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νόσος

nósos

G3554 noun

SILEX Entry

Root νοσ- illness, disease, sickness

Definition

A physical illness, disease, or medical condition affecting the body. In most contexts, refers to a tangible or observable sickness or disorder, as opposed to a metaphorical or moral illness. It can broadly denote both acute and chronic conditions, but is generally used for serious or notable illnesses rather than minor ailments.

Semantic Range

physical disease, bodily illness, plague, severe ailment, (rarely) moral or spiritual disease

Root / Etymology

Etymology uncertain; possibly pre-Greek or related to the root νέω (to flow, to heap) by association with physical affliction, but no firmly established Greek cognates.

Historical & Contextual Notes

νόσος is attested in classical Greek (e.g., Homer, Herodotus, Hippocrates) and consistently refers to a physical disease, plague, or significant bodily disorder. In medical authors, it is a general term for any noteworthy illness, contrasted with μαλακία (weakness) or βλάβη (injury), which may indicate less serious or different types of affliction. In the Septuagint, νόσος translates various Hebrew terms for disease, often in contexts of divine judgment or widespread calamity, but also routine sickness. In the New Testament, its use is rare and generally literal, referring to physical sickness rather than metaphorical or moral conditions. Later translation traditions sometimes render νόσος as 'sickness,' 'disease,' or 'infirmity,' though the latter can broaden the word's sense beyond its most usual Greek scope.

Translation Consistency

primary "disease" 11 occurrences

Matches the dominant English rendering across translations and the SILEX semantic range: a tangible physical illness or bodily disorder. "Disease" is natural, precise for serious/medical conditions, and easily inflected for number/context (disease/diseases).

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain affinity; a malady (rarely figuratively, of moral disability):--disease, infirmity, sickness.

Root Family

νόσος (nosos) — illness, disease, sickness

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G3552 νοσέω a bodily disease

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3554-02 νόσον noson N ACC F SG disease disease disease 5
G3554-01 νόσοις nosois N DAT F PL diseases to diseases diseases 3
G3554-03 νόσους nosous N ACC F PL diseases diseases diseases 3

Occurrences in Scripture

11 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3554-02 Matthew 4:23 νόσον noson N ACC F SG disease disease disease
G3554-01 Matthew 4:24 νόσοις nosois N DAT F PL diseases to diseases diseases
G3554-03 Matthew 8:17 νόσους nosous N ACC F PL diseases diseases diseases
G3554-02 Matthew 9:35 νόσον noson N ACC F SG disease disease disease
G3554-02 Matthew 10:1 νόσον noson N ACC F SG sickness disease disease
G3554-01 Mark 1:34 νόσοις nosois N DAT F PL diseases to diseases diseases
G3554-01 Luke 4:40 νόσοις nosois N DAT F PL with diseases to diseases with diseases
G3554-02 Luke 6:18 νόσων noson N GEN F PL diseases disease disease
G3554-02 Luke 7:21 νόσων noson N GEN F PL diseases disease disease
G3554-03 Luke 9:1 νόσους nosous N ACC F PL diseases diseases diseases
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