A stretcher, in biblical times, refers to a portable bed or mat used for carrying individuals who were unable to walk due to illness or injury. This simple yet essential tool is mentioned in several passages of the New Testament, highlighting its role in the context of healing and miracles performed by Jesus Christ.

One of the most notable references to a stretcher is found in the account of the healing of the paralytic, as recorded in the Gospels. In Mark 2:1-12, we read about a paralyzed man who was brought to Jesus by four friends. Due to the large crowd gathered around Jesus, they were unable to reach Him directly. Demonstrating great faith and determination, they removed the roof above Jesus and lowered the man on his stretcher into the room. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven" (Mark 2:5). He then commanded the man to "get up, pick up your mat, and go home" (Mark 2:11). The man immediately rose, took up his stretcher, and walked out in full view of everyone, leaving the crowd amazed and glorifying God.

A similar account is found in Luke 5:17-26, where the same event is described with slight variations. Here, the emphasis is again on the faith of the friends and the authority of Jesus to forgive sins and heal physical ailments. The stretcher serves as a symbol of the man's previous incapacity and the transformative power of Christ's healing.

In John 5:1-15, another instance involving a stretcher is described at the Pool of Bethesda. Jesus encounters a man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. Upon seeing him, Jesus asks, "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6). After the man explains his predicament, Jesus commands him, "Get up, pick up your mat, and walk" (John 5:8). The man is immediately healed, picks up his stretcher, and walks, demonstrating the miraculous power of Jesus' word.

The use of a stretcher in these narratives underscores the physical and spiritual restoration that Jesus offers. It highlights the faith of those who seek His help and the authority He possesses over both sin and sickness. The stretcher, therefore, is not merely a tool for physical transport but a testament to the transformative encounters with Christ that lead to healing and redemption.

In the broader biblical context, the stretcher can be seen as a metaphor for the burdens and incapacities that individuals carry, which can be lifted through faith in Jesus. The accounts involving stretchers remind believers of the importance of intercessory faith, the readiness to bring others to Christ, and the assurance of His power to heal and forgive.1. (n.) One who, or that which, stretches.

2. (n.) A brick or stone laid with its longer dimension in the line of direction of the wall.

3. (n.) A piece of timber used in building.

4. (n.) A narrow crosspiece of the bottom of a boat against which a rower braces his feet.

5. (n.) A crosspiece placed between the sides of a boat to keep them apart when hoisted up and griped.

6. (n.) A litter, or frame, for carrying disabled, wounded, or dead persons.

7. (n.) An overstretching of the truth; a lie.

8. (n.) One of the rods in an umbrella, attached at one end to one of the ribs, and at the other to the tube sliding upon the handle.

9. (n.) An instrument for stretching boots or gloves.

10. (n.) The frame upon which canvas is stretched for a painting.

2826. klinidion -- a small couch
... litter of a sick person. Word Origin dim. of kline Definition a small couch
NASB Word Usage stretcher (2). bed. Neuter of a presumed ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2826.htm - 6k4670. miphtan -- threshold
... threshold. From the same as pethen; a stretcher, ie A sill -- threshold. see HEBREW
pethen. 4669, 4670. miphtan. 4671 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/4670.htm - 6k

The Story of one Furlough (1908-1910)
... My son was brought back to Toronto on a stretcher, the doctor not allowing him to
raise his head; but on arrival he would not obey orders, declaring that he ...
/.../goforth/how i know god answers prayer/vii the story of one.htm

Various Precepts.
... shall be or no. [2414] 5. Be not a stretcher forth of the hands to receive
and a drawer of them back to give. [2415] 6. If thou ...
/.../various/the teaching of the twelve apostles/chapter iv name precepts.htm

Jesus Raises the Widow's Son.
... It was more likely a stretcher of boards, with the pallet or bed upon it, and
the body of the young man wrapped in linen lying upon the bed. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xliv jesus raises the widows.htm

In Death and after Death
... Children less than a month old were carried to the burying by their mothers;
those under twelve months were borne on a bed or stretcher. ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 10 in death and.htm

Stretcher (3 Occurrences)
...Stretcher (3 Occurrences). ... Luke 7:14 And he came near, and put his hand on the stretcher
where the dead man was: and those who were moving it came to a stop. ...
/s/stretcher.htm - 8k

Stretches (14 Occurrences)

/s/stretches.htm - 10k

Litter (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) A bed or stretcher so arranged that a person,
esp. a sick or wounded person, may be easily carried in or upon it. ...
/l/litter.htm - 9k

Moving (117 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Luke 7:14 And he came near, and put his hand on the stretcher where the
dead man was: and those who were moving it came to a stop. ...
/m/moving.htm - 37k

Bond (32 Occurrences)
... headers and stretchers alternately, so laid as always to break joints; Cross bond,
which differs from the English by the change of the second stretcher line so ...
/b/bond.htm - 19k

Stretchedst (1 Occurrence)

/s/stretchedst.htm - 6k

Stop (108 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Luke 7:14 And he came near, and put his hand on the stretcher where
the dead man was: and those who were moving it came to a stop. ...
/s/stop.htm - 38k

Dead (580 Occurrences)
... Luke 7:14 And he came near, and put his hand on the stretcher where the
dead man was: and those who were moving it came to a stop. ...
/d/dead.htm - 80k

Stretcher: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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