Greek word · G3554
νόσος
nosos
illness
Disease or illness, the ordinary everyday word. Less often it is used figuratively for a moral disorder.
Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
νόσος, -ου, ὁ
[in LXX for חֲלִי, etc. ;]
disease, sickness: Matthew 4:23-24 8:17 (Aq.) Matthew 9:35 10:1, Mark 1:34, Luke 4:40 6:17 7:21 9:1, Acts 19:12.†
SYN.: see: ἀσθένεια (AS)
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
From the study of Matthew 8:17
- Range of meaning
Disease or illness, the ordinary everyday word. Less often it is used figuratively for a moral disorder.
- Against the English
'Diseases' (BSB, ESV, WEB) is accurate. The KJV's 'sicknesses' is equally good. Neither English word misleads.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The Hebrew behind it, mak'ōb, means 'pain, suffering' (Exodus 3:7, 'I know their sufferings'; Isaiah 53:3, 'a man of pains'). Matthew turns 'pains' into 'diseases.' He uses the same word in his summaries: 'healing every disease (nosos) and every sickness' (4:23; 9:35; 10:1).
Where it appears
Matthew · 5
-
Matthew 4:23 νόσον disease
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Here: The ordinary word for disease or illness.
-
Matthew 4:24 νόσοις diseases
News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and He healed them.
Here: Illnesses in general, the same word as 'every disease' in 4:23.
-
Matthew 8:17 νόσους [our] diseases
This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”
Here: The ordinary Greek word for disease. Matthew uses it in his summaries of Jesus' healing (4:23–24; 9:35; 10:1). It renders the Hebrew mak'ōbîm, 'pains, sufferings.' Matthew makes the line explicitly about illness.
-
Matthew 9:35 νόσον disease
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: Illness in general, often serious or chronic.
-
Matthew 10:1 νόσον disease
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: Disease or illness in general, the ordinary word for being sick.
Mark · 1
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Mark 1:34 νόσοις diseases
And He healed many who were ill with various diseases and drove out many demons. But He would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.
Here: The ordinary word for illness or disease. Mark lists diseases separately from demons, so the sick are not all assumed to be possessed.
Luke · 3
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Luke 4:40 νόσοις with diseases
At sunset, all who were ill with various diseases were brought to Jesus, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them.
Here: "With diseases". This is the ordinary Greek word for an illness, and here it is plural.
-
Luke 7:21 νόσων diseases
At that very hour Jesus healed many people of their diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits, and He gave sight to many who were blind.
Here: The ordinary Greek word for sickness, used by physicians and everyone else. It is the plain first item in the list.
-
Luke 9:1 νόσους diseases
Then Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and power to cure diseases.
Here: Bodily illnesses in general, often long-lasting. The word is plural and has no article, so it covers diseases of any kind.
Acts · 1
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Acts 19:12 νόσους diseases
so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.
Here: The ordinary word for sickness or disease. Luke lists it separately from evil spirits, as he usually does.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.