CategoryBiblical Term / Figurative Term
Modern Equivalentbitter plant; bitterness; judgment.
KJV Word TypeNoun
DefinitionA bitter plant; figuratively, bitterness, sorrow, calamity, or judgment.
Key Verses"Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood." (Deuteronomy 29:18)
KJV Usage NoteOften symbolizes bitterness, poisoned judgment, sorrow, or spiritual corruption.
Common MisunderstandingIt is not merely a plant name in many passages; it often carries a symbolic sense of bitterness or judgment.
EtymologyFrom Old English wermod, referring to a bitter herb.