Greek word · G3119

μαλακία

malakia

sickness

From malakos, "soft": softness, then weakness, debility, a lingering illness or infirmity.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 23, 2026

What it means

μαλακία -ας, ἡ

(μαλακός), [in LXX chiefly for חֳלִי Deuteronomy 7:15 28:61, Isaiah 38:9 53:3, al. ;]

1. prop., softness, effeminacy (Hdt., Thuc., al).

2. In NT, as in LXX, = ἀσθένεια, weakness, sickness: νόσος καὶ μ., Matthew 4:23 9:35 10:1.†

SYN.: see: ἀσθένεια (AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

Range of meaning: From malakos, "soft": softness, then weakness, debility, a lingering illness or infirmity.
Against the English: BSB and NIV say "disease and sickness"; KJV swaps them ("sickness ... disease"); YLT has "malady." The two Greek words overlap. Together they work as a pair meaning illness of every kind, acute and chronic.
Used elsewhere in the period: Matthew is the only New Testament writer who uses it (4:23; 9:35; 10:1). In the LXX of Deuteronomy 7:15, the covenant blessing is that the LORD will take away from Israel "every malakia" and the evil diseases of Egypt. Compare also Deuteronomy 28:61.

Range of meaning: Softness. Then physical weakness, feebleness, illness. In moral writers it can also mean softness of character or lack of nerve.
Against the English: Translations vary: 'sickness' (BSB), 'disease' (KJV, which swaps the two nouns), 'malady' (YLT), 'affliction' (ESV/NASB). None of them is wrong. The word's core picture is bodily weakness.
Used elsewhere in the period: Greek Old Testament Deuteronomy 7:15: 'the LORD will take away from you every malakia, and all the evil nosoi (diseases) of Egypt'. Deuteronomy 28:61 has 'every malakia and every plague' among the covenant curses. Isaiah 53:3–4 in the Greek uses malakia for the servant's 'sickness', and Matthew quotes this passage about healing (8:17, though there he translates from the Hebrew). In the New Testament, Matthew alone uses the word (4:23; 9:35; 10:1).

Range of meaning: Softness, and so weakness, feebleness, bodily infirmity or ailment. In moral contexts in some Greek writers it can mean effeminacy or slackness, but that sense plays no part here.
Against the English: Translations vary: 'sickness' (BSB, NASB), 'disease' (KJV, which swaps the order of the two words), 'affliction' (ESV), 'illness' (NLT), 'malady' (YLT). All are acceptable. With 'every disease,' the pair simply means every kind of ailment.
Used elsewhere in the period: Septuagint Deuteronomy 7:15: 'the LORD will take away from you every sickness (malakia)'. Deuteronomy 28:61: 'every sickness (malakia) and every plague'. Isaiah 53:3: 'acquainted with weakness (malakia).' In the New Testament it appears only in Matthew 4:23, 9:35 and 10:1.

Matthew · 3

Matthew 4:23 μαλακίαν sickness

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Here: Literally 'softness'. From there it came to mean feebleness and debilitating illness. The pairing with 'disease' echoes Deuteronomy 7:15 in the Greek Old Testament.
Matthew 9:35 μαλακίαν sickness

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness.

Here: Literally 'softness,' meaning bodily weakness or infirmity. Paired with 'disease,' it covers the whole range of human ailments. In the New Testament only Matthew uses it, here and in 4:23 and 10:1.
Matthew 10:1 μαλακίαν.¶ sickness.

And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.

Here: Literally "softness": weakness, debility, a lingering infirmity. Set beside "disease," it widens the grant from acute illness to chronic frailty.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.