Bible Dictionaries
Sick, Sickly, Sickness

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

lit., "to be weak, feeble" (a, negative, sthenos, "strength"), is translated "to be sick," e.g., in Matthew 10:8 , "(the) sick;" Matthew 25:36; ver. 39 in the best texts (some have B, No. 1); Mark 6:56; Luke 4:40; 7:10 (RV omits the word); 9:2; John 4:46; 5:3 , RV (AV, "impotent folk"); 5:7; 6:2, RV (AV, "were diseased"); 11:1-3,6; Acts 9:37; 19:12; Philippians 2:26,27; 2 Timothy 4:20; James 5:14 . See DISEASED , B, No. 1, IMPOTENT, and, especially, WEAK.

primarily, "to work," hence, from the effect of constant work, "to be weary," Hebrews 12:3 , is rendered "(him) that is sick," in James 5:15 , RV, AV "(the) sick." The choice of this verb instead of the repetition of No. 1 (ver. 14, see above), is suggestive of the common accompaniment of "sickness," "weariness of mind" (which is the meaning of this verb), which not infrequently hinders physical recovery; hence this special cause is here intimated in the general idea of "sickness." In some mss. it occurs in Revelation 2:3 . In the Sept., Job 10:1; 17:2 .

"to hold in, hold fast," is used, in the Passive Voice, of "being seized or afficted by ills," Acts 28:8 , "sick" (of the father of Publius, cp. Matthew 4:24; Luke 4:38 , "taken with"). See CONSTRAIN , No. 3.

Notes: (1) Noseo, "to be sick," is used metaphorically of mental ailment, in 1 Timothy 6:4 , "doting" (marg., "sick"). (2) The adverb kakos, "evilly ill," with echo, "to hold, to have," is rendered "to be sick," in Matthew 4:24 , RV, "that were sick;" Matthew 8:16; 9:12; 14:35; Mark 1:32 , RV (AV, "diseased"); Mark 1:34; 2:17; 6:55; Luke 5:31; 7:2 . (3) For "sick of the palsy," Luke 5:24; Acts 9:33 , see PALSY (sick of).

lit., "without strength," hence, "feeble, weak," is used of "bodily debility," Matthew 25:43 (for ver. 39, see A, No. 1),44; some texts have it in Luke 9:2 (the best omit it, the meaning being "to heal" in general); Luke 10:9; Acts 5:15,16; in Acts 4:9 it is rendered "impotent." See FEEBLE , IMPOTENT , WEAK.

"feeble, sickly" (a, negative, rhonnumi, "to be strong"), is translated "sick" in Matthew 14:14; Mark 16:18; "sick folk" in Mark 6:5; "that were sick" in Mark 6:13; "sickly" in 1 Corinthians 11:30 , here also of the physical state. In the Sept., 1 Kings 14:5; Malachi 1:8 .

"weakness, sickness" (akin to A, No. 1 and B, No. 1), is translated "sickness" in John 11:4 . See DISEASE , No. 1, INFIRMITY, WEAKNESS.

see DISEASE , No. 3.