Heal
Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types [1]
Deuteronomy 32:39 (b) This type teaches the spiritual lesson that the Lord is able to mend the troubles that come in among GOD's people.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (b) Here is a promise from God that He will remove the curse, the drought, and the famine from the land of Palestine and cause it to become fruitful again.
Psalm 147:3 (b) By this is revealed that the Lord, by His words of comfort, His messages of mercy, and His promises of peace, will remove the sting and the hurt from human hearts.
Jeremiah 3:22 (a) This is a promise from God that He will repair the damage that has been done by and in Israel when they return to the Lord their God, and in humility walk again with Him.
Jeremiah 17:14 (a) In this way Jeremiah expressed his great desire for the Lord to minister comfort to his heart; his spirit was sore broken by the way he had been treated by the people whom he came to help. He needed the comfort of his God.
Jeremiah 30:17 (a) This is a promise from God that He would repair the broken-down cities, cause the ground to be fertile, restore the rains, and make Israel again a healthy and happy nation of people.
Lamentations 2:13 (a) The Lord indicates quite clearly that nobody on earth could restore Israel to her former state of health, holiness and power, except the Lord of glory Himself. (See Hosea 5:13; Hosea 6:1).
Hosea 14:4 (b) The God of love offers in this passage to restore the land of Israel, to bring the hearts of her people back to Himself, and to repair and remove the damage done by invaders, and brought about by her idolatry.
Zechariah 11:16 (a) The Lord indicates here that He will raise up a ruler over Israel who will pretend to be a shepherd, but will really be an idolator who will deceive Israel, and will work for their eventual ruin.
Matthew 13:15 (a) God expresses His desire to restore Israel, but they reject His offer and prefer to stay as slaves to the invader and live in rebellion to their Lord. (See John 12:40; Acts 28:27).
Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words [2]
Râphâ' (רָפָה, Strong'S #7495), “to heal.” This word is common to both ancient and modern Hebrew. It occurs approximately 65 times in the Hebrew Old Testament, appearing first in Gen. 20:17: “… God healed Abimelech.”
“To heal” may be described as “restoring to normal,” an act which God typically performs. Thus, appeals to God for healing are common: “… O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed” (Ps. 6:2); “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed …” (Jer. 17:14). Not only are human diseases “healed,” but bad water is restored to normal or “healed” (2 Kings 2:22); salt water is “healed” or made fresh (Ezek. 47:8); even pottery is “healed” or restored (Jer. 19:11).
A large number of the uses of râphâ' express the “healing” of the nation—such “healing” not only involves God’s grace and forgiveness, but also the nation’s repentance. Divine discipline leads to repentance and “healing”: “Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us …” (Hos. 6:1). God promises: “For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord …” (Jer. 30:17). Even foreign cities and powers can know God’s “healing” if they repent (Jer. 51:8-9).
False prophets are condemned because they deal only with the symptoms and not with the deep spiritual hurts of the people: “They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace” (Jer. 6:14; also 8:11).
King James Dictionary [3]
Heal, L. celo Heb. to be whole or entire, all.
1. To cure of a disease or wound and restore to soundness, or to that state of body in which the natural functions are regularly performed as, to heal the sick.
Speak, and my servant shall be healed. Matthew 8
2. To cure to remove or subdue as, to heal a disease. 3. To cause to cicatrize as, to heal a sore or wound. 4. To restore to soundness as, to heal a wounded limb. 5. To restore purity to to remove feculence or foreign matter.
Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters. 2 Kings 2
6. To remove, as differences or dissension to reconcile, as parties at variance as, to heal a breach or difference. 7. In Scripture, to forgive to cure moral disease and restore soundness.
I will heal their backsliding. Hosea 14
8. To purify from corruptions, redress grievances and restore to prosperity. Jeremiah 14 9. To cover, as a roof with tiles, slate, lead, &c.
Heal, To grow sound to return to a sound state as, the limb heals, or the wound heals sometimes with up or over it will heal up or over.
Webster's Dictionary [4]
(1): ( v. t.) Health.
(2): ( v. i.) To grow sound; to return to a sound state; as, the limb heals, or the wound heals; - sometimes with up or over; as, it will heal up, or over.
(3): ( v. t.) To remove or subdue; to cause to pass away; to cure; - said of a disease or a wound.
(4): ( v. t.) To make hale, sound, or whole; to cure of a disease, wound, or other derangement; to restore to soundness or health.
(5): ( v. t.) To restore to original purity or integrity.
(6): ( v. t.) To reconcile, as a breach or difference; to make whole; to free from guilt; as, to heal dissensions.
(7): ( v. t.) To cover, as a roof, with tiles, slate, lead, or the like.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [5]
hēl ( רפא , rāphā ); θεραπεύω , therapeúō , ἰάομαι , iáomai , διασώζω , diasō̇zō ): The English word is connected with the Anglo-Saxon hoelan , and is used in several senses: (1) Lit., in its meaning of making whole or well, as in Ecclesiastes 3:3 . In this way it occurs in prayers for restoration to health ( Numbers 12:13; Psalm 6:2; Jeremiah 17:14 ); and also in declarations as to God's power to restore to health ( Deuteronomy 32:39; 2 Kings 20:5-8 ). (2) Metaphorically it is applied to the restoration of the soul to spiritual health and to the repair of the injuries caused by sin ( Psalm 41:4; Jeremiah 30:17 ). (3) The restoration and deliverance of the afflicted land is expressed by it in 2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 19:22 . (4) It is applied to the forgiveness of sin ( Jeremiah 3:22 ).
In the New Testament, therapeuō is used 10 times in describing our Lord's miracles, and is translated "heal." Iaomai is used to express spiritual healing ( Matthew 13:15; Luke 5:17; John 12:40 ), and also of curing bodily disease ( John 4:47 ). Diasōzō , meaning "to heal thoroughly," is used in Luke 7:3 the King James Version where the Revised Version (British and American) renders it "save." The act of healing is called ı́asis twice, in Acts 4:22 , Acts 4:30; sō̇zō , to save or deliver, is translated "made whole" by the Revised Version (British and American) in Mark 5:23; Luke 8:36; Acts 14:9 , but is "healed" in the King James Version. Conversely "made whole" the King James Version in Matthew 15:28 is replaced by "healed" in the Revised Version (British and American).
Healed is used 33 times in the Old Testament as the rendering of the same Hebrew word, and in the same variety of senses. It is also used of purification for an offense or breach of the ceremonial law ( 2 Chronicles 30:20 ); and to express the purification of water which had caused disease ( 2 Kings 2:21 , 2 Kings 2:22 ). Figuratively , the expression "healed slightly" (the English Revised Version "lightly") is used to describe the futile efforts of the false prophets and priests to remedy the backsliding of Israel ( Jeremiah 6:14; Jeremiah 8:11 ); here the word for "slightly" is the contemptuous term, ḳālal , which means despicably or insignificantly. In Ezekiel 30:21 , the word "healed" is the rendering of the feminine passive participle, rephū'āh and is better translated in the Revised Version (British and American) "apply healing medicines." In the New Testament "healed" usually occurs in connection with the miracles of our Lord and the apostles. Here it is worthy of note that Luke more frequently uses the verb iaomai than therapeuō , in the proportion of 17 to 4, while in Matthew and Mark the proportion is 4 to 8.
Healer ( חבשׁ , ḥābhash ) occurs once in Isaiah 3:7; the word literally means a "wrapper up" or "bandager."
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [6]
(properly רָפָא, θεραπεύω ) is used in Scripture in the wider sense of curing in general, as applied to diseases, and even to inanimate objects. It occurs also in the special sense of restoring from apostasy. (See Disease); (See Cure).
