Original Word: מַחְלֻי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: machluy
Pronunciation: makh-loo-ee
Phonetic Spelling: (makh-loo'-ee)
KJV: disease
NASB: sick
Word Origin: [from H2470 (חָלָה - To be weak)]

1. a disease

disease

From chalah; a disease -- disease.

see HEBREW chalah

Word Origin
from chalah
Definition
sickness, suffering (caused by wounds)
NASB Translation
sick (1).

[מַהֲלוּי] noun masculine sickness, suffering (caused by wounds, compare חלה 2 Kings 8:29) — only plural intensive מַחֲלֻיִים2Chronicles 24:25.

Scriptural Occurrence and Context

The term appears once, in 2 Chronicles 24:25: “When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him on his bed”. The word rendered “severely wounded” (elsewhere “great diseases”) describes the lingering, debilitating state King Joash suffered after the Aramean invasion and immediately before his assassination.

Meaning in Its Biblical Setting

Used here of physical affliction, the word emphasizes overwhelming, incapacitating maladies—more than ordinary wounds. The Chronicler employs it to signal divine judgment. Joash’s condition is not merely the aftermath of battle; it is portrayed as the outworking of covenant curses brought on by his apostasy and the shedding of innocent blood.

Historical Background

Joash began well under Jehoiada’s tutelage (2 Chronicles 24:2) but turned to idolatry and murdered Jehoiada’s son Zechariah (24:17-22). Hazael’s subsequent assault left Judah plundered, and Joash paid tribute from Temple treasures yet was “severely wounded.” The king’s maladies fulfill Zechariah’s dying plea for God to avenge his blood (24:22) and culminate in Joash’s dishonorable burial “not in the tombs of the kings” (24:25).

Theological Implications

1. Divine Retribution: The verse illustrates God’s right and ability to discipline rulers who betray His covenant (Deuteronomy 28:58-60).
2. Sanctity of Innocent Blood: Joash’s affliction vindicates the principle that shedding righteous blood invites judgment (Genesis 9:6).
3. Sickness and Sin: While Scripture does not attribute all illness to personal sin (John 9:3), this narrative confirms that some sickness functions as temporal discipline (Psalm 38:3; Hebrews 12:6).
4. Covenant Accountability: The Chronicler’s audience is reminded that covenant blessings and curses remain active realities, urging post-exilic—and present-day—readers toward steadfast obedience.

Lessons for Ministry and Discipleship

• Leadership Integrity: Spiritual leaders are doubly accountable; unfaithfulness can bring severe consequences on themselves and their people.
• Perseverance in Faith: A good beginning does not guarantee a good finish; vigilance is essential (Galatians 5:7).
• Warning and Mercy: Physical affliction may serve as God’s wake-up call, inviting repentance before final judgment (Revelation 2:21-22).
• Pastoral Care: When addressing sickness, ministers should combine compassion with discernment, guiding sufferers to examine their lives, confess sin, and seek God’s healing (James 5:15-16).

Connections to the New Testament

Joash’s fate foreshadows the greater truth that Christ bore in His body the punishment for sin, including its diseases (Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:17). Whereas Joash died under his own guilt, Jesus died for others, offering redemption and healing (1 Peter 2:24). The term’s solitary use thus points beyond itself to the gospel’s provision: deliverance from both the curse of sin and the maladies it can incur.

בְּמַחֲלוּיִ֣ם במחלוים bə·ma·ḥă·lū·yim bemachaluYim bəmaḥălūyimInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts