Greek word · G771
ἀσθένημα
asthenēma
weakness
A weakness, an infirmity, a specific instance of limitation. It belongs to the word family of astheneia (weakness, sickness) and astheneō (to be weak, sick), but the -ma ending points to particular, concrete cases.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
A weakness, an infirmity, a specific instance of limitation. It belongs to the word family of astheneia (weakness, sickness) and astheneō (to be weak, sick), but the -ma ending points to particular, concrete cases.
- Against the English
KJV "infirmities" suggests illness. BSB "shortcomings" and NIV/ESV "failings" suggest moral faults or falling short. WEB/NASB "weaknesses" is closest.
- How it drifted
"Failings" and "shortcomings" carry a moral note in modern English that the Greek, in this context, does not. Paul never calls the weak person's abstaining a sin.
- Used elsewhere in the period
This is the only occurrence of the word in the New Testament, and it is rare in Greek generally. Aristotle uses it of bodily ailments. The related astheneō/asthenēs language runs through Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8–9 ("to the weak I became weak", 1 Cor 9:22).
Similar words
Where it appears
Romans · 1
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Romans 15:1 ἀσθενήματα weaknesses
We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
Here: The particular forms the weak person's limitation takes: the scruples about food, wine and holy days from chapter 14. This word occurs only here in the New Testament. The -ma ending points to concrete instances, not a general trait.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.