G3468 — μώλωψ (mōlōps)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G3468
Original: μώλωψ
Transliteration: mōlōps
Pronunciation: mo'-lops
Part of Speech: Masculine noun (n-m)
Root: μῶλος (mōlos) — "moil," toil, hard labor; the physical mark resulting from exertion or beating
Occurrences: 1 in NT (1 token)
First Occurrence: 1 Pet 2:24 — "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."
Hapax Legomenon: YES — this word appears only once in the entire NT

Lexicon Definition¶

Thayer's: μώλωψ, μώλωπος, ὁ (Hesychius: τραῦμα καί ὁ ἐκ αἱματώδης τόπος ἤ καί τά ἐξερχόμενα τῶν πληγῶν ὕδατα) — a bruise, wale, wound that trickles with blood. 1 Peter 2:24, from Isaiah 53:5 (where KJV renders "stripes"). Also found in Genesis 4:23; Exodus 21:25; Isaiah 1:6 (LXX). Classical usage in Aristotle, Plutarch, Anthologia.

Key distinction: Unlike πληγή (G4127), which denotes the blow or stroke itself, μώλωψ specifically names the visible bruise-mark or weal left behind — the wound as evidence of beating endured.

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Domain: 20.002 — Harm, Wound
Parent Domain: 20 — Violence, Harm, Destroy, Kill
Other words in subdomain: ἀδικέω (G91), βλάπτω (G984), δάκνω (G1143), κακοποιέω (G2554), κακόω (G2559), κάκωσις (G2561)

Morphological Data¶

The single NT occurrence is in the dative singular:

Form	Parsing	Reference
μώλωπι	Dat Sg Masc [N-DSM]	1 Pet 2:24

The dative is instrumental — "by whose stripe/weal" (τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ). The singular is collective, referring to the totality of wounds viewed as a single category. KJV renders the plural "stripes" following the Hebrew plural חַבֻּרָתוֹ in Isaiah 53:5.

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Count	%
stripes	1	100%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
1 Peter	1	1.0

As a hapax legomenon, the word is confined to a single Petrine verse quoting Isaiah's Suffering Servant passage.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Vicarious Wound / Substitutionary Suffering¶

1 Pet 2:24 — "by whose stripes (μώλωπι) ye were healed"

This is the sole NT usage. Peter quotes Isaiah 53:5 (LXX) to describe Christ's atoning wounds. The dative singular μώλωπι is instrumental — healing comes by means of the wound-mark Christ bore. The paradox is deliberate: a wound that heals, a bruise that restores.

2. LXX Usage (Outside NT Canon)¶

The word appears in the LXX in several passages where it translates H2250 חַבּוּרָה (chabbuwrah): - Gen 4:23 (LXX) — Lamech's song: "I have slain a man to my wounding (μώλωπα)" - Exod 21:25 (LXX) — lex talionis: "stripe for stripe (μώλωπα ἀντὶ μώλωπος)" - Isa 1:6 (LXX) — Israel's moral condition: "wounds (μώλωπες) and bruises" - Isa 53:5 (LXX) — the Suffering Servant: "by his stripe (τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ) we are healed"

Common Collocations¶

As a hapax legomenon, no NT co-occurrence data is available. The single verse (1 Pet 2:24) places the word in a dense theological context alongside: - ἁμαρτία (G266) — "sins" - σῶμα (G4983) — "body" - ξύλον (G3586) — "tree" - δικαιοσύνη (G1343) — "righteousness" - ἰάομαι (G2390) — "healed"

Synonym¶

πληγή (G4127) — stroke, blow, wound, plague (21v). The blow itself or the wound it inflicts; much broader range including Revelation's divine plagues. KJV "stripes" 4x, "plague(s)" 12x, "wound" 3x.

Domain Neighbors (Louw-Nida 20.002)¶

Strong's	Word	Total Verses	Primary KJV Translation
G91	ἀδικέω	8	hurt, wrong
G983	βλαβερός	1	hurtful
G984	βλάπτω	3	hurt
G2559	κακόω	3	evil entreated
G2561	κάκωσις	1	affliction

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
πληγή (plēgē)	G4127	"stripes" (4x)	plēgē = the blow/stroke itself; mōlōps = the bruise-mark left by the blow
μάστιξ (mastix)	G3148	"stripes" in some versions	mastix = the whip/scourge instrument; mōlōps = the wound produced
τραῦμα (trauma)	G5134	"wound" (1x)	trauma = general wound from violence; mōlōps = specifically a bruise/weal from beating

Hebrew Source¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	Co-occurrences	PMI	Score
חַבּוּרָה (chabbuwrah)	H2250	5	11.88	21.29
פֶּצַע (petsa)	H6482	3	10.92	15.14

Primary bridge: H2250 חַבּוּרָה (chabbuwrah) — "properly, bound (with stripes), i.e. a weal or black-and-blue mark itself" (7v OT). KJV renders it "stripe" 2x, "wound" 1x, "blueness" 1x, "bruise" 1x, "hurt" 1x, "stripes" 1x. This is the Hebrew word behind Isaiah 53:5 "with his stripes (וּבַחֲבֻרָתוֹ) we are healed," which Peter quotes at 1 Pet 2:24.