Topical Encyclopedia
A stroke, in modern medical terms, refers to a sudden interruption in the blood supply to the brain, leading to potential brain damage and a variety of physical and cognitive impairments. While the Bible does not explicitly mention strokes as understood today, it does address themes of sudden illness, divine intervention, and the frailty of human life, which can be related to the experience of a stroke.
Biblical Context and Themes1.
Human Frailty and Mortality: The Bible frequently acknowledges the frailty of human life and the inevitability of physical decline. In
Psalm 39:4-5 , the psalmist reflects, "O LORD, make me know my end and the measure of my days, what it is; let me know how fleeting I am. Behold, You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before You. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!" This passage underscores the transient nature of human existence, a reality often brought to the forefront by sudden illnesses like strokes.
2.
Divine Sovereignty and Healing: The Bible presents God as sovereign over all aspects of life, including health and illness. In
Exodus 15:26 , God declares, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in His eyes, and give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer." This verse highlights the belief in God's power to heal and protect, a source of comfort for those facing health crises.
3.
Prayer and Intercession: The Bible encourages believers to seek God in times of illness through prayer and intercession.
James 5:14-15 instructs, "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. And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven." This passage emphasizes the role of faith and community support in seeking divine intervention for healing.
4.
Suffering and Perseverance: The experience of suffering, including that caused by illness, is addressed throughout Scripture.
Romans 5:3-4 states, "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." This perspective encourages believers to view trials, such as those resulting from a stroke, as opportunities for spiritual growth and reliance on God's strength.
5.
Compassion and Care for the Sick: The Bible calls for compassion and care for those who are ill or suffering. In
Matthew 25:36 , Jesus teaches, "I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me." This passage underscores the importance of ministering to those in need, reflecting God's love through acts of kindness and support.
Historical and Cultural ConsiderationsIn biblical times, medical knowledge was limited, and sudden illnesses like strokes would have been understood within the context of divine will and spiritual significance. The lack of specific medical terminology in Scripture does not diminish the relevance of biblical principles in addressing the challenges posed by such conditions. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's sovereignty, seek His healing, and support one another through prayer and compassionate care.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
imp.) Struck.
2. (n.) The act of striking; a blow; a hit; a knock; esp., a violent or hostile attack made with the arm or hand, or with an instrument or weapon.
3. (n.) The result of effect of a striking; injury or affliction; soreness.
4. (n.) The striking of the clock to tell the hour.
5. (n.) A gentle, caressing touch or movement upon something; a stroking.
6. (n.) A mark or dash in writing or printing; a line; the touch of a pen or pencil; as, an up stroke; a firm stroke.
7. (v. t.) Hence, by extension, an addition or amendment to a written composition; a touch; as, to give some finishing strokes to an essay.
8. (n.) A sudden attack of disease; especially, a fatal attack; a severe disaster; any affliction or calamity, especially a sudden one; as, a stroke of apoplexy; the stroke of death.
9. (n.) A throb or beat, as of the heart.
10. (n.) One of a series of beats or movements against a resisting medium, by means of which movement through or upon it is accomplished; as, the stroke of a bird's wing in flying, or an oar in rowing, of a skater, swimmer, etc.
11. (n.) The rate of succession of stroke; as, a quick stroke.
12. (n.) The oar nearest the stern of a boat, by which the other oars are guided; -- called also stroke oar.
13. (n.) The rower who pulls the stroke oar; the strokes man.
14. (n.) A powerful or sudden effort by which something is done, produced, or accomplished; also, something done or accomplished by such an effort; as, a stroke of genius; a stroke of business; a master stroke of policy.
15. (n.) The movement, in either direction, of the piston plunger, piston rod, crosshead, etc., as of a steam engine or a pump, in which these parts have a reciprocating motion; as, the forward stroke of a piston; also, the entire distance passed through, as by a piston, in such a movement; as, the piston is at half stroke.
16. (v. t.) Power; influence.
17. (v. t.) Appetite.
18. (v. t.) To strike.
19. (v. t.) To rib gently in one direction; especially, to pass the hand gently over by way of expressing kindness or tenderness; to caress; to soothe.
20. (v. t.) To make smooth by rubbing.
21. (v. t.) To give a finely fluted surface to.
22. (v. t.) To row the stroke oar of; as, to stroke a boat.
Greek
2762. keraia -- a little horn... Definition: a little hook, an apostrophe on letters of the alphabet, distinguishing
them from other little letters, or a separation
stroke between letters.
...4127. plege -- a blow, wound
... wound, stripe. From plesso; astroke; by implication, a wound; figuratively,
a calamity -- plague, stripe, wound(-ed). see GREEK plesso....
5114. tomos -- sharp
... Comparative of a derivative of the primary temno (to cut; more comprehensive or
decisive than kopto, as if by a singlestroke; whereas that implies repeated...
Strong's Hebrew
5061. nega -- astroke, plague, mark... nega. 5062 . a
stroke, plague, mark. Transliteration: nega Phonetic Spelling:
(neh'-gah) Short Definition: mark.
... plague, sore, stricken, stripe,
stroke, wound.
...1659. gashash -- to feel with the hand, feel,stroke
... gashash. 1660 . to feel with the hand, feel,stroke. Transliteration: gashash
Phonetic Spelling: (gaw-shash') Short Definition: grope. Word Origin a prim....
4347. makkah -- a blow, wound, slaughter
... wound (8), wounded (1), wounds (9). beaten, blow, plague, slaughter, smote,
sore, stripe,stroke,. Or (masculine) makkeh {muk-keh...
5607. sepheq -- handclapping, mockery
...stroke, sufficiency. Or sepheq (Job 20:22; job 36:18) {seh'-fek}; from caphaq;
chastisement; also satiety --stroke, sufficiency. see HEBREW caphaq....
4046. maggephah -- a blow, slaughter, plague, pestilence
... be plagued, slaughter,stroke. From nagaph; a pestilence; by analogy, defeat --
(X be) plague(-d), slaughter,stroke. see HEBREW nagaph. 4045, 4046....
4273. machats -- a severe wound
... Word Origin from machats Definition a severe wound NASB Word Usage bruise (1).stroke.
From machats; a contusion --stroke. see HEBREW machats. 4272, 4273....
4112. mahalummoth -- strokes, blows
... Word Origin from halam Definition strokes, blows NASB Word Usage blows (2). stripe,
stroke. From halam; a blow -- stripe,stroke. see HEBREW halam. 4111, 4112...
6471. paam -- a beat, foot, anvil, occurrence
... feet (9), footsteps (3), hoofbeats (1), now (5), oftentimes* (1), once (1), once
more (3), once* (4), other times (5), ranks (2), steps (3),stroke (1), this...
4239. mechi -- a smiting
... Word Origin from machah Definition a smiting NASB Word Usage blow (1). engines.
From machah; astroke, ie Battering-ram -- engines. see HEBREW machah....
5842. et -- a stylus
... pen. From iyt (contracted) in the sense of swooping, ie Side-longstroke; a stylus
or marking stick -- pen. see HEBREW iyt. 5841, 5842. et. 5843 ....
Library
He Fortifies his Opinions with Regard to the Temporal and Earthly...
... be as the light of the sun, seven times that of the day, when He shall heal the
anguish of His people, and do away with the pain of Hisstroke." [4752] Now...
That in God There is but one Only Act, which is his Own Divinity.
... at a printer of pictures, who having spread his sheet upon the plate which has the
same mystery of the Nativity cut in it, gives but a singlestroke of the...
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of...
... lusts and fruits of the flesh in this poor soul of mine, that had not a miracle
of precious grace prevented, I had not only perished by thestroke of eternal...
On the Question of an Accused Bishop Appealing to the Seat of the...
... him. Whoso casteth a stone on high, it will fall upon his own head; and
a deceitfulstroke shall make wounds in the deceiver. Whoso...
Letter i. To Innocent.
... At the very firststroke of the sword the head of the hapless youth was cut off,
and the headless trunk rolled over in its blood. Then came the woman's turn....
The Second Epistle.
... him. Whoso casteth a stone on high, it will fall upon his own head, and
a deceitfulstroke of the deceitful will make wounds. Whoso...
Moses, the Mighty Intercessor
... Moses' prayers are often found relieving the terriblestroke of God's wrath.
Four times were the prayers of Moses solicited by Pharaoh...
The Lord's Supper
... But the blood, sprinkled on the door-posts of the houses in which the Israelites
dwelt, was to save them from thestroke of the angel of death as he passed...
Nanny was not Fit to be Moved for Some Time Yet...
... I was sitting up, with my table before me ready for my tea. Her hand looked
so pretty in its blue glove, that I was tempted tostroke it....
Gods, those which were Confessedly Elevated to the Divine...
... than even Jove's, suckled even at the dugs of a dog); nobody can deny that he deserved
the end which befell him when he perished by astroke of lightning....
Thesaurus
Stroke (26 Occurrences)... stroking. 6. (n.) A mark or dash in writing or printing; a line; the touch
of a pen or pencil; as, an up
stroke; a firm
stroke. 7
...Death-stroke (2 Occurrences)
Death-stroke. Death-shade, Death-stroke. Death-wound . Multi-Version
Concordance Death-stroke (2 Occurrences). Revelation...
Sword-stroke (1 Occurrence)
Sword-stroke. Swordsmen, Sword-stroke. Swore . Multi-Version
Concordance Sword-stroke (1 Occurrence). Revelation 13:14...
Hit (11 Occurrences)
... 3. (imp. & pp) of Hit. 4. (vt) To reach with astroke or blow; to strike or touch,
usually with force; especially, to reach or touch (an object aimed at)....
Lick (8 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To lap; to take in with the tongue; as, a dog or cat licks milk. 3. (n.)
Astroke of the tongue in licking.... 7. (n.) A slap; a quickstroke....
Touch (82 Occurrences)
... 9. (vt) To mark or delineate with touches; to add a slightstroke to with the pencil
or brush. 10.... 29. (n.) A singlestroke on a drawing or a picture. 30....
Throw (135 Occurrences)
... 16. (n.) The act of hurling or flinging; a driving or propelling from the
hand or an engine; a cast. 17. (n.) Astroke; a blow. 18....
Controversy (21 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 17:8 If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment, between
blood and blood, between plea and plea, and betweenstroke andstroke, being...
Cases (16 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 17:8 If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment, between
blood and blood, between plea and plea, and betweenstroke andstroke, being...
Cut (616 Occurrences)
... 14. (vi) To make astroke with a whip. 15.... 19. (n.) Astroke or blow or cutting motion
with an edged instrument; astroke or blow with a whip. 20....
Resources
What is a jot? What is a tittle? | GotQuestions.orgIs the doctrine of preservation biblical? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that Jesus fulfilled the law, but did not abolish it? | GotQuestions.orgStroke: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
