### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **mablîygîyth**, represented by `{{H4010}}`, is a term for the act of trying to **comfort self**. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible. The word's definition, which includes desistance or desolation, suggests an attempt to find relief or stop an overwhelming feeling of grief, but it is used in a context of profound personal anguish.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single use of `{{H4010}}` is found in the writings of the prophet Jeremiah. He expresses a deep, personal despair, stating, "When I would **comfort** myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me" [[Jeremiah 8:18]]. In this passage, the word does not describe a successful attempt at finding solace, but rather a failed one. The effort to find comfort is immediately overwhelmed by the sorrow and physical weakness that grips the prophet's heart, highlighting a state of inconsolable grief.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its only biblical context help clarify the depth of this emotional state:
* `{{H3015}}` **yâgôwn** (affliction; grief, sorrow): This is the direct source of the distress that prompts the desire for comfort. It is described as a burden in the heart [[Psalms 13:2]] and is something the LORD promises to ultimately turn into joy for his people [[Jeremiah 31:13]].
* `{{H3820}}` **lêb** (the heart): This is the center of feeling where the sorrow resides. The failure to find comfort results in a faint **heart** [[Jeremiah 8:18]]. Scripture treats the **heart** as the core of a person's being, which must be kept with all diligence [[Proverbs 4:23]].
* `{{H1742}}` **davvây** (faint): This word describes the condition of the heart when comfort cannot be found. It conveys a sense of being sick or troubled to the point of collapse, as seen in Jeremiah's lament [[Jeremiah 8:18]] and in a similar expression of despair found in Lamentations [[Lamentations 1:22]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H4010}}` is found in its singularity and context of failure.
* **The Limit of Self-Comfort:** The word's sole appearance in [[Jeremiah 8:18]] vividly illustrates the inability of a person to comfort themselves in the face of overwhelming sorrow. The prophet's attempt is futile, pointing to the insufficiency of human strength in moments of deep anguish.
* **Sorrow and Divine Restoration:** While self-comfort fails, the related concept of **sorrow** `{{H3015}}` is often used in passages that promise future divine intervention. God is the one who will ultimately make his people rejoice from their **sorrow** [[Jeremiah 31:13]] and cause **sorrow** and sighing to flee away [[Isaiah 35:10]].
* **The Condition of the Heart:** The passage underscores that the **heart** `{{H3820}}` is the battleground for despair and hope. A faint heart [[Jeremiah 8:18]] is one that cannot find its own relief, pointing to the need for a deeper, external source of healing, such as the clean **heart** that God creates [[Psalms 51:10]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4010}}` is a highly specific and rare biblical term. Though it translates to **comfort self**, its solitary appearance in scripture is used to powerfully demonstrate the opposite: the failure of such an effort. It serves as a stark reminder of human limitation in the face of profound grief, pointing beyond self-reliance to the necessity of a divine source for true and lasting comfort.
TRV