ἀσθενέω (astheneō)
astheneō
be weak: weak
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 34 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb astheneō describes a state of being without strength, covering everything from physical illness to spiritual fragility. Its root conveys a lack of power or capacity, which is why it appears in contexts ranging from Jesus healing the sick to Paul discussing the limitations of human effort.
In the Gospels, the word often refers literally to bodily sickness, as when Jesus heals many who were ill (Mark 6:56) or when Lazarus is described as being sick before his death (John 11:3). This concrete usage grounds the term in real human vulnerability.
Paul expands this meaning significantly. In Romans and Corinthians, he uses astheneō to describe moral weakness or a lack of faith, such as accepting those who are weak in conviction (Romans 14:1). He also applies it to his own ministry, noting that Christ’s power is made perfect in human weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), turning a sign of inadequacy into a channel for divine strength.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word astheneō reminds us that weakness is not a failure of faith, but a shared human reality. In the Gospels, Jesus encounters this fragility in physical illness and social isolation, treating it with dignity rather than judgment. When He heals the sick or visits those imprisoned, He validates our vulnerability as a place where divine compassion meets human need.
Paul later expands this understanding to spiritual life, noting that Christ’s power is most clearly seen when we acknowledge our own limitations. This shifts the focus from self-sufficiency to reliance on God. Instead of hiding our struggles, we can find comfort in knowing that our inadequacy does not disqualify us; it often becomes the very context where grace operates most freely.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 34 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- ailing5×
- is weak2×
- being weak,2×
- being weak2×
- ailing,2×
- was sick.1×
- was sick1×
- was being sick.1×
- may be weak,1×
- it was weak1×
- is weak,1×
- is being weak1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀσθενοῦντας4×
- ἀσθενοῦντα3×
- ἀσθενεῖ3×
- ἠσθένει2×
- ἀσθενῶν2×
- ἀσθενούντων,2×
- ἀσθενεῖ,2×
- ἠσθένησεν.1×
- ἠσθένησεν1×
- ἠσθένησα1×
- ἠσθένει.1×
- ἠσθενήκαμεν·1×
Key Verses
-
Romans 8:3
For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
Here the word describes the law's inability to save due to human frailty, highlighting God’s solution through Christ rather than human effort.
-
John 11:3
The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.”
Mary and Martha use this term to describe Lazarus’s illness, showing how the word grounds spiritual appeals in real, tangible suffering.
-
Romans 14:1
Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions.
Paul uses it to describe those with fragile convictions, urging acceptance rather than judgment within the community of believers.
-
Mark 6:56
Wherever he entered—into villages, or into cities, or into the country—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might just touch the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched him were made well.
This occurrence shows the physical reality of the term, as crowds bring the sick to Jesus seeking healing through even a touch of His garment.