ἀσθεν-ής G0772
Weak, feeble; without strength in body, will, or social standing; specifically sick or ailing when used in healing contexts.
A broad term for lacking strength, whether physical, moral, or spiritual. In Jesus' words at Gethsemane, 'the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak' (Matt 26:41), the adjective captures human frailty before God. Paul uses it powerfully in 1 Corinthians 1:25-27 to invert worldly values: God's 'weakness' shames the strong. Yet in the Gospels it also serves as a near-medical term for the physically sick whom Jesus sends his disciples to heal (Luke 9:2; 10:9). Spanish captures this split neatly: 'debil' for general weakness versus 'enfermo' for illness.
Senses
1. weak, feeble (general/moral/spiritual) — General weakness encompassing moral frailty, spiritual vulnerability, and social insignificance. Paul's letters concentrate most uses here, contrasting divine and human power (Rom 5:6, 1 Cor 1:25-27). The multilingual glosses consistently render this as 'weak/schwach/debil/faible' without medical connotation, pointing to an abstract deficiency of strength or capability rather than bodily sickness. 19×
AR["أضعَفَ", "الأضعَفِ", "الضَّعيفَةِ", "الضُّعَفاءَ", "الضُّعَفاءِ", "ضَعيفاً", "ضَعيفٌ", "ضَعيفٍ", "ضَعِيفٌ", "ضَعْفَ", "ضَعْفِهَا", "ضُعَفاءَ", "ضُعَفاءُ"]·ben["দুর্বল", "দুর্বল,", "দুর্বলতর", "দুর্বলদের", "দুর্বলদের-কাছে,", "দুর্বলদের।"]·DE["schwach"]·EN["is-weak", "weak", "weaker", "weakness", "with-weaker"]·FR["faible"]·heb["הַחַלָּשִׁים", "חַלָּשִׁים", "חַלָּשִׁים-יוֹתֵר", "חַלָּשׁ", "חַלָּשׁ-יוֹתֵר", "חֻלְשָׁה"]·HI["कमज़ोर", "कमज़ोरोन", "दुर्बल", "दुर्बलता,", "निर्बल", "निर्बलतर", "निर्बलता", "निर्बलों"]·ID["kelemahan", "lebih-lemah", "lemah", "lemah.", "yang-lebih-lemah", "yang-lemah"]·IT["debole"]·jav["kasekten", "langkung-ringkih", "lemes", "lemes,", "lemes.", "ringkih", "ringkih,"]·KO["더-약한", "더-연약한", "약하고", "약하다", "약한", "약한-것들-을", "약한-자", "약한-자들", "약한-자들-에게", "약한-자들을", "약함-이", "연약함과"]·PT["com-mais-fraco", "fraca", "fracas", "fraco", "fraco,", "fracos", "fracos,", "fracos.", "fraqueza", "mais-fracos"]·RU["немощи", "немощна", "немощнейшему", "немощное", "немощные", "немощным", "немощных", "слабая", "слабейшие", "слабого", "слабое", "слабым,", "слабым.", "слабых"]·ES["a-más-débil", "debilidad", "débil", "débiles", "más-débiles"]·SW["dhaifu", "dhaifu,", "dhaifu-zaidi", "dhaifu.", "ikiwa-dhaifu", "ni-dhaifu", "udhaifu", "wadhaifu", "wagonjwa", "zikiwa-dhaifu"]·TR["Tanrı'nın", "daha-zayıf", "güçsüz", "güçsüzler", "güçsüzleri", "o-", "olan", "sanılan-", "seçti", "zayıf"]·urd["کمزور", "کمزور-تر", "کمزورتر", "کمزوروں", "کمزوروں-کے-لیے", "کمزوری"]
Matt 26:41, Mark 14:38, Rom 5:6, 1 Cor 1:25, 1 Cor 1:27, 1 Cor 4:10, 1 Cor 8:7, 1 Cor 8:9, 1 Cor 8:10, 1 Cor 9:22, 1 Cor 9:22, 1 Cor 9:22 (+7 more)
2. sick, ill (physical ailment) — Physical sickness or ailment requiring healing. Appears in Gospel commissioning passages where Jesus sends disciples to cure the ill (Luke 9:2, 10:9) and in the Matthean judgment scene about visiting the sick (Matt 25:43-44). Spanish shifts to 'enfermo' (sick person) and the contexts always involve therapeutic action, distinguishing this from mere frailty. 7×
AR["المَرْضَى", "ضَعِيفٍ", "مَرِيضًا", "مَرْضى", "مَرْضَى"]·ben["অসুস্থ", "অসুস্থদের", "দুর্বল"]·DE["schwach"]·EN["sick"]·FR["faible"]·heb["חוֹלִים", "חוֹלֶה"]·HI["अशुद्ध", "किस-में", "बिछौनों-पर", "बीमार", "बीमारों-को", "रोगियों"]·ID["lemah,", "sakit", "sakit,", "yang-sakit"]·IT["debole"]·jav["gerah", "ringkih,", "tiyang-gerah,", "tiyang-sakit"]·KO["그리고", "병든", "병든-것-을", "병든-자들을", "아픈-자들-을"]·PT["doente", "enfermo", "enfermos"]·RU["больному,", "больным", "больных"]·ES["enfermo", "enfermos"]·SW["mgonjwa", "wagonjwa"]·TR["hasta", "hastaları", "hastaları›."]·urd["بیمار", "بیماروں", "کمزور"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀσθεν-ής, ές, without strength, weak, __1 in body, feeble, sickly, τοὺς ἀσθενέας τῆς στρατιῆςRefs 5th c.BC+; τοὺς ἀσθενεστάτους ἐς τὰς ταλαιπωρίας least able to bear hardship, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀσθενέστερος πόνον ἐνεγκεῖν too weak to.., Refs 4th c.BC+. adverb ἀσθενῶς, ἴσχεινRefs 5th c.BC+ __2 in mind, and the like, τὸ ἀ. τῆς γνώμης the weakness, Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 in power, weak, feeble, ἀ.…