G2323 — θεραπεύω (therapeuo)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G2323
Original: θεραπεύω
Transliteration: therapeuo
Pronunciation: ther-ap-yoo'-o
Part of Speech: Verb
Root: From θεράπων (therapon, G2324) — an attendant, servant
Occurrences: 44 tokens in 43 unique verses (NT)
Books: 6 (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Revelation)
First Occurrence: Mat 4:23 — "healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From the same root as G2324 (therapon); to wait upon menially, i.e. (figuratively) to adore (God), or (specially) to relieve (of disease). Original sense: to serve, attend to; extended to medical care and healing.

Semantic Domains¶

Louw-Nida: - 23.008 — Health, Vigor, Strength — to heal, cure - 35.002 — Serve — to serve, wait upon, attend to - Other words in 23.008: ἰάομαι (iaomai, G2390), ἴαμα (iama, G2386), ἴασις (iasis, G2392), ἰατρός (iatros, G2395), θεραπεία (therapeia, G2322), καθαρίζω (katharizo, G2511), διασῴζω (diasozo, G1295) - Other words in 35.002: διακονέω (diakoneo, G1247), δουλεύω (douleuo, G1398), θεράπων (therapon, G2324), λειτουργέω (leitourgeo, G3008)

UBS Semantic Domains: - [023] Physiological Processes and States - [035] Help, Care For

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
healed (all forms)	29	67.4%
heal (all forms)	9	20.9%
cured / cure	4	9.3%
is worshipped	1	2.3%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Matthew	16	1.5
Luke	13	1.1
Mark	6	0.9
Acts	5	0.5
Revelation	2	0.5
John	1	0.1

Concentrated in the Synoptic Gospels (35 of 43 occurrences, 81%). Completely absent from the Epistles. The two Revelation uses (13:3, 13:12) both describe the beast's wound being "healed." The single Acts 17:25 use preserves the older sense of "serve/attend to" (translated "worshipped").

Verb Morphology Distribution¶

Form	Count	Typical Context
Aorist Active Indicative	16	Narrative summary: "he healed"
Aorist Passive Indicative	4	Recipient focus: "was healed"
Present Active Participle	3	Ongoing activity: "healing"
Aorist Active Infinitive	3	Purpose/question: "to heal"
Imperfect Passive Indicative	3	Ongoing passive: "were being healed"
Perfect Passive Participle	3	Completed result: "having been healed"
Present Active Infinitive	2	Ability: "to heal"
Present Active Imperative	2	Command: "Heal the sick"
Future Active Indicative	2	Anticipation: "will heal"
Imperfect Active Indicative	2	Ongoing past: "was healing"
Other forms	3	Aorist imperative, passive infinitive, present passive

The dominant form is aorist active indicative (37%), reflecting the Gospels' narrative style of reporting completed healing acts. Active voice accounts for 33 of 43 occurrences (77%), with Jesus or his disciples as subject.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Physical Healing of Disease and Sickness¶

Mat 4:23 — "healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people"
Mat 4:24 — "they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments... and he healed them"
Luk 7:21 — "in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues"
Act 28:9 — "others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed"

2. Healing Connected to Exorcism / Spiritual Deliverance¶

Mat 12:22 — "one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him"
Luk 6:18 — "they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed"
Luk 8:2 — "certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities"
Act 5:16 — "bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one"

3. Sabbath Healing Controversies¶

Mat 12:10 — "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him"
Mar 3:2 — "they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day"
Luk 13:14 — "the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day"
Luk 14:3 — "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?"

4. Delegated Healing Authority¶

Mat 10:1 — "he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness"
Mat 10:8 — "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils"
Mar 3:15 — "to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils"
Luk 9:1 — "gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases"

5. Compassionate Mass Healings¶

Mat 14:14 — "was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick"
Mat 19:2 — "great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there"
Mat 15:30 — "great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed... and he healed them"
Luk 4:40 — "he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them"

6. Figurative / Metaphorical Healing (Restoration)¶

Rev 13:3 — "his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast"
Rev 13:12 — "the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed"

7. Service / Attendance (Original Sense)¶

Act 17:25 — "Neither is worshipped [therapeuo] with men's hands, as though he needed any thing"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
νόσος (nosos)	G3554	9x (21%)	"heal all manner of sickness" — disease as object
δαιμόνιον (daimonion)	G1140	7x (16%)	Paired actions: heal + cast out demons
πνεῦμα (pneuma)	G4151	7x (16%)	"healed of evil/unclean spirits"
ἐκβάλλω (ekballo)	G1544	6x (14%)	Twin commission: heal + cast out
ὄχλος (ochlos)	G3793	6x (14%)	Mass context: crowds come to be healed
σάββατον (sabbaton)	G4521	6x (14%)	Sabbath healing controversy settings
ἐξουσία (exousia)	G1849	4x (9%)	Authority to heal given to disciples
τυφλός (typhlos)	G5185	4x (9%)	Specific condition: healing the blind
χείρ (cheir)	G5495	4x (9%)	Laying on hands to heal

Word Family / Cognates¶

G2322 θεραπεία (therapeia) — service, household (attendants); healing (4x NT: Mat 24:45, Luk 9:11, 12:42, Rev 22:2)
G2324 θεράπων (therapon) — an attendant, servant (1x NT: Heb 3:5 — Moses as God's servant)

Synonyms¶

No direct synonyms were identified by search_relationships.py beyond the healing/service vocabulary already represented in the cognate and domain-neighbor lists below.

Antonyms¶

No direct antonyms were identified by search_relationships.py for θεραπεύω.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
ἰάομαι (iaomai)	G2390	healed, heal, healing	iaomai = instantaneous, complete cure; therapeuo = attend to / treat (process implied by root meaning). In practice the Gospels use them largely as synonyms for physical healing.
σώζω (sozo)	G4982	was healed	sozo = save/deliver/preserve; only occasionally means physical healing. Therapeuo always implies medical restoration.
ἴασις (iasis)	G2392	heal, cures	Noun: the act or result of healing (3x). Therapeuo is the verb.
ἴαμα (iama)	G2386	healing(s)	Noun: a gift of healing (3x, all in 1 Cor 12). Therapeuo is the active verb.

Domain Neighbors (Louw-Nida 23.008)¶

Word	Strong's	Total Verses	Primary KJV	Key Difference
ἰάομαι (iaomai)	G2390	9	healed	Near-synonym; sometimes metaphorical ("heal the land")
ἰατρός (iatros)	G2395	5	physician	The healer as person, not the act
καθαρίζω (katharizo)	G2511	9	clean, cleanse	Ritual/leprous purification, not general healing
ἐγείρω (egeiro)	G1453	28	arise, raise	Restoration to activity; overlaps with healing paralysis
διασῴζω (diasozo)	G1295	4	safe, heal	Bring safely through; broader than medical healing

Hebrew Source (via LXX)¶

The LXX mapping for G2323 shows no dominant Hebrew source word. The co-occurrences (H8179 shaar "gate," H4428 melek "king") reflect shared verse contexts rather than translation equivalency. Therapeuo is primarily a NT Greek word without a single Hebrew predecessor — the Hebrew concept of healing uses H7495 (rapha), which maps to G2390 (iaomai) in the LXX rather than to therapeuo.

Hebrew Source	Strong's	Co-occ	Notes
שַׁעַר (shaar)	H8179	3	Contextual overlap only (gate/court settings)
מֶלֶךְ (melek)	H4428	4	Contextual overlap only (royal courts)