In biblical times, the understanding and treatment of physical injuries, including fractures, were rudimentary compared to modern medical practices. The Bible, while not a medical text, does reference physical injuries and provides insight into the cultural and religious significance of such conditions.

Biblical References and Context

The concept of a fracture, or broken bone, is mentioned in several passages throughout the Bible, often symbolizing physical suffering or divine judgment. One of the most direct references to fractures is found in the context of the Passover lamb. In Exodus 12:46, the Israelites are instructed regarding the Passover meal: "It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones." This command is reiterated in Numbers 9:12, emphasizing the importance of the lamb being whole and unblemished, which foreshadows the messianic prophecy concerning Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament, the Gospel of John highlights the fulfillment of this prophecy in the crucifixion of Jesus. John 19:36 states, "These things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: 'Not one of His bones will be broken.'" This reference underscores the significance of Jesus as the perfect sacrificial Lamb, whose body remained intact even in death, fulfilling the typology established in the Old Testament.

Symbolism and Spiritual Implications

Fractures in the Bible often carry symbolic meaning beyond their physical implications. In Psalm 34:20, it is written, "He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken." This verse is frequently interpreted as a promise of divine protection and care for the righteous. The preservation of bones symbolizes wholeness and integrity, both physically and spiritually.

The imagery of brokenness is also used metaphorically to describe spiritual and emotional states. For instance, Psalm 51:8 expresses a plea for restoration: "Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice." Here, the psalmist uses the metaphor of crushed bones to convey deep contrition and the desire for God's healing and forgiveness.

Cultural and Legal Aspects

In ancient Israelite society, physical injuries, including fractures, had legal and social implications. The Mosaic Law provided guidelines for restitution in cases of personal injury. Exodus 21:18-19 outlines the consequences for causing harm to another person: "If men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but is confined to bed, the one who struck him shall go unpunished if the other can get up and walk around outside with his staff. Nevertheless, he must pay for the injured man's lost work time and see that he is fully healed."

This legal framework reflects the value placed on physical well-being and the responsibility of individuals to ensure the recovery and compensation of those they have harmed. The emphasis on restitution and healing highlights the community's role in supporting the injured and maintaining social harmony.

Conclusion

While the Bible does not provide detailed medical instructions for treating fractures, its references to broken bones carry significant theological and symbolic weight. The preservation of the Passover lamb's bones and the fulfillment of this imagery in Christ's crucifixion underscore the themes of sacrifice, redemption, and divine protection. Additionally, the legal provisions for injury reflect the importance of justice and care within the community. Through these references, the Bible offers a holistic view of physical and spiritual wholeness, emphasizing God's sovereignty and compassion in the lives of His people.1. (n.) The act of breaking or snapping; rupture; breach; as the fracture of a bone or a community.

2. (n.) The breaking of a bone.

3. (n.) The texture of a freshly broken surface; as, a compact fracture; an even, hackly, or conchoidal fracture.

4. (v. t.) To cause a fracture or fractures in; to break; to burst asunder; to crack; to separate the continuous parts of; as, to fracture a bone; to fracture the skull.

4938. suntrimma -- a fracture, fig. a calamity
... 4937, 4938. suntrimma. 4939 . a fracture, fig. ... Word Origin from suntribo Definition
a fracture, fig. a calamity NASB Word Usage destruction (1). destruction ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4938.htm - 6k

4485. rhegma -- a fracture, hence a ruin
... a fracture, hence a ruin. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: rhegma Phonetic
Spelling: (hrayg'-mah) Short Definition: a ruin Definition: what is ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4485.htm - 6k

2800. klasis -- a breaking
... Word Origin from klao Definition a breaking NASB Word Usage breaking (2). breaking.
From klao; fracture (the act) -- breaking. see GREEK klao. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2800.htm - 6k

7667. sheber -- a breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash
... a breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash. Transliteration: sheber or sheber
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh'-ber) Short Definition: destruction. ...
/hebrew/7667.htm - 6k

6531. perek -- harshness, severity
... cruelty, rigor. From an unused root meaning to break apart; fracture, ie Severity --
cruelty, rigour. 6530, 6531. perek. 6532 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6531.htm - 6k

4665. miphreqeth -- neck
... neck. From paraq; properly, a fracture, ie Joint (vertebrae) of the neck -- neck.
see HEBREW paraq. 4664, 4665. miphreqeth. 4666 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/4665.htm - 6k

4386. mekittah -- something crushed or pulverized, crushed ...
... Usage pieces (1). bursting. From kathath; a fracture -- bursting. see HEBREW
kathath. 4385, 4386. mekittah. 4387 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/4386.htm - 6k

That the Ruler Should Be, through Humility, a Companion of Good ...
... For ligature binds a fracture when discipline subdues a sin, lest the wound should
bleed mortally for want of being compressed by the severity of constraint. ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter vi that the ruler.htm

Love's Triumph Over Sin
... that fastened him to his Lord was welded together again, where it had snapped, and
was the stronger because it had been broken, and at the point of fracture. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/loves triumph over sin.htm

Evil Alone is Corruption. Corruption is not Nature, but Contrary ...
... the corruption of straightness is crookedness; the corruption of order is confusion;
the corruption of entireness is disseverance, or fracture, or diminution. ...
/.../chapter 35 name alone is.htm

of the Statue of Christ in Paneas which Julian Overthrew and Made ...
... to the breast; the head and neck were thrown prostrate, and it was transfixed to
the ground with the face downwards at the point where the fracture of the bust ...
/.../sozomen/the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/chapter xxi of the statue.htm

The Parable of the New Patch on the Old Garment, and of the New ...
... A fragment of the higher spiritual life, thus broken off from its living connexion
(destroyed in the fracture), and forced upon the nature of the old man ...
/.../section 138 the parable of.htm

Is the Soul Wounded when the Body is Wounded?
... own existence, and retreats within itself, so that, whenever a limb of the body
is cut off or broken, it does not suffer any amputation or fracture in itself ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 27 is the soul wounded.htm

Open Sins
... that kept him right. They tell us that broken bones are stronger at the
point of fracture than they were before. And it is possible ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/open sins.htm

On the Different Kinds of Cause.
... flesh. Of Procatarctic causes, some require time till the effect be produced,
and others do not require it, as the case of fracture. ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter ix on the different kinds.htm

Book v. --General Reply to Sundry of Marcion's Heresies.
... This hopes he to have ever with himself. Immortal; o'er its fracture doth
he groan; And grieves to quit it limb by limb: fixt time. ...
/.../book v general reply to sundry.htm

The Uses of the Law
... It is like a vase of surpassing workmanship, in order to destroy it you need not
shiver it to atoms, make but the smallest fracture in it and you have ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the uses of the law.htm

Fracture (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The act of breaking or snapping; rupture; breach;
as the fracture of a bone or a community. 2. (n.) The breaking of a bone. ...
/f/fracture.htm - 7k

Glass (12 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A hard, brittle, translucent, and commonly transparent substance, white
or colored, having a conchoidal fracture, and made by fusing together sand or ...
/g/glass.htm - 21k

Inflicted (20 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). Leviticus 24:20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth;
as he has injured someone, so shall it be done to him. (See NAS). ...
/i/inflicted.htm - 12k

Injured (28 Occurrences)
... (WEB NIV). Leviticus 24:20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth;
as he has injured someone, so shall it be done to him. (WEB NAS NIV). ...
/i/injured.htm - 15k

Tooth (7 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 24:20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as
he has injured someone, so shall it be done to him. (WEB ...
/t/tooth.htm - 10k

Disfigured (4 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 24:20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he
has injured someone, so shall it be done to him. (See RSV). ...
/d/disfigured.htm - 7k

Break (257 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To strain apart; to sever by fracture; to divide with violence; as, to break
a rope or chain; to break a seal; to break an axle; to break rocks or coal ...
/b/break.htm - 46k

Breach (55 Occurrences)
... An opening in a wall (1 Kings 11:27; 2 Kings 12:5); the fracture of a limb (Leviticus
24:20), and hence the expression, "Heal, etc." (Psalm 60:2). Judges 5:17 ...
/b/breach.htm - 27k

Rock (176 Occurrences)
... or sand. Some of the harder kinds are very dense and break with a conchoidal
fracture similar to the fracture of flint. In rocks ...
/r/rock.htm - 49k

Someone (153 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 24:20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as
he has injured someone, so shall it be done to him. (WEB). ...
/s/someone.htm - 33k

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