Bible Dictionaries
Dysentery

Holman Bible Dictionary

A disease characterized by diarrhea, painful bowel spasms, and ulceration and infection of the bowels resulting in blood and pus in the excreta. Modern speech translations of Acts 28:8 render the “bloody flux” of the KJV as dysentery. Many interpreters also understand the chronic bowel disease which afflicted King Jehoram (2Chronicles 21:15, 2 Chronicles 21:18-19 ) as dysentery. The nontechnical language of the account does not permit a precise diagnosis excluding other diseases of the bowels such as chronic diarrhea or colitis. There is some disagreement on the nature of the symptoms given in 2 Chronicles 21:15 . The REB together with many commentators understand the phrase usually rendered his bowels came out as a reference to a prolapsed bowel, that is, his bowel slipped from its normal position. Others understand the text to refer to excretion of the bowel itself.