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Pestilence

pes'-ti-lens ((pestis) the plague)
RELATED:
Aaron, Book of Amos, Book of Joel, Book of Joshua, David, War
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Easton's Bible Dictionary

(no entry)

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Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names

(no entry)

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Smith's Bible Dictionary

(SEE FROM PLAGUE)
The plague is considered to be a severe kind of typhus, accompanied by buboes (tumors). --Like the cholera, it is most violent at the first outbreak, causing almost instant death. Great difference of opinion has obtained as to whether it is contagious or not. It was very prevalent in the East, and still prevails in Egypt. Several Hebrew words are translated "pestilence" or "plague" but not one of these words call be considered as designating by its signification the disease now called the plague. Whether the disease be mentioned must be judged from the sense of passages, not from the sense of words.

Those pestilences which were sent as special judgments, and were either supernaturally rapid in their effects or were in addition directed against particular culprits are beyond the reach of human inquiry. But we also read of pestilences which, although sent as judgments, have the characteristics of modern epidemics, not being rapid beyond nature nor directed against individuals. ( Leviticus 26:25 ; 28:21 ) In neither of these passages does,it seem certain that the plague is specified. The notices in the prophets present the same difficulty. Hezekiahs disease has been thought to have been the plague, and its fatal nature, as well as the mention of a boil, makes this not improbable. On the other hand, there Is no mention of a pestilence among his people at the time.


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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

pes'-ti-lens (debher; loimos):

Any sudden fatal epidemic is designated by this word, and in its Biblical use it generally indicates that these are divine visitations. The word is most frequently used in the prophetic books, and it occurs 25 times in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, always associated with the sword and famine. In 4 other passages it is combined with noisome or evil beasts, or war. In Amos 4:10 this judgment is compared with the plagues of Egypt, and in Habakkuk 3:5 it is a concomitant of the march of God from the Arabian mountain. There is the same judicial character associated with pestilence in Exodus 5:3 ; 9:15 ; Leviticus 26:25 ; Numbers 14:12 ; Deuteronomy 28:21 ; 2 Samuel 24:21 ; 1 Chronicles 21:12 ; Ezekiel 14:19 , 21. In the dedication prayer of Solomon, a special value is besought for such petitions against pestilence as may be presented toward the temple (2 Chronicles 6:28). Such a deliverance is promised to those who put their trust in God (Psalms 91:6). Here the pestilence is called noisome, a shortened form of "annoysome," used in the sense of "hateful" or that which causes trouble or distress. In modern English it has acquired the sense of loathsome. "Noisome" is used by Tyndale where the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) have "hurtful" in 1 Timothy 6:9 , Acts 19:8 the King James Version writes "persuading the things" (the Revised Version (British and American) "as to the things") for "present the things persuasively." And in Galatians 1:10 (the English Revised Version and the King James Version, not in the American Standard Revised Version) and 2 Corinthians 5:11, there is a half-ironic force in the word: Paul's enemies have accused him of using unworthy persuasion in making his conversions.

The Latin word pestilentia is connected with pestis, "the plague," but pestilence is used of any visitation and is not the name of any special disease; debher is applied to diseases of cattle and is translated "murrain."

In the New Testament pestilence is mentioned in our Lord's eschatological discourse (Matthew 24:7 the King James Version; Luke 21:11) coupled with famine. The assonance of loimos and limos in these passages (loimos is omitted in the Revised Version (British and American) passage for Mt) occurs in several classical passages, e.g. Herodotus vii.171. The pestilence is said to walk in darkness (Psalms 91:6) on account of its sudden onset out of obscurity not associated with any apparent cause.




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Tags:

bible commentary, bible history, bible reference, bible study, define, divine judgment, noisome, pestilence, plague

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