παραλύω (paraluō)
paraluō
to paralyze
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb paraluo means to loosen or relax, specifically describing a physical weakening of the body’s limbs. It is formed from a prefix indicating "beside" or "alongside" and a root meaning "to loose." In the New Testament, this word appears in only five verses, primarily in Luke, Acts, and Hebrews, where it describes people who are physically unable to move due to nerve weakness.
While modern English often reserves "paralyzed" for total loss of function, the Greek sense here is closer to being enfeebled or unstrung. The sources note that this term captures a state of being loosened from strength, where the nerves fail to hold the body together. This nuance is visible when Luke describes the healing of a man who could not walk, emphasizing his physical incapacity before Jesus’ intervention.
A key theological point arises in Hebrews 12:12, where believers are urged to lift up their "drooping hands" and strengthen their weak knees. Here, paraluo is used metaphorically for spiritual exhaustion or moral weakness. The word bridges the physical reality of bodily failure with the need for communal encouragement, showing how early Christians understood both physical healing and spiritual endurance as interconnected struggles.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word paraluo paints a picture of being unstrung or loosened from strength. In the Gospels, it describes physical inability, like the man brought on a cot in Luke 5:18. Yet Hebrews 12:12 uses this same term metaphorically for spiritual exhaustion. It reminds us that weariness is not just a feeling but a real state of weakness that affects our whole being.
When you feel drained, this word offers comfort. It acknowledges that your hands may hang down and your knees may be feeble. The call in Hebrews is not to force strength but to lift up what is weak. This invitation to endurance shows how physical reality and spiritual hope are connected in the Christian life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- paralyzed;1×
- paralyzed.1×
- paralyzed,1×
- paralyzed1×
- enfeebled1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- παραλελυμένῳ·1×
- παραλελυμένος.1×
- παραλελυμένος,1×
- παραλελυμένοι1×
- παραλελυμένα1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 5:18
Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus.
This verse establishes the literal meaning of the word by describing a man physically unable to move, setting the stage for Jesus' healing authority.
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Acts 9:33
There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years because he was paralyzed.
Here the term highlights the long-term nature of paralysis, showing how Aeneas was bedridden for eight years before Peter's intervention.
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Hebrews 12:12
Therefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees,
This metaphorical use applies the physical concept of weakness to spiritual fatigue, urging believers to strengthen their drooping hands and feeble knees.