Category:Famine

Fam"ine, n. Etym: [F. famine, fr. L. fames hunger; cf. Gr. hani loss, lack, ha to leave.]

Defn: General scarcity of food; dearth; a want of provisions; destitution. "Worn with famine." Milton. There was a famine in the land. Genesis 26:1. Famine fever (Med.), typhus fever.

---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

Famine - The first mentioned in Scripture was so grievous as to compel Abraham to go down to the land of Egypt (Gene:sis 26:1). Another is mentioned as having occurred in the days of Isaac, causing him to go to Gerar (Genesis 26:1, Genesis 26:17). But the most remarkable of all was that which arose in Egypt in the days of Joseph, which lasted for seven years (Gen. 41 - 45). Famines were sent as an effect of God's anger against a guilty people (2 Kings 8:1, 2 Kings 8:2; Amos 8:11; Deut. 28:22-42; 2 Samuel 21:1; 2 Kings 6:25; 2 Kings 25:3; Jeremiah 14:15; Jeremiah 19:9; Jeremiah 42:17, etc.). A famine was predicted by Agabus (Acts 11:28). Josephus makes mention of the famine which occurred A.D. 45. Helena, queen of Adiabene, being at Jerusalem at that time, procured corn from Alexandria and figs from Cyprus for its poor inhabitants.