The Greek word anápēros, represented by G376, means crippled or maimed. According to its base definition, it is derived from ἀνά (in the sense of intensity) and another word for maimed. It is a specific term that appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible.
The word G376 appears exclusively in the book of Luke, within a single parable. In this context, Jesus instructs that when giving a feast, one should call "the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind" Luke 14:13. This instruction is repeated when a master, angered by his original guests' refusals, commands his servant to go into the city's streets and bring in "the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind" Luke 14:21. In both instances, it identifies a class of people considered socially outcast or afflicted who are to receive a special invitation.
The word anápēros is consistently used alongside several other key terms describing physical and social conditions:
- G4434 ptōchós (a beggar...pauper...poor): This word denotes absolute poverty. It is used for those who are "poor in spirit" Matthew 5:3 and are the intended recipients of the gospel message Luke 4:18.
- G5185 typhlós (opaque...blind): This term refers to being physically or mentally blind. It is frequently used in accounts of Jesus's ministry, where the blind receive their sight Matthew 11:5 and also describes a state of spiritual unawareness Revelation 3:17.
- G5560 chōlós ("halt", i.e. limping): This word describes someone who is lame or crippled. The healing of the lame is cited as a sign of Jesus's work Luke 7:22, and the term is used in parallel with maimed to describe those invited to the great feast Luke 14:21.
The theological significance of G376 is found in its specific context within the theme of divine invitation.
- Invitation to the Marginalized: The primary use of maimed is in a list of people who are explicitly invited to a great feast, representing the kingdom of God. This highlights God's inclusion of those who are typically overlooked or excluded by society Luke 14:21.
- A Sign of the Kingdom: While G376 itself is not used in healing accounts, its associated terms are. The healing of the lame G5560 and the blind G5185, along with preaching to the poor G4434, are presented as evidence of the kingdom's arrival Matthew 11:5.
- Figurative Condition: The grouping of maimed with terms like poor and blind, which are used elsewhere to describe spiritual states (Matthew 5:3, Revelation 3:17), suggests that these physical afflictions point to the types of spiritual need that God seeks to address.
In summary, G376 is a precise term for being maimed or crippled. Though used only twice, its context is powerful. It appears in a specific list of invitees—the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind—to a great feast (Luke 14:13, Luke 14:21). This places the word at the center of a key biblical principle: God's deliberate and gracious invitation to those who are physically afflicted and socially marginalized, extending to them a place of honor in His kingdom.
TRV