### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **krábbatos**, represented by `{{G2895}}`, refers to a **mattress** or **bed**. It appears **12 times** across **12 unique verses** in the Bible. While a simple object, the **krábbatos** is consistently associated with powerful acts of healing, often serving as a symbol of a person's former affliction.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{G2895}}` is central to several healing miracles performed by Jesus and the apostles. It is the object carried by the paralytic man who was lowered **through** the **roof** to reach Jesus [[Mark 2:4]]. Upon being healed, the command is consistently given to "take up" the **bed** and walk, as seen in Jesus's words to the man sick of the palsy [[Mark 2:11]] and the man at the pool of Bethesda [[John 5:8]]. This act of carrying the **bed** served as irrefutable proof of the healing. This also led to conflict, as the Jews considered carrying a **bed** on the Sabbath to be unlawful [[John 5:10]]. The term is also used to describe the simple couches on which the sick were laid in the streets in the hope of being healed [[Acts 5:15]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a fuller picture of the events surrounding the **krábbatos**:
* `{{G142}}` **aírō** (to lift up; by implication, to take up or away): This verb is directly paired with **krábbatos** in the command to the healed men. It signifies the action that proves the miracle, as in "**take up** thy **bed**" [[Mark 2:9]].
* `{{G1453}}` **egeírō** (to waken, i.e. rouse): This word for "**arise**" is the first part of the command given to the paralytics, initiating the act of healing before they are told to take up their **bed** [[Mark 2:11]].
* `{{G4043}}` **peripatéō** (to tread all around, i.e. walk at large): This is the culminating action that demonstrates the completeness of the healing. After being told to rise and take up their **bed**, the healed are commanded to **walk** [[John 5:8]].
* `{{G2825}}` **klínē** (a couch (for sleep, sickness, sitting or eating)): This is a similar term for a bed or couch. It is used alongside **krábbatos** to describe the variety of mats on which sick people were brought for healing [[Acts 5:15]].
### Theological Significance
The word `{{G2895}}` carries significant thematic weight in the context of miracles and authority.
* **Symbol of Affliction:** The **bed** represents a state of helplessness and long-term suffering. In Acts, a man named **Aeneas** had been confined to his **bed** for eight **years** [[Acts 9:33]]. The **bed** is what defines the paralytic's immobile existence.
* **Evidence of Divine Power:** The command to carry the **bed** transforms it from a symbol of sickness into a trophy of restoration. When the paralytic took up his **bed** and went forth, all who saw it **were amazed** and **glorified** **God** [[Mark 2:12]]. It is the tangible proof of Jesus's authority to forgive **sins** and heal the body [[Mark 2:9]].
* **Catalyst for Conflict:** The act of carrying a **bed** on the **sabbath** became a point of contention, highlighting the clash between Jesus's divine authority and the rigid religious traditions of the **Jews** [[John 5:10]]. This simple act forces a confrontation over what is **lawful**.
### Summary
In summary, `{{G2895}}` signifies far more than a simple mattress. It serves as a powerful narrative device, representing the transition from debilitating illness to complete restoration. The **bed** is the burden that becomes the proof, the object of helplessness that becomes a testimony to divine power. Through its use in scripture, **krábbatos** illustrates how Jesus's authority not only heals the individual but also challenges the religious structures of the day.
TRV