fluid retention

April 19, 2019

They were silent (Lk 14:4-14:4)

“But they were silent.

Then Jesus

Took hold of him.

He healed him.

He sent him away.”

 

οἱ δὲ ἡσύχασαν. καὶ ἐπιλαβόμενος ἰάσατο αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπέλυσεν.

 

Luke uniquely stated that the lawyers and Pharisees were silent (οἱ δὲ ἡσύχασαν).  Then Jesus took hold of the man with dropsy (καὶ ἐπιλαβόμενος) and healed him (ἰάσατο αὐτὸν).  Then Jesus sent him away (καὶ ἀπέλυσεν).  Apparently, this was a perplexing problem for the Pharisees since helping people on the Sabbath was not unlawful as indicated in chapter 13:14-16 with the crippled woman.  Besides, it would be hard to tell if the fluid retention in the body of this person with dropsy had stopped.  Are you perplexed about anything?

April 19, 2019

The man with dropsy (Lk 14:2-14:2)

“Just then,

There was a man

Who had dropsy

In front of Jesus.”

 

καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν ὑδρωπικὸς ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ.

 

Luke uniquely said that just then, there was a man (καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπός τις) who had dropsy (ἦν ὑδρωπικὸς) in front of Jesus (ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ).  How he got into this dinner is not clear.  Dropsy is some kind of disease like edema, a swelling in the body because of fluid retention.  This is the only time in the biblical literature that this word for dropsy ὑδρωπικὸς is mentioned.  Once again, this may be an indication that Luke, the author, was knowledgeable about medical diseases.  Have you ever heard of edema or dropsy?