Bible Dictionary
WITHERED
Wither means to dry up, shrink, or lose vitality. Scripture uses it both for physical weakness and figuratively for spiritual decline, moral barrenness, or a life lacking nourishment from God.
Biblical Usage
Scripture contrasts the withering of the spiritually weak with the freshness of the righteous person like a tree planted by streams of water. In the New Testament, withering represents moral decay or malnutrition of the soul, while a withered hand denotes bodily weakness.