What does ἰάομαι (iáomai) mean in the Bible?
Ἰάομαι (iáomai) means to heal, cure, or restore from disease, injury, or a ruinous condition. The centurion trusts that Jesus' word can heal at a distance.
Greek · G2390
ἰάομαι
To cure (literally or figuratively)
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ἰάομαι G2390
Pronunciation iáomai
What does ἰάομαι (iáomai) mean in the Bible?
Ἰάομαι (iáomai) means to heal, cure, or restore from disease, injury, or a ruinous condition. The centurion trusts that Jesus' word can heal at a distance.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἰάομαι (G2390) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G2390?
The BSB source-word alignment has 26 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include healed (3), I would heal (3), was healed (3), He healed (2), healing (2).
Where does ἰάομαι (iáomai) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 8:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (11), Acts (4), Matthew (4), John (3).
What This Word Actually Means
Ἰάομαι (iáomai) means to heal, cure, or restore from disease, injury, or a ruinous condition. The centurion trusts that Jesus' word can heal at a distance. Crowds come to hear Jesus and be healed from diseases and oppression. At a Sabbath meal, Jesus heals a man despite hostile silence, making restoration part of His exposure of distorted legal reasoning. Peter tells Aeneas that Jesus Christ heals him, directing attention beyond the apostle to the living Lord.
First Peter quotes Isaiah's servant song to describe believers healed by Christ's wounds within a sentence about bearing sins, dying to sin, and living to righteousness. The verb may describe bodily cure or redemptive restoration; not every occurrence combines both, and spiritual healing must be defined by the passage rather than assumed from the gloss.
How the Bible Uses It
Ἰάομαι describes healing and restoration. Jesus heals by His authoritative word and compassionate action, the risen Christ heals through apostolic ministry, and Peter speaks of healing through Christ's wounds in relation to sin and righteousness.
- Matt.8.8
The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
The centurion confesses that Jesus need only speak for the servant to be healed, reasoning from delegated authority toward Christ's greater command.
- Luke.6.18
They had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases, and those troubled by unclean spirits were healed.
People come both to hear Jesus and to be healed, and Luke joins instruction, bodily cure, and release from unclean spirits without treating them as interchangeable.
- Luke.14.4
But they remained silent. Then Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him on his way.
Jesus takes hold of the man, heals him, and sends him away while experts remain silent, exposing a Sabbath interpretation that lacks mercy.
- Acts.9.34
“Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and put away your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up,
Peter explicitly says Jesus Christ heals Aeneas, then commands him to rise, so the immediate bodily restoration bears witness to the risen Lord's agency.
- 1Pet.2.24
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
Peter applies Isaiah's wound language to Christ bearing sins so believers die to sin and live to righteousness, defining healing through redemptive restoration.
Passage contextBook context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It healed 3× Luke 9:42, Luke 14:4, Hebrews 12:13
I would heal 3× Matthew 13:15, John 12:40, Acts 28:27
was healed 3× Matthew 8:13, Matthew 15:28, John 5:13
He healed 2× Luke 9:11, Acts 28:8
healing 2× Luke 6:19, Acts 10:38
will be healed 2× Matthew 8:8, Luke 7:7
[and] healed 1× Luke 22:51
he was healed 1× Luke 17:15
heal 1× John 4:47
heals 1× Acts 9:34
she had immediately been healed 1× Luke 8:47
she was healed 1× Mark 5:29
to be healed 1× Luke 6:18
to heal 1× Luke 9:2
to heal [the sick] 1× Luke 5:17
you are healed 1× 1 Peter 2:24
you may be healed 1× James 5:16
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 8:8 ἰαθήσεται to will be healed Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 8:13 ἰάθη to was healed Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 13:15 ἰάσομαι to I would heal Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singular Matthew 15:28 ἰάθη to was healed Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular Mark 5:29 ἴαται to she was healed Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular Luke 5:17 ἰᾶσθαι to to heal [the sick] Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive Luke 6:18 ἰαθῆναι to to be healed Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive Luke 6:19 ἰᾶτο to healing Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular Luke 7:7 ἰαθήτω to will be healed Verb - Aorist Imperative Passive - 3rd Person Singular Luke 8:47 ἰάθη to she had immediately been healed Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 8:8
Aligned rows 26
Books represented 8
Matthew 4 Mark 1 Luke 11 John 3 Acts 4 Hebrews 1 James 1 1 Peter 1
Source forms
ἰάθη 4x iathē Matthew 8:13, Matthew 15:28, Luke 8:47, Luke 17:15
ἰάσατο 4x iasato Luke 9:42, Luke 14:4, Luke 22:51, Acts 28:8
ἰάσομαι 3x iasomai Matthew 13:15, John 12:40, Acts 28:27
ἰᾶσθαι 2x iasthai Luke 5:17, Luke 9:2
ἰᾶτο 2x iato Luke 6:19, Luke 9:11
ἰαθεὶς 1x iatheis John 5:13
ἰαθῇ 1x iathē Hebrews 12:13
ἰαθῆναι 1x iathēnai Luke 6:18
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular 4x Luke 9:42, Luke 14:4, Luke 22:51, Acts 28:8
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular 4x Matthew 8:13, Matthew 15:28, Luke 8:47, Luke 17:15
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singular 3x Matthew 13:15, John 12:40, Acts 28:27
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular 2x Luke 6:19, Luke 9:11
Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive 2x Luke 5:17, Luke 9:2
Verb - Aorist Imperative Passive - 3rd Person Singular 1x Luke 7:7
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 2nd Person Plural 1x 1 Peter 2:24
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive 1x Luke 6:18
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not use a healing passage to blame sufferers for inadequate faith or to promise a timetable the text does not give.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that Peter's ministry makes him the independent source of healing when he names Jesus Christ as healer.
- Do not claim that 1 Peter 2:24 is only about immediate bodily cure when its sentence centers sin-bearing and righteous life.
Evidence Summary
Messiah
Greek word. Healing that restores physical or spiritual wholeness; broader than mere symptom relief or treatment.
Strong's G2390
Lexical occurrences 26 verses Greek text appearances 28 times 16 shown below Word forms 5 forms 26 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Acts 28:1-10 Source Gloss
to cure (literally or figuratively)
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 28 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 8:8 Verb Third Person Singular Future Passive Indicative
ἰαθήσεται iaqhsetai
I heal
Read verse Matthew 8:13 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἰάθη iaqh
I heal
Read verse Matthew 13:15 Verb First Person Singular Aorist Middle Deponent Subjunctive
ἰάσωμαι iaswmai
I heal
Read verse Matthew 15:28 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἰάθη iaqh
I heal
Read verse Mark 5:29 Verb Third Person Singular Perfect Passive Indicative
ἴαται iatai
I heal
Read verse Luke 4:18 Verb Aorist Middle Deponent Infinitive
ἰάσασθαι iasasqai
I heal
Read verse Luke 5:17 Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Infinitive
ἰᾶσθαι iasqai
I heal
Read verse Luke 6:17 Verb Aorist Passive Infinitive
ἰαθῆναι iaqhnai
I heal
Read verse Luke 6:19 Verb Third Person Singular Imperfect Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
ἰᾶτο iato
I heal
Read verse Luke 7:7 Verb Third Person Singular Future Passive Indicative
ἰαθήσεται iaqhsetai
I heal
Read verse Luke 8:47 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἰάθη iaqh
I heal
Read verse Luke 9:2 Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Infinitive
ἰᾶσθαι iasqai
I heal
Read verse Luke 9:11 Verb Third Person Singular Imperfect Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
ἰᾶτο. iato
I heal
Read verse Luke 9:42 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative
ἰάσατο iasato
I heal
Read verse Luke 14:4 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative
ἰάσατο iasato
I heal
Read verse Luke 17:15 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἰάθη, iaqh
I heal
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 5 Aligned forms 26 Tenses Aorist, Future, Present, Imperfect, Perfect Voices Passive, Middle
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 17×
Aorist Passive Matt 8:13 · Matt 15:28 · Luke 8:47 · Luke 17:15 · 1 Pet 2:24 5×
Aorist Middle Luke 9:42 · Luke 14:4 · Luke 22:51 · Acts 28:8 4×
Future Middle Matt 13:15 · John 12:40 · Acts 28:27 3×
Imperfect Middle Luke 6:19 · Luke 9:11 2×
Future Passive Matt 8:8 1×
Perfect Passive Mark 5:29 1×
Present Middle Acts 9:34 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 3×
Present Middle Luke 5:17 · Luke 9:2 2×
Aorist Passive Luke 6:18 1×
Imperative command or strong request 1×
Aorist Passive Luke 7:7 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 3×
Aorist Passive Heb 12:13 · Jas 5:16 2×
Aorist Middle John 4:47 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 2×
Aorist Passive John 5:13 1×
Present Middle Acts 10:38 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 26 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 15 present 4 future 4 imperfect 2 perfect 1
Voice
middle 14 passive 12
Mood
indicative 17 subjunctive 3 infinitive 3 participle 2 imperative 1
NT Occurrences
Matthew 8:13 ἰάθη aorist passive indicative completed Matthew 8:8 ἰαθήσεται future passive indicative prospective Matthew 13:15 ἰάσομαι future middle indicative prospective Matthew 15:28 ἰάθη aorist passive indicative completed Mark 5:29 ἴαται perfect passive indicative resultant Luke 5:17 ἰᾶσθαι present middle infinitive infinitive Luke 6:18 ἰαθῆναι aorist passive infinitive infinitive Luke 6:19 ἰᾶτο imperfect middle indicative background Luke 7:7 ἰαθήτω aorist passive imperative imperative Luke 8:47 ἰάθη aorist passive indicative completed Luke 9:11 ἰᾶτο imperfect middle indicative background Luke 9:2 ἰᾶσθαι present middle infinitive infinitive Luke 9:42 ἰάσατο aorist middle indicative completed Luke 14:4 ἰάσατο aorist middle indicative completed Luke 17:15 ἰάθη aorist passive indicative completed Luke 22:51 ἰάσατο aorist middle indicative completed John 4:47 ἰάσηται aorist middle subjunctive subjunctive John 5:13 ἰαθεὶς aorist passive participle participle John 12:40 ἰάσομαι future middle indicative prospective Acts 9:34 ἰᾶταί present middle indicative ongoing Acts 10:38 ἰώμενος present middle participle participle Acts 28:27 ἰάσομαι future middle indicative prospective Acts 28:8 ἰάσατο aorist middle indicative completed Hebrews 12:13 ἰαθῇ aorist passive subjunctive subjunctive James 5:16 ἰαθῆτε aorist passive subjunctive subjunctive 1 Peter 2:24 ἰάθητε aorist passive indicative completed
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
To cure or restore.
To cure or restore to health.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 26 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ἰάομαι is a primary verb - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Demonstrates God’s compassionate power through His servant. Acts 28:1-10
Highlights that healing authority belongs to Jesus Christ. Acts 9:32-43
Canonical Themes
Messiah
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Biblical healing is personal action under Christ's authority, not a technique believers control. The centurion sees that Jesus can command restoration without crossing a threshold, and Jesus honors that confidence in His word. Luke portrays crowds who come to listen as well as be healed, keeping proclamation and mercy together. At the Pharisee's table, Jesus' healing exposes a rule-keeping posture that can debate the Sabbath while withholding compassion from a suffering neighbor.
In Acts, Peter refuses to center himself: Jesus Christ heals Aeneas, and the restored body becomes testimony to the risen Lord. First Peter reaches the deepest wound by placing healing inside Christ's sin-bearing death and a new life of righteousness. Churches should pray boldly, care concretely, and avoid blaming sufferers, while teaching that bodily signs and final restoration depend on the sovereign healer rather than human formulas.
Anchor passage
Matt.8.8
Doctrinal connections
- Matthew 8:5-13, Jesus' word and healing authority
- Luke 6:17-19, hearing, disease, and release from oppression
- Luke 14:1-6, Sabbath healing and merciful necessity
- Acts 9:32-35, Jesus Christ healing Aeneas
- 1 Peter 2:21-25, sin-bearing wounds and restored life
- Isaiah 53:4-6, the servant wounded for transgressors
Ἰάομαι is a verb of healing or restoration and may take a person or condition as its object. Passive forms describe being healed. Figurative or redemptive force arises from explicit context, especially prophetic citation.
From Old to New Testament
The Lord identifies Himself as Israel's healer, prophets join healing to repentance and restoration, Jesus heals the sick, and the servant bears sins so wandering sheep return to their shepherd.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain