In the Bible, diseases are often depicted as manifestations of the fallen state of the world and humanity's separation from God. They serve as reminders of human frailty and the need for divine intervention and healing. Throughout the Scriptures, diseases are mentioned in various contexts, including as consequences of sin, tests of faith, and opportunities for God's glory to be revealed.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, diseases are frequently associated with divine judgment and the consequences of disobedience. For instance, in Deuteronomy 28, God outlines the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience, which include various diseases: "The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish" (Deuteronomy 28:22). Here, diseases are portrayed as instruments of divine discipline.

Leprosy is one of the most notable diseases mentioned in the Old Testament. It is often seen as a symbol of sin and impurity. Leviticus 13 and 14 provide detailed laws regarding the diagnosis and purification of leprosy, emphasizing the need for ritual cleanliness and the role of the priest in declaring a person clean or unclean.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, diseases continue to be significant, but the focus shifts to the healing power of Jesus Christ. Jesus' ministry is marked by numerous healings, demonstrating His authority over sickness and His compassion for the afflicted. In Matthew 4:23, it is recorded, "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people" . These healings serve as signs of the coming Kingdom of God and the restoration that Jesus brings.

The Gospels recount several specific instances of healing, such as the cleansing of lepers (Matthew 8:2-3), the healing of the blind (John 9:1-7), and the raising of the dead (John 11:43-44). These miracles not only demonstrate Jesus' divine power but also His willingness to restore individuals physically and spiritually.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, diseases in the Bible highlight the brokenness of the world due to sin and the need for redemption. They remind believers of the ultimate hope in Christ, who has the power to heal and restore. The Apostle Paul speaks of a future where creation will be liberated from its bondage to decay (Romans 8:21), pointing to the eschatological hope of a new heaven and a new earth where there will be no more sickness or death (Revelation 21:4).

Practical Considerations

In the early church, the response to disease was marked by prayer, faith, and communal support. James 5:14-15 instructs, "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick" . This passage underscores the importance of seeking God's intervention and the role of the faith community in caring for the sick.

Overall, the biblical narrative presents diseases as both a challenge and an opportunity for demonstrating faith, compassion, and the transformative power of God's love through Jesus Christ.Diseases

[MEDICINE]

Diseases

Were introduced into the world by sin, and have been greatly increased by the prevalence of corrupt, indolent, and luxurious habits. Besides the natural causes of diseases, evil spirits were charged with producing them among the Hebrews, Job 2:7 Mark 9:17 Luke 13:16 2 1 Corinthians 12:7. The pious Jews recognized the hand of God in sending them, Psalm 39:9-11 90:3-12; and in many cases special diseases were sent in punishment of particular sins, as Abimelech, Gehazi, Jehoram, Uzziah, Miriam, Herod, the Philistines, etc., and those who partook of the Lord's supper unworthily, 1 1 Corinthians 11:30. Christ manifested his divine goodness and power by healing every form of disease; and in these cases, as in that of king Asa, 2 Chronicles 16:12, it is shown that all the skill of physicians is in vain without God's blessing. The prevalent diseases in Bible lands were malignant fevers, cutaneous diseases, palsy, dysentery, and ophthalmia. Almost every form of bodily disease has a counterpart in the maladies of the soul.

DISEASE; DISEASES

di-zez', di-zez'-iz (chalah, choli; nosos): Palestine, from its position and physical conditions, ought to be a healthy country. That it is not so depends on the unsanitary conditions in which the people live and the absence of any attempts to check the introduction or development of zymotic diseases. The number of marshes or pools is fairly small, and the use of active measures to destroy the larvae of mosquitos might easily diminish or abolish the malarial fevers which now prevail all over the country.

The freeing of Ismailieh and Port Said from these pests is an object-lesson in sanitation. When one examines the conditions of life in towns and villages all over the country, the evidences of the ravages of these fevers and their sequelae appear on every hand as they affect all ages from infancy to middle age, and one meets but few individuals of extreme old age. The absence of any adequate system of drainage and the pollution of the water supplies are also factors of great importance in preserving this unhealthiness.

In ancient times it was regarded as healthier than Egypt, as it well might be, hence, the diseases of Egypt are referred to as being worse than those of Palestine (Deuteronomy 7:15; Deuteronomy 28:60 Amos 4:10). The sanitary regulations and restrictions of the Priestly Code would doubtless have raised the standard of public health, but it is unlikely that these were ever observed over any large area. The types of disease which are referred to in the Bible are those that still prevail. Fevers of several kinds, dysentery, leprosy, intestinal worms, plague, nervous diseases such as paralysis and epilepsy, insanity, ophthalmia and skin diseases are among the commonest and will be described under their several names. Methods of treatment are described under MEDICINE; PHYSICIAN. The word "disease" or "diseases" in the King James Version is changed to "sickness" in the Revised Version (British and American) in 2 Kings 1:2; 2 Kings 8:8 Matthew 9:35, and left out in John 5:4; while in Matthew 8:17 "sicknesses" is replaced by "diseases." the Revised Version (British and American) also changes "infirmity" in Luke 7:21 to "diseases," and in Psalm 38:7 "a loathsome disease" is changed to "burning."

Alex. Macalister

EYES, DISEASES OF THE

di-zez'-is:

Blindness, defects of sight and diseases of the eye are frequently mentioned in the Scriptures, but usually in general terms. It is probable that in the period covered by the Bible, ophthalmia was as common in Palestine and Egypt as it is now. See BLINDNESS. The commonest of the diseases at present is the purulent conjunctivitis which is a highly infectious malady affecting people of all ages, but especially children, and whose germs are carried from eye to eye by the flies, which are allowed to walk freely over the diseased eyes. This is one of the most disgusting sights in a Palestine village, but I have been told by mothers that it is esteemed unlucky to drive off the flies. In this manner the disease is propagated. The number of persons in any Palestine village whose eyes are more or less blemished by disease is on this account phenomenally large.

Blindness incapacitated a man from serving in the priesthood (Leviticus 21:16, 18); even a blemish of the eye was regarded as a disqualification (Leviticus 21:20).

The cases in the New Testament of persons blind from their birth (as John 9:1) were probably the results of this ophthalmia, but may have been due to congenital malformation. The interesting psychological record of the difficulty of interpreting the new visual sensations by the blind man healed by our Lord (Mark 8:22) indicates that it was probably not a case of congenital blindness, as the evangelist uses the word apokatestathe ("restored"), but he had been so long blind that he had lost the power of appreciating the sense-impressions. This condition has been often discussed as a psycho-physical problem since the days of Molyneux and Locke (Essay on the Human Understanding, II, 9, 8).

The blindness of Paul was probably a temporary paralysis of the retina from the shock of a dazzling light accentuated by the intense emotion which accompanied his vision on the road to Damascus. The "scales" mentioned in Acts 9:18 were not material, but his sight was restored as if (hosei) scales had fallen from his eyes. How far this left his eyes weak we do not know, but from his inability to recognize the high priest (Acts 23:5) and from his employing an amanuensis for transcribing his epistles (Romans 16:22), as well as from his writing in characters of large size (pelikos; Galatians 6:11), it is probable that his vision was defective, and this it has been conjectured was the "thorn in the flesh" of 2 Corinthians 12:7.

Senile blindness, the result either of cataract or retinal degeneration, is mentioned in the cases of Isaac (Genesis 27:1), Jacob (Genesis 48:10) and Eli (1 Samuel 4:15). The frequency of such senile dimness of sight made the case of Moses the more remarkable that at the age of 120 his eye was not dim (Deuteronomy 34:7).

Tobit's blindness, caused by the irritation of the sparrow's dung (APC Tobit 2:10), was a traumatic conjunctivitis which left an opacity. It is not said that the whiteness was itself sufficiently large to destroy vision. There was with it probably a considerable amount of conjunctival thickening, and it is possible that the remedy might have removed this. It certainly could not remove a cicatricial white spot of the nature of an albugo. The conjecture of a recent commentator that the gall, by coloring the spot, made the eye look as if sight was restored when it really was not, seems ludicrously inept. In any case the historical accuracy of the narrative is so problematical that explanation is unnecessary.

See BLINDNESS.

Alexander Macalister

DISEASES OF THE EYE

See EYES, DISEASES OF THE.

769. astheneia -- weakness, frailty
... Word Origin from asthenes Definition weakness, frailty NASB Word Usage ailments
(1), diseases (1), ill (1), illness (1), infirmities (1), sickness (3 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/769.htm - 7k

3554. nosos -- disease, sickness
... ailment. Word Origin a prim. word Definition disease, sickness NASB Word Usage
disease (3), diseases (8). disease, infirmity, sickness. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3554.htm - 6k

4064. madveh -- sickness
... 4063, 4064. madveh. 4065 . sickness. Transliteration: madveh Phonetic
Spelling: (mad-veh') Short Definition: diseases. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/4064.htm - 6k

8463. tachalu -- disease
... 8462, 8463. tachalu or tachalu. 8464 . disease. Transliteration: tachalu or
tachalu Phonetic Spelling: (takh-al-oo') Short Definition: diseases. ...
/hebrew/8463.htm - 6k

4245a. machalah -- sickness, disease
... Word Origin from chalah Definition sickness, disease NASB Word Usage diseases (1),
sickness (3). 4245, 4245a. machalah. 4245b . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/4245a.htm - 5k

Psalm 91 Part 1 Safety in Public Diseases and Dangers.
... THE PSALMS OF DAVID PSALM 91 PART 1 Safety in public diseases and dangers.
v.1-7 LM. Safety in public diseases and dangers. PAUSE. ...
/.../watts/the psalms and hymns of isaac watts/psalm 91 part 1 safety.htm

That God is to be Loved and Worshipped in Diseases: and Also of ...
... THE FIRE OF LOVE. BOOK I CHAPTER IX THAT GOD IS TO BE LOVED AND WORSHIPPED
IN DISEASES: AND ALSO OF THE MIRTH AND MEEKNESS OF THE GOOD. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter ix that god is.htm

Use of Physical Agencies in the Cure of Diseases.
... Section 99. Use of Physical Agencies in the Cure of Diseases. Christ employed
his miraculous power in various modes of operation. ...
/.../section 99 use of physical.htm

Psalm 6:1. CM Complaint in Sickness; Or, Diseases Healed.
... THE Psalms of David, In Metre. Psalm 6:1. CM Complaint in sickness; or,
diseases healed. 1 In anger, Lord, rebuke me not, Withdraw ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watts/the psalms of david/psalm 6 1 c m complaint.htm

Psalm 91:1. 1-7. First Part. Safety in Public Diseases and Dangers ...
... THE Psalms of David, In Metre. Psalm 91:1. 1-7. First Part. Safety in public
diseases and dangers. 1 He that hath made his refuge ...
/.../watts/the psalms of david/psalm 91 1 0 1-7 first part.htm

Augustin Himself. Two Methods Whereby Sins, Like Diseases, are ...
... A Treatise on nature and grace, against pelagius; Chapter 80 [LXVII.]"Augustin Himself.
Two Methods Whereby Sins, Like Diseases, are Guarded Against. ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 80 lxvii augustin himself two.htm

Of the Weakness of Man.
... Chap. IV."Of the Weakness of Man. They also complain that man is liable
to diseases, and to untimely death. They are indignant ...
/.../lactantius/on the workmanship of god/chap iv of the weakness of.htm

Whether Every Passion of the Soul is Evil Morally?
... Dei ix, 4) that "some call the soul's passions diseases or disturbances of the soul"
[*Those things which the Greeks call {pathe}, we prefer to call ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether every passion of the.htm

The Suffering Servant-ii
... be kept in view that the 'griefs' which the servant is here described as bearing
are literally 'sicknesses,' and that, similarly, the 'sorrows' may be diseases ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the suffering servant-ii.htm

John iv. 54; v. 1
... water. Because God, desiring to bring us nearer to faith in [957] baptism,
no longer healeth defilements only, but diseases also. For ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xxxvi john iv 54.htm

Diseases (38 Occurrences)
... DISEASE; DISEASES. di-zez', di-zez'-iz (chalah, choli; nosos): Palestine, from its
position and physical conditions, ought to be a healthy country. ...
/d/diseases.htm - 25k

Divers (36 Occurrences)
... have the meaning "several" but "different in kind," and the idea expressed in these
passages is not that some of the people had several diseases but that ...
/d/divers.htm - 20k

Fever (13 Occurrences)
... In all Eastern countries such diseases are very common. ... Other febrile diseases are
rife in certain districts in Palestine, and probably existed in Bible times. ...
/f/fever.htm - 17k

Various (52 Occurrences)
... They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments,
possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. ...
/v/various.htm - 22k

Physician (6 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A person skilled in physic, or the art of healing; one duty authorized to
prescribe remedies for, and treat, diseases; a doctor of medicine. ...
/p/physician.htm - 14k

Pains (59 Occurrences)
... Matthew 4:24 Thus His fame spread through all Syria; and they brought all the sick
to Him, the people who were suffering from various diseases and pains ...
/p/pains.htm - 23k

Cured (62 Occurrences)
... Matthew 4:24 Thus His fame spread through all Syria; and they brought all the sick
to Him, the people who were suffering from various diseases and pains ...
/c/cured.htm - 23k

Eyes (6285 Occurrences)
... EYES, DISEASES OF THE. di-zez'-is: Blindness, defects of sight and diseases of the
eye are frequently mentioned in the Scriptures, but usually in general terms. ...
/e/eyes.htm - 11k

Different (87 Occurrences)
... Matthew 4:24 And news of him went out through all Syria; and they took to him all
who were ill with different diseases and pains, those having evil spirits and ...
/d/different.htm - 33k

Diverse (15 Occurrences)
... have the meaning "several" but "different in kind," and the idea expressed in these
passages is not that some of the people had several diseases but that ...
/d/diverse.htm - 14k

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