Topical Encyclopedia
The term "scourge" in the Bible is often associated with punishment, affliction, or a tool of discipline. It appears in various contexts throughout the Scriptures, both in literal and metaphorical senses. The word is derived from the Latin "corrigia," meaning a thong or strap, and is used to describe a whip or lash, typically employed for corporal punishment.
Old Testament UsageIn the Old Testament, the concept of a scourge is frequently linked to divine judgment or correction. For instance, in
Leviticus 26:18, God warns the Israelites of the consequences of disobedience: "And if after all this you will not obey Me, I will proceed to punish you sevenfold for your sins." Here, the idea of a scourge is implicit in the severe consequences of disobedience.
The book of Job also references the scourge in a metaphorical sense.
Job 5:21 states, "You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and will not fear the destruction when it comes." This passage highlights the destructive power of words, likening them to a physical scourge.
New Testament UsageIn the New Testament, the scourge is most notably associated with the suffering of Jesus Christ. Before His crucifixion, Jesus was scourged by Roman soldiers, a brutal form of punishment that fulfilled the prophecy of
Isaiah 53:5, "But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His stripes we are healed."
The Gospel of John provides a direct account of this event: "Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged" (
John 19:1). The scourging of Jesus is a pivotal moment in the Passion narrative, symbolizing the physical and spiritual suffering He endured for the redemption of humanity.
Symbolic and Metaphorical UsesBeyond its literal application, the scourge is used metaphorically in the Bible to describe various forms of suffering or divine discipline.
Hebrews 12:6 states, "For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives." The term "chastises" here can be understood as a form of scourging, emphasizing the corrective nature of God's discipline.
In
Revelation 3:19, Jesus declares, "Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent." This passage underscores the idea that divine discipline, though painful, is an expression of God's love and a call to repentance.
Cultural and Historical ContextHistorically, scourging was a common form of punishment in ancient times, used by various cultures, including the Romans and Jews. It involved the use of a whip made of leather thongs, often embedded with metal or bone fragments, designed to inflict severe pain and injury. The practice was not only a means of punishment but also a method of extracting confessions or deterring criminal behavior.
In Jewish law, the number of lashes was limited to forty, as prescribed in
Deuteronomy 25:3: "He may receive no more than forty lashes, lest your brother be beaten any more than that and be degraded in your sight." This limitation was intended to prevent excessive cruelty.
Theological ImplicationsTheologically, the scourge serves as a powerful symbol of both judgment and redemption. It represents the severity of sin and the necessity of atonement, as well as the profound love and sacrifice of Christ. The scourging of Jesus is a central element of the Christian faith, illustrating the depth of His suffering and the extent of His love for humanity.
In summary, the scourge in the Bible is a multifaceted symbol, encompassing themes of punishment, discipline, suffering, and redemption. Its presence in both the Old and New Testaments highlights the continuity of God's justice and mercy throughout the biblical narrative.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A lash; a strap or cord; especially, a lash used to inflict pain or punishment; an instrument of punishment or discipline; a whip.
2. (n.) Hence, a means of inflicting punishment, vengeance, or suffering; an infliction of affliction; a punishment.
3. (n.) To whip severely; to lash.
4. (n.) To punish with severity; to chastise; to afflict, as for sins or faults, and with the purpose of correction.
5. (n.) To harass or afflict severely.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
SCOURGE; SCOURGINGskurj, skur'-jing (mastix], mastigoo; inActs 22:25 mastizo, inMark 15:15 parallelMatthew 27:26 phragelloo): A Roman implement for severe bodily punishment. Horace calls it horribile flagellum. It consisted of a handle, to which several cords or leather thongs were affixed, which were weighted with jagged pieces of bone or metal, to make the blow more painful and effective. It is comparable, in its horrid effects, only with the Russian knout. The victim was tied to a post (Acts 22:25) and the blows were applied to the back and loins, sometimes even, in the wanton cruelty of the executioner, to the face and the bowels. In the tense position of the body, the effect can easily be imagined. So hideous was the punishment that the victim usually fainted and not rarely died under it. Eusebius draws a horribly realistic picture of the torture of scourging (Historia Ecclesiastica, IV, 15). By its application secrets and confessions were wrung from the victim (Acts 22:24). It usually preceded capital punishment (Livy xxxiii.36). It was illegal to apply the flagallum to a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25), since the Porcian and Sempronian laws, 248 and 123 B.C., although these laws were not rarely broken in the provinces (Tac. Hist. iv0.27; Cic. Verr. v.6, 62; Josephus, BJ, II, xiv, 9). As among the Russians today, the number of blows was not usually fixed, the severity of the punishment depending entirely on the commanding officer. In the punishment of Jesus, we are reminded of the words ofPsalm 129:3. Among the Jews the punishment of flagellation was well known since the Egyptian days, as the monuments abundantly testify. The word "scourge" is used inLeviticus 19:20, but the American Standard Revised Version translates "punished," the original word biqqoreth expressing the idea of investigation.Deuteronomy 25:3 fixed the mode of a Jewish flogging and limits the number of blows to 40. Apparently the flogging was administered by a rod. The Syrians reintroduced true scourging into Jewish life, when Antiochus Epiphanes forced them by means of it to eat swine's flesh (2 Maccabees 6:30; 7:1). Later it was legalized by Jewish law and became customary (Matthew 10:17;Matthew 23:34Acts 22:19;Acts 26:11), but the traditional limitation of the number of blows was still preserved. Says Paul in his "foolish boasting": "in stripes above measure," "of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one," distinguishing it from the "beatings with rods," thrice repeated (2 Corinthians 11:23-25).
The other Old Testament references (Job 5:21;Job 9:23Isaiah 10:26;Isaiah 28:15, 18 shot;Joshua 23:13 shotet) are figurative for "affliction." Notice the curious mixture of metaphors in the phrase "over-flowing scourge" (Isaiah 28:15-18).
Henry E. Dosker
Greek
3146. mastigoo -- toscourge... to
scourge. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: mastigoo Phonetic Spelling:
(mas-tig-o'-o) Short Definition: I flog,
scourge Definition: I flog,
scourge, the
...3147. mastizo -- to whip,scourge
... to whip,scourge. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: mastizo Phonetic Spelling:
(mas-tid'-zo) Short Definition: I flog,scourge Definition: I flog,scourge...
3148. mastix -- a whip,scourge
... a whip,scourge. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: mastix Phonetic
Spelling: (mas'-tix) Short Definition: ascourge, lash, sufferings Definition...
5416. phragellion -- ascourge
... ascourge. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: phragellion Phonetic Spelling:
(frag-el'-le-on) Short Definition: ascourge, lash Definition: ascourge...
5417. phragelloo -- toscourge
... toscourge. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: phragelloo Phonetic Spelling:
(frag-el-lo'-o) Short Definition: I flagellate,scourge Definition: I flagellate...
1194. dero -- to skin, to thrash
... to skin, to thrash. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: dero Phonetic Spelling:
(der'-o) Short Definition: I flay, flog,scourge, beat Definition: I flay, flog...
1371. dichotomeo -- to cut in two, cut asunder
... cut asunder. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: dichotomeo Phonetic Spelling:
(dee-khot-om-eh'-o) Short Definition: I cut in two,scourge severely Definition...
4463. rhabdizo -- to beat with a rod
... to beat with a rod. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: rhabdizo Phonetic Spelling:
(hrab-did'-zo) Short Definition: I beat with rods,scourge Definition: I...
2438. himas -- a thong, strap
... a thong, strap. Perhaps from the same as hama; a strap, ie (specially) the tie
(of a sandal) or the lash (of ascourge) -- latchet, thong. see GREEK hama....
Strong's Hebrew
7752. shot -- ascourge, whip... 7751c, 7752. shot. 7753 . a
scourge, whip. Transliteration: shot Phonetic
Spelling: (shote) Short Definition:
scourge. Word Origin
...7850. shotet -- ascourge
... ascourge. Transliteration: shotet Phonetic Spelling: (sho-tate') Short Definition:
whip. Word Origin from shut Definition ascourge NASB Word Usage whip (1)....
5217. naka -- to smite,scourge
... 5216, 5217. naka. 5218 . to smite,scourge. Transliteration: naka Phonetic
Spelling: (naw-kaw') Short Definition: scourged. Word Origin a prim....
7885. shayit -- a rowing
... oar,scourge. From shuwt; an oar; also (compare showt) ascourge (figuratively) --
oar,scourge. see HEBREW shuwt. see HEBREW showt. 7884, 7885. shayit. 7886...
6879. tsara -- to be struck with leprosy, to be leprous
... leper, leprous. A primitive root; toscourge, ie (intransitive and figurative) to
be stricken with leprosy -- leper, leprous. 6878, 6879. tsara. 6880 ....
6137. aqrab -- scorpion
... scorpion. Of uncertain derivation; a scorpion; figuratively, ascourge or knotted
whip -- scorpion. 6136b, 6137. aqrab. 6138 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
"Sin is the SharpestScourge. . . . By Contrition we are Made...
... THE THIRTEENTH REVELATION CHAPTER XXXIX "Sin is the sharpestscourge. . . .
By contrition... worthy". "Sin is the sharpestscourge. . . . By...
And Lo, There was I Received by theScourge of Bodily Sickness...
... Book V Chapter IX And lo, there was I received by thescourge of bodily
sickness? And lo, there was I received by thescourge...
Various views of Heracleon on Purging of the Temple.
... And thescourge which Jesus made of small cords and did not receive from another,
he expounds in a way of his own, saying that thescourge is an image of the...
Scriptural Uses of the General Words for Prayer
... Thus in Exodus after thescourge of frogs, the second in order of the ten, "Pharaoh
called for Moses and Aaron and said to them: Pray unto the Lord for me that...
On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. v. 22, "Whosoever Shall Say to...
... are perfected, let us bear our Tamer. For oftentimes does our Tamer bring
forth Hisscourge too. For if thou dost bring forth the...
To Brother Raimondo of Capua of the Order of the Preachers
... I am doing as I did when I was in the world, when I made thescourge of cords, and
drove out those who sold and bought in the Temple, not choosing that the...
The Story of the Purging of the Temple Spiritualized. Taken...
... of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth, [5060] when are there not
some money-changers sitting who need the strokes of thescourge Jesus made of...
Ci. Foretelling his Passion. Rebuking Ambition.
... unto the chief priests and ^b the ^a scribes; and they shall condemn him to death,
19 and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and toscourge, and to...
The Cleansing of the Temple.
... (John 2:15). 15. Made ascourge of small cords. The original implies that it was
made of rushes, which were carried in as bedding for cattle....
The Cleansing of the Temple.
... And He found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers
of money sitting: and He made ascourge of cords, and cast all out of the...
Thesaurus
Scourge (24 Occurrences)... 5. (n.) To harass or afflict severely. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
SCOURGE;
SCOURGING.
... Henry E. Dosker. Multi-Version Concordance
Scourge (24 Occurrences).
...Scourging (5 Occurrences)
... were fulfilled. Noah Webster's Dictionary. (p. pr. & vb. n.) ofScourge. Int.
Standard Bible Encyclopedia.SCOURGE; SCOURGING. skurj, skur...
Third (192 Occurrences)
... Matthew 20:19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, toscourge, and to
crucify; and the third day he will be raised up." (WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS...
Mock (43 Occurrences)
... Matthew 20:19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, toscourge, and to
crucify; and the third day he will be raised up." (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS...
Kill (310 Occurrences)
... Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you willscourge in your
synagogues, and persecute from city to city; (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV...
Overwhelming (5 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:15 Because ye have said: 'We have made a covenant with death, and with
the nether-world are we at agreement; when the scouringscourge shall pass...
Lash (2 Occurrences)
... to form the figure. 7. (vt) To strike with a lash ; to whip orscourge
with a lash, or with something like one. 8. (vt) To strike...
Crucify (20 Occurrences)
... Matthew 20:19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, toscourge, and to
crucify; and the third day he will be raised up." (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS...
Synagogues (27 Occurrences)
... NIV). Matthew 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils,
and in their synagogues they willscourge you. (WEB...
Scourged (13 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) ofScourge. Multi-Version Concordance
Scourged (13 Occurrences). Matthew 20:19 and hand Him...
Resources
What does the Bible say about self-defense? | GotQuestions.orgWhat trials did Jesus face before His crucifixion? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the story of Rehoboam and Jeroboam? | GotQuestions.orgScourge: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
