Original Word: מַדְוֶה
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: madveh
Pronunciation: mad-veh'
Phonetic Spelling: (mad-veh')
KJV: disease
NASB: diseases
Word Origin: [from H1738 (דָּוָה - To be unwell)]

1. sickness

disease

From davah; sickness -- disease.

see HEBREW davah

Word Origin
from davah
Definition
sickness
NASB Translation
diseases (2).

[מַדְוֶה] noun masculine^{Deuteronomy 7:15} sickness — construct singular מַדְיֵה מִצְרַיִם Deuteronomy 28:60 (read מַדְוֵי plural, as Deuteronomy 7:15 ?); construct plural מַדְוֵי מִצְרַיִם Deuteronomy 7:15 (both "" חֳלִי).

madveh (Strong’s Hebrew 4064)

Meaning and Scope

madveh designates bodily illness or disease severe enough to provoke dread. Within the Torah it functions not merely as a medical term but as a covenantal indicator: health symbolizes divine favor, while relentless sickness signals judgment.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Deuteronomy 7:15
2. Deuteronomy 28:60

Both uses appear in Moses’ final sermons, framing Israel’s future around the promise-and-warning dynamic of Sinai.

Covenant Blessings and Curses

Deuteronomy 7:15 places madveh among the blessings for obedience:

“The LORD will remove from you all sickness. He will not lay upon you any of the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on those who hate you.”

Conversely, Deuteronomy 28:60 threatens the same Egyptian diseases if Israel breaks covenant:

“He will afflict you again with all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they will cling to you.”

Thus madveh serves as a barometer of Israel’s spiritual condition. Prosperity theology is resisted; the text insists that true health springs from covenant fidelity, not from magic or self-help.

Historical Background: “Diseases of Egypt”

Egyptian medical papyri catalog eye infections, parasitic worms, skin ulcers, and epidemic fevers. These maladies, familiar to emancipated Israel, became vivid reminders of past bondage. Madveh therefore carries historical weight: the God who distinguished Israel from Egypt during the plagues (Exodus 8:22–23) could preserve or punish His people in the land of promise.

Theological Insights

1. Divine Sovereignty: The Lord “removes” or “afflicts” (hiphil verbs) at will, underscoring that sickness ultimately lies under His jurisdiction (Exodus 4:11; Job 2:6).
2. Holistic Holiness: Physical health mirrors spiritual health; sin’s disorder ripples into the body (Psalm 32:3–4) while repentance invites renewal (Psalm 103:3).
3. Moral Contagion: As disease spreads when boundaries are ignored, so sin permeates when covenant lines are crossed (Isaiah 1:5–6).

Intertextual Echoes

• Exodus 15:26 offers the foundational promise: “I am the LORD who heals you.”
• Leviticus 26:16 and 25 forecast wasting disease as discipline.
• 2 Chronicles 7:13–14 links plague, prayer, and healing.
• Isaiah 53:4 anticipates a Servant who will bear “our sicknesses.”

These passages weave madveh into a broader biblical tapestry where healing is both physical and redemptive.

Ministry and Practical Implications

1. Pastoral Care: James 5:14–16 encourages elders to anoint the sick, merging confession with intercession.
2. Missional Compassion: Christ’s followers imitate His works by announcing the kingdom “and healing every disease” (Matthew 4:23).
3. Ethical Warning: Personal and communal sin may invite consequences. While not all illness is punitive (John 9:3), the possibility calls believers to continual self-examination.

Christological Fulfillment and Eschatological Hope

Matthew 8:16–17 cites Isaiah 53 to portray Jesus absorbing humanity’s madveh, prefiguring the cross where judgement and healing converge. His resurrection pledges the final eradication of disease: “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). Until that consummation, the church lives between Deuteronomy’s polarities—experiencing foretastes of healing while urging the world to covenant loyalty through the Gospel.

מַדְוֵ֣ה מַדְוֵי֩ מדוה מדוי maḏ·wê maḏ·wêh madVeh madVei maḏwê maḏwêhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts