Spring isn't a web framework, it's gaffer tape for a language that just isn't good enough without it; that's why it's [spring] still around and its use is so prevalent. It's not at all mainly for very specific functionality in the sense that your post sort of implies [for web, and databasy things I presume]; in fact: it's just for wiring and for applying/ attaching things to "abstractions". As in: please decorate these sets of things with this behaviour.

If you'd chosen languages that permit abstractions in a real and usable sense, then you would not need this. In fact: with _one_ exception, I've never had a container in any Haskell, Scala or F# project ever. Do you think we ever needed one?

And this is my point: those other languages have seen _tons_ of development in the "abstraction arena" with (internal) DSL:s and super powerful frameworks for making powerful DSL:s. Java has had none of this because these concerns har all (poorly) handled at the container level.

The tacked on "functional stuff" is for sure cool coming from a Java backround, but they're pretty much useless.