Pestilence

A variation of a Hebrew word for a deadly plague that spreads easily. Pestilence is never portrayed in the Bible as a random event. It is always regarded as a judgment or punishment sent by God.

Pestilence was a punishment for Israel's neglect of its covenant (Leviticus 26:25; Deuteronomy 28:21). This is the reason for the frequent use of the word by both Jeremiah and Ezekiel. These prophets were prosecuting God’s covenant lawsuit against his people. The sentence had been determined, and they announced that its infliction was impending. For this reason, pestilence almost always occurs as part of a list of plagues, such as the formula “sword, famine, and pestilence” used throughout Jeremiah’s prophecy in some translations (Jeremiah 14:12 and other verses). Pestilence punishes sin. So, it does not strike everyone. The one who remains faithful will be protected from its effects (Psalm 91:1–3). The enemies of Israel could also be objects of this form of judgment (Psalm 78:50; Ezekiel 28:23; 38:22).

Pestilence is not identical to plague in the Old Testament. "Plague" often means diseases like:

Bubonic plague

Measles

Smallpox

"Pestilence" may refer to:

Cholera

Typhus

Typhoid

Dysentery

These diseases often afflicted a city under siege. There is some overlap in the terms, however. Seventy thousand Israelites died after David's census. This shows the severity of divine punishment (2 Samuel 24:13–15).

The Greek word loimos occurs three times in the New Testament. In Acts 24:5, Tertullus used this term as an offensive description of Paul: “We have found this man to be a pestilence.” Jesus predicted that the destruction of the temple would be preceded by several judgments, including pestilence or plague (Luke 21:11).

See also Disease; Plague.