Definition and Medical Understanding:
Dropsy, known in modern medical terms as edema, is a condition characterized by an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the body's tissues, leading to swelling. In ancient times, this condition was often associated with various underlying health issues, such as heart, liver, or kidney problems. The term "dropsy" is derived from the Greek word "hydrops," which means "water."

Biblical Reference:
The condition of dropsy is specifically mentioned in the New Testament, in the Gospel of Luke. The account is found in Luke 14:1-6, where Jesus heals a man suffering from dropsy on the Sabbath:

"One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the home of a leading Pharisee, and those in attendance were watching Him closely. Right there before Him was a man with dropsy. So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?' But they remained silent. Then Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him on his way. And He asked them, 'Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?' And they were unable to answer these questions." (Luke 14:1-6)

Context and Interpretation:
In this passage, Jesus is invited to dine at the house of a prominent Pharisee, where He encounters a man afflicted with dropsy. The presence of this man at the Pharisee's house may have been a setup to test Jesus, as healing on the Sabbath was a contentious issue among the Jewish religious leaders. The Pharisees and experts in the law were known for their strict interpretation of the Sabbath laws, which prohibited work, including acts of healing.

Jesus, aware of their intentions, uses the opportunity to challenge their understanding of the law. By healing the man with dropsy, Jesus demonstrates His authority over the Sabbath and emphasizes the importance of compassion and mercy over legalistic adherence to the law. His rhetorical question about rescuing a son or an ox on the Sabbath highlights the inconsistency in the Pharisees' thinking and underscores the value of human life and well-being.

Theological Significance:
The healing of the man with dropsy serves as a powerful illustration of Jesus' mission to bring physical and spiritual restoration. It reflects His compassion for those who suffer and His willingness to confront and correct misguided religious practices. This account also reinforces the principle that the Sabbath was made for man's benefit, not as a burden, and that acts of mercy align with God's intentions for the Sabbath.

In a broader theological context, the healing of dropsy can be seen as a metaphor for the spiritual healing that Jesus offers. Just as the physical condition of dropsy involves an excess of fluid, spiritual dropsy can symbolize the burdens and sins that weigh down the soul. Jesus' healing power extends beyond the physical realm, offering redemption and freedom from the spiritual ailments that afflict humanity.

Historical and Cultural Insights:
In the ancient world, dropsy was a visible and distressing condition, often leading to social stigma and isolation. The presence of a man with dropsy at a Pharisee's house is notable, as it suggests either a deliberate attempt to test Jesus or an unusual act of charity. The cultural context of the time placed significant emphasis on ritual purity and adherence to the law, making Jesus' actions all the more radical and provocative.

The account of Jesus healing the man with dropsy is a testament to His revolutionary approach to the law and His unwavering commitment to love and mercy. It challenges believers to prioritize compassion and to recognize the inherent dignity and worth of every individual, regardless of their physical or spiritual condition.Mentioned only in Luke 14:2. The man afflicted with it was cured by Christ on the Sabbath. (n.) An unnatural collection of serous fluid in any serous cavity of the body, or in the subcutaneous cellular tissue.DROPSY

drop'-si (hudropikos, "a man afflicted with hudrops or dropsy"): Both forms of this disease occur in Palestine, that in which the limbs and body are distended with water called anasarca, depending generally on cardiac or renal disease, and the form confined to the abdomen, usually the result of liver infection. The latter is the commoner, as liver disease is a frequent result of recurrent attacks of malarial fever. The man was evidently able to move about, as he had entered into the Pharisee's house (Luke 14:2).

5203. hudropikos -- suffering from edema
... edema. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: hudropikos Phonetic Spelling:
(hoo-dro-pik-os') Short Definition: afflicted with dropsy Definition: afflicted ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5203.htm - 6k

Christ's Discourses in Per??a - Close of the Per??an Ministry
... Without here discussing the motives for this invitation, its acceptance was certainly
made use of to watch Him.' And the man with the dropsy had, no doubt ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xx christs discourses in.htm

Knox in the War of the Congregation: the Regent Attacked: Her ...
... She told him that she was suffering from dropsy; "one of her legs begins
to swell. . . . You know there are but three days for the ...
/.../lang/john knox and the reformation/chapter xii knox in the.htm

The Tenth Commandment
... of covetousness. Pleonexia, which signifies an insatiable desire of getting
the world.' Covetousness is a dry dropsy. Augustine ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 1 the tenth commandment.htm

Fate of the Enemies of Jesus.
... to another, he had a fall in his field, in consequence of which his bowels gushed
out.[4] According to others, he died of a kind of dropsy, accompanied by ...
//christianbookshelf.org/renan/the life of jesus/chapter xxvii fate of the.htm

The Sack of Rome
... This degenerate Spaniard, who was really a crowned eunuch, and was to spend his
life in the society of the palace eunuchs and die of dropsy"this son of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/i the sack of rome.htm

Ridicule of the Philosophers.
... Death, however, demonstrated the stupidity of this man; for, being attacked by dropsy,
as he had studied the art of medicine as well as philosophy, he ...
/.../tatians address to the greeks/chapter iii ridicule of the philosophers.htm

The Lessons of a Feast
... of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath day, that they watched Him.2.
And, behold, there was a certain man before Him which had the dropsy.3. And ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/the lessons of a feast.htm

Of the Fourth Consideration of the Sacred, Holy Stigmata
... confines of Arezzo, a woman came to him weeping bitterly, and carrying in her arms
her son, a boy of eight years old, so greatly swollen with dropsy that he ...
/.../the little flowers of st francis of assisi/of the fourth consideration of.htm

Of Another Hindrance
... If a man thus falls into sickness and cold, he is sometimes caught by dropsy, that
is to say, he has an inclination towards the outward possession of earthly ...
/.../the adornment of the spritual marriage/chapter xxxi of another hindrance.htm

John v. 14
... having applied the knife to the body, so repressed the evil ( 1 Corinthians 5:5 );
like some excellent physician employing external cautery for dropsy or spleen ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xxxviii john v 14.htm

Dropsy (1 Occurrence)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. DROPSY. ... Multi-Version Concordance Dropsy (1 Occurrence).
Luke 14:2 Behold, a certain man who had dropsy was in front of him. ...
/d/dropsy.htm - 7k

Dropsical (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Diseased with dropsy; hydropical; tending to dropsy;
as, a dropsical patient. 2. (a.) of or pertaining to dropsy. ...
/d/dropsical.htm - 6k

Dropt (1 Occurrence)

/d/dropt.htm - 6k

Swell (9 Occurrences)
... dilate or extend the exterior surface or dimensions, by matter added within, or
by expansion of the enclosed substance; as, the legs swell in dropsy; a bruised ...
/s/swell.htm - 13k

Front (327 Occurrences)
... He arose and stood. (See NIV). Luke 14:2 Behold, a certain man who had dropsy
was in front of him. (WEB WEY NAS NIV). Luke 18:39 Those ...
/f/front.htm - 37k

Suffering (104 Occurrences)
... one by one, and cured them. (WEY). Luke 14:2 In front of Him was a man suffering
from dropsy. (WEY NAS NIV). Luke 16:24 And he crying ...
/s/suffering.htm - 40k

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