In the context of the Bible, "swellings" can refer to physical manifestations of disease or affliction, often seen as a sign of divine judgment or a test of faith. The term is used to describe various conditions that result in the enlargement or inflammation of body parts, which are sometimes associated with ritual impurity or divine displeasure.

Old Testament References

One of the most notable references to swellings is found in the laws concerning leprosy in Leviticus. Leviticus 13:2 states, "When a man has a swelling or a rash or a bright spot on his skin that may become an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest." Here, swellings are part of the diagnostic criteria for leprosy, a term that likely encompassed a variety of skin diseases. The priests were responsible for examining these swellings to determine the individual's cleanliness or uncleanliness, which had significant social and religious implications.

In Deuteronomy 28:27 , swellings are mentioned as part of the curses for disobedience: "The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores, and the itch, from which you cannot be cured." This passage underscores the belief that physical ailments, including swellings, could be a form of divine punishment for failing to adhere to God's commandments.

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not explicitly mention "swellings" in the same context as the Old Testament, it does address physical ailments and their spiritual implications. Jesus' healing ministry often involved curing those with various diseases and afflictions, which would have included conditions causing swellings. For instance, in Matthew 8:1-3 , Jesus heals a man with leprosy, demonstrating His authority over physical ailments and His compassion for those suffering.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, swellings and other physical afflictions in the Bible are often seen as opportunities for demonstrating faith and experiencing God's power. The healing of such conditions by Jesus and the apostles serves as a testament to God's sovereignty and mercy. In 2 Corinthians 12:7 , Paul speaks of a "thorn in the flesh," which some scholars suggest could have been a physical ailment, possibly involving swellings. Paul describes this as a means to prevent him from becoming conceited, indicating that physical afflictions can serve a greater spiritual purpose.

Cultural and Historical Context

In ancient Israel, physical purity was closely linked to spiritual purity. Swellings and other skin conditions could render a person ceremonially unclean, affecting their ability to participate in community and worship. The detailed laws in Leviticus reflect the importance of maintaining both physical and spiritual cleanliness, as well as the role of the priesthood in mediating between the people and God.

Overall, swellings in the biblical narrative are more than mere physical symptoms; they are deeply intertwined with the spiritual and communal life of the people, serving as reminders of the consequences of sin, the need for purity, and the hope of divine healing.

But If, for the Contest's Sake, God had Appointed Martyrdoms for ...
... But to the extent that those persons deal in discoloration, and gore, and swellings,
he will design for them crowns, doubtless, and glory, and a present ...
/.../tertullian/scorpiace antidote for the scorpions sting/chapter vi but if for.htm

Trials of the Christian
... to prepare for an assault by footmen, how shall he contend with horses; or if he
looks no further than to horses, what will he do at the swellings of Jordan? ...
/.../bunyan/the riches of bunyan/xiv trials of the christian.htm

Psalm CXXV.
... which mountains surround? Do we not know what mountains are? or what are
mountains save swellings of the earth? Different then from ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cxxv.htm

The Blood.
... My friends, you will need Him one day. You will need Him when you come to cross
the swellings of Jordan. You will need Him when you stand at the bar of God. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/moodys anecdotes and illustrations/the blood.htm

Letter xv. --To Adelphius the Lawyer .
... For forthwith vines, spread out over the slopes, and swellings, and hollows at the
mountain's base, cover with their colour, like a green mantle, all the lower ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/letter xv to adelphius the lawyer.htm

Concerning the Exhortation to be Addressed Many at Once, that it ...
... diverse from itself; that it pass indeed with one stroke through the midst of passions,
but, after the manner of a two-edged sword, cut the swellings of carnal ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter xxxvi concerning the exhortation.htm

The Cruelty of Herod Toward the Infants, and the Manner of his ...
... He suffered also from continuous pains in his colon, and there were swellings on
his feet like those of a person suffering from dropsy, while his abdomen was ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter viii the cruelty of herod.htm

What Say Ye, O Interpreters of Sacred and of Divine Law? are they ...
... who in old days earned the wages of impurity, and prostituted themselves to the
lust of all; [3285] and yet for this there are no swellings of indignation on ...
/.../arnobius/the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/28 what say ye o.htm

But, Having Considered and Handled all These Points...
... There, too, with unspeakable delight he beholds with what prescient and most merciful
providence the Lord, that He might heal our swellings, "chose the foolish ...
/.../writings in connection with the donatist controversy /chapter 17 22 but.htm

Theories of Creation.
... that atoms; Diodorus, that amere, that is, things in which there are no parts;
Asclepius, that onkoi, which we may call tumours or swellings; the geometricians ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xv theories of creation.htm

Swellings (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Swellings (1 Occurrence). Jude 1:16 These are
murmurers, repiners; according to their desires walking, and ...
/s/swellings.htm - 6k

Emerods (8 Occurrences)
... `Ophalim literally means rounded eminences or swellings, and in the Revised Version
(British and American) is translated "tumors" (1 Samuel 5:6-12). ...
/e/emerods.htm - 11k

Swelling (14 Occurrences)

/s/swelling.htm - 13k

Leprosy (51 Occurrences)
... spreading over the body, bleaching the hair white wherever they appear, crusting
the affected parts with white scales, and causing terrible sores and swellings...
/l/leprosy.htm - 37k

Repiners (1 Occurrence)
... Jude 1:16 These are murmurers, repiners; according to their desires walking, and
their mouth doth speak great swellings, giving admiration to persons for the ...
/r/repiners.htm - 6k

Piles (10 Occurrences)
... (n. pl.) The small, troublesome tumors or swellings about the anus and lower part
of the rectum which are technically called hemorrhoids. See Hemorrhoids. ...
/p/piles.htm - 9k

Swells (2 Occurrences)

/s/swells.htm - 6k

Lest (282 Occurrences)
... and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates,
envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: (KJV ...
/l/lest.htm - 37k

Desires (151 Occurrences)
... Jude 1:16 These are murmurers, repiners; according to their desires walking, and
their mouth doth speak great swellings, giving admiration to persons for the ...
/d/desires.htm - 36k

Hemorrhoids (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) Painfully dilated veins in swollen anal tissue; livid
and painful swellings formed by the dilation of the blood vessels around ...
/h/hemorrhoids.htm - 8k

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