Quick Definition
I am weak, sick
Strong's Definition
to be feeble (in any sense)
Derivation: from G772 (ἀσθενής);
KJV Usage: be diseased, impotent folk (man), (be) sick, (be, be made) weak
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἀσθενέω, ἀσθενῶ; imperfect ἠσθενουν; perfect ἠσθένηκα (2Co_11:21 L T Tr WH); 1 aorist ἠσθένησα; (ἀσθενής); (from Euripides down); to be weak, feeble; universally, to be without strength, powerless: Rom_8:3; rhetorically, of one who purposely abstains from the use of his strength, 2Co_13:4; and of one wire has no occasion to prove his strength, 2Co_13:9; contextually, to be unable to wield and hold sway over others, 2Co_11:21; by oxymoron, ὅταν ἀσθενῶ, τότε δυνατός εἰμί when I am weak in human strength, then am I strong in strength divine, 2Co_12:10; εἰς τινα, to be weak toward one, 2Co_13:3; with a dative of the respect added: πίστει, to be weak in faith, Rom_4:19; πίστει, to be doubtful about things lawful and unlawful to a Christian, Rom_14:1; simple ἀσθένειν with the same idea suggested, Rom_14:2; Rom_14:21 (T WH omit; Tr marginal reading brackets); 1Co_8:9 Rec., 11f; τίς ἀσθενεῖ, καί οὐκ ἀσθενῶ; who is weak (in his feelings and conviction about things lawful), and I am not filled with a compassionate sense of the same weakness? 2Co_11:29. contextually, to be weak in means, needy, poor: Act_20:35 (so (Aristophanes pax 636); Euripides, in Stobaeus, 145 vol. 2:168, Gaisf. edition), cf. DeWette (more fully Hackett, per contra Meyer) at the passage Specially of debility in health: with νόσοις added, Luk_4:40; simply, to be feeble, sick: Luk_7:10 (R G Tr marginal reading brackets); Mat_25:36; Mat_25:39 L text T Tr WH; Joh_4:46; Joh_11:1-3; Joh_11:6; Act_9:37; Php_2:26; 2Ti_4:20; Jas_5:14; οἱ ἀσθενοῦντες, and ἀσθενοῦντες, the sick, sick folks: Mat_10:8; Mar_6:56; Luk_9:2 Rec.; Joh_5:3; Joh_5:7; Joh_5:13 Tdf.; ; Act_19:12.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἀσθενέω astheneō 33x
to be weak, infirm, deficient in strength; to be inefficient, Rom_8:3 ; 2Co_13:3 ;
to be sick, Mat_25:36 ;
met.
to be weak in faith, to doubt, hesitate, be unsettled, timid, Rom_14:1 ; 1Co_8:9 ; 1Co_8:11-12 ; 2Co_11:29 ;
to be deficient in authority, dignity, or power, be contemptible, 2Co_11:21 ; 2Co_13:3 ; 2Co_13:9 ;
to be afflicted, distressed, needy, Act_20:35 ; 2Co_12:10 ; 2Co_13:4 ; 2Co_13:9 sick; weak.
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἀσθενέω , -ῶ
( ἀσθενής ),
[in LXX chiefly for H3782 ;]
to be weak, feeble: Act_20:35 , Rom_8:3 , 2Co_11:21 ; 2Co_12:10 ; 2Co_13:4 ; 2Co_13:9 ; c . dat ., πίστει ( Cremer , 527), Rom_4:19 ; Rom_14:1 ; same implied, Rom_14:2 ; Rom_14:21 , 1Co_8:11-12 , 2Co_11:29 ; εἰς , 2Co_13:3 . Specif., of bodily debility, to be sick: Mat_25:36 ; Mat_25:39 , Luk_4:40 , Joh_4:46 ; Joh_5:3 ; Joh_5:7 ; Joh_5:13 ; Joh_11:1-3 ; Joh_11:6 Act_9:37 , Php_2:26-27 , 2Ti_4:20 , Jas_5:14 ; οἱ ἀσθενοῦντες , the sick: Mat_10:8 ( MM , s.v. ), Mar_6:56 , Luk_9:2 , Act_19:12 .†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἀσθενέω [page 84]
ἀσθενέω is too common to need many citations. There is a pathetically laconic Ἀσθενῶ between some household details and concluding salutations in an undated letter, BGU III. 827 .24 . P Oxy IV. 725 .40 (A.D. 183) is typical : a boy apprenticed to a weaver is to have 20 holidays a year for festivals, without loss of wages, ἐὰν δὲ πλείονας τούτων ἀργήσῃ [ἢ ἀσ ]θενήσῃ ἢ ἀτακτήσῃ κτλ , from idleness or ill-health or disobedience (Edd.), they must be made up. With the use of the verb in Mat_10:8 may be compared Syll 503 .16 where a certain man is extolled because, in addition to other benefactions, παρέσχεν ἰατ ]ρὸν τὸν θεραπεύσοντ [α τοὺς ἀσθε ]νοῦντας ἐν τῆ [ι ] παν [ηγύρει ]. See also P Par 5 i. 5 (B.C. 114) ἀσθενῶν τοῖς ὄμμασι (so also P Leid M i.6 ), ib. 63 iv. 122 (B.C. 165) κατὰ τῶν ἀσθενούντων καὶ μὴ δυναμένων ὑπουργεῖν , BGU III. 844 .12 (A.D. 83) κόπους γάρ μο [ι ] παρέχει ἀσθενοῦντει . In P Lond 144 (? i/A.D.) (= II. p. 253) a servant complains that he had been without food (ἀσειτήσαντος ) for two days, as the boy who brought his provisions was sick, ἀσθενήσαντος : cf. P Lond 22 .23 (B.C. 164 3) (= I. p. 7) where ἀσθενῶς διακειμένας is used to describe the sorry plight of the twins in the Serapeum owing to the withholding of their allowances of oil and bread. In Proleg. p. 11 the very vernacular letter BGU III. 948 .6 (Christian, iv/v A.D.) is quoted for its closeness to Luk_13:16 : ἡ μήτηρ σου Κ . ἀσθενῖ , εἰδοῦ , δέκα τρῖς μῆνες . (See under ἰδού .) Ἠσθένηκα is answered by ἐὰν κομψῶς σχῶ in P Tebt II. 414 .10 (ii/A.D.). The compound ἐξασθενέω is found in BGU III. 903 .15 (ii/A.D.) as now amended, τοὺς πλείστους ἐξασθενήσαντας ἀνακεχωρηκέναι κτλ . : cf. also P Tebt I. 50 .33 (B.C. 112 1), where for ἐξησθενηκώς the editors hesitate between the meanings was impoverished or fell ill. Add PSI 101 .14 (ii/A.D.) οὕσπερ ἐξασθενήσαντας ἀνακεχωρηκέναι : the last three substantial men of the village had emigrated because they could not stand the taxation.
Liddell-Scott — Intermediate Greek Lexicon
ἀσθενέω [Etym: ἀσθενής] "to be weak, feeble, sickly", Eur. , Thuc. , etc.; ἠσθένησε "he fell sick", Dem.
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon
ἀσθενέω, -ῶ
( ἀσθενής) [in LXX chiefly for כָּשַׁל ;]
to be weak, feeble: Act.20:35, Rom.8:3, 2Co.11:21 12:10 13:4 13:9; with dative, πίστει (Cremer, 527), Rom.4:19 14:1; same implied, Rom.14:2, 21, 1Co.8:11-12, 2Co.11:29; εἰς, 2Co.13:3. Specif., of bodily debility, to be sick: Mat.25:36, 39, Luk.4:40, Jhn.4:46 5:3, 7 5:13 11:1-3, 6 Act.9:37, Php.2:26-27, 2Ti.4:20, Jas.5:14; οἱ ἀσθενοῦντες, the sick: Mat.10:8 (MM, see word), Mrk.6:56, Luk.9:2, Act.19:12.†
(AS)
📖 In-Depth Word Study
Sick (770) astheneo
Weak (770) (astheneo from asthenes [see study] = without strength, powerless from a = without + sthenos = strength, bodily vigor) means to be feeble (in any sense), to be diseased, impotent, sick, to lack strength, to be infirm, to be weak.
Astheneo is used 33 times in the NAS (Mt 10:8; 25:36, 39; Mark 6:56; Lk 4:40; Jn 4:46; 5:3, 7; 6:2; 11:1, 2, 6; Acts 9:37; 19:12; 20:35; Ro 4:19; 8:3; 14:1,2; 1Cor 8:11, 12; 2Co 11:21, 29; 12:10; 13:3, 4, 9; Php 2:26, 27; 2Ti 4:20; James 5:14) and is translated: am weak, 1; becoming weak, 1; fell sick, 1; sick, 18; weak, 12.
Astheneo is used 55 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (Jdg 6:15; 16:7, 11, 17; 19:9; 1 Sam 2:4, 5; 2Sa 3:1; 2Ki 19:26; 2Chr 28:15; Job 4:4; 28:4; Ps 9:3; 18:36; 26:1; 27:2; 31:10; 58:7; 68:9; 88:9; 105:37; 107:12; 109:24; Pr 24:16; Is 7:4; 28:20; 29:4; 32:4; 44:12; Jer 6:21; 18:15; 46:6, 12, 16; 50:32; Lam 1:14; 2:8; 5:13; Ezek 17:6; 21:15; 34:4; Da 8:27; 10:17; 11:14, 19, 33, 34, 35, 41; Ho 4:5; 5:5; 11:6; 14:1, 9; Nah 2:5; 3:3; Zech 12:8; Malachi 2:8; 3:11 )
Figuratively astheneo is incapability of any kind and here in Romans 8:3 astheneo means the Law is impotent, powerless and inefficacious. It could not accomplish the intended objective. Why? Because as discussed above, the sinful corruption of fallen man's flesh (the moral/ethical meaning of "flesh" not the more literal meaning referring to the physical body) made the Law powerless to save men. The law cannot make men righteous but can only expose their unrighteousness and condemn them for it, so that they see their need for a Savior.
"Illustration: Think of a strong anchor. Is the anchor able to hold? Yes! But if you lower the anchor into soft mud it will not hold. "What the anchor could not do in that it was weak through the mud." The problem is not with God’s holy law but with our sinful flesh!" (Romans 8)
The Law itself was unable to produce righteousness because it spoke to men who were sinners and who had no strength to obey. Sure, the Law could produce a legalistic "religious" life but not works of righteousness acceptable to God. Jesus addressed this when He plainly stated
"that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." (see note Matthew 5:20)
Paul is saying that the trouble was not with the Law but with our fallen human nature (flesh). The Law could point out, condemn and even stimulate Sin, but it could not remove it. Because of the corruption of unregenerate men, the law was powerless ("weak") to produce a righteousness which God would accept. (Gal 3:21).
GOD DID SENDING HIS OWN SON IN THE LIKENESS OF SINFUL FLESH: o theos ton heautou huion pempsas (AAPMSN) en homoiomati sarkos hamartias: (Ro 8:32; John 3:14, 15, 16 17; Gal 4:4,5; 1Jn 4:10, 11, 12, 13, 14) (Ro 9:3; Mk 15:27,28; Jn 9:24) (2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13)
And as an offering -- These words are not in the Greek text (identified in the NAS by the words in italics) added by the translators for flow of thought.
Sending (3992) (pempo) means to dispatch or send and was a verb used to describe messengers, agents, and ambassadors.
"His Own Son" (literally "the Son of Himself") was dispatched on His redemptive mission at the behest of the Father.
Godet remarks that "His Own Son"...
necessarily refers to this Son's personal relation to God, and indicates that Him whom God sends, He takes from His own bosom; comp. John 1:18. Paul marks the contrast between the nature of the envoy (the true Son of God) and the manner of His appearing here below: in the likeness of sinful flesh. (Godet, F L: The Epistle of St Paul to the Romans)
In the likeness of sinful flesh - Note that this is a very carefully worded phrase, the import of which is missed if one reads too quickly.
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