3227

Lexical Summary

(Not Used): (Not Used)

(Not Used)
Part of Speech:
Transliteration: (Not Used)
(Not Used)

Topical Lexicon

Malagchras—an obsolete aorist form of málagma, “a soothing remedy, an emollient”

Essential Idea

Although the verb itself never appears in the Greek New Testament, its family of words centers on the act of softening, soothing, or healing wounds. It pictures the gracious application of a salve that eases pain, reduces inflammation, and promotes restoration. Scripture frequently employs similar medical imagery for God’s redemptive work (Jeremiah 8:22; Luke 10:34), making this unused verbal form a vivid window into the biblical theme of divine healing—both physical and spiritual.

Old Testament Background (Septuagint)

The cognate noun málagma surfaces several times in the Septuagint, describing the ointments used by physicians (Isaiah 1:6) or Babylon’s futile “balms” (Jeremiah 51:8). These contexts contrast temporary human relief with the LORD’s ultimate cure for sin and covenant breach (Psalm 147:3). Through this lens, Malagchras suggests that only God’s prescribed remedy—faith, repentance, and the atoning work foreshadowed in the sacrificial system—can truly soothe the soul.

Intertestamental and Classical Usage

In classical Greek medicine Hippocrates recommended a málagma of olive oil and wine for bruises. By the first century the term broadened to any palliative measure, whether medicinal, diplomatic, or rhetorical. Josephus used the noun to describe Herod’s political “soothing words.” The unused aorist form represented a single, decisive application—precisely the kind of once-for-all treatment Christians confess in Jesus Christ’s atoning death (Hebrews 10:10).

Theological Connections in the New Testament

1. Christ as the True Physician
• “By His stripes we are healed” (1 Peter 2:24, echoing Isaiah 53:5).
• Jesus’ miracles of cleansing lepers and opening blind eyes embody the divine málagma foreshadowed in the prophets (Matthew 8:1-4; John 9:1-7).

2. The Gospel as Spiritual Balm
• The Good Samaritan “went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine” (Luke 10:34). The parable pictures the Evangel’s healing effects: compassion moves toward the broken, applies costly grace, and secures ongoing care.

3. Pastoral Ministry
• Elders are to “anoint the sick with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14), coupling physical treatment with prayerful dependence on divine mercy.
• Sound teaching “binds up” the bruised conscience, whereas false doctrine offers only the empty poultices condemned in Jeremiah 6:14.

Practical Ministry Significance

• Counseling: Malagchras reminds pastors that Scripture, administered in love, is the Spirit’s chosen salve for guilt, grief, and fear (Psalm 19:7-11).
• Church Discipline: Restoration aims not to punish but to “restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1), applying truth like a healing ointment.
• Evangelism: The gospel addresses humanity’s deepest wounds—alienation from God—offering the one cure that will not fail (Acts 4:12).

Homiletical Reflection

The unused verb presses preachers to ask: Are we dispensing Christ’s balm or merely moral band-aids? Like the prophet Elisha who threw flour into bitter waters (2 Kings 2:19-22), faithful ministers apply the seemingly simple remedy of the cross, trusting God to sweeten and heal.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 3227 never appears in the inspired Greek text, yet its meaning enriches biblical theology. It points believers to the Lord who alone “heals all your diseases” (Psalm 103:3) and calls His servants to be skilled apothecaries of grace, bringing the soothing, sin-cleansing power of the gospel to a wounded world.

Englishman's Concordance

μελῶν — 2 Occ.
μέλος — 5 Occ.
Μελχὶ — 2 Occ.
Μελχισεδέκ — 8 Occ.
ἔμελεν — 2 Occ.
μέλει — 7 Occ.
μελέτω — 1 Occ.
μεμβράνας — 1 Occ.
μέμφεται — 1 Occ.
μεμφόμενος — 1 Occ.
μὲν — 182 Occ.
Μενοῦν — 1 Occ.
μενοῦνγε — 2 Occ.
μέντοι — 8 Occ.
ἐμείναμεν — 2 Occ.
ἔμειναν — 2 Occ.
ἔμεινεν — 10 Occ.
ἔμενεν — 3 Occ.
ἔμενον — 1 Occ.
μεῖναι — 6 Occ.