χωλός G5560
Lame, crippled — physically disabled in the legs or feet, unable to walk normally
Describes a person who is lame or crippled, specifically disabled in the legs or feet so as to be unable to walk normally. In the Gospels, chōlos appears prominently in Jesus' healing ministry: the lame walk alongside the blind seeing and the deaf hearing (Matt 11:5; 15:31), and crowds bring the lame to Jesus at the temple (Matt 21:14). The word also carries stark force in Jesus' warning that it is better to enter life lame than to be cast into Gehenna whole (Matt 18:8; Mark 9:45). In Acts, the healing of the man lame from birth at the Beautiful Gate (Acts 3:2; 14:8) becomes a landmark sign of apostolic authority. Spanish 'cojo,' French 'boiteux,' and German 'lahm' consistently render the same physical disability, confirming a single, stable sense.
Senses
1. lame, crippled — Physically disabled in the feet or legs, unable to walk normally — describing a chronic or congenital condition rather than a temporary injury. Appears in healing catalogs where the lame walking is a sign of messianic fulfillment (Matt 11:5; 15:30-31; 21:14; Luke 7:22), in Jesus' hyperbolic warning about entering life maimed (Matt 18:8; Mark 9:45), and in apostolic healing narratives (Acts 3:2; 14:8). Multilingual renderings converge tightly (eng: lame, spa: cojo/cojos, fra: boiteux, deu: lahm), with no evidence of semantic subdivision across the 14 occurrences. 14×
AR["أَعرَجُ", "أَعْرَج", "أَعْرَجٌ", "أَعْرَجَ", "العُرْجَ", "عُرجٌ", "عُرْجًا", "عُرْجٌ", "عُرْجٍ"]·ben["খোঁড়া", "খোঁড়াদের", "খোঁড়ারা", "পঙ্গু"]·DE["lahm"]·EN["lame"]·FR["boiteux", "lahm"]·heb["פִּסְחִים", "פִּסֵּחַ", "צוֹלְעִים", "צוֹלֵעַ"]·HI["लँगड़ा", "लंगड़ा", "लंगड़े", "लंगड़ों,", "लंगड़ों-को", "लनगद", "लनगदे"]·ID["lumpuh", "orang-lumpuh", "orang-lumpuh,", "orang-pincang", "pincang", "yang-lumpuh", "yang-timpang"]·IT["chōlon", "zoppo"]·jav["incah,", "lumpuh", "pincang", "pincang,", "tiyang-pincang"]·KO["다리-저는", "다리-저는-자들을", "저는-것이", "저는-자들-은", "저린", "절나는-자들이", "절뒷발이들", "절뒷발이들이", "절듄발이", "절라서", "절롡발이들이", "절름발이-로", "절름발이들이"]·PT["coxo", "coxos", "manco"]·RU["хромающее", "хромой", "хромые", "хромым", "хромых", "хромых,"]·ES["a-cojos", "cojo", "cojos"]·SW["katika", "kilema", "kilicho-kilema", "kiwete", "vilema", "viwete"]·TR["topal", "topallar", "topallara", "topalları", "topaller", "topallılar"]·urd["لنگڑا", "لنگڑوں", "لنگڑوں-کو", "لنگڑے", "لولا"]
Matt 11:5, Matt 15:30, Matt 15:31, Matt 18:8, Matt 21:14, Mark 9:45, Luke 7:22, Luke 14:13, Luke 14:21, John 5:3, Acts 3:2, Acts 8:7 (+2 more)
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
χωλός, ή, όν, lame in the feet, halting, limping, with accusative, χωλὸς δ᾽ ἕτερον πόδα Refs 8th c.BC+; also with dative, σκέλει χωλός Refs 1st c.AD+: later also of the hand, like{κυλλός}, χωλὸς τὴν χεῖρα Refs 5th c.BC+ __II metaphorically, defective, φύσις Refs 5th c.BC+; one-sided, Refs; βασιλεία Oracle texts cited in Refs 5th c.BC+ __II.2 of metre, especially of the χωλίαμβος (which see),…