The Bible says a merry heart does good like a medicine (Proverbs 17:22). This word medicine does appear a few times in the Bible, but are there specific examples of medicines being used in the Bible? What did they use for medicines?
Bible Medicines
Yes, they did have doctors and medicines in the Bible times. (Jeremiah 8:22) asked the questions, “Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” Even so, there are only a handful of Scriptures that tell us what these doctors were prescribing for medicines back in the Bible days.
An Ointment From Figs
Figs were used as a remedy to cure boils in the Bible. In addition to the health benefits of consuming figs, they are still used today to cure boils. In the Bible it was Isaiah who told Hezekiah’s servants to make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil of Hezekiah so he would recover.
(2 Kings 20:7) Then Isaiah said, “Make an ointment from figs.” So Hezekiah’s servants spread the ointment over the boil, and Hezekiah recovered! NLT
(Isaiah 38:21) Isaiah had said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil, and Hezekiah will recover.” NLT
Wine
Paul instructed Timothy to stop drinking only water and use a little wine for his stomach problems and other illnesses that were troubling him. Some believe the wine Paul was referring to was grape juice. Others think it was fermented (alcohol). For more on this subject, see What does the Bible say about Drinking Alcohol?
1 Timothy 5:23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
Olive Oil
The Good Samaritan used oil and wine on the injured man’s wounds. This was the ordinary treatment for that day and time. The wine was used to cleanse the wound, the oil for soothing inflammation.
(Luke 10:33-34) “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. NLT
Other Herbal Remedies
Many other herbal remedies were used back in these times based on information gathered from historical sources and tradition. Some of these herbs are mentioned in the Bible, just not specifically as medicines.
For instance, frankincense and myrrh, which were two of the three gifts offered to Jesus by the Magi in (Mathew 2:11), were both used to treat common conditions of the times. Garlic, listed along with other foods in (Numbers 11:5), was used then and now for many health conditions.
A sponge soaked with wine was put on the stalk of a hyssop plant and lifted up to Jesus as he was hanging on the cross (John19:29). Hyssop is mentioned numerous other places in the Scriptures. As a traditional herbal medicine, it is used for treating digestive and respiratory problems.
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