λεπρ-ός G3015
Leprous, a leper; a person afflicted with a serious skin disease rendering them ritually unclean under the Mosaic law.
An adjective meaning 'leprous,' used substantivally in the New Testament to mean 'a leper' — a person suffering from a serious skin disease that rendered them ritually unclean and socially marginalized under the Mosaic law. Jesus' willingness to touch and heal lepers was among his most radical acts, directly challenging purity boundaries. The cleansing of a leper is the first healing miracle in Matthew's post-Sermon sequence (Matt 8:2-4), and 'lepers are cleansed' appears in Jesus' own summary of his messianic credentials to John the Baptist (Matt 11:5; Luke 7:22). Simon the Leper hosted Jesus in Bethany (Matt 26:6; Mark 14:3). Spanish 'leproso' and French 'lepreux' both derive from the same Greek root.
Senses
1. leprous/leper (afflicted with skin disease) — Leprous or a leper — a person afflicted with a disfiguring skin disease (Greek lepra) that entailed ritual uncleanness and social exclusion under Levitical law (Lev 13-14). In the NT, Jesus' healing of lepers is programmatic: the first miracle after the Sermon on the Mount is a leper's cleansing (Matt 8:2-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-14), and the report 'lepers are cleansed' validates Jesus' messianic identity (Matt 11:5; Luke 7:22). Ten lepers are healed in Luke 17:12-19, with the Samaritan's grateful return highlighting faith's role. Simon 'the Leper' hosts Jesus in Bethany (Matt 26:6; Mark 14:3), suggesting a healed man who kept his former epithet. Spanish 'leproso', French 'lepreux', and German 'Aussaetziger' all denote one cast out from community. 9×
AR["أَبرَصُ", "أَبْرَصُ", "أَبْرَصِ", "الْأَبْرَصِ", "بُرصًا", "بُرصٌ", "بُرصٍ"]·ben["কুষ্ঠরোগী", "কুষ্ঠরোগী,", "কুষ্ঠরোগীদের", "কুষ্ঠরোগীর", "কুষ্ঠরোগীরা"]·DE["Aussätziger", "aussaetzig"]·EN["a-leper", "leper", "lepers", "leprous"]·FR["lépreux"]·heb["מְצֹרָע", "מְצֹרָעִים", "מְצוֹרָע"]·HI["कोढ़ियों-को", "कोढ़ी", "कोढ़ी-के", "कोधि", "बिनती-करता-हुआ"]·ID["orang-kusta", "orang-kusta,", "si-Kusta", "si-kusta"]·IT["leproi", "lepros", "leprou", "leprous"]·jav["budhugen", "kusta", "tiyang-budhugen", "tiyang-kusta", "tiyang-lepra,", "wong-kusta,"]·KO["나병-환자들을", "나병-환자들이", "나병환자", "나병환자-가", "나병환자들-이", "나병환자들이", "나병환자의"]·PT["leproso", "leproso,", "leprosos", "um-leproso"]·RU["прокажённого", "прокажённые", "прокажённый", "прокажённых"]·ES["a-leprosos", "leproso", "leprosos"]·SW["mkoma", "mwenye-ukoma", "mwenye-ukoma,", "wakoma", "wenye-ukoma"]·TR["cuzamlı", "cuzamlılar", "cuzamlıları", "cuzamlının", "cüzamlı,", "cüzamlılar", "cüzzamlılar"]·urd["کوڑھی", "کوڑھی-کے", "کوڑھیوں-کو"]
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
λεπρ-ός, ά, όν, scaly, scabby, rough, of places, conjecture Coraës in Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀκταὶ λ. Refs 3rd c.BC+; Λ. ἀκτή as proper name, Refs 6th c.BC+ __II leprous, LXX+4th c.BC+: as substantive, leper, NT; λ. ὄνυχες, probably psoriasis unguium, Refs 5th c.BC+; τὸ λ., = λέπρα, ἡ, LXX; ἱμάντας ἐκ λεπρῶν (i.e. δερμάτων, for the toughest leather, accusative to Scholia, was supposed to be made of mangy skins) Refs 5th c.BC+, proper name of a “Tannery” outside the walls); λ. βαυβών Refs 3rd c.BC+