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Greek · G770 · unreviewed

ἀσθενέω

To be feeble (in any sense)

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ἀσθενέω G770
Pronunciation asthenéō

What does ἀσθενέω (asthenéō) mean in the Bible?

ἀσθενέω (asthenéō) is a Greek word meaning "to be feeble (in any sense)". ἀσθενέω, -ῶ ( ἀσθενής) [in LXX chiefly for כָּשַׁל ;] to be weak, feeble: Act.

Full entry for ἀσθενέω (G770) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to be feeble (in any sense)
Extended definition

Physical sickness and spiritual/moral weakness share the same verb, highlighting physical infirmity's spiritual significance.

( ἀσθενής) [in LXX chiefly for כָּשַׁל ;] to be weak, feeble: Act.20:35, Rom.8:3, 2Co.11:21 12:10 13:4 13:9; with dative, πίστει (Cremer, 527), Rom.4:19 14:1; same implied, Rom.14:2, 21, 1Co.8:11-12, 2Co.11:29; εἰς, 2Co.13:3. Specif., of bodily debility, to be sick: Mat.25:36, 39, Luk.4:40, Jhn.4:46 5:3, 7 5:13 11:1-3, 6 Act.9:37, Php.2:26-27, 2Ti.4:20, Jas.5:14; οἱ ἀσθενοῦντες, the sick: Mat.10:8 (MM, see word), Mrk.6:56, Luk.9:2, Act.19:12.

Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Grammatical Forms

How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.

Tenses
Present Imperfect Aorist Perfect
Voices
Active
Indicative states a fact or reality 15×
Present Active John 11:3 · John 11:6 · Rom 14:21 · 2 Cor 11:29 · 2 Cor 13:3 · Jas 5:14 · 2 Cor 13:4 8×
Imperfect Active John 4:46 · John 11:2 · Rom 8:3 3×
Aorist Active Phil 2:26 · Phil 2:27 · Matt 25:36 3×
Perfect Active 2 Cor 11:21 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 17×
Present Active Matt 10:8 · Mark 6:56 · Luke 4:40 · Acts 19:12 · John 5:7 · John 11:1 · Rom 14:2 · 1 Cor 8:11 · Matt 25:39 · Rom 14:1 · 2 Tim 4:20 · John 5:3 · John 6:2 · Acts 20:35 · 1 Cor 8:12 15×
Aorist Active Acts 9:37 · Rom 4:19 2×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 2×
Present Active 2 Cor 12:10 · 2 Cor 13:9 2×
34 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: MorphGNT SBLGNT — CC BY-SA 3.0
Discourse Aspect

How this verb appears across 34 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).

Aspect
completed 3 ongoing 8 resultant 1 background 3 subjunctive 2 participle 17
Tense
present 25 aorist 5 imperfect 3 perfect 1
Voice
active 34
Mood
participle 17 indicative 15 subjunctive 2
NT Occurrences
Matthew 10:8 ἀσθενοῦντας present active participle participle Matthew 25:36 ἠσθένησα aorist active indicative completed Matthew 25:39 ἀσθενοῦντα present active participle participle Mark 6:56 ἀσθενοῦντας present active participle participle Luke 4:40 ἀσθενοῦντας present active participle participle John 4:46 ἠσθένει imperfect active indicative background John 5:3 ἀσθενούντων present active participle participle John 5:7 ἀσθενῶν present active participle participle John 6:2 ἀσθενούντων present active participle participle John 11:1 ἀσθενῶν present active participle participle John 11:2 ἠσθένει imperfect active indicative background John 11:3 ἀσθενεῖ present active indicative ongoing John 11:6 ἀσθενεῖ present active indicative ongoing Acts 9:37 ἀσθενήσασαν aorist active participle participle Acts 19:12 ἀσθενοῦντας present active participle participle Acts 20:35 ἀσθενούντων present active participle participle Romans 4:19 ἀσθενήσας aorist active participle participle Romans 8:3 ἠσθένει imperfect active indicative background Romans 14:1 ἀσθενοῦντα present active participle participle Romans 14:2 ἀσθενῶν present active participle participle Romans 14:21 ἀσθενεῖ present active indicative ongoing 1 Corinthians 8:11 ἀσθενῶν present active participle participle 1 Corinthians 8:12 ἀσθενοῦσαν present active participle participle 2 Corinthians 11:21 ἠσθενήκαμεν perfect active indicative resultant 2 Corinthians 11:29 ἀσθενεῖ present active indicative ongoing 2 Corinthians 11:29 ἀσθενῶ present active indicative ongoing 2 Corinthians 12:10 ἀσθενῶ present active subjunctive subjunctive 2 Corinthians 13:3 ἀσθενεῖ present active indicative ongoing 2 Corinthians 13:4 ἀσθενοῦμεν present active indicative ongoing 2 Corinthians 13:9 ἀσθενῶμεν present active subjunctive subjunctive Philippians 2:26 ἠσθένησεν aorist active indicative completed Philippians 2:27 ἠσθένησεν aorist active indicative completed 2 Timothy 4:20 ἀσθενοῦντα present active participle participle James 5:14 ἀσθενεῖ present active indicative ongoing

Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.

Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)

Biblical Occurrences

Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.

Biblical Witnesses
Romans 4:19 weakened asthenéō Participle · Aorist Active
Abraham's faith not weakened despite bodily infirmity in old age
Romans 14:1 weak asthenéō Participle · Present Active
One whose faith is weak in conviction regarding dietary practices
1 Corinthians 8:11-12 destroyed asthenéō Participle · Present Active
Weak believer destroyed in conscience by stronger believer's freedom
2 Corinthians 13:4 weakness asthenéō Indicative · Present Active
Christ crucified in weakness yet lives by power of God
Matthew 25:36 sick asthenéō Indicative · Aorist Active
Bodily sickness or infirmity, requiring visitation and care
Appears In

Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.

ἀσθενέω · ἀσθένεια G770, G769
be sick, weakness, illness
Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

Acts 20 — Paul’s Farewell Charge to Shepherd the Church of God John 11 — The Resurrection and the Life, the Raising of Lazarus, and the Plot to Kill Jesus Matthew 25 — Readiness, Stewardship, and the Final Judgment of the Son of Man Romans 14 — Receiving One Another, Honoring the Lord, and Pursuing Peace in Matters of Conscience Romans 8 — No Condemnation, Life in the Spirit, and the Unbreakable Love of God in Christ

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

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