Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical context, wounds are often mentioned both literally and metaphorically, symbolizing physical injury, emotional pain, and spiritual affliction. The Bible provides numerous references to wounds, illustrating their significance in human experience and divine intervention.
Physical WoundsPhysical wounds are frequently mentioned in the Bible, often as a result of conflict, punishment, or divine judgment. In the Old Testament, wounds are sometimes seen as a consequence of sin or disobedience. For instance, in
Deuteronomy 28:27, as part of the curses for disobedience, it is written: "The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores, and the itch, from which you cannot be cured."
The account of Job is a profound example of physical suffering. Job's body was afflicted with painful sores, a test of his faith and righteousness.
Job 2:7 states, "So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head."
Emotional and Spiritual WoundsWounds in the Bible also represent emotional and spiritual pain. The Psalms frequently express the anguish of the soul, using the imagery of wounds to describe deep sorrow and distress.
Psalm 147:3 offers comfort, stating, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
Proverbs 18:14 highlights the impact of spiritual wounds: "The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but who can survive a broken spirit?" This verse underscores the profound effect of emotional and spiritual wounds, which can be more debilitating than physical ailments.
Wounds and HealingThe Bible emphasizes God's power to heal both physical and spiritual wounds.
Isaiah 53:5 prophesies the redemptive suffering of the Messiah: "But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." This passage is foundational in Christian theology, highlighting the belief in Jesus Christ's sacrificial death as the means of spiritual healing and salvation.
In the New Testament, Jesus' ministry is marked by miraculous healings, demonstrating His authority over physical and spiritual afflictions. In
Matthew 8:16-17, it is recorded, "When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took on our infirmities and carried our diseases.'"
Metaphorical Use of WoundsWounds are also used metaphorically to describe the consequences of sin and the need for repentance. In
Jeremiah 30:12-14, God speaks of the incurable wound of His people due to their iniquity: "For this is what the LORD says: 'Your injury is incurable; your wound is grievous. There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sores, no recovery for you. All your lovers have forgotten you; they no longer seek you. For I have struck you as an enemy would, with the discipline of someone cruel, because your guilt is great and your sins are many.'"
Wounds in the Life of ChristThe wounds of Christ hold a central place in Christian theology. After His resurrection, Jesus showed His disciples the wounds in His hands and side as proof of His identity and the reality of His resurrection.
John 20:27 records Jesus' words to Thomas: "Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.'"
These wounds are a testament to His sacrifice and the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. They serve as a reminder of the cost of sin and the depth of God's love for humanity.
ConclusionThe biblical portrayal of wounds encompasses a wide range of human experiences, from physical suffering to emotional and spiritual pain. Through the lens of Scripture, wounds are not only a symbol of human frailty and sin but also a testament to God's power to heal and restore.
Topical Bible Verses
1 Peter 2:24Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live to righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed.
Topicalbible.orgLuke 10:34
And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
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Isaiah 1:6
From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
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Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
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Greek
2853. kollao -- to glue, unite ... soul-knit friendship. [2853 () is used "frequently in ancient medical language
of the uniting of
wounds" (, 180).]. Word Origin from
... 5134. trauma -- a wound
... wound Definition: a wound. Word Origin of uncertain origin Definition a
wound NASB Word Usage wounds (1). wound. From the base of ...
4127. plege -- a blow, wound
... plesso Definition a blow, wound NASB Word Usage beat* (1), beaten (1), beatings
(1), blows (1), flogging (1), plague (3), plagues (10), wound (3), wounds (1). ...
3468. molops -- a bruise
... body by scourging. Word Origin of uncertain origin Definition a bruise NASB
Word Usage wounds (1). stripe, wound. From molos ("moil ...
Strong's Hebrew
4251. machluy -- sickness, suffering (caused by wounds)... sickness, suffering (caused by
wounds). Transliteration: machluy or machaluy
Phonetic Spelling: (makh-loo'-ee) Short Definition: sick.
... 5221. nakah -- to smite
... beat, cast forth, clap, give wounds, go forward, indeed, kill, make slaughter,.
A primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally ...
4347. makkah -- a blow, wound, slaughter
... 1), crushed (1), disasters (1), inflicted (1), injury (1), plague (3), plagues
(4), slaughter (14), stripes (1), strokes (2), wound (8), wounded (1), wounds (9 ...
5061. nega -- a stroke, plague, mark
... NASB Word Usage affliction (2), another (1), assault (2), infection (30), mark
(32), plague (6), plagues (1), stripes (1), stroke (1), strokes (1), wounds (1). ...
2342a. chul -- to whirl, dance, writhe
... 1), travailed (4), tremble (5), trembled (1), turned (1), wait (1), wait patiently
(1), waited (2), whirl (1), whirling (1), wounded (2), wounds (1), writhe (2 ...
4272. machats -- to smite through, wound severely, shatter
... root Definition to smite through, wound severely, shatter NASB Word Usage crush
through (1), shatter (6), shattered (4), struck (1), wounded (1), wounds (1). ...
6094. atstsebeth -- a hurt, injury, pain
... Word Origin from atsab Definition a hurt, injury, pain NASB Word Usage pains (1),
sad (1), sorrows (1), trouble (1), wounds (1). sorrow, wound. ...
6482. petsa -- a bruise, wound
... wound. Word Origin from patsa Definition a bruise, wound NASB Word Usage
bruises (1), wound (3), wounding (1), wounds (3). wounding. ...
2250. chabburah -- a stripe, blow
... Word Origin from chabar Definition a stripe, blow NASB Word Usage bruise (2),
scourging (1), striking (1), stripes (1), welts (1), wounds (1). ...
Library
The Wounds of Jesus
... The Wounds of Jesus. A Sermon (No.254). ... And, then, thirdly, is there any lesson to
us in the fact that Jesus Christ still wears his wounds? I think there is. ...
The Evidence of Our Lord's Wounds
... The Evidence of Our Lord's Wounds. A Sermon (No.2061). Delivered by. ... II. Secondly,
when you want comfort, crave no sign, but TURN TO THE WOUNDS OF OUR LORD. ...
Whether Love is a Passion that Wounds the Lover?
... OF THE EFFECTS OF LOVE (SIX ARTICLES) Whether love is a passion that wounds the
lover? Objection 1: It would seem that love wounds the lover. ...
These Wounds are in Themselves Orifices Too Small to Let in My ...
... THE FIRST CENTURY 64 These wounds are in themselves orifices too small to
let in my sight. These wounds are in themselves orifices ...
Whether Weakness, Ignorance, Malice, and Desire are Rightly Named ...
... Article Three Whether Weakness, Ignorance, Malice, and Desire are Rightly
Named as the Wounds of Nature Due to Sin. Whether Weakness ...
Of Some Other Means by which Holy Love Wounds the Heart.
... CHAPTER XIV. OF SOME OTHER MEANS BY WHICH HOLY LOVE WOUNDS THE HEART. Nothing so
much wounds a loving heart as to perceive another wounded with the love of it. ...
Whether Weakness, Ignorance, Malice and Concupiscence are Suitably ...
... OF THE CORRUPTION OF THE GOOD OF NATURE (SIX ARTICLES) Whether weakness, ignorance,
malice and concupiscence are suitably reckoned as the wounds of nature ...
Remarks on Some of the "Dangers and Wounds" Referred to in the ...
... Book II. Chapter III."Remarks on Some of the "Dangers and Wounds" Referred
to in the Preceding Chapter. If these things are so ...
Jesus Accordingly, as Celsus Imagines, Exhibited after his Death ...
... Chapter LXI. Jesus accordingly, as Celsus imagines, exhibited after His death
only the appearance of wounds received? Jesus accordingly ...
"He Healeth the Broken in Heart, and Bindeth up their Wounds. "
... 632. " "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.". 632. CM Moore.
"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.". ...
Thesaurus
Wounds (57 Occurrences)...Wounds (57 Occurrences). Mark 12:4 And again he sent to them another servant; and
they gave him
wounds on the head, and were very cruel to him. (BBE).
...Inflicted (20 Occurrences)
... said, A certain man descended from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands
of robbers, who also, having stripped him and inflicted wounds, went away ...
Bandage (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A fillet or strip of woven material, used
in dressing and binding up wounds, etc. 2. (n.) Something ...
Wound (58 Occurrences)
... 9:19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails: because
their tails are like snakes, and have heads, and with them they give wounds. ...
Jizreel (30 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 8:29 And king Joram returned to be healed in Jizreel of the wounds that
the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. ...
Haz'ael (21 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 8:29 And king Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which
the Arameans had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram ...
Recover (37 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 8:29 King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the
Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. ...
Talebearer (8 Occurrences)
... friends. (DBY). Proverbs 18:8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they
go down into the innermost parts of the belly. (KJV DBY). ...
Tale-bearer (7 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Proverbs 18:8 The words of a tale-bearer are as wounds, and they
go down into the innermost parts of the belly. (WBS YLT). ...
Raw (10 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 1:6 The body, from head to foot, is all diseased; it is a mass of open wounds,
marks of blows, and broken flesh: the flow of blood has not been stopped ...
Resources
What does the Bible say about healing? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the value of pastoral counseling? | GotQuestions.orgSummary of the Book of Isaiah - Bible Survey | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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