Bitter bitter bits

Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate baking chips

The Hebrew word for "bitter" is "מרא" (ma-ra) ≈ "bitter" as used in the Exodus for the "bitter" springs of "Mara" and Noami telling Ruth to call her "Mara" as God has treated her "bitterly". The Greek city of Smyrna comes from the related word for "myrrh" is in "We Three Kings of Orient Are".

The ancient Greek word "πικρός" ≈ "pointed, sharp, keen". The meaning is oriented towards the sense to which it is associated such as touch, taste, feeling, sound, sight, etc. The modern Greek word "πικρός" (pee-KROS) ≈ "bitter" where the meaning has narrowed to the sense of taste.

The English word "bitter" is used in many idioms.

"bitter pill to swallow".
"sugar coat the bitter pill"
"fight to the bitter end"

The English word "bitter" comes from the Old English word "biter" ≈ "bitter" which comes from the idea of a "bite" or "acrid taste".

The German word "bitter" ≈ "bitter".

After Peter denies Christ for the third time, he weeps "bitterly".

Luke 22:62

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KJV: And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

Greek: και και εξελθων εξω ο πετρος εκλαυσεν πικρως

Latin: et egressus foras Petrus flevit amare

Wessex: Ða eode petrus ut & biterlice weop.

Wycliffe: And Petre yede out, and wepte bittirli.

Tyndale: And Peter went out and wepte bitterly.

Luther: Und Petrus ging hinaus und weinete bitterlich.

Slavonic: И изшед вон плакася горько.

Russian: И, выйдя вон, горько заплакал.

Spanish: Y Pedro, saliendo fuera, lloró amargamente.

Portuguese: E, vindo para fora, chorou amargamente.

The Latin word "amare" ≈ "bitterly" which is from the Latin word "amarus" ≈ "bitter, harsh" and related to the ancient Greek word "ὠμός" ≈ "raw, crude" and to the Sanskrit word "आम" (ama) ≈ "raw, immature".

A related word in spelling is the Latin word "amo" ≈ "love, be fond of".

The ancient Greek word "πικρός" ≈ "pointed, sharp, keen". The meaning is oriented towards the sense to which it is associated such as touch, taste, feeling, sound, sight, etc.

The modern Greek word "πικρός" (pee-KROS) ≈ "bitter" where the meaning has narrowed to the sense of taste.

A word related to the ancient Greek word "πικρός" ≈ "pointed, sharp, keen" is the ancient Greek word "ποικίλος" ≈ "dappled, variegated" and whose translation (or mistranslation) led to the children's story of Joseph and his multi-colored coat.

More: A coat of paint for porch pictures

John in Revelation, after eating a small book that was sweet as honey is his mouth was bitter in his belly.

Revelation 10:10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. [kjv]

Revelation 10:10

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KJV: And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

Greek: και ελαβον το βιβλαριδιον εκ της χειρος του αγγελου και κατεφαγον αυτο και ην εν τω στοματι μου ως μελι γλυκυ και οτε εφαγον αυτο επικρανθη η κοιλια μου

Latin: et accepi librum de manu angeli et devoravi eum et erat in ore meo tamquam mel dulce et cum devorassem eum amaricatus est venter meus

Tyndale: and I toke the lytle boke out of his honde and ate it vp and it was in my mouth as swete as hony and as sone as I had eate it my belly was bytter.

Luther: Und ich nahm das Büchlein von der Hand des Engels und verschlang es; und es war süß in meinem Munde wie Honig; und da ich's gegessen hatte, grimmete mich's im Bauch.

Can one "taste" with the belly or stomach? Might John be indicating a sharp or keen sense of pain in the belly, stomach or gut? Might that mean that something is not right here? Could it be the feeling one has after taking poison when it is too late to do anything about it?

*G4087 *4 πικραίνω (pik-rah'-ee-no) : from G4089 πικρός; to embitter (literally or figuratively):--be (make) bitter.

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πικραινεσθε

Colossians 3:19 ... your wives, and be not bitter against them.

επικρανθησαν

Revelation 8:11 ... died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

πικρανει

Revelation 10:9 ... it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but ...

επικρανθη

Revelation 10:10 ... it, my belly was bitter.

*G4088 *4 πικρία (pik-ree'-ah) : from G4089 πικρός; acridity (especially poison), literally or figuratively:--bitterness.

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πικριας *3

Acts 8:23 ... art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
Romans 3:14 ... is full of cursing and bitterness:
Hebrews 12:15 ... lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble ...

πικρια

Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and ...

*G4089 *2 πικρός (pik-ros') : perhaps from G4078 (through the idea of piercing); sharp (pungent), i.e. acrid (literally or figuratively):--bitter.

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πικρον *2

James 3:11 ... place sweet water and bitter?
James 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife ...

*G4090 *2 πικρῶς (pik-roce') : adverb from G4089 πικρός; bitterly, i.e. (figuratively) violently:--bitterly.

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πικρως *2

Matthew 26:75 ... he went out, and wept bitterly.
Luke 22:62 ... went out, and wept bitterly.

James 3:11

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KJV: Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

Greek: μητι η πηγη εκ της αυτης οπης βρυει το γλυκυ και το πικρον

Latin: numquid fons de eodem foramine emanat dulcem et amaram aquam

Spanish: ¿Echa alguna fuente por una misma abertura agua dulce y amarga?

Portuguese: Porventura uma fonte lança pela mesma bica água doce e água salgada?

More: Sweet sweet sweets

During the Exodus after the Red Sea crossing, the Hebrews encountered the bitter waters of Marah.

Exodus 15:23

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KJV: And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

Hebrew: ויבאו מרתה ולא יכלו לשתת מים ממרה כי מרים הם על כן קרא שמה מרה׃

Greek: ηλθον δε εις μερρα και ουκ ηδυναντο πιειν εκ μερρας πικρον γαρ ην δια τουτο επωνομασθη το ονομα του τοπου εκεινου πικρια

After returning to Bethlehem, Naomi laments here life to that point.

Ruth 1:20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. [kjv]

Ruth 1:20

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KJV: And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

Hebrew: ותאמר אליהן אל תקראנה לי נעמי קראן לי מרא כי המר שדי לי מאד׃

Greek: και ειπεν προς αυτας μη δη καλειτε με νωεμιν καλεσατε με πικραν οτι επικρανθη εν εμοι ο ικανος σφοδρα

The Hebrew word "mara" is related to the Hebrew word "myrrh", a bitter perfume with a strong smell often used to anoint the dead.

More: Song: We three kings of orient are

Matthew 2:11

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KJV: And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Greek: και ελθοντες εις την οικιαν ευρον ειδον το παιδιον μετα μαριας της μητρος αυτου και πεσοντες προσεκυνησαν αυτω και ανοιξαντες τους θησαυρους αυτων προσηνεγκαν αυτω δωρα χρυσον και λιβανον και σμυρναν

Mark 15:23

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KJV: And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

Greek: και εδιδουν αυτω πιειν εσμυρνισμενον οινον ο ος δε ουκ ελαβεν

John 19:39

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KJV: And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

Greek: ηλθεν δε και νικοδημος ο ελθων προς τον ιησουν αυτον νυκτος το πρωτον φερων μιγμα ελιγμα σμυρνης και αλοης ωσει ως λιτρας εκατον

The Greek city of Smyrna in Asia Minor is one of the church cities in Revelation in the Letters to the Seven Churches. The ancient Greek town name "Σμύρνη" ≈ "Smyrna". Today, the Turkish name for the city "Smyrna" is "Izmir" (since 1930).

The name appears to be related to "myrrh" which was a main export of the city in earlier times.

More: City: Smyrna/Izmir