggressive manner.

• Using this word in a figurative sense, Paul warned believers to not devour one another, meaning to not attack or destroy each other with words or actions (Galatians 5:15).
• Also in a figurative sense, the term “devour” is often used with a meaning of “completely destroy” as when talking about nations devouring each other or a fire devouring buildings and people.
• This term could also be translated as “completely consume” or “totally destroy.”

(See also: consume)

Bible References

• 1 Peter 5:8
• Amos 1:10
• Exodus 24:17
• Ezekiel 16:20
• Luke 15:30
• Matthew 23:13-15
• Psalms 21:9

Word Data

• Strong’s: H0398, H0399, H0400, H0402, H1104, H1105, H3216, H3615, H3857, H3898, H7462, H7602, G20680, G26660, G27190, G53150