ἀσθέν-εια G0769
Weakness or sickness; ranging from abstract frailty (physical, moral, spiritual) to concrete bodily disease or illness.
A noun spanning the spectrum from general weakness to specific illness. In Paul's letters it often denotes human frailty — whether of the flesh (Rom 6:19), of the spirit (Rom 8:26), or of apostolic suffering (2 Cor 12:9-10). In the Gospels it frequently points to concrete disease, as when Matthew quotes Isaiah: 'He took our infirmities' (Matt 8:17). The multilingual evidence makes the distinction vivid: Arabic splits between ضَعف (da'f, 'weakness') and مَرَض (marad, 'disease'), and Swahili similarly distinguishes udhaifu from ugonjwa.
Senses
1. weakness, frailty — Abstract weakness, frailty, or lack of strength — physical, moral, spiritual, or circumstantial — without pointing to a specific medical condition. Spanish debilidad and German Schwachheit consistently render this sense, while Arabic ضَعف (da'f) confirms the abstract quality. Paul uses it of human limitation (Rom 6:19 'because of the weakness of your flesh') and the Spirit's intercession for our frailty (Rom 8:26). The woman in Luke 13:11 had a 'spirit of weakness' for eighteen years, framing her condition as debility rather than named disease. 17×
AR["الضَّعْفاتِ", "الضَّعْفِ", "بِضَعْفٍ", "ضَعفِ", "ضَعَفَاتِنَا", "ضَعْف", "ضَعْفاتي", "ضَعْفاتٍ", "ضَعْفي", "ضَعْفٌ", "ضَعْفٍ", "ضَعْفِ", "ضَعْفِكِ", "ضُعفٍ", "ضُعفِ"]·ben["দুর্বলতা", "দুর্বলতাগুলিতে", "দুর্বলতাগুলিতে।", "দুর্বলতাতে", "দুর্বলতায়", "দুর্বলতায়,", "দুর্বলতার"]·DE["Schwachheit"]·EN["of-weakness", "weakness", "weaknesses"]·FR["faiblesse"]·heb["הַחֻלְשָׁה", "חֻלְשַׁת", "חֻלְשָׁה", "חֻלְשָׁתִי", "חֻלְשׁוֹת", "חֻלְשׁוֹתֵינוּ"]·HI["कमज़ोरि", "कमज़ोरी", "कमजोरी", "दुर्बलता,", "दुर्बलता-की", "दुर्बलता-से", "दुर्बलता;", "दुर्बलताओं-में", "निर्बलता", "निर्बलता-में", "निर्बलताओं", "निर्बलताओं-की"]·ID["kelemahan", "kelemahan,", "kelemahan-kelemahan"]·IT["astheneiais", "astheneian", "astheneias", "debolezza"]·jav["-ringkih", "gerah", "kalemahan,", "karingkihan", "karingkihan-karingkihan", "kekirangan", "ringkih", "sakit"]·KO["병에서", "병의", "약함", "약함들에", "약함에", "약함으로", "약함의", "연약을", "연약함들에", "연약함에서", "연약함으로", "연약함을"]·PT["de-enfermidade", "de-fraqueza", "enfermidade", "fraqueza", "fraqueza,", "fraquezas"]·RU["-плоти", "молиться-будем", "немощам", "немощах", "немощи", "немощь", "немощью"]·ES["de-debilidad", "de-enfermedad", "debilidad", "debilidades", "enfermedad"]·SW["udhaifu", "udhaifu,", "udhaifu.", "ya-udhaifu"]·TR["hastalık", "hastalığın", "hastalığından", "içinde-", "zayıflık", "zayıflıkla", "zayıflıklarda", "zayıflıklarımda", "zayıflıklarıyla", "zayıflıkta", "zayıflıktan", "zayıflığımın", "zayıflığımıza", "zayıflığının"]·urd["کمزوری", "کمزوری-میں", "کمزوری-کی", "کمزوریوں", "کمزوریوں-میں"]
Luke 13:11, Luke 13:12, Rom 6:19, Rom 8:26, 1 Cor 2:3, 1 Cor 15:43, 2 Cor 11:30, 2 Cor 12:5, 2 Cor 12:9, 2 Cor 12:9, 2 Cor 12:10, 2 Cor 13:4 (+5 more)
2. sickness, disease — Physical illness, disease, or concrete bodily ailment — a medical condition one can suffer from and be healed of. Arabic مَرَض (marad) and Swahili ugonjwa/magonjwa ('sickness/sicknesses') consistently distinguish this from abstract frailty. Matthew 8:17 cites Isaiah to describe Jesus bearing actual diseases, and John 5:5 refers to a man who had been in his sickness for thirty-eight years. John 11:4 makes clear Lazarus's illness is not unto death but for God's glory. 7×
AR["أَسقامَنا", "أَمراضٌ", "أَمراضٍ", "أَمراضِ", "أَمْراضِكَ", "مَرَضُ", "مَرَضِ"]·ben["অসুস্থতা", "অসুস্থতায়", "দুর্বলতা", "দুর্বলতা।", "দুর্বলতাগুলি", "দুর্বলতার"]·DE["Schwachheit"]·EN["ailments", "diseases", "infirmities", "sickness", "weaknesses"]·FR["faiblesse"]·heb["חֳלִי", "חֳלָאִים", "חֳלָיִם", "חֻלְשֹׁתֵינוּ", "חוֹלְיִם", "מַחֲלָה", "מַחֲלוֹת"]·HI["कमज़ोरियोन", "दुर्बलताएँ", "बीमारियाँ", "बीमारी", "रोगों"]·ID["itu", "kelemahan", "penyakit"]·IT["astheneias", "debolezza"]·jav["gerah", "gering", "kaapesan", "penyakit", "sakit", "sesakit"]·KO["병", "병들", "병들을", "병은", "약함들", "연약함들"]·PT["doenças", "enfermidades"]·RU["болезни", "болезнь", "немощей", "немощи"]·ES["enfermedad", "enfermedades"]·SW["magonjwa", "udhaifu", "ugonjwa"]·TR["hastalık", "hastalıklardan,", "hastalıklarından", "hastalığında", "rahatsızlıkların", "ve", "zayıflıklarımızı"]·urd["بیماری", "بیماریاں", "بیماریوں", "بیماریوں۔", "کمزوریاں"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀσθέν-εια, ἡ, want of strength, weakness, Refs 5th c.BC+; especially feebleness, sickliness, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 disease, sickness, Refs 2nd c.BC+; δι᾽ ἀσθένειανNT __3 ἀ. βίου poverty, Refs 5th c.BC+ __4 in moral sense, feebleness, weakness, τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεωςRefs 5th c.BC+ to be weak, feeble, sickly, ἀ. μέλη to be weak in limb, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀ. ἀσθένειαν NT+5th c.BC+; ἠσθένησε he fell sick,…