Is there any significant lexical difference between ἀναπήρος and χωλός in Luke 14:13, and how does this impact our interpretation?

Is there any significant lexical difference between ἀναπήρος and χωλός in Luke 14:13, and how does this impact our interpretation?

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Luke 14:13

But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled (ἀναπήρος), the lame (χωλός), the blind…

The word ἀναπήρος is a unique word in the NT (it is only used by Luke, and only twice by him in this passage). I have not been able to find a definition that distinguishes it from the more common χωλός (used by Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the author of Hebrews) in any of the lexicons available to me. These words are presented as synonyms, but I wonder if Luke intended to use them with nuanced distinctions given that he was a physician. Given its rarity in the NT, I imagine a fuller understanding of this term must come from non-canonical sources.

2 Comments

  • Reply March 2, 2023

    Anonymous

    ναπήρος means lazy. ἀναπήρος must mean not lazy. Apparently, these people were actually crippled in some way that the cause was not obvious.

    Perhaps Luke, being a doctor, made a distinction between obvious reasons for being lame such as club foot and less obvious such as neurological issues.

    • Reply March 2, 2023

      Anonymous

      Michael Chauncey I will think 2-3 times about this one John Mushenhouse

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