Strong’s Greek 3468 refers to the visible mark left by a heavy blow—“a stripe, welt, bruise.” The term points not to a superficial abrasion but to the deep contusion produced by severe scourging.

Occurrence in the New Testament

The word appears once, in 1 Peter 2:24: “By His wounds you were healed.” The apostle cites Isaiah 53:5, translating the Servant’s “stripes” into the lived reality of Christ’s passion and its saving benefits.

Old Testament Background

Isaiah 53:5 first weds the Servant’s scourging to the people’s healing: “He was pierced for our transgressions… and by His stripes we are healed.” The Hebrew prophet portrays substitution—innocent suffering on behalf of the guilty—as Yahweh’s ordained means of restoration. The Greek translators of the Septuagint used the same word family for “stripe,” paving the way for Peter’s citation. Additional anticipatory motifs include the bruising in Genesis 3:15 and the ritual blood in Leviticus, both foreshadowing a redemptive wounding.

Christological Fulfillment

Peter applies Isaiah directly to Jesus, whose scourging under Pontius Pilate (Matthew 27:26; John 19:1) produced the literal “stripes” that satisfy the prophetic picture. The apostle frames this within a larger argument (1 Peter 2:21-25):
• Christ suffered innocently, providing both example and atonement.
• His body “bore our sins” on the cross, echoing the sin-bearing role of the sacrificial animals (Leviticus 16:22).
• The result is healing—principally spiritual (release from sin’s penalty and power; see 1 Peter 2:24b) yet ultimately encompassing the believer’s full restoration in resurrection (Revelation 21:4). Physical healings in the present (Matthew 8:17) serve as foretastes of that final wholeness.

Theological Themes

1. Substitutionary Atonement: The bruise that belongs to the sinner is transferred to the sinless Lamb (2 Corinthians 5:21).
2. Redemptive Suffering: The worst that human violence can inflict becomes the means of divine grace (Acts 2:23).
3. Healing and Holiness: Peter links the believer’s healing to “dying to sins and living for righteousness,” showing that the cure extends to moral transformation.
4. Scriptural Unity: The precise overlap between Isaiah and 1 Peter underscores the coherence of the biblical witness.

Historical Background of Roman Scourging

Roman flagellation (flagrum) incorporated weighted leather thongs tipped with bone or metal. Victims often lost significant blood and might die from the ordeal alone. Such punishment customarily preceded crucifixion for non-citizens. The severity of the wounds renders Peter’s word choice both graphic and fitting: the Messiah’s back became the writing tablet on which redemption was inscribed.

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

• Consolation in Suffering: Believers facing unjust hardship (the situation of Peter’s readers; 1 Peter 1:6) gain perspective by looking to Christ’s wounds.
• Prayer for Healing: Confidence derives not from human merit but from the completed work signified by those “stripes.”
• Motivation for Holiness: Having been healed, Christians are empowered to “live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24).

Patristic and Reformation Witness

Early fathers (e.g., Ignatius, Polycarp) echoed Peter’s language to encourage martyr faithfulness. Reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin cited the verse to expound substitutionary atonement, opposing views that reduce the cross to mere moral example.

Related Words and Concepts

• πάσχω (to suffer) – the broader context of Christ’s passion.
• σταυρός (cross) – instrument where the atoning blood was shed.
• ἴασις / θεραπεία (healing) – the outcome promised through the bruise.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 3468 captures the tangible agony of Jesus’ scourging, an agony that, according to Scripture, achieved real and lasting healing for His people. From Isaiah to Peter, the “stripe” becomes a thread weaving prophecy, history, and hope into a single tapestry of redemptive love.