[Greek] ἐπιδημέω (epidēmeō), [Latin] advena, [Latin] hospites: to be at home, to be a visitor, to make oneself at home, to reside in a foreign country, to be a stranger, to live as a foreigner, to sojourn; Acts 2:10, Acts 17:21
The Duke of Orleans Visiting the Sick at l’Hotel-Dieu During the Cholera Epidemic in 1832: painting by Alfred Johannot
Background information:
Hippocrates: He uses the Greek adjective epidemios, which means of the people and which circulates or propagates in a country. This later gives rise to the term epidemia. Rather than using the Greek nosos (disease), Hippocrates applies epidemios to diseases (syndromes) with reference to season, geography, and population. Hippocrates’ Epidemics Book 1 Chapter 3 states “It is a fact that the disease was propagating in the country.”
Greek Hellenism: This term means to be at home, to live at home, to come home, to be prevalent (disease), and to reside in a place. Interestingly, the Latin equivalents are nouns. The historical epidemic of Thebes becomes front and center in Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex. Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex 494 states “I shall go (to make war) to Oedipus, against his fame which spread in the country.” Sophocles essentially equates Oedipus’ fame spreading like a virus. Thucydides’ The Peloponnesian War 1.136 states “Admetus happened not to be indoors, but his wife instructed him to take their child in his arms and sit down by the hearth.” Xenophon’s Memorabilia 2.8.1 states “Where do you come from, Eutheru? I came home when the war ended, Socrates, and am now living here.”
Old Testament: Disease and death has historically followed man’s loss of innocence and sinful activity out of the Garden of Eden. The Old Testament has shown Yahweh afflicting Egypt, the Phillistines, and Israel because of their sinful actions. We have the benefit of historical hindsight to understand these Old Testament afflictions. However, at this time we are living in the present moment of this pandemic. We currently do not have that benefit of hindsight. Therefore, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that this pandemic may be a result of God’s wrath against against our current world’s sinful actions (abortion among other sins). We may never now why God still permits the pandemic to continue in spite of our prayers and pleas to Him to end this. As with the pandemics of past history, both the evil and innocent have perished. “Whatever the Lord desires, He does in heaven and earth (Psa.13:6). Go, my people, enter your chambers, and close the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a brief moment, until the wrath has past (Isa.26:20).
New Testament: This term means to be a visitor or to live as a foreigner. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, as a rushing wind, came upon a group of people gathered together. These people, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak in different tongues. At this sound, each devout Jew from every nation was confused because he (she) heard them speaking in his (her) own language. Paul arrived in Athens and grew exasperated at the sight of the city full of idols. Paul engaged with the Athenians and appealed to their religiosity. Paul was able to engage in dialogue with the Athenians because Athens provided the setting allowing for the respectful transmission (exchange) of ideas between Greeks and foreigners residing there.
Scripture:
“Now all the Athenians as well as the foreigners residing there used their time for nothing else but telling or hearing something new.” Acts 17:2
Athens provided for a setting for the respectful exchange of ideas.
Conclusion:
Adventure, epidemic, epidemiologist, hospitality, hospital, endemic
It is very interesting to note that this term pertains to aspects or characteristics among people. This term means of the people or circulating among the people. (Quite an apt description for a virus). Hippocrates develops the study of diseases, becoming the precursor to epidemiology.
The Greek tragic poets, like Sophocles, often wrote plays about the human condition. Sophocles wrote some of his tragedies during the time of plagues (epidemics). It is quite interesting that he would equate Oedipus’ rapidly spreading fame (popularity) like a virus. This is a powerful commentary on current society. (Not surprisingly, the main stream media would most likely say the same thing about President Trump!)
An endemic disease (malaria in Africa) is a disease which is constantly present in a specific geographical region.
Update: Corona virus pandemic: It is quite to illuminating to realize that many of us are currently living out the meaning of this Greek verb epidemeo (to stay at home). Who knows why God is allowing this to continue? We just do not have all the information as of yet. It looks more and more like that this cause was man-made. God seems to have permitted (although not directly causing) this endemic disease to expand into a worldwide pandemic (for reasons only God knows why). In His infinite power, God could have stopped this disease then and now! But here we are with this pandemic. That is a very sobering thought. God can do whatever He pleases, even with chastisement! I think we all must heed the advice of Isaiah, God’s full time prophet (and part time epidemiologist): stay inside (social distance) until the wrath (pandemic) has passed.
And yet perseverance, hope, faith, prayers, and trust must remain present (be endemic) in all of us.