παραλύω G3886
To paralyze, weaken, disable; in the NT passive, to be paralyzed or enfeebled in body or limbs.
A verb meaning to loosen, slacken, or disable — in classical Greek it could mean to unstring a ship's rudders or hamstring horses, but in the NT it appears exclusively in the passive to describe paralysis or physical disabling. Luke uses it for the paralyzed man lowered through the roof (Luke 5:18, 24) and for those healed in Philip's Samaritan ministry (Acts 8:7) and the bedridden Aeneas at Lydda (Acts 9:33). Hebrews 12:12 applies it metaphorically, urging believers to strengthen their 'paralyzed knees' — drooping limbs weakened by spiritual fatigue. The multilingual convergence on 'paralyzed' (Spanish 'paralizado,' French 'paralysé,' German 'gelaehmt') reflects how the medical meaning dominated NT usage.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To be paralyzed, weakened, or disabled — used in the NT passive to describe bodies or limbs that have lost function. The root sense is 'to loosen' (from λύω), with παρα- suggesting a loosening to the side, i.e., going slack. In Luke 5:18, 24, a man παραλελυμένος is carried on a stretcher and healed by Jesus. Acts 8:7 and 9:33 extend this to Philip's and Peter's healing ministries. Hebrews 12:12 draws on the same image metaphorically: 'the paralyzed knees — strengthen them!' echoing Isaiah 35:3 and calling weary believers to renewed vigor. The Spanish 'paralizado,' French 'paralysé,' and German 'gelähmt' all derive from or translate the same Greek medical concept, showing how this word's meaning narrowed to physical disability in Hellenistic usage. 5×
AR["مَشْلُولَة", "مَفلوجًا", "مَفلوجِ", "مَفْلُوجًا", "مَفْلُوجُونَ"]·ben["পক্ষাঘাতগ্রস্ত", "পক্ষাঘাতগ্রস্তকে"]·DE["gelaehmt", "παραλελυμένοι", "παραλελυμένος", "παραλελυμένῳ"]·EN["having-been-paralyzed", "paralyzed", "weakened"]·FR["paralyser", "paralysé"]·heb["כּוֹשְׁלוֹת", "מְשֻׁתָּק", "מְשֻׁתָּקִים"]·HI["लकवा-मारा-हुआ", "लकवा-मारे-से", "लकवाग्रस्त", "लड़खड़ाते"]·ID["lumpuh", "yang-lumpuh"]·IT["paralelumena", "paralizzare", "paralizzato"]·jav["lemes", "lumpuh", "lumpuh.", "tiyang-lumpuh"]·KO["마비된-자들-과", "약해진", "중풍된", "중풍병자", "중풍병자에게"]·PT["paralisados", "paralítico", "paralíticos"]·RU["парализованные", "разбитый-параличом", "расслабленному,", "расслабленные", "расслабленный,"]·ES["paralizadas", "paralizado", "paralítico", "paralíticos"]·SW["aliyepooza", "amepooza", "waliopooza", "yaliyopooza"]·TR["felc-li", "felc-liye", "felce-uğramış", "felçli", "felçliler"]·urd["اور", "تجھے", "مفلوج", "کمزور"]
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
παραλύω [see. λύω]: __I with accusative of things, loose and take off, detach, τὰ πηδάλια τῶν νεῶν Refs 5th c.BC+ taking off the rudders, Refs 5th c.BC+ — _passive_, παραλελυμέναι τοὺς ταρσούς with their oars taken off, Refs 5th c.BC+ —middle, π. τὴν ῥαφὴν [τοῦ χιτῶνος] Refs:—passive, Refs 5th c.BC+ __I.b hamstring, ἅρματα LXX __I.2 undo, put an end to, πόνους Refs 5th c.BC+; τὴν τοῦ παιδίου…