Word of the Day - 4/15/2008

Pyrexia

Pyrexia means "fever."

Jesus cured Simon Peter’s mother-in-law’s pyrexia. (Matthew 8:13-15, Mark 1:29-31, Luke 4:37-39) The Greek word for fever (puretos) is the root of the English pyrexia. Four of the six times the word is used in the New Testament are in versions of this story.

Feminists often note that it is typical that immediately after Simon’s mother-in-law is healed, she is put to work serving a group of perfectly healthy men.