I felt it would be good for us to do a little “Word Study” as a part of our Prayer Storm efforts this week. So we are going to take a look at the Greek and Hebrew words used in scripture for healing. Let’s consider them and then be armed with the word of God for effective prayer purposes.
1. Wholeness is the root word ‘iaomai’ one of the five New Testament Greek verbs translated as ‘heal’. This word is used physically twenty five times (Matt. 15:28), figuratively of spiritual healing five times (Matt. 13:15, Jm. 5:16)
2. Soso is used sixteen times by Jesus. Taken from an Aramaic term, it has a two fold meaning of ‘to make alive’ or to make healthy.
3. In Mark 3:4 the word Psuchen sozai is used and implies spiritual as well as physical salvation. John Wilkerson writes... Sozo’s wide application in the Gospels indicates...that healing and salvation overlap... Healing of the body is never completely separable. Healing of the body is never purely physical and the salvation of the soul is never purely spiritual, but both are combined. in the total deliverance of the whole man.
4. Therapeuo is the most frequently uses and indicates that divine healing is immediate and complete restoration to health... (in need of) no more attention.
5. Apokathistemi means to restore to former condition of health.
1. rapa, rp. - means to restore, fix, repair, mend, remit, make whole and to heal (Ex. 15:26). The same root is used for the healing, making whole or restoring of the body and spirit, land and water, city and nation. Every instance it is used in the bible, rp has reference to restoring a wrong, sick, broken, or deficient condition to its original and proper state. The Lord as “rope” could be supplicated to make infertile wombs fruitful, mend earthquake torn lands, make poisonous waters wholesome or restore an apostate people. There was great fluidity in this OT usage.
2. sp. - means to gather or remove. It is found four times in the context of healing all with reference to Naaman the “leper” (2 Ki. 5:3, 6, 7, 11). Hence Naaman was regathered to his people from his leprosy.
3. (‘lh)’ ruka (cf. te ala). - means healing of a wound or restoration. It is used three times in Jeremiah 8:22; 30:17; 33:6, always with “lh” and contextually coupled with rp’ and once in Isaiah 58:8 as a prophetic metaphor. It is used figuratively for the rebuilding of Jerusalem walls (Neh. 4:1), and the repairing of the temple in 2 Chr. 24:13. It occurs twice in Jeremiah related to the concept of healing new skin.
4. ghh. - means to free (from sickness), cure. Occurs once verbally in prophetic, metaphorical usage (Hos. 5:13) and once nominally in Prov. 17:22 - A cheerful heart is good medicine.
5. hbs. - means to bind or “to tie on, up as in “to saddle (a donkey)” (Gen. 22:3; Ex. 29:9). It is used primarily in prophetic or metaphoric usage meaning to bind up, bandage a wound (Isa. 1:6; Hos. 6:1) to bind a fracture (Ezek. 30:21; 34:4,16; Isa. 30:26) and more generally “to bind up, heal (Job 5:18), even to the broken hearted who figuratively speaking also need to be bound up (Isa. 61:1; Ps. 147:3)
6. hyh. - Just as sickness is associated with death, so healing is associated with life, and life and death, healing and life are in God’s hands. Deut. 32:29 - I put to death and bring to life (wa hayyeh), I wound and I will heal. hyh can mean to make alive or bring back to life, to live or be healed (with reference to healing the seriously ill, as opposed to resurrection of the dead) and is practically synonymous with curing diseases. Either the sick person is in danger of death - hence, being kept alive means being healed; or the sick person, because of his or her affliction, is not truly “living” - hence, to live, in the fullest sense of the word, one must be restored from his illness. (Num. 21; 14: 38; 2 Ki. 2; Isa. 38:1, Isa. 38:9, 21; Gen. 20:7; Ps. 143:11; 33:19; 41:3; 30:4)
7. hlm - In the sense of “to become healthy, strong. (Job 39:4; Isa. 38:16)
8. metom - means soundness. Occurs three times in the context of health (Ps. 38:4, 7; Isa. 1:6).
9. swb. - means to turn back. In the domain of physical healing , it means to restore (return, turn back to the previous state of health as in 2 Ki. 5:14 - and his flesh was restored and become clean like that of a young boy. (1 Ki. 13:4-6). When used with nepes, swb can mean “to refresh, reinvigorate, keep alive (Ru. 4:15; Ps. 19:8; Pr. 25:13; La. 1:11, 19), or simply “to bring one back, rescue” (Job 33:30).
10. slm.- meaning a sense of wholeness, well-being. The NIV translates salom in 1 Sam. 25:6 with good health (Isa. 57:18-19, Jer. 6:14).
Now with the Word of God in our hearts – let’s declare the Healing Atoning work of God over ourselves, over our loved ones, over our congregations and ministries and even over whole cities.
Continue to pray for me to be totally healed of all rebellious cancer cells this week in Jesus name. Pray for an outbreak of power evangelism as Jesus stretches forth His hand to do miracles.
Just think – this week believers in over 72 nations of the earth will be proclaiming Healing is the Children’s Bread.
Declare. Believe it! Receive it in Jesus Name!
James W. Goll
