Jehovah-Rapha is a popular and extremely important name of God. It means “The God Who Heals” and that’s a perfect way to describe the Lord. When the Lord Jesus came to Earth, He healed many people and even rose Lazarus from the dead. Today, He continues to heal those who seek His face and live by His word. That’s why I wanted to look up what the word heal means in Hebrew and Greek.
All scriptures are taken from NKJV unless otherwise marked.
What Does The Word ‘Heal’ Mean In Hebrew?
rapha- to cure, heal.
Rapha means restoration to normal, an act which God performs. This word is not only used to describe the healing of human disease but of other things as well.
For example, in 2 Kings 2:22, bad water is restored to normal or ‘healed’.
Also, in Ezekiel 47:8, saltwater is healed and made fresh.
On a larger scale, entire nations can be healed. However, such healing requires the nation’s repentance.
Repentance and healing can be caused by divine discipline.
“Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.”
– Hosea 6:1
Jeremiah condemned the false prophets because they didn’t truly heal people. They only dealt with the symptoms and not the deep spiritual hurts of the people.
“They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly,
Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’
When there is no peace.”
– Jeremiah 6:14
What Does The Word ‘Heal’ Mean In Greek?
diasozo- to cure, preserve, rescue.
therapeuo- to relieve disease.
iaomai- to cure, heal.
Iamoai is used 22 times in the New Testament. It’s used in the following ways:
- of physical treatment
- “made whole” (Matthew 15:28; Acts 9:34)
- spiritual healing (Matthew 13:15; John 12:40; Acts 28:27; Hebrews 12:13; 1 Peter 2:24)
“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,
Lest they should see with their eyes,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”
– John 12:40
iasis- curing.
“For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.”
– Acts 4:22
Conclusion
In conclusion, the word heal has a deep meaning in the sense that it completely heals the one who is afflicted. God’s healing is still available today to those who are in need. Never hesitate to ask the Lord to touch you and remove your affliction. Stay in constant prayer and seek God’s face. Obey His word.
That’s what the word heal means in Hebrew and Greek. I pray you found this article helpful. If so, please share this content. Also, feel free to leave any thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
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Thank you for sharing your wisdom, knowledge and understanding. The bible references are also of extreme importance, it is highly appreciated.
Matthew 5:28 is wrong. It was not about healing.
Hey Flo,
Thank you for your comment. That was an incredible catch. It seems the correct scripture is Matthew 15:28. I use “The New Strong’s Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words” by James Strong to do all my Hebrew & Greek studies. The Greek word, in this case, is number 2390 iaomai. Believe it or not, the book says Matthew 5:28 is translated into “made whole.” However, when I looked up the word online, I found that it said Matthew 15:28. Therefore, I looked up both Matthew 5:28 and 15:28 and it seems you’re right. The book must have had a typo. Great catch!
It states Matthew 15:28, so it is correct.
Thank you so much for this great teaching on healing here! I am so blessed, and kindly keep up the good and great work!!!
Thanks so much… God bless you
I wanted to ask God to heal a person from COVID-19. But the Holy Spirit prompted me, “What kind of healing are you wanting me to do?” Long story short…
I went to Isaiah 53:5 to consider the word “By His stripes we are healed.” That’s when I, like you, was curious about the Biblical Hebrew meaning for Heal, Healed or Healing.
I came across your article! Great article! I didn’t catch what Flo caught. Thank you for correcting. God bless this ministry!
Matthew 15:28 is physical healing.
In regard to the term ‘healing’ in Rev 22, May I assume that it is from the Gk word ‘therapeuo’ & speaks of enhancement of holiness, spiritual understanding as we are all healed already?