Abarim Publications' online Biblical Greek Dictionary
σθενος
The noun σθενος (stenos) means strength and is of unclear origin. In the classics it either describes a static strength, in which case it describes the rigidity of one's skeleton, or it describes an active strength, in which case it describes the ability of one's muscles to convert stored reserves into useable energy, and concentrate and apply it. When our word describes not a physical but a mental attribute, it refers in its static sense to one's will (and thus desire), and in the dynamic sense to one's comprehension, intelligence and rational operating principles.
As we discuss at length in our article on the verb περιτεμνω (peritemno), to circumcise, to the Hebrews, the mind and the body were the same thing, or two sides of the same coin, and an obvious condition in one equaled a perhaps less obvious but equivalent condition in the other. This means that when our word occurs in the New Testament, it does not specifically describe either a physical or a mental weakness but rather both.
Our noun is not used independently in the New Testament, but from it derive:
- Together with the familiar particle of negation α (a), meaning not or without: the adjective ασθενης (asthenes), meaning without strength. This adjective is the English medical term "asthenia" (a sickly lack of strength, or weakness as symptom of disease). In our article on the noun ירך (yarek), meaning genitalia, we argue that the obvious difference between the male and female genitalia is the same as that between extrovert and introvert desire. Since strength is not in itself a positive thing (1 Corinthians 12:22), in 1 Peter 3:7, wives are called "the strengthless" or literally "the impotent". This certainly does not imply that they are the lesser of the two, but rather emphasizes the anatomic inability for women to demonstrate their desire by means of a visible erection, and thus their plight of having to resort to (how shall we put it?) less direct solicitations (Judges 16:16). The comment urges people who are by their nature accustomed to a direct approach, to be sensitive to people who are not, without embracing the illusion that either of these two natures might in some way be inferior, and the other superior, but instead search for ways to relate in ways that works for both. This adjective is used 25 times in the New Testament, see full concordance, and from it derive:
- The noun ασθενεια (astheneia), meaning weakness, or rather the absence of strength: impotence or infirmity. Note that darkness is not the opposite of light but the absence of it. Likewise, foolishness is not the opposite of wisdom but the absence of it. All this ties into the idea of the familiar Hebrew word for peace, namely שלום (shalom), which derives from the verb שלם (shalem), to be whole or complete. As we point out in our article on the noun θεραπων (therapon) — from which we get our English words therapy and therapeutic — physicians in the classical world didn't really treat their patients but rather provided the patient rest to recover on their own. The rest that Jesus famously offered (Matthew 11:28, also see Genesis 5:29 and Hebrews 3:11) has to do with completion, health and thus strength. This noun is used 24 times; see full concordance.
- The verb ασθενεω (astheneo), meaning to be without strength, to be impotent or infirm, and by implication to be incomplete. This verb is used 36 times, see full concordance, and from it in turn comes:
- The noun ασθενημα (asthenema), which describes the result of being without strength: a case of weakness or impotence (Romans 15:1 only).
- The verb σθενοω (sthenoo), meaning to strengthen, to give or cause σθενος (stenos). This verb occurs in 1 Peter 5:10 only.
νοσος
The noun νοσος (nosos) means sickness or disease. It's reportedly of unclear origin, but the not dissimilar English word nausea comes via the Latin noun nausea, sea-sickness, from the noun ναυς (naus), meaning ship. Note a comparable similarity between the nouns λιμην (limen), harbor, and λιμος (limos), hunger or famine, and λοιμος (loimos), plague or pestilence.
The familiar symbol of medicine, the caduceus, and the Rod of Asclepius, both depict staffs entwined by one or two snakes. The Hebrew word for snake is the not dissimilar נחש (nahash), which may also describe divination and the miracle material bronze — see our articles on χαλκος (chalkos), bronze, and δρακων (drakon), dragon or serpent, and note the similarity between θηριον (therion), beast, and θερω (thero), to heat, hence the aforementioned verb θεραπευω (therapeuo), to cure.
Our noun νοσος (nosos), sickness, is frequently paired with ασθενεια (astheneia), strengthlessness (see above), and μαλακια (malakia), inner weakness, and all are counteracted by the verbs θεραπευω (therapeuo), to cure (to remove something bad), and ιαομαι (iaomai), to heal (to add something good).
Our noun is used 12 times, see full concordance, and from it derive:
- The verb νοσεω (noseo), meaning to be sick. This verb occurs in 1 Timothy 6:4 only, quite tellingly in a context that suggests a meaning of having a sickly penchant for conflicts and disputes: deeds of the flesh, as opposed to fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:19-23). As we note in our paragraph on μαλακος (malakos), weakness, the deeds of the flesh come about from lack of inner strength, whereas the fruit of the spirit are the result of having inner strength. From our verb νοσεω (noseo) comes:
- The noun νοσημα (nosema), which describes an instance of being sick; a sickly condition but not a particular sickness (John 5:4 only).