CategoryArchaic Word / Medical Term
Modern Equivalentparalysis; disabling weakness.
KJV Word TypeNoun
DefinitionA condition of paralysis, loss of movement, or severe bodily weakness.
Key Verses"And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed." (Matthew 9:2)
KJV Usage NoteCommonly appears in Gospel healing accounts to describe a disabling physical condition.
Common MisunderstandingIt does not refer only to trembling; in KJV usage it often means paralysis or severe impairment.
EtymologyFrom Greek paralysis, through Latin and Old French, meaning "loosening" or "loss of movement."