Pestilence
PESTILENCE
Or PLAGUE, in the Hebrew tongue, as in most others, expresses all sorts of distempers and calamitites. The Hebrew word which properly signifies “the plague” is extended to all epidemical and contagious diseases. The prophets generally connect together the sword, the pestilence, and the famine, as three evils, which usually accompany each other.The glandular plague, which in modern times has proved so fatal in the East, is the most virulent and contagious of diseases. In the fourteenth century it overran Europe, Asia, and Africa, and 25,000,000 are estimated to have died of it within three years. Like the Asiatic cholera, it is one of the most appalling scourges sin has brought on this world; and may in this point of view correspond with the “plagues” referred to in the Bible, Exo 9:14 11:1 1Ki 8:37 .
Fuente: American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
Pestilence
is the invariable rendering in the A.V. (except in Exo 9:3, murrain, and in Hos 13:14, plagues) of the Heb. , deber (Sept. usually ), which originally seems to mean simply destruction, but is regularly applied to that common Oriental epidemic the plague (q.v.). The same term is also used in the Hebrew Scriptures for all epidemic or contagious diseases (Lev 26:25). The writers everywhere attribute it either to the agency of God himself or of that legate or angel whom they denominate , malak; hence the Sept. renders the word , deber, or pestilence, in Psa 91:6, by , the daemon of noonday, and Jonathan also renders the same word in the Chaldee Targum (Hab 3:5) by the Chaldee word , angel or messenger. The prophets usually connect together sword, pestilence, and famine, being three of the most grievous inflictions of the Almighty upon a guilty people (2Sa 24:19). In the N.T. the term rendered pestilence is (Mat 24:7; Luk 21:11; pestilent fellow, Act 24:5). SEE DISEASE.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Pestilence
PESTILENCE ().The word is found twice in the Gospels, in both cases in the prophecy of Christ regarding the last days (Mat 24:7 [Authorized Version ; Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 , following WH [Note: H Westcott and Horts text.] and others, omits], Luk 21:11). In the OT the word is used in a generic sense, and usually indicates a direct Divine visitation (Lev 26:25, Num 14:12, 1Ch 21:14, Psa 78:50 etc.). The disease, whatever its nature, is not rarely associated with war and its consequences (Jer 24:10; Jer 29:17; Jer 34:17, Eze 6:11 etc.). Thus it seems to be used by Christ in the texts quoted.
The specific meaning of the word is not easily determined. It seems to indicate a swiftly-developing and mortal illness, contagious or infectious in its nature, as we may infer from Act 24:5. It may point to the glandular or bubonic plague, well known and universally dreaded by the ancients, and the great scourge of the world in the Middle Ages. (See Hasting’s Dictionary of the Bible , iii. pp. 324, 755).
Henry E. Dosker.
Fuente: A Dictionary Of Christ And The Gospels
Pestilence
PESTILENCE.See Medicine, p. 598b.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Pestilence
pesti-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 Amo 4:10 this judgment is compared with the plagues of Egypt, and in Hab 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 Exo 5:3; Exo 9:15; Lev 26:25; Num 14:12; Deu 28:21; 2Sa 24:21; 1Ch 21:12; Eze 14:19, Eze 14:21. In the dedication prayer of Solomon, a special value is besought for such petitions against pestilence as may be presented toward the temple (2Ch 6:28). Such a deliverance is promised to those who put their trust in God (Psa 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 1Ti 6:9.
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 (Mat 24:7 the King James Version; Luk 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 (Psa 91:6) on account of its sudden onset out of obscurity not associated with any apparent cause.
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Pestilence
The terms pestilence and plague are used with much laxity in our Authorized Version. The latter, however, is by far the wider term, as we read of ‘plagues of leprosy,’ ‘of hail,’ and of many other visitations. Pestilence is employed to denote a deadly epidemic. In our time however, both these terms are nearly synonymous; but plague is, by medical writers at least, restricted to mean the glandular plague of the East. There is indeed no description of any pestilence in the Bible, which would enable us to form an adequate idea of its specific character. Severe epidemics are the common accompaniments of dense crowding in cities, and of famine; and we accordingly often find them mentioned in connection (Lev 26:25; Jer 14:12; Jer 29:18; Mat 24:7; Luk 21:11). But there is no better argument for believing that ‘pestilence’ in these instances means the glandular plague, than the fact of its being at present a prevalent epidemic of the East. It is also remarkable that the Mosaic law, which contains such strict rules for the seclusion of lepers, should have allowed a disease to pass unnoticed, which is above all others the most deadly, and, at the same time, the most easily checked by sanitary regulations of the same kind.
Fuente: Popular Cyclopedia Biblical Literature
Pestilence
This is often mentioned along with the sword and the famine as punishment from God upon His rebellious people. It is represented as being sent directly by God Himself. When David had numbered the people, the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel, and there died 70,000 men. 2Sa 24:15-16.
Fuente: Concise Bible Dictionary
Pestilence
Sent as a judgment
Lev 26:16; Lev 26:25
Sent upon the Egyptians
Egypt; Plague
Fuente: Nave’s Topical Bible
Pestilence
Pestilence. See Plague, The.
Fuente: Smith’s Bible Dictionary
Pestilence
or plague, generally is used by the Hebrews for all epidemic or contagious diseases. The prophets usually connect together sword, pestilence, and famine, being three of the most grievous inflictions of the Almighty upon a guilty people. See DISEASES.