נֶ֫גַע

From the study of Isaiah 53:8

Range of meaning

A touch that wounds: a stroke, blow or plague, often understood as inflicted by God (Exod 11:1, the last plague on Egypt). It is the technical term in Leviticus 13–14 for skin disease and for mould in cloth and houses (negaʿ ṣāraʿat).

Against the English

'Stricken' (KJV, BSB, ESV), 'plagued' (YLT), 'punished' (NIV 2011). 'Stricken' keeps the physical blow. 'Punished' makes explicit a judicial idea the noun only implies.

Used elsewhere in the period

Same root as 'stricken' (nāgûaʿ) in 53:4, 'we considered him stricken, struck by God'. Because of the Leviticus usage, the Vulgate rendered 53:4 'as a leper' (quasi leprosum), and the Talmud (b. Sanhedrin 98b) records 'the leper of the house of Rabbi' as a name for the Messiah, drawing on this passage.

From the study of Psalm 38:11

Range of meaning

From nāḡaʿ, 'to touch, reach, strike'. Its senses include a blow or stroke (Deut 17:8, 'assault'); a punishing stroke from God (2 Sam 7:14, 'strokes of the sons of men'; Ps 89:32; Ps 39:10, 'remove your stroke from me'); a plague sent on Egypt (Exod 11:1); and, over 60 times in Leviticus 13–14, the technical term for a skin affliction or mould (negaʿ ṣāraʿat, usually translated 'leprous disease').

Against the English

KJV 'sore' sounds minor. WEB, ESV and NASB 'plague' suggests an epidemic. BSB 'disease' and NIV 'wounds' (plural) are closer to the actual condition, but they lose the idea that he has been struck.

How it drifted

Modern 'plague' means a spreading infectious epidemic. The Hebrew word looks first to the blow itself, something that has 'touched' or 'struck' a person, usually by God's hand.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Septuagint usually translates it plēgē, 'blow, wound', as in Lev 13 and Ps 39:10 (LXX 38:11). Here, though, it seems to have read the consonants as a verb. The Dead Sea Scrolls use it for skin disease in purity texts (e.g. 4Q272, 4Q274).

From the study of Psalm 39:10

Range of meaning

From the verb nāgaʿ, 'to touch, reach, strike.' The noun means a 'touch' in the hostile sense: a stroke, blow, wound, plague or affliction. In practice it is most often (over 60 times) the technical term for a skin disease or the mark of one, as in negaʿ ṣāraʿat, 'the affliction of skin disease' (Leviticus 13–14), and also for 'mildew' on garments and houses. Elsewhere it covers a blow in a fight (Deuteronomy 17:8; 21:5), divine punishments (Exodus 11:1, the last plague on Egypt), and afflictions in general (1 Kings 8:37–38; Psalm 89:32).

Against the English

KJV and YLT 'stroke' keeps the image of a blow landing. BSB, WEB and NIV 'scourge' brings in a whip and flogging. That fits the image of punishment in verse 11, but loses the 'touch / plague / disease' side of the word. NASB-type 'plague' keeps the disease side but makes modern readers think of epidemics.

How it drifted

'Scourge' probably comes, by way of tradition, from the Greek Septuagint's mastix ('whip, scourge'), which translated negaʿ here and in Psalm 89:32. The Greek word was already used figuratively for affliction or disease, but in modern English 'scourge' suggests a whip or a large-scale disaster.

Used elsewhere in the period

Leviticus 13–14 (the priestly diagnosis of the negaʿ); Psalm 89:32 'with blows (negaʿîm) their iniquity'; Isaiah 53:4, 8, where the related verb (nāgûaʿ, 'stricken') describes the servant; 2 Samuel 7:14, 'stripes (negaʿîm) of the sons of men' as a father's discipline. The Septuagint uses mastix and plēgē for it.