afflict, affliction, distress

Definition

The term “afflict” means to cause someone distress or suffering. An “affliction” is the disease, emotional grief, or other disaster that results from this.

• Sometimes God afflicted his people with sickness or other hardships with the intention for them to repent of their sins and turn back to him.
• God caused afflictions or plagues to come on the people of Egypt because their king refused to obey God.
• To “be afflicted with” means to suffer from some kind of distress, such as a disease, persecution, or emotional grief.
• In some Old Testament contexts, the idea of “afflicting oneself” or “afflicting one’s soul” means to abstain from eating food.

Translation Suggestions

• To “afflict” someone could be translated as “cause someone to experience troubles” or “cause someone to suffer” or “cause suffering to come.”
• A phrase like “afflict someone with leprosy” could be translated as “cause someone to be sick with leprosy.”
• When a disease or disaster is sent to “afflict” people or animals, this could be translated as “cause suffering to.”
• Depending on the context, the term “affliction” could be translated as “calamity” or “sickness” or “suffering” or “great distress.”
• The phrase “afflicted with” could also be translated as “suffering from” or “sick with.”

(See also: leprosy, plague, suffer)

Bible References

• 2 Thessalonians 1:6
• Amos 5:12
• Colossians 1:24
• Exodus 22:22-24
• Genesis 12:17-20
• Genesis 15:12-13
• Genesis 29:32

Word Data

• Strong’s: H0205, H3013, H3905, H3906, H6031, H6039, H6040, H6041, H6862, H6869, H6887, H7451, H7489, G23460, G23470, G38040