Lexical Summary mastix: Scourge, Whip, Plague Original Word: μάστιξ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance plague, scourging. Probably from the base of massaomai (through the idea of contact); a whip (literally, the Roman flagellum for criminals; figuratively, a disease) -- plague, scourging. see GREEK massaomai HELPS Word-studies 3148 mástiks – properly, a disease that (literally) carried a torturous level of pain (the root is, "a scourge/plague"). "The plague (mastigos) or scourge, was a whip used in flagellations, as on Paul, to find out his guilt (Ac 22:24, cf. Heb 11:26). It is an old word that was used for afflictions regarded as a scourge from God" (WP, 1 299). When 3148 (mástiks) refers to a disease (Mk 3:10, 5:29,34; Lk 7:21), it emphasizes the oppressive pain (suffering) of this acute disorder – acting like a scourge ("plague") which is highly painful and debilitating. When 3148 (mástiks) refers to literal whipping (Ac 23:24; Heb 11:36), it stresses its pain and debilitating after-effects. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain origin Definition a whip, scourge NASB Translation affliction (2), afflictions (2), scourging (1), scourgings (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3148: μάστιξμάστιξ, μαστιχος, ἡ, a whip, scourge (for שׁוט, 1 Kings 12:11, 14; Proverbs 26:3): Acts 22:21; Hebrews 11:36; metaphorically, a scourge, plague, i. e. a calamity, misfortune, especially as sent by God to discipline or punish (Psalm 88:33 Topical Lexicon Overview Unlike the ordinary word for “to flog” found in the Passion narratives (phragellóō, Matthew 27:26), the substantive mástix paints a broader picture: it can denote a literal lash, an affliction that strikes like a whip, or the punitive beating suffered by God’s people. Its six New Testament occurrences gather around two spheres—compassionate healing and redemptive suffering—and thereby trace the gospel’s movement from misery to mercy, from painful discipline to persevering faith. Old Testament and Intertestamental Background The Septuagint often employs mástix to translate Hebrew makkāh or negaʿ, words that embrace both plague and blow (for example, Exodus 9:14; Deuteronomy 25:2; Nahum 3:2). This dual nuance enabled Jewish readers to recognize calamities—whether inflicted by disease or by a whip—as instruments in the hand of the sovereign LORD. Second-Temple literature extends the term to martyrdom (e.g., 2 Maccabees 7:1), laying an interpretive foundation that Hebrews 11 will later draw upon. New Testament Usage 1. The Healing Ministry of Jesus Here, mástix is no longer a sign of divine displeasure alone; it becomes the arena in which the compassion of Christ is manifest. What human hands had been powerless to cure, a single touch of faith remedies. Diseases that lash the body are surrendered to the Savior who “bore our sicknesses” (Isaiah 53 echoed). 2. Discipleship in the Face of Persecution Believers inherit a legacy of endurance that stretches from the prophets to the apostles. The “scourge” once lifted against Israel’s foes (Isaiah 10:26) now falls upon the faithful, yet it does not silence their witness. The passage in Hebrews situates mástix within a catalog of faith, turning the lash into a badge of heavenly approval. Theological Reflections • Divine Discipline and Fatherly Love Proverbs 3:11–12 (cf. Hebrews 12:5–6) draws on this imagery: the Lord’s “chastening” resembles a whip that corrects, not destroys. The Christian receives trial neither as random cruelty nor as karmic retribution, but as purposeful shaping into Christlikeness. • The Messianic Fulfillment Though the noun mástix is absent from the Passion accounts, the very notion of scourging climaxes at the cross. By His stripes we are healed; by His scourging we find peace (Isaiah 53:5). The healing narratives therefore anticipate the atonement, while the persecution texts participate in its ongoing fellowship (Philippians 3:10). Pastoral and Missional Implications 1. Hope for the Afflicted Every “scourge” of body or circumstance falls under Christ’s authority. Believers minister with confidence that the same Lord who stilled hemorrhage and plague still answers prayer, whether through miraculous relief, medical means, or sustaining grace. 2. Courage for the Persecuted The church must neither seek nor shun the whip. When it comes, it confirms solidarity with the faithful who “overcame by the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11). Righteous suffering, borne without retaliation, adorns the gospel and often advances it (Acts 16:25–34). 3. Discipline That Yields Peaceful Fruit In personal sanctification, the chastening “scourge” teaches obedience. Far from contradiction, love and holy severity meet in the Father’s hand, leading to “the peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11). Summary Mástix moves through Scripture as a signpost from misery to mercy. Whether describing sickness relieved at a touch, or stripes endured for confession of Christ, each occurrence underscores a single truth: the God who allows the scourge also redeems it, wielding both healing and hardship for the glory of His Son and the good of His people. Forms and Transliterations μαστιγας μαστιγάς μάστιγας μάστιγες μάστιγι μαστιγος μάστιγος μάστιγός μαστιγων μαστίγων μάστιξ μάστιξι μαστιξιν μάστιξιν mastigas mástigas mastigon mastigōn mastígon mastígōn mastigos mástigos mástigós mastixin mástixinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Mark 3:10 N-AFPGRK: ὅσοι εἶχον μάστιγας NAS: had afflictions pressed around KJV: as many as had plagues. INT: as many as had diseases Mark 5:29 N-GFS Mark 5:34 N-GFS Luke 7:21 N-GFP Acts 22:24 N-DFP Hebrews 11:36 N-GFP Strong's Greek 3148 |
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