An illness or other condition which prevents people or animals from achieving their full potential or adversely affects their abilities.
General and specific examples of disease
General references
Matthew 8:17; Mark 3:10 See also Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy 7:15; 2 Chronicles 16:12; John 5:3; Acts 28:9
This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”
For He had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him.
Blindness
Boils and sores
Exodus 9:9; Job 2:7; Isaiah 38:21; Luke 16:20
Depression
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Dropsy
See also Luke 14:2
Dysentery
Epilepsy
Matthew 17:15 See also Matthew 4:24; Mark 9:17–18
“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.
Fever
Job 30:30 See also Matthew 8:14 parallels Mark 1:30, Luke 4:38; Acts 28:8
My skin grows black and peels, and my bones burn with fever.
Haemorrhaging
Matthew 9:20 parallels Mark 5:25, Luke 8:43
Inflammation
Insanity
1 Samuel 21:13; Daniel 4:33–35
Leprosy
Numbers 12:10; 2 Chronicles 26:21; Matthew 11:5; Luke 17:11–19
Paralysis
Matthew 4:24, Matthew 8:6, Matthew 9:2 parallels Mark 2:3, Luke 5:18; Luke 13:11; Acts 3:2, Acts 8:7, Acts 9:33
Sunstroke
2 Kings 4:18–19; Psalm 121:5–6; Isaiah 49:10; Jonah 4:8
Tumours
Deuteronomy 28:27; 1 Samuel 5:6
Voluntary starvation
1 Samuel 1:7, 1 Samuel 28:20; Psalm 102:4, Psalm 107:18
Wasting
Leviticus 26:16; Deuteronomy 28:22
Even the righteous suffer disease
Job 2:3, Job 2:7 See also Psalm 38:2–3, Psalm 41:7–8
Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.
Examples of the righteous suffering
2 Kings 20:1 parallel 2 Chronicles 32:24; Daniel 8:27; Luke 7:2; John 11:1; Acts 9:36–37; Galatians 4:13; Philippians 2:25–27; 1 Timothy 5:23; 2 Timothy 4:20
Causes of disease
and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Original sin
To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
Accident
See also 2 Kings 4:39–40
Judgment
Psalm 107:17–18 See also Exodus 9:8–10; Leviticus 26:14–16; Numbers 16:41–49; 2 Kings 5:27; Jeremiah 14:12; 1 Corinthians 11:29–30
Fools, in their rebellious ways, and through their iniquities, suffered affliction. They loathed all food and drew near to the gates of death.
Testing
But stretch out Your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”
Response to sickness and disease
The compassion of God
Mark 1:32–34 See also Psalm 41:3; Matthew 8:17
That evening, after sunset, people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed, and the whole town gathered at the door. And He healed many who were ill with various diseases and drove out many demons. But He would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.
Compassion
Ezekiel 34:4; Matthew 25:36; Luke 9:2, Luke 10:30–37
Humble submission
Job 13:15 See also 2 Corinthians 12:8–10
Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.
Prayer
James 5:14 See also Genesis 20:17; 2 Corinthians 12:8
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
Spiritual disease
Isaiah 1:5–6 See also Jeremiah 8:22, Jeremiah 30:12; Micah 1:9; Matthew 9:12–13 parallel Luke 5:31–32
Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness— only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil.
Salvation and healing from disease
Salvation achieved through the cross of Jesus Christ
Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. 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.
Salvation made perfect in heaven
Revelation 22:1–3 See also Ezekiel 47:12; Revelation 7:17, Revelation 21:1–4
Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be within the city, and His servants will worship Him.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.