Bible Dictionaries
Dysentery

Holman Bible Dictionary

A disease characterized by diarrhea, painful bowel spasms, and ulceration and infection of the bowels resulting in blood and pus in the excreta. Modern speech translations of Acts 28:8 render the “bloody flux” of the KJV as dysentery. Many interpreters also understand the chronic bowel disease which afflicted King Jehoram (2Chronicles 21:15, 2 Chronicles 21:18-19 ) as dysentery. The nontechnical language of the account does not permit a precise diagnosis excluding other diseases of the bowels such as chronic diarrhea or colitis. There is some disagreement on the nature of the symptoms given in 2 Chronicles 21:15 . The REB together with many commentators understand the phrase usually rendered his bowels came out as a reference to a prolapsed bowel, that is, his bowel slipped from its normal position. Others understand the text to refer to excretion of the bowel itself.

Bibliography Information
Butler, Trent C. Editor. Entry for 'Dysentery'. Holman Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​hbd/​d/dysentery.html. 1991.