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In the Bible, “feeble-minded” (KJV) means fainthearted, discouraged, or timid—not intellectually disabled.
It appears only once, in 1 Thessalonians 5:14:
“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.” (KJV)
The Greek word is oligopsychos (ὀλιγόψυχος): oligos (“little”) + psyche (“soul/spirit”). It literally means “little-souled” or “small-spirited.” Commentators and lexicons render it as fainthearted, discouraged, despondent, or lacking courage and inner resilience.
Modern translations usually say “encourage the fainthearted,” “encourage the timid,” or “comfort those who are discouraged.”
What it does not mean
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (and similar sources) is explicit: the term refers to weakness of will and vacillation of purpose, not idiocy or “morbid imbecility.”
Webster’s 1828 dictionary (close to KJV-era English) defines it as “weak in mind; wanting firmness or constancy; irresolute.”
In context, Paul is telling the church how to treat different kinds of struggling people:
- Admonish the idle/unruly
- Comfort the discouraged/fainthearted
- Support the weak
- Be patient with everyone
The “feeble-minded” here are people whose courage or hope is failing—often because of grief, persecution, fear, or a sense of their own unworthiness—not people with low IQ.
John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress later used the name “Mr. Feeble-mind” for a timid, easily discouraged pilgrim, which matches this older sense of the word.
Later historical shift
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “feeble-minded” became a medical and legal term for what we now call intellectual disability (especially milder forms). That usage is now considered outdated and offensive. It is not the meaning of the word in the New Testament.
Christian teaching in this verse is simply to treat the discouraged with comfort rather than rebuke, and to show patience toward the weak.
