B

 

 

Babbler, Babblings

1, spermologos
“a babbler,” is used in Acts 17:18. Primarily an adjective, it came to be used as a noun signifying a crow, or some other bird, picking up seeds (sperma, “a seed,” lego, “to collect”). Then it seems to have been used of a man accustomed to hang about the streets and markets, picking up scraps which fall from loads; hence a parasite, who lives at the expense of others, a hanger on. Metaphorically it became used of a man who picks up scraps of information and retails them secondhand, a plagiarist, or of those who make a show in unscientific style, of knowledge obtained from misunderstanding lectures. Prof. Ramsay points out that there does not seem to be any instance of the classical use of the word as a “babbler” or a mere talker. He finds in the word a piece of Athenian slang, applied to one who was outside any literary circle, an ignorant plagiarist. Other suggestions have been made, but without satisfactory evidence.

2, kenophonia
“babbling” (from kenos, “empty,” and phone, “a sound”), signifies empty discussion, discussion on useless subjects, 1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 2:16.

 

Babe

1, brephos
denotes (a) “an unborn child,” as in Luke 1:41,44; (b) “a newborn child, or an infant still older,” Luke 2:12,16; 18:15; Acts 7:19; 2 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 2:2. See CHILD, INFANT.

2, nepios
lit., “without the power of speech,” denotes “a little child,” the literal meaning having been lost in the general use of the word. It is used (a) of “infants,” Matt. 21:16; (b) metaphorically, of the unsophisticated in mind and trustful in disposition, Matt. 11:25 and Luke 10:21, where it stands in contrast to the wise; of those who are possessed merely of natural knowledge, Rom. 2:20; of those who are carnal, and have not grown, as they should have done, in spiritual understanding and power, the spiritually immature, 1 Cor. 3:1, those who are so to speak partakers of milk, and “without experience of the word of righteousness,” Heb. 5:13; of the Jews, who, while the Law was in force, were in state corresponding to that of childhood, or minority, just as the word “infant” is used of a minor, in English law, Gal. 4:3, “children;” of believers in an immature condition, impressionable and liable to be imposed upon instead of being in a state of spiritual maturity, Eph. 4:14, “children.” “Immaturity” is always associated with this word. See CHILD, No. 7

Note: The corresponding verb, nepiazo, is found in 1 Cor. 14:20, where believers are exhorted to be as “babes” (RV) in malice, unable to think or speak maliciously.

 

 

Back (Adverb), Backside, Backward

1, opiso
connected with hepomai, “to follow,” is used adverbially, of place, with the meaning “back,” “backward,” in the phrase eis ta opiso, lit., “unto the things behind,” in Mark 13:16; Luke 9:62; 17:31; John 6:66; 18:6; 20:14. Cp. Phil. 3:13, “the things which are behind.” See BEHIND.

2, opisthen

 

Back (Noun)

1, notos
“the back,” is derived from a root no--, signifying “to bend, curve.” It is used in Rom. 11:10.

 

 

Backbiter, Backbiting

1, katalalos
a “backbiter,” and katalalia (2636), “backbiting,” are formed from kata, “against,” and laleo, “to speak.” Katalalos is used in Rom. 1:30. Katalalia is translated “evil speaking” in 1 Pet. 2:1, “backbiting” in 2 Cor. 12:20.

Note: The corresponding verb katalaleo the RV translates “speak against,” in its five occurrences, Jas. 4:11 (three times); 1 Pet. 2:12, and 3:16; AV, “speak evil,” in all the passages except 1 Pet. 2:12.

 

Bad

1, kakos
indicates the lack in a person or thing of those qualities which should be possessed; it means “bad in character” (a) morally, by way of thinking, feeling or acting, e.g., Mark 7:21, “thoughts;” 1 Cor. 15:33, “company;” Col. 3:5, “desire;” 1 Tim. 6:10, “all kinds of evil;” 1 Pet. 3:9, “evil for evil;” (b) in the sense of what is injurious or baneful, e.g., the tongue as “a restless evil,” Jas. 3:8; “evil beasts,” Titus 1:12; “harm,” Acts 16:28; once it is translated “bad,” 2 Cor. 5:10. It is the opposite of agathos, “good.” See EVIL, HARM, ILL, NOISOME, WICKED.

2, poneros
connected with ponos, “labor,” expresses especially the “active form of evil,” and is practically the same in meaning as (b), under No. 1. It is used, e.g., of thoughts, Matt. 15:19 (cp. kakos, in Mark 7:21); of speech, Matt. 5:11 (cp. kakos, in 1 Pet. 3:10); of acts, 2 Tim. 4:18. Where kakos and poneros are put together, kakos is always put first and signifies “bad in character, base,” poneros, “bad in effect, malignant:” see 1 Cor. 5:8, and Rev. 16:2. Kakos has a wider meaning, poneros a stronger meaning. Poneros alone is used of Satan and might well be translated “the malignant one,” e.g., Matt. 5:37 and five times in 1 John (1 John 2:13-14; 3:12; 5:18,19, RV); of demons, e.g., Luke 7:21. Once it is translated “bad,” Matt. 22:10. See EVIL, GRIEVOUS, HARM, LEWD, MALICIOUS, WICKED.

3, sapros
“corrupt, rotten” (akin to sepo, “to rot”), primarily, of vegetable and animal substances, expresses what is of poor quality, unfit for use, putrid. It is said of a tree and its fruit, Matt. 7:17,18; 12:33; Luke 6:43; of certain fish, Matt. 13:48 (here translated “bad”); of defiling speech, Eph. 4:29. See CORRUPT.

Bade

·          For BADE see BID

 

 

Bag

1, glossokomon
from glossa, “a tongue,” and komeo, “to tend,” was, firstly, “a case” in which to keep the mouthpiece of wind instruments; secondly, “a small box” for any purpose, but especially a “casket or purse,” to keep money in. It is used of the “bag” which Judas carried, John 12:6; 13:29; in the Sept. of 2 Chron. 24:8,10, used of the “box” appointed by King Joash for offerings for the repair of the Temple.

2, ballantion
from ballo, “to cast,” “a money-box or purse,” is found in Luke's Gospel, four times, Luke 10:4; 12:33 (AV, “bag”); 22:35,36. See PURSE.

Note: Zone, “a gridle or belt,” also served as “a purse for money,” Matt. 10:9; Mark 6:8. See GIRDLE.

 

Balance

1, zugos
“a yoke,” also has the meaning of “a pair of scales,” Rev. 6:5. So the Sept. of Lev. 19:36; Isa. 40:12. See YOKE.

 

 

Band

1, speira
primarily “anything round,” and so “whatever might be wrapped round a thing, a twisted rope,” came to mean “a body of men at arms,” and was the equivalent of the Roman manipulus. It was also used for a larger body of men, a cohort, about 600 infantry, commanded by a tribune. It is confined to its military sense. See, e.g., Matt. 27:27, and corresponding passages.

2, desmos
“a band, fetter, anything for tying” (from deo, “to bind, fasten with chains, etc.”), is sometimes translated “band,” sometimes “bond;” “bands,” in Luke 8:29; Acts 16:26; 22:30, AV only. In the case of the deaf man who had an impediment in his speech, whom the Lord took aside, Mark 7:35, the AV says “the string of his tongue was loosed;” the RV, more literally, “the bond of his tongue.” See BOND, CHAIN, STRING.

3, sundesmos
an intensive form of No. 2, denoting “that which binds firmly together,” is used metaphorically of the joints and bands of the mystic body of Christ, Col. 2:19; otherwise in the following phrases, “the bond of iniquity,” Acts 8:23; “the bond of peace,” Eph. 4:3; “the bond of perfectness,” Col. 3:14. See BOND.

4, zeukteria
“a bond” (connected with zugos, “a yoke”), is found once, of the rudder band of a ship, Acts 27:40.

 

Banded

1, poieo, sustrophen>
Acts 23:12, of the Jews who “banded together” with the intention of killing Paul, consists of the verb poieo, “to make,” and the noun sustrophe, primarily “a twisting up together, a binding together;” then, “a secret combination, a conspiracy.” Accordingly it might be translated “made a conspiracy.” The noun is used elsewhere in 19:40. See CONCOURSE

 

 

Bank, Bankers

1, trapeza
primarily “a table,” denotes (a) an eating-table, e.g., Matt. 15:27; (b) food, etc. placed on “a table,” Acts 6:2; 16:34; (c) “a feast, a banquet,” 1 Cor. 10:21; (d) “the table or stand” of a money-changer, where he exchanged money for a fee, or dealt with loans and deposits, Matt. 21:12; Mark 11:15; Luke 19:23; John 2:15. See MEAT, TABLE.

2, trapezites
a “money-changer, broker, banker;” translated “bankers” in Matt. 25:27, RV (AV, “exchangers”).

Note: For charax, Luke 19:43, see TRENCH.

 

Banqueting

·          For BANQUETING see CAROUSINGS

 

 

 

Baptism, Baptist, Baptize

A-1,Noun,  baptisma>
“baptism,” consisting of the processes of immersion, submersion and emergence (from bapto, “to dip”), is used (a) of John's “baptism,” (b) of Christian “baptism,” see B. below; (c) of the overwhelming afflictions and judgments to which the Lord voluntarily submitted on the cross, e.g., Luke 12:50; (d) of the sufferings His followers would experience, not of a vicarious character, but in fellowship with the sufferings of their Master. Some mss. have the word in Matt. 20:22,23; it is used in Mark 10:38,39, with this meaning.

A-2,Noun, baptismos
as distinct from baptisma (the ordinance), is used of the “ceremonial washing of articles,” Mark 7:4,8, in some texts; Heb. 9:10; once in a general sense, Heb. 6:2. See WASHING.

A-3,Noun, baptistes
“a baptist,” is used only of John the Baptist, and only in the Synoptists, 14 times.

B-1,Verb, baptizo
“to baptize,” primarily a frequentative form of bapto, “to dip,” was used among the Greeks to signify the dyeing of a garment, or the drawing of water by dipping a vessel into another, etc. Plutarchus uses it of the drawing of wine by dipping the cup into the bowl (Alexis, 67) and Plato, metaphorically, of being overwhelmed with questions (Euthydemus, 277 D).

It is used in the NT in Luke 11:38 of washing oneself (as in 2 Kings 5:14, “dipped himself,” Sept.); see also Isa. 21:4, lit., “lawlessness overwhelms me.” In the early chapters of the four Gospels and in Acts 1:5; 11:16; 19:4, it is used of the rite performed by John the Baptist who called upon the people to repent that they might receive remission of sins. Those who obeyed came “confessing their sins,” thus acknowledging their unfitness to be in the Messiah's coming kingdom. Distinct form this is the “baptism” enjoined by Christ, Matt. 28:19, a “baptism” to be undergone by believers, thus witnessing to their identification with Him in death, burial and resurrection, e.g., Acts 19:5; Rom. 6:3,4; 1 Cor. 1:13-17; 12:13; Gal. 3:27; Col. 2:12. The phrase in Matt. 28:19, “batizing them into the Name” (RV; cp. Acts 8:16, RV), would indicate that the “baptized” person was closely bound to, or became the property of, the one into whose name he was “batized.”

In Acts 22:16 it is used in the Middle Voice, in the command given to Saul of Tarsus, “arise and be baptize,” the significance of the Middle Voice form being “get thyself baptized.” The experience of those who were in the ark at the time of the Flood was a figure or type of the facts of spiritual death, burial, and resurrection, Christian “baptism” being an antitupon, “a corresponding type,” a “like figure,” 1 Pet. 3:21. Likewise the nation of Israel was figuratively baptized when made to pass through the Red Sea under the cloud, 1 Cor. 10:2. The verb is used metaphorically also in two distinct senses: firstly, of “baptism” by the Holy Spirit, which took place on the Day of Pentecost; secondly, of the calamity which would come upon the nation of the Jews, a “baptism” of the fire of Divine judgment for rejection of the will and word of God, Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16.

 

Barbarian, Barbarous

1, barbaros
properly meant “one whose speech is rude, or harsh;” the word is onomatopoeic, indicating in the sound the uncouth character represented by the repeated syllable “bar-bar.” Hence it signified one who speaks a strange or foreign language. See 1 Cor. 14:11. It then came to denote any foreigner ignorant of the Greek language and culture. After the Persian war it acquired the sense of rudeness and brutality. In Acts 28:2,4, it is used unreproachfully of the inhabitants of Malta, who were of Phoenician origin. So in Rom. 1:14, where it stands in distinction from Greeks, and in implied contrast to both Greeks and Jews. Cp. the contrasts in Col. 3:11, where all such distinctions are shown to be null and void in Christ. “Berber” stood similarly in the language of the Egyptians for all non-Egyptian peoples.

 

 

Bare (Adjective)

1, gumnos
“naked,” is once translated “bare,” 1 Cor. 15:37, where, used of grain, the meaning is made clearer by translating the phrase by “a bare grain,” RV. See NAKED.

 

Bare (Verb)

·          For BARE (Verb) see BEAR

 

Barley

A-1,Noun, krithe
“barley,” is used in the plural in Rev. 6:6.

B-1,Adjective, krithinos>
signifies “made of barley,” John 6:9,13.

 

Barren

1, steiros
from a root ster-- meaning “hard, firm” (hence Eng., “sterile”), signifies “barren, not bearing children,” and is used with the natural significance three times in the Gospel of Luke, Luke 1:7,36; 23:29; and with a spiritual significance in Gal. 4:27, in a quotation from Isa. 54:1. The circumstances of Sarah and Hagar, which Isaiah no doubt had in mind, are applied by the Apostle to the contrast between the works of the Law and the promise by grace.

2, argos
denoting “idle, barren, yielding no return, because of inactivity,” is found in the best mss. in Jas. 2:20 (RV, “barren”); it is rendered “barren” in 2 Pet. 1:8, AV, (RV, “idle”). In Matt. 12:36, the “idle word” means the word that is thoughtless or profitless. See IDLE, SLOW; cp. katargeo, under ABOLISH.

 

Base, Baser

1, agenes
“of low birth” (a, negative, genos, “family, race”), hence denoted “that which is of no reputation, of no account,” 1 Cor. 1:28, “the base things of the world,” i.e., those which are of no account or fame in the world's esteem. That the neuter plural of the adjective bears reference to persons is clear from verse 26.

2, tapeinos
primarily “that which is low, and does not rise far from the ground,” as in the Sept. of Ezek. 17:24, hence, metaphorically, signifies “lowly, of no degree.” So the RV in 2 Cor. 10:1. Cp. Luke 1:52; Jas. 1:9, “of low degree.” Cp. tapeinophrosune, “lowliness of mind,” and tapeinoo, “to humble.” See CAST, Note (7), HUMBLE, LOW, LOWLY.

3, agoraios
translated in the AV of Acts 17:5 “of the baser sort,” RV, “of the rabble,” signifies, lit., “relating to the market place;” hence, frequenting markets, and so sauntering about idly. It is also used of affairs usually transacted in the market-place, and hence of judicial assemblies, Acts 19:38, RV, “courts” (AV, “law”); the margin in both RV and AV has “court days are kept.” See COURT.

 

Basket, Basketful

1, kophinos
was “a wicker basket,” originally containing a certain measure of capacity, Matt. 14:20; 16:9; Mark 6:43 (RV, “basketfuls”); 8:19; Luke 9:17; 13:8 in some mss.; John 6:13.

2, spuris
or sphuris, signifies “something round, twisted or folded together” (connected with speira, “anything rolled into a circle;” Eng., “sphere”); hence a reed basket, plaited, a capacious kind of hamper, sometimes large enough to hold a man, Matt. 15:37; 16:10; Mark 8:8,20 (RV, “basketfuls”); Acts 9:25.

3, sargane
denotes (a) “a braided rope or band,” (b) “a large basket made of ropes, or a wicker “basket” made of entwined twigs, 2 Cor. 11:33. That the “basket” in which Paul was let down from a window in Damascus is spoken of by Luke as a spuris, and by Paul himself as a sargane, is quite consistent, the two terms being used for the same article.

 

Bason

1, nipter
the vessel into which the Lord poured water to wash the disciples' feet, was “a large ewer,” John 13:5. The word is connected with the verb nipto, “to wash.”

 

 

 

Bastard

1, nothos
denotes “an illegitimate child, one born out of lawful wedlock,” Heb. 12:8.

 

 

Bathed

1, louo
signifies “to bathe or to wash.” In John 13:10 the RV “bathed” is necessary to distinguish the act from the washing of feet. See WASH.

 

Battle

1, polemos
“a war,” is incorrectly rendered “battle” in the AV of 1 Cor. 14:8; Rev. 9:7,9; 16:14; 20:8; RV, invariably, “war.”

 

Bay

1, kolpos
translated “bay” in the RV of Acts 27:39, is wider than a “creek” (AV). Eng., “gulf,” is connected. See BOSOM.

 

Be

·         For BE see BEING

 

Beach

1, aigialos
translated “shore” in the AV in each place where it is used, Matt. 13:2,48; John 21:4; Acts 21:5; 27:39,40, is always in the RV translated “beach.” It is derived from a root signifying “to press, drive;” aigis denotes “a wind-storm.”

 

Beam

1, dokos
“a beam,” is perhaps etymologically connected with the root dek---, seen in the word dechomai, “to receive,” “beams” being received at their ends into walls or pieces of timber. The Lord used it metaphorically, in contrast to a mote, “of a great fault, or vice,” Matt. 7:3-5; Luke 6:41,42.

 

 

 

Bear

* (in the sense of “carrying, supporting”) For the verb “to bear” in the sense of “begetting,” see BEGET.

<1,,941,bastazo>
signifies “to support as a burden.” It is used with the meaning (a) “to take up,” as in picking up anything, stones, John 10:31; (b) “to carry” something, Matt. 3:11; Mark 14:13; Luke 7:14; 22:10; Acts 3:2; 21:35; Rev. 17:7; “to carry” on one's person, Luke 10:4; Gal. 6:17; in one's body, Luke 11:27; “to bear” a name in testimony, Acts 9:15; metaphorically, of a root “bearing” branches, Rom. 11:18; (c) “to bear” a burden, whether physically, as of the cross, John 19:17, or metaphorically in respect of sufferings endured in the cause of Christ, Luke 14:27; Rev. 2:3; it is said of physical endurance, Matt. 20:12; of sufferings “borne” on behalf of others, Matt. 8:17; Rom. 15:1; Gal. 6:2; of spiritual truths not able to be “borne,” John 16:12; of the refusal to endure evil men, Rev. 2:2; of religious regulations imposed on others, Acts 15:10; of the burden of the sentence of God to be executed in due time, Gal. 5:10; of the effect at the judgment seat of Christ, to be “borne” by the believer for failure in the matter of discharging the obligations of discipleship, Gal. 6:5; (d) to “bear” by way of carrying off, John 12:6; 20:15. See CARRY, TAKE.

2, phero
“to bring or bear,” is translated in the RV by the latter verb in Luke 23:26; John 2:8 (twice); 12:24; 15:2 (twice); Heb. 13:13. See BRING, No. 1 and words there.

3, anaphero
No. 2, with ana, up, is used of “leading persons up to a higher place,” and, in this respect, of the Lord's ascension, Luke 24:51. It is used twice of the Lord's propitiatory sacrifice, in His bearing sins on the cross, Heb. 9:28; 1 Pet. 2:24; the AV margin, “to the tree,” is to be rejected. The AV text, “on,” and the RV “upon” express the phrase rightly. See BRING, CARRY, LEAD, OFFER.

4, ekphero
No. 2, with ek, “out,” is used, literally, “of carrying something forth, or out,” e.g., a garment, Luke 15:22; sick folk, Acts 5:15; a corpse, Acts 5:6,9,10; of the impossibility of “carrying” anything out from this world at death, 1 Tim. 6:7. The most authentic mss. have this word in Mark 8:23, of the blind man, whom the Lord brought out of the village (RV). It is also used of the earth, in “bringing forth” produce, Heb. 6:8. See BRING, CARRY.

5, periphero
No. 2, with peri, “about,” signifies “to carry about, or bear about,” and is used literally, of carrying the sick, Mark 6:55, or of physical sufferings endured in fellowship with Christ, 2 Cor. 4:10; metaphorically, of being “carried” about by different evil doctrines, Eph. 4:14; Heb. 13:9; Jude 1:12. See CARRY.

6, hupophero
lit., “to bear up under,” is best rendered by “endure,” as 1 Cor. 10:13, RV, of enduring temptations; of “enduring” persecutions, 2 Tim. 3:11; grief 1 Pet. 2:19. See ENDURE.

7, phoreo
a frequentative form of phero, is to be distinguished from it as denoting, not a simple act of bearing, but a continuous or habitual condition, e.g., of the civil authority in “bearing” the sword as symbolic of execution, Rom. 13:4; of the natural state of bodily existence in this life, spoken of as “the image of the earthy,” and the spiritual body of the believer hereafter, “the image of the heavenly,” 1 Cor. 15:49, the word “image” denoting the actual form and not a mere similitude. See WEAR.

8, tropophoreo
from tropos, “a manner,” and phoreo, “to endure,” is found in Acts 13:18, where some ancient authorities have the verb trophophoreo, “He bare them as a nursing father,” (from trophos, “a feeder, a nurse,” and phoreo, “to carry”).

9, airo
signifies (a) “to raise up, to lift, to take upon oneself and carry what has been raised, physically” (its most frequent use), or as applied to the mind, “to suspend, to keep in suspense,” as in John 10:24, lit., “How long doth thou suspend our souls?;” (b) “to take away what is attached to anything, to remove,” as of Christ, in taking (or “bearing,” marg.) away the sin of the world, John 1:29; Christ “was manifested to take away sins,” 1 John 3:5, where, not the nature of the Atonement is in view, but its effect in the believer's life. See CARRY, DOUBT, No. 6, LIFT, LOOSE, PUT, No. 17, REMOVE, SUSPENSE, TAKE.

10, poieo
“to do,” sometimes means “to produce, bear,” Luke 8:8; 13:9; Jas. 3:12 (AV, “bear,” RV, “yield”); Rev. 22:2. See COMMIT, DO.

11, stego
primarily “to protect, or preserve by covering,” hence means “to keep off something which threatens, to bear up against, to hold out against, and so to endure, bear, forbear,” 1 Cor. 9:12. The idea of supporting what is placed upon a thing is prominent in 1 Thess. 3:1,5 (“forbear”), and 1 Cor. 13:7. See FORBEAR AND SUFFER.

12, anechomai
signifies “to hold up against a thing and so to bear with” (ana, “up,” and echomai, the Middle Voice of echo, “to have, to hold”), e.g., Matt. 17:7; 1 Cor. 4:12; 2 Cor. 11:1,4,19,20; Heb. 13:22, etc. See ENDURE, FORBEAR, SUFFER.

13, metriopatheo
“to treat with mildness, or moderation, to bear gently with” (metrios, “moderate,” and pascho, “to suffer”), is used in Heb. 5:2 (RV and AV marg.). The idea is that of not being unduly disturbed by the faults and ignorance of others; or rather perhaps of feeling in some measure, in contrast to the full feeling with expressed in the verb sumpatheo in Heb. 4:15, with reference to Christ as the High Priest. See COMPASSION, No.5.

14, makrothumeo
“to be long-tempered” (makros, “long,” thumos, “temper”), is translated “is longsuffering over” in Luke 18:7, RV (AV, “bear long with”). See PATIENT, SUFFER.

Notes: (1) For “bear (or give) witness”, see WITNESS.

(2) For “bear up into,” in Acts 27:15, see FACE.

(3) In 1 Cor. 10:13 the adjective anthropinos, “human” (from anthropos, “man”) is translated “is common to man,” AV (RV, “man can bear”).

(4) For karpophoreo, “to bear fruit,” e.g., Mark 4:20, (karpos, “fruit,” and No. 7), AV, “bring forth,” see FRUIT.

(5) In Acts 20:9, RV, kataphero is rendered “borne down.” See GIVE. No. 12.

 

 

 

Bear (animal)

1, ark(t)os
“a bear,” occurs in Rev. 13:2.

 

Beast

1, zoon
primarily denotes “a living being” (zoe, “life”). The Eng., “animal,” is the equivalent, stressing the fact of life as the characteristic feature. In Heb. 13:11 the AV and the RV translate it “beasts” (“animals” would be quite suitable). In 2 Pet.2:12; Jude 1:10, the AV has “beasts,” the RV “creatures.” In the Apocalypse, where the word is found some 20 times, and always of those beings which stand before the throne of God, who give glory and honor and thanks to Him, Rev. 4:6, and act in perfect harmony with His counsels, Rev. 5:14; 6:1-7, e.g., the word “beasts” is most unsuitable; the RV, “living creatures,” should always be used; it gives to zoon its appropriate significance. See CREATURE.

2, therion
to be distinguished from zoon, almost invariably denotes “a wild beast.” In Acts 28:4, “venomous beast” is used of the viper which fastened on Paul's hand. Zoon stresses the vital element, therion the bestial. The idea of a “beast” of prey is not always present. Once, in Heb. 12:20, it is used of the animals in the camp of Israel, such, e.g., as were appointed for sacrifice: But in the Sept. therion is never used of sacrificial animals; the word ktenos (see below) is reserved for these.

Therion, in the sense of “wild beast”, is used in the Apocalypse for the two antichristian potentates who are destined to control the affairs of the nations with Satanic power in the closing period of the present era, Rev. 11:7; 13:1-18; 14:9,11; 15:2; 16:2,10,13; 17:3-17; 19:19,20; 20:4,10.

3, ktenos
primarily denotes “property” (the connected verb ktaomai means “to possess”); then, “property in flocks and herds.” In Scripture it signifies, (a) a “beast” of burden, Luke 10:34; Acts 23:24, (b) “beasts” of any sort, apart from those signified by thereion (see above), 1 Cor. 15:39; Rev. 18:13, (c) animals for slaughter; this meaning is not found in the NT, but is very frequent in the Sept.

4, tetrapous
“a four-footed beast” (tetra, “four,” and pous, “a foot”) is found in Acts 10:12; 11:6; Rom. 1:23.

5, sphagion
from sphazo, “to slay,” denotes “a victim slaughtered for sacrifice, a slain beast,” Acts 7:42, in a quotation from Amos 5:25

Beat

1, dero
from a root der---, “skin” (derma, “a skin,” cp. Eng., “dermatology”), primarily “to flay,” then “to beat, thrash or smite,” is used of the treatment of the servants of the owner of the vineyard by the husbandmen, in the parable in Matt. 21:35; Mark 12:3,5; Luke 20:10,11; of the treatment of Christ, Luke 22:63, RV, “beat,” for AV, “smote;” John 18:23; of the followers of Christ, in the synagogues, Mark 13:9; Acts 22:19; of the punishment of unfaithful servants, Luke 12:47,48; of the “beating” of Apostles by the High Priest and the Council of the Sanhedrin, Acts 5:40; by magistrates, 16:37. The significance of flogging does not always attach to the word; it is used of the infliction of a single blow, John 18:23; 2 Cor. 11:20, and of “beating” the air, 1 Cor. 9:26. The usual meaning is that of “thrashing or cudgelling,” and when used of a blow it indicates one of great violence. See SMITE.

2, tupto
from a root tup---, meaning “a blow,” (tupos, “a figure or print:” (Eng., “type”) denotes “to smite, strike, or beat,” usually not with the idea of giving a thrashing as with dero. It frequently signifies a “blow” of violence, and, when used in a continuous tense, indicates a series of “blows.” In Matt. 27:30 the imperfect tense signifies that the soldiers kept on striking Christ on the head. So Mark 15:19. The most authentic mss. omit it in Luke 22:64. In that verse the word paio, “to smite,” is used of the treatment given to Christ (dero in the preceding verse). The imperfect tense of the verb is again used in Acts 18:17, of the beating given to Sosthenes. Cp. Acts 21:32, which has the present participle. It is used in the metaphorical sense of “wounding,” in 1 Cor. 8:12. See SMITE, STRIKE, WOUND.

3, rhabdizo
“to beat with a rod, or stick, to cudgel,” is the verbal form of rhabdos, “a rod, or staff,” Acts 16:22; 2 Cor. 11:25.

4, ballo
“to throw or cast,” is once rendered “beat,” Acts 27:14, RV, of the tempestuous wind that “beat” down upon the ship. So the AV margin. See CAST.

5, epiballo
No. 4, with epi, “upon,” “to cast upon, or lay hands upon,” signifies to “beat” into, in Mark 4:37, of the action of the waves. See CAST, No 7, FALL, No. 11, LAY, PUT, No. 8, STRETCH, THINK, No. 15.

6, proskopto
“to stumble, to strike against” (pros, “to or against,” kopto, “to strike”), is once used of a storm “beating” upon a house, Matt. 7:27. See DASH, STUMBLE, and cp. proskomma and proskope, “a stumbling-block, offense.”

7, prospipto
“to fall upon” (pros, “to,” pipto, “to fall”), is translated “beat” in Matt. 7:25; elsewhere, “to fall down at or before.” See FALL.

8, prosegnumi
“to break upon,” is translated “beat vehemently upon, or against” (pros, “upon,” rhegnumi, “to break”), in Luke 6:48,49, of the violent action of a flood (RV, “brake”).

Note: In Luke 10:30, the phrase lit. rendered “inflicting blows,” is translated “wounded” (AV), RV, correctly, “beat.”

 

 

Beautiful

1, horaios
describes “that which is seasonable, produced at the right time,” as of the prime of life, or the time when anything is at its loveliest and best (from hora, “a season,” a period fixed by natural laws and revolutions, and so the best season of the year). It is used of the outward appearance of whited sepulchres in contrast to the corruption within, Matt. 23:27; of the Jerusalem gate called “Beautiful,” Acts 3:2,10; of the feet of those that bring glad tidings, Rom. 10:15.

In the Sept. it is very frequent, and especially in Genesis and the Song of Solomon. In Genesis it is said of all the trees in the garden of Eden, Gen. 2:9, especially of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Gen. 3:6; of the countenances of Rebekah, Gen. 26:7, Rachel, Gen. 29:17 and Joseph, Gen. 39:6. It is used five times in the Song of Solomon, So 1:16; 2:14; 4:3; 6:3,5.

2, asteios
connected with astu, “a city,” was used primarily “of that which befitted the town, town-bred” (corresponding Eng. words are “polite,” “polished,” connected with polis, “a town;” cp. “urbane,” from Lat., urbs, “a city”). Among Greek writers it is set in contrast to agroikos, “rustic,” and aischros, “base,” and was used, e.g., of clothing. It is found in the NT only of Moses, Acts 7:20, “(exceeding) fair,” lit., “fair (to God),” and Heb. 11:23, “goodly” (AV, “proper”). See FAIR, GOODLY, Note, PROPER.

Notes: (1) In the Sept. it is far less frequent than horaios. It is said of Moses in Ex. 2:2; negatively, of Balaam's procedure in the sight of God, Num. 22:32; of Eglon in Jud. 3:17.

(2) Asteios belongs to the realm of art, horaios, to that of nature. Asteios is used of that which is “beautiful” because it is elegant; horaios describes that which is “beautiful” because it is, in its season, of natural excellence.

(3) Kalos, “good,” describes that which is “beautiful” as being well proportioned in all its parts, or intrinsically excellent. See BETTER, FAIR, GOOD, etc.

 

Became

·         For BECAME see BECOME

 

Because

·         For BECAUSE see Note + p. 9.

 

 

Beckon

1, neuo
lit., “to give a nod, to signify by a nod,” is used in John 13:24, of Peter's beckoning to John to ask the Lord of whom He had been speaking; in Acts 24:10, of the intimation given by Felix to Paul to speak.

2, dianeuo
“to express one's meaning by a sign” (No. 1, with dia, “through,” used intensively), is said of the act of Zacharias, Luke 1:22 (RV, “continued making sings,” for AV, “beckoned”). In Sept., Ps. 35:19, “wink.

3, kataneuo
No. 1, with kata, “down,” intensive, is used of the fishermen-partners in Luke 5:7, “beckoned.”

4, kataseio
lit., “to shake down” (kata, “down,” seio, “to shake”), of shaking the hand, of waving, expresses a little more vigorously the act of “beckoning,” Acts 12:17; 13:16; 19:33; 21:40. Neuo and its compounds have primary reference to a movement of the head; kataseio, to that of the hand.

 

 

 

Become (to be fitting)

A-1,Verb, prepo
“to be conspicuous among a number, to be eminent, distinguished by a thing,” hence, “to be becoming seemly, fit.” The adornment of good works “becometh women professing godliness,” 1 Tim. 2:10. Those who minister the truth are to speak “the things which befit the sound doctrine,” Titus 2:1. Christ, as a High Priest “became us,” Heb. 7:26. In the impersonal sense, it signifies “it is fitting, it becometh,” Matt. 3:15; 1 Cor. 11:13; Eph. 5:3; Heb. 2:10. See BEFIT, COMELY.

B-1,Adjective, hieroprepes
from hieros, “sacred,” with the adjectival form of prepo, denotes “suited to a sacred character, that which is befitting in persons, actions or things consecrated to God,” Titus 2:3, RV, “reverent,” AV, “as becometh holiness,” (marg., “holy women”). Trench (Syn. xcii) distinguishes this word from kosmios, “modest,” and semnos, “grave, honorable.”

Notes: (1) The AV translates the adverb axios, “as becometh,” in Rom. 16:2; Phil. 1:27 (RV corrects to “worthily” and “worthy”).

(2) Ginomai, “to become,” is mentioned under various other headings.

(3) For “become of no effect,” Gal. 5:4, AV, RV, “severed from,” see ABOLISH.

 

 

Bed

1,kline
akin to klino, “to lean” (Eng., “recline, incline” etc.), “a bed,” e.g., Mark 7:30, also denotes a “couch” for reclining at meals, Mark 4:21, or a “couch” for carrying the sick, Matt. 9:2,6. The metaphorical phrase “to cast into a bed,” Rev. 2:22, signifies to afflict with disease (or possibly, to lay on a bier). In Mark 7:4 the AV curiously translates the word “tables” (marg., “beds”), RV, marg. only, “couches.” See COUCH.

2, klinarion
a diminutive of No. 1, “a small bed,” is used in Acts 5:15. Some mss. have klinon. See also No. 4. See COUCH.

3, koite
primarily “a place for lying down” (connected with keimai, “to lie”), denotes a “bed,” Luke 11:7; the marriage “bed,” Heb. 13:4; in Rom. 13:13, it is used of sexual intercourse. By metonymy, the cause standing for the effect, it denotes conception, Rom. 9:10.

4, krabbatos
a Macedonian word (Lat. grabatus), is “a somewhat mean bed, pallet, or mattress for the poor,” Mark 2:4,9,11,12; 6:55; John 5:8-11; Acts 5:15; 9:33. See also No. 2. See COUCH.

Note: The verb stronnuo or stronnumi, “to spread,” signifies, in Acts 9:34, “to make a bed;” elsewhere it has its usual meaning. See FURNISH, SPREAD

 

 

Befall

1, ginomai
“to become,” is rendered “befell” in Mark 5:16; “hath befallen” in Rom. 11:25, RV, for AV, “is happened to;” so the RV in 2 Cor. 1:8; 2 Tim. 3:11.

2, sumbaino
lit., “to walk, or go together” (sun, “with,” baino, “to go”), is used of things which happen at the same time; hence, “to come to pass, befall,” Acts 20:19. In 21:35, it is translated “so it was.” See HAPPEN.

3, sunantao
“to meet with” (sun, “with,” antao, “to meet”), is used much in the same way as sumbaino, of events which come to pass; “befall,” Acts 20:22. See MEET.

Note: The phrase in Matt. 8:33, “what was befallen to them that were possessed with demons,” is lit., “the things of the demonized.”

 

Befit, Befitting

1, prepo
is translated “befit” in Titus 2:1, RV (AV, “become”). See BECOME.

2, aneko
primarily, “to have arrived at, reached to, pertained to,” came to denote “what is due to a person, one's duty, what is befitting.” It is used ethically in the NT; Eph. 5:4, RV, “are (not) befitting,” for AV, “are (not) convenient;” Col. 3:18, concerning the duty of wives towards husbands, RV, “as is fitting,” for AV, “as it is fit.” In Philem. 1:8, the participle is used with the article, signifying “that which is befitting,” RV (AV, “that which is convenient”). See CONVENIENT. For synonymous words see BECOME.

 

Before, Beforetime

A-1,Adverb, proton
the neuter of the adjective protos (the superlative degree of pro, “before”), signifies “first, or at the first,” (a) in order of time, e.g., Luke 10:5; John 18:13; 1 Cor. 15:46; 1 Thess. 4:16; 1 Tim. 3:10; (b) in enumerating various particulars, e.g., Rom. 3:2; 1 Cor. 11:18; 12:28; Heb. 7:2; Jas. 3:17. It is translated “before” in John 15:18. See CHIEFLY, FIRST.

A-2,Adverb, proteron
the neuter of proteros, the comparative degree of pro, is always used of time, and signifies “aforetime, before,” e.g., John 6:62; 9:8; 2 Cor. 1:15; Heb. 7:27; in Gal. 4:13, “the first time” (RV), lit., “the former time,” i.e., the former of two previous visits; in Heb. 10:32 it is placed between the article and the noun, “the former days;” so in 1 Pet. 1:14, “the former lusts,” i.e., the lusts formerly indulged. See FIRST, FORMER.

A-3,Adverb, prin
“before, formerly” (etymologically akin to pro, “before”), has the force of a conjunction, e.g., Matt. 1:18; 26:34,75; John 14:29; Acts 7:2.

A-4,Adverb, emprosthen
is used of place or position only; adverbially, signifying “in front,” Luke 19:28; Phil. 3:13; Rev. 4:6; as a preposition, e.g., Matt. 5:24; John 10:4; with the meaning “in the sight of a person,” e.g., Matt. 5:16; 6:1; 17:2; Luke 19:27; John 12:37; 1 Thess. 2:19, RV, “before;” AV, “in the presence of;” Rev. 19:10, RV, “before,” especially in phrases signifying in the sight of God, as God wills, Matt. 11:26; 18:14 (lit., “a thing willed before your Father,” RV, marg.); Luke 10:21; in the sense of “priority of rank or position or dignity,” John 1:15,30 (in some texts, John 1:27); in an antagonistic sense, “against,” Matt. 23:13 (RV, marg., “before”).

A-5,Adverb, enantion
from en, “in,” and anti, “over against,” the neuter of the adjective enantios, and virtually an adverb, is also used as a preposition signifying “in the presence of, in the sight of,” Luke 20:26; Acts 7:10; 8:32; “in the judgment of,” Luke 24:19.

A-6,Adverb,1725,enanti
an adverb, used as a preposition, has meanings like those of No. 5, “before,” Luke 1:8; “in the judgment of,” Acts 8:21. Some texts have the word in Acts 7:10.

A-7,Adverb, apenanti
apo, “from,” with No. 6, denotes (a) “opposite,” Matt. 27:61; (b) “in the sight of, before,” Matt. 27:24; Acts 3:16; Rom. 3:18; (c) “against,” Acts 17:7. See CONTRARY, PRESENCE.

A-8,Adverb, katenanti
kata, “down,” with No. 6, lit., “down over against,” is used (a) of locality, e.g., Mark 11:2; 13:3; Luke 19:30; (b) as “in the sight of,” Rom. 4:17; in most mss. in 2 Cor. 2:17; 12:19.

A-9,Adverb, enopion
from en, “in,” and ops, “the eye,” is the neuter of the adjective enopios, and is used prepositionally, (a) of place, that which is before or opposite a person, “towards which he turns his eyes,” e.g., Luke 1:19; Acts 4:10; 6:6; Rev. 1:4; 4:10; 7:15; (b) in metaphorical phrases after verbs of motion, Luke 1:17; 12:9; Acts 9:15, etc.; signifying “in the mind or soul of persons,” Luke 12:6; Acts 10:31; Rev. 16:19; (c) “in one's sight or hearing,” Luke 24:43; John 20:30; 1 Tim. 6:12; metaphorically, Rom. 14:22; especially in Gal. 1:20; 1 Tim. 5:21; 6:13; 2 Tim. 2:14; 4:1; before, as “having a person present to the mind,” Acts 2:25; Jas. 4:10; “in the judgment of a person,” Luke 16:15; 24:11, RV, “in their sight,” for AV, “to;” Acts 4:19; Rom. 3:20; 12:17; 2 Cor. 8:21; 1 Tim. 2:3; “in the approving sight of God,” Luke 1:75; Acts 7:46; 10:33; 2 Cor. 4:2; 7:12. See PRESENCE, SIGHT OF (in the).

A-10,Adverb, katenopion
kata, “against,” with No. 9, signifies “right over against, opposite;” (a) of place, Jude 1:24; (b) before God as Judge, Eph. 1:4; Col. 1:22. See No. 8 (b).

B-1,Verb, prouparcho
“to exist before, or be beforehand,” is found in Luke 23:12; Acts 8:9, “beforetime.” In the Sept., Job 42:18.

 

Beg, Beggar, Beggarly

A-1,Verb, epaiteo
a strengthened form of aiteo, is used in Luke 16:3.

A-2,Verb, prosaiteo
lit., “to ask besides” (pros, “towards,” used intensively, and aiteo), “to ask earnestly, to importune, continue asking,” is said of the blind beggar in John 9:8. In Mark 10:46; Luke 18:35 certain mss. have this verb; the most authentic have prosaites, “a beggar,” a word used in John 9:8, as well as the verb (see the RV).

Note: “Begged” in Matt. 27:58; Luke 23:52, RV, “asked for,” translates the verb aiteo; see ASK.

B-1,Adjective, ptochos
an adjective describing “one who crouches and cowers,” is used as a noun, “a beggar” (from ptosso, “to cower down or hide oneself for fear”), Luke 14:13,21 (“poor”); Luke 16:20,22; as an adjective “beggarly” in Gal. 4:9, i.e., poverty-stricken, powerless to enrich, metaphorically descriptive of the religion of the Jews.

While prosaites is descriptive of a “beggar,” and stresses his “begging,” ptochos stresses his poverty-stricken condition. See POOR.

 

Began

·         For BEGAN see BEGIN

 

 

Beget, Bear (of begetting), Born

A-1,Verb, gennao
“to beget,” in the Passive Voice, “to be born,” is chiefly used of men “begetting” children, Matt. 1:2-16; more rarely of women “begetting” children, Luke 1:13,57, “brought forth” (for “delivered,” in this ver., see No. 4); Luke 23:29; John 16:21, “is delivered of,” and of the child, “is born” (for “is in travail” see No. 4). In Gal. 4:24, it is used allegorically, to contrast Jews under bondage to the Law, and spiritual Israel, AV, “gendereth,” RV, “bearing children,” to contrast the natural birth of Ishmael and the supernatural birth of Isaac. In Matt. 1:20 it is used of conception, “that which is conceived in her.” It is used of the act of God in the birth of Christ, Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5; 5:5, quoted from Psalm 2:7, none of which indicate that Christ became the Son of God at His birth.

It is used metaphorically (a) in the writings of the Apostle John, of the gracious act of God in conferring upon those who believe the nature and disposition of “children,” imparting to them spiritual life, John 3:3,5,7; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1,4,18; (b) of one who by means of preaching the Gospel becomes the human instrument in the impartation of spiritual life, 1 Cor. 4:15; Philem. 1:10; (c) in 2 Pet. 2:12, with reference to the evil men whom the Apostle is describing, the RV rightly has “born mere animals” (AV, “natural brute beasts”); (d) in the sense of gendering strife, 2 Tim. 2:23. See A, No. 3, BRING, CONCEIVE, DELIVER, GENDER, SPRING.

A-2,Verb, anagennao
ana, “again, or from above,” with No. 1, is found in 1 Pet. 1:3,23.

Note: In John 3:3,5,7, the adverb anothen, “anew, or from above,” accompanies the simple verb gennao. See ABOVE.

A-3,Verb, apokueo
“to give birth to, to bring forth” (from kueo, “to be pregnant”), is used metaphorically of spiritual birth by means of the Word of God, Jas. 1:18, and of death as the offspring of sin (Jas 1:15; so in the best texts). See BRING, A, No. 30.

A-4,Verb, tikto
“to bring forth,” Luke 1:57; John 16:21; Heb. 11:11; Rev. 12:2,4, or, “to be born,” said of the Child, Matt. 2:2; Luke 2:11, is used metaphorically in Jas. 1:15, of lust as bringing forth sin. See apokueo, above, used in the same verse. See BRING, DELIVER, TRAVAIL (be in).

B-1,Noun,genos
“a generation, kind, stock,” is used in the dative case, with the article, to signify “by race,” in Acts 18:2,24 RV, for the AV, “born.” See COUNTRYMEN, DIVERSITY, GENERATION, KIND, KINDRED, NATION, OFFSPRING, STOCK.

B-2,Noun, ektroma
denotes “an abortion, an untimely birth;” from ektitrosko, “to miscarry.” In 1 Cor. 15:8 the Apostle likens himself to “one born out of due time;” i.e., in point of time, inferior to the rest of the Apostles, as an immature birth comes short of a mature one.

C-1,Adjective, gennetos
“born” (related to gennao, verb No. 1), is used in Matt. 11:11; Luke 7:28 in the phrase “born of women,” a periphrasis for “men,” and suggestive of frailty.

C-2,Adjective, artigennetos
“newborn” (arti, “newly, recently,” and No. 1), is used in 1 Pet. 2:2.

Notes: (1) For prototokos see FIRSTBORN.

(2) For monogenes, see ONLY BEGOTTEN.

 

Beggar

·         For BEGGAR see BEG

 

 

Begin, Beginning, Beginner

A-1,Verb, archomai
denotes “to begin.” In Luke 3:23 the present participle is used in a condensed expression, lit., “And Jesus Himself was beginning about thirty years.” Some verb is to be supplied in English. The RV has “when He began to teach, was about thirty years of age.” The meaning seems to be that He was about thirty years when He “began” His public career (cp. Acts 1:1). The AV has “began to be about thirty years of age.” In Acts 11:4 the RV suitably has “began, and expounded,” instead of “from the beginning.” See B, No. 1, below, and REIGN, RULE.

A-2,Verb, enarchomai
lit., “to begin in” (en, “in,” with No. 1), is used in Gal. 3:3 (“having begun in the Spirit”), to refer to the time of conversion; similarly in Phil. 1:6, “He which began a good work in you.” The en may be taken in its literal sense in these places.

A-3,Verb, proenarchomai
lit., “to begin in before” (pro, with No. 2), is used in 2 Cor. 8:6, “he had made a beginning before;” and in 2 Cor. 8:10, “were the first to make a beginning” (RV).

A-4,Verb, mello
“to be about to,” is rendered “begin” in the AV of Rev. 10:7; RV suitably, “when he is about to sound.” See COME, INTEND, MEAN, MIND, READY, SHALL, SHOULD, TARRY, WILL, WOULD.

Note: For “began to wax” in 1 Tim. 5:11, see WANTON, No. 2.

B-1,Noun, arche
means “a beginning.” The root arch primarily indicated what was of worth. Hence the verb archo meant “to be first,” and archon denoted “a ruler.” So also arose the idea of “a beginning,” the origin, the active cause, whether a person or thing, e.g., Col. 1:18. In Heb. 2:3 the phrase “having at the first been spoken” is, lit., “having received a beginning to be spoken.” In 2 Thess. 2:13 (“God chose you from the beginning”), there is a well supported alternative reading, “chose you as first-fruits” (i.e., aparchen, instead of ap' arches). In Heb. 6:1, where the word is rendered “first principles,” the original has “let us leave the word of the beginning of Christ,” i.e., the doctrine of the elementary principles relating to Christ.

In John 8:25, Christ's reply to the question “Who art Thou?,” “Even that which I have spoken unto you from the beginning,” does not mean that He had told them before; He declares that He is consistently the unchanging expression of His own teaching and testimony from the first, the immutable embodiment of His doctrine. See CORNER, FIRST, MAGISTRATE, POWER, PRINCIPALITY, RULE.

Note: In the following passages the AV faulty translations, “since the world began,” etc. are rightly rendered in the RV by “before times eternal” and similar phrases, Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:9; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 1:2. The alteration has not been made, however, in Luke 1:70; John 9:32; Acts 3:21; 15:18.

C-1,Adverb, proton
the neuter of protos (the superlative degree of proteros), “first, at the first,” is rendered “at the beginning” in John 2:10, AV, RV, “setteth on first.” See BEFORE.

 

Begotten

·         For BEGOTTEN see BEGET

 

Beguile

1, apatao
“to deceive,” is rendered “beguiled” in the RV of 1 Tim. 2:14. See No. 2.

2, exapatao
a strengthened form of No. 1, is rendered “beguile,” 2 Cor. 11:3; the more adequate rendering would be “as the serpent thoroughly beguiled Eve.” So in 1 Tim. 2:14, in the best mss., this stronger form is used of Satan's deception of Eve, lit., “thoroughly beguiled;” the simpler verb, No. 1, is used of Adam. In each of these passages the strengthened form is used. So of the influence of sin, Rom. 7:11 (RV, “beguile”); of self-deception, 1 Cor. 3:18 (RV, “deceive”); of evil men, who cause divisions, Rom. 16:18 (RV, “beguile”); of deceitful teachers, 2 Thess. 2:3 (RV, “beguile”). See DECEIVE. In the Sept., Exod. 8:29.

3, paralogizomai
lit. and primarily, “to reckon wrong,” hence means “to reason falsely” (para, “from, amiss,” logizomai, “to reason”) or “to deceive by false reasoning;” translated “delude” in Col. 2:4, RV (AV, “beguile”) and Jas. 1:22 (AV, “deceive”). See DECEIVE, DELUDE.

4, deleazo
originally meant “to catch by a bait” (from delear, “a bait”); hence “to beguile, entice by blandishments:” in Jas. 1:14, “entice;” in 2 Pet. 2:14, AV, “beguile;” in 2 Pet. 2:18, AV, “allure;” RV, “entice” in both. See ENTICE.

Note: In Col. 2:18, the verb katabrabeuo, “to give judgment against, condemn,” is translated “beguile ... of your reward,” AV; RV, “rob ... of your prize.” The verb was used of an umpire's decision against a racer; hence the translations (or paraphrases) in the Eng. versions. See ROB.

 

Behalf

1, meros
“a part,” is translated “behalf” in the AV of 2 Cor. 9:3 (RV, “respect”) and 1 Pet. 4:16; here the most authentic texts have onoma, “a name;” hence RV, “in this name.” See COAST, CRAFT, PART, PIECE, PORTION, RESPECT, SORT.

2, huper
“on behalf of,” is to be distinguished from anti, “instead of.” See Note +, p. 9.

 

Behave, Behavior

A-1,Verb, anastrepho
“to turn back, return” (ana, “back,” strepho, “to turn”), hence, “to move about in a place, to sojourn,” and, in the Middle and Passive Voices, “to conduct oneself,” indicating one's manner of life and character, is accordingly rendered “behave” in 1 Tim. 3:15, lit., “how it is necessary to behave,” not referring merely to Timothy himself, but to all the members of the local church (see the whole epistle); in Eph. 2:3, AV, “we had our conversation,” RV, “we lived;” in 2 Cor. 1:12 “behaved ourselves,” for AV “have had our conversation.” See ABIDE, etc.

A-2,Verb, ginomai
“to become,” is rendered “behave” in 1 Thess. 2:10; lit., “we became among you” (cp. 1:5).

A-3,Verb, atakteo
lit., “to be disorderly” (a, negative, and taxis, “order”), “to lead a disorderly life,” is rendered “behave disorderly” in 2 Thess. 3:7. Cp. ataktos, “disorderly, unruly,” and ataktos, “disorderly.”

A-4,Verb, aschemoneo
“to be unseemly” (a, negative, and schema, “a form”), is used in 1 Cor. 7:36, “behave (himself) unseemly,” i.e., so as to run the risk of bringing the virgin daughter into danger or disgrace, and in 1 Cor. 13:5, “doth (not) behave itself unseemly.”

B-1,Noun, anastrophe
lit., “a turning back” (cp. No. 1, above), is translated “manner of life,” “living,” etc. in the RV, for AV, “conversation,” Gal. 1:13; Eph. 4:22; 1 Tim. 4:12; Heb. 13:7; Jas. 3:13; 1 Pet. 1:15,18; 2:1 (“behavior”); 3:1,2,16 (ditto); 2 Pet. 2:7; 3:11. see CONVERSATION, LIFE.

B-2,Noun, katastema
akin to kathistemi (see APPOINT, No. 2), denotes “a condition, or constitution of anything, or deportment,” Titus 2:3, “demeanor,” RV, for AV, “behavior.” See DEMEANOR.

C-1,Adjective, kosmios
“orderly, modest,” is translated “orderly” in 1 Tim. 3:2, RV, for AV, “of good behavior.” Both have “modest” in 1 Tim. 2:9. Cp. kosmeo, “to adorn,” kosmos, “adornment.”

 

Behead

1, apokephalizo
apo, “from, off,” kephale, “a head,” is found in Matt. 14:10; Mark 6:16,27; Luke 9:9.

2, pelekizo
denotes “to cut with an axe” (from pelekus, “an axe”), Rev. 20:4.

 

 

 

 

Behind, come Behind

A-1,Adverb, opisthen
“behind,” is used only of place, e.g., Matt. 9:20; Mark 5:27; Luke 8:44; Rev. 4:6; as a preposition, Matt. 15:23 (“after”); Luke 23:26; in Rev. 5:1, RV, “on the back;” AV, “backside.” See BACK.

A-2,Adverb, opiso
“after” (see BACK, adverb).

B-1,Verb, hustereo
“to come late, be behind,” is translated “come behind,” in 1 Cor. 1:7; “to be behind,” 2 Cor. 11:5 and 12:11. See COME, No. 39, DESTITUTE, FAIL, LACK, NEED, B, Note, WANT, WORSE.

B-2,Verb, hupomeno
“to abide, endure,” is once rendered “tarry behind,” Luke 2:43. See ABIDE.

Note: In 1 Thess. 3:1, the RV, “left behind” adequately expresses the verb kataleipo.

C-1,Noun, husterema
akin to B. 1, denotes “that which is lacking,” 1 Cor. 16:17; Phil. 2:30; Col. 1:24 (AV, “that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ”), RV, “that which is lacking;” 1 Thess. 3:10. For the other meaning, “want,” see LACK, PENURY, WANT.

 

Behold, Beheld

1, horao
with its aorist form eidon, “to see” (in a few places the AV uses the verb “to behold”), is said (a) of bodily vision, e.g., Mark 6:38; John 1:18,46; (b) of mental perception, e.g., Rom. 15:21; Col. 2:18; (c) of taking heed, e.g., Matt. 8:4; 1 Thess. 5:15; (d) of experience, as of death, Luke 2:26; Heb. 11:5; life, John 3:36; corruption, Acts 2:27; (e) of caring for, Matt. 27:4; Acts 18:15 (here the form opsomai is used). See APPEAR, HEED, LOOK, PERCEIVE, SEE, SHEW.

2, blepo
is also used of (a) bodily and (b) mental vision, (a) “to perceive,” e.g., Matt. 13:13; (b) “to take heed,” e.g., Mark 13:23,33; it indicates greater vividness than horao, expressing a more intent, earnest contemplation; in Luke 6:41, of “beholding” the mote in a brother's eye; Luke 24:12, of “beholding” the linen clothes in the empty tomb; Acts 1:9, of the gaze of the disciples when the Lord ascended. The greater earnestness is sometimes brought out by rendering “regardest,” Matt. 22:16. See BEWARE, HEED, LIE, LOOK, PERCEIVE, REGARD, SEE, SIGHT.

3, emblepo
from en, “in” (intensive), and No. 2, (not to be rendered literally), expresses “earnest looking,” e.g., in the Lord's command to “behold” the birds of the heaven, with the object of learning lessons of faith from them, Matt. 6:26. See also Matt. 19:26; Mark 8:25; 10:21,27; 14:67; Luke 20:17; 22:61; John 1:36; of the Lord's looking upon Peter, John 1:42; Acts 1:11; 22:11. See GAZE, LOOK, SEE.

4, ide idou
are imperative moods, Active and Middle Voices, respectively, of eidon, “to see,” calling attention to what may be seen or heard or mentally apprehended in any way. These are regularly rendered “behold.” See especially the Gospels, Acts and the Apocalypse. See LO, SEE.

5, epide
a strengthened form of No. 4 (with epi, “upon,” prefixed), is used in Acts 4:29 of the entreaty made to the Lord to “behold” the threatenings of persecutors.

6, theoreo
from theoros, “a spectator,” is used of one who looks at a thing with interest and for a purpose, usually indicating the careful observation of details; this marks the distinction from No. 2; see, e.g., Mark 15:47; Luke 10:18; 23:35; John 20:6 (RV, “beholdeth,” for AV, “seeth”); so in verses John 20:12,14; “consider,” in Heb. 7:4. It is used of experience, in the sense of partaking of, in John 8:51; 17:24. See CONSIDER, LOOK, PERCEIVE, SEE. Cp. theoria, “sight,” Luke 23:48, only.

7, anatheoreo
ana, “up” (intensive), and No. 6, “to view with interest, consider contemplatively,” is translated “beheld,” in Acts 17:23, RV, “observed;” “considering” in Heb. 13:7. See CONSIDER.

8, theaomai
“to behold, view attentively, contemplate,” had, in earlier Greek usage, the sense of wondering regard. This idea was gradually lost. It signifies a more earnest contemplation than the ordinary verbs for “to see,” “a careful and deliberate vision which interprets ... its object,” and is more frequently rendered “behold” in the RV than the AV. Both translate it by “behold” in Luke 23:55 (of the sepulchre); “we beheld,” in John 1:14, of the glory of the Son of God; “beheld,” RV, in John 1:32; Acts 1:11; 1 John 1:1 (more than merely seeing); 1 John 4:12,14. See LOOK, SEE.

9, epopteuo
from epi “upon,” and a form of horao, “to see,” is used of “witnessing as a spectator, or overseer,” 1 Pet. 2:12; 3:2.

Note: The corresponding noun epoptes, “an eye-witness,” found in 2 Pet. 1:16, was used by the Greeks of those who had attained to the highest grade of certain mysteries, and the word is perhaps purposely used here of those who were at the transfiguration of Christ. See EYEWITNESS.

10, atenizo
from atenes, “strained, intent,” denotes “to gaze upon,” “beholding earnestly,” or “steadfastly” in Acts 14:9; 23:1. See FASTEN, LOOK, SET, B, Note (5).

11, katanoeo
a strengthened form of noeo, “to perceive,” (kata, intensive), denotes “the action of the mind in apprehending certain facts about a thing;” hence, “to consider;” “behold,” Acts 7:31,32; Jas. 1:23,24. See CONSIDER, DISCOVER, PERCEIVE.

12, katoptrizo
from katoptron, “a mirror” (kata, “down,” ops, “an eye or sight”), in the Active Voice, signifies “to make to reflect, to mirror;” in the Middle Voice, “to reflect as a mirror;” so the RV in 2 Cor. 3:18, for AV, “beholding as in a glass.” The whole context in the 3rd chapter and the first part of the 4th bears out the RV.

Note: For epeidon (from ephorao), Acts 4:29, see LOOK, No. 9. For proorao, Acts 2:25, RV, “behold,” see FORESEE.

 

 

 

Behove

1, opheilo
“to owe,” is once rendered “behove,” Heb. 2:17; it indicates a necessity, owing to the nature of the matter under consideration; in this instance, the fulfillment of the justice and love of God, voluntarily exhibited in what Christ accomplished, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest. See BOUND, DEBT, DUE, DUTY, GUILTY, INDEBTED, MUST, NEED, OUGHT, OWE.

2, dei
“it is necessary,” is rendered “behoved,” in Luke 24:46; RV, (that the Christ) “should” (suffer). Dei expresses a logical necessity, opheilo, a moral obligation; cp. chre, Jas. 3:10, “ought,” which expresses a need resulting from the fitness of things (Trench, cvii). See MEET, MUST, NEED, OUGHT.

 

Being

* When not part of another verb (usually the participle), or part of a phrase, this word translates one of the following:

(a) the present participle of eimi, “to be,” the verb of ordinary existence;

(b) the participle of ginomai, “to become,” signifying origin or result;

(c) the present participle of huparcho, “to exist,” which always involves a preexistent state, prior to the fact referred to, and a continuance of the state after the fact. Thus in Phil. 2:6, the phrase “who being (huparchon) in the form of God,” implies His preexistent Deity, previous to His birth, and His continued Deity afterwards.

In Acts 17:28 the phrase “we have our being” represents the present tense of the verb to be, “we are.”

 

Belial

1, belial
is a word frequently used in the Old Testament, with various meanings, especially in the books of Samuel, where it is found nine times. See also Deut. 13:13; Jud. 19:22; 20:13; 1 Kings 21:10,13; 2 Chron. 13:7. Its original meaning was either “worthlessness” or “hopeless ruin” (see the RV, margin). It also had the meanings of “extreme wickedness and destruction,” the latter indicating the destiny of the former. In the period between the OT and the NT it came to be a proper name for Satan. There may be an indication of this in Nahum 1:15, where the word translated “the wicked one” is Belial.

The oldest form of the word is “Beliar,” possibly from a phrase signifying “Lord of the forest,” or perhaps simply a corruption of the form “Belial,” due to harsh Syriac pronunciation. In the NT, in 2 Cor. 6:15, it is set in contrast to Christ and represents a personification of the system of impure worship connected especially with the cult of Aphrodite.

 

Belief, Believe, Believers

A-1,Verb, pisteuo
“to believe,” also “to be persuaded of,” and hence, “to place confidence in, to trust,” signifies, in this sense of the word, reliance upon, not mere credence. It is most frequent in the writings of the Apostle John, especially the Gospel. He does not use the noun (see below). For the Lord's first use of the verb, see John 1:50. Of the writers of the Gospels, Matthew uses the verb ten times, Mark ten, Luke nine, John ninety-nine. In Acts 5:14 the present participle of the verb is translated “believers.” See COMMIT, INTRUST, TRUST.

A-2,Verb, peitho
“to persuade,” in the Middle and Passive Voices signifies “to suffer oneself to be persuaded,” e.g., Luke 16:31; Heb. 13:18; it is sometimes translated “believe” in the RV, but not in Acts 17:4, RV, “were persuaded,” and Acts 27:11, “gave (more) heed;” in Acts 28:24, “believed.” See AGREE, ASSURE, OBEY, PERSUADE, TRUST, YIELD.

Note: For apisteo, the negative of No. 1, and apeitheo, the negative of No. 2, see DISBELIEVE, DISOBEDIENT.

B-1,Noun, pistis
“faith,” is translated “belief” in Rom. 10:17; 2 Thess. 2:13. Its chief significance is a conviction respecting God and His Word and the believer's relationship to Him. See ASSURANCE, FAITH, FIDELITY.

Note: In 1 Cor. 9:5 the word translated “believer” (RV), is adelphe, “a sister,” so 1 Cor. 7:15; Rom. 16:1; Jas. 2:15, used, in the spiritual sense, of one connected by the tie of the Christian faith.

C-1,Adjective, pistos
(a) in the Active sense means “believing, trusting;” (b) in the Passive sense, “trusty, faithful, trustworthy.” It is translated “believer” in 2 Cor. 6:15; “them that believe” in 1 Tim. 4:12, RV (AV, “believers”); in 1 Tim. 5:16, “if any woman that believeth,” lit., “if any believing woman.” So in 1 Tim. 6:2, “believing masters.” In 1 Pet. 1:21 the RV, following the most authentic mss., gives the noun form, “are believers in God” (AV, “do believe in God”). In John 20:27 it is translated “believing.” It is best understood with significance (a), above, e.g., in Gal. 3:9; Acts 16:1; 2 Cor. 6:15; Titus 1:6; it has significance (b), e.g., in 1 Thess. 5:24; 2 Thess. 3:3 (see Notes on Thess. p. 211, and Gal. p. 126, by Hogg and Vine). See FAITHFUL, SURE.

Notes: (1) The corresponding negative verb is apisteo, 2 Tim. 2:13, AV, “believe not” RV, “are faithless,” in contrast to the statement “He abideth faithful.”

(2) The negative noun apistia, “unbelief,” is used twice in Matthew (Matt. 13:58; 17:20), three times in Mark (Mark 6:6; 9:24; 16:14), four times in Romans (Rom. 3:3; 4:20; 11:20,23); elsewhere in 1 Tim. 1:13; Heb. 3:12,19. (3) The adjective apistos is translated “unbelievers” in 1 Cor. 6:6; 2 Cor. 6:14; in 2Cor. 6:15, RV, “unbeliever” (AV, “infidel”); so in 1 Tim. 5:8; “unbelieving” in 1 Cor. 7:12-15; 14:22-24; 2 Cor. 4:4; Titus 1:15; Rev. 21:8; “that believe not” in 1 Cor. 10:27. In the Gospels it is translated “faithless” in Matt. 17:17; Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41; John 20:27, but in Luke 12:46, RV, “unfaithful,” AV, “unbelievers.” Once it is translated “incredible,” Acts 26:8. See FAITHLESS, INCREDIBLE, UNBELIEVER.

(4) Plerophoreo, in Luke 1:1 (AV, “are most surely believed,” lit., “have had full course”), the RV renders “have been fulfilled.” See FULFILL, KNOW, PERSUADE, PROOF.

 

Belly

1, koilia
from koilos, “hollow” (Lat., coelum, “heaven,” is connected), denotes the entire physical cavity, but most frequently was used to denote “the womb.” In John 7:38 it stands metaphorically for the innermost part of man, the soul, the heart. See WOMB.

2, gaster
(cp. Eng., “gastritis”), is used much as No. 1, but in Titus 1:12, by synecdoche (a figure of speech in which the part is put for the whole, or vice versa), it is used to denote “gluttons,” RV, for AV, “bellies.” See GLUTTON, WOMB.

 

Belong

Note: This word represents (a) a phrase consisting of eimi, “to be,” with or without a preposition and a noun, and usually best rendered, as in the RV, by the verb “to be,” Mark 9:41, lit., “ye are of Christ;” Luke 23:7; Heb. 5:14; cp. Rom. 12:19, “belongeth unto Me,” RV; (b) a phrase consisting of the neuter plural of the definite article, either with the preposition pros, “unto,” as in Luke 19:42, where the phrase “the things which belong unto peace” (RV) is, lit., “the (things) unto peace,” or with the genitive case of the noun, as in 1 Cor. 7:32, AV, “the things that belong to the Lord,” RV, suitably, “the things of the Lord;” (c) a distinct verb, e.g., metecho, “to partake of, share in,” Heb. 7:13 RV, “belongeth to (another tribe),” AV, “pertaineth to.”

 

 

Beloved

A-1,Adjective, agapetos
from agapao, “to love,” is used of Christ as loved by God, e.g., Matt. 3:17; of believers (ditto), e.g., Rom. 1:7; of believers, one of another, 1 Cor. 4:14; often, as a form of address, e.g., 1 Cor. 10:14. Whenever the AV has “dearly beloved,” the RV has “beloved;” so, “well beloved” in 3 John 1:1; in 1 John 2:7, AV, “brethren” (adelphos), the RV has “beloved,” according to the mss. which have agapetos. See DEAR.

<B-1,Verb, agapao
in its perfect participle Passive form, is translated “beloved” in Rom. 9:25; Eph. 1:6; Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13. In Jude 1:1 the best texts have this verb (RV); the AV, “sanctified” follows those which have hagiazo. See LOVE.

Note: In Luke 9:35, the RV, translating from the most authentic mss., has “My chosen” (eklego), for AV, “beloved” (agapetos); so in Philem. 1:2, “sister” (adelphe).

 

Beneath

1, kato

signifies (a) “down, downwards,” Matt. 4:6; Luke 4:9; John 8:6,8; Acts 20:9; (b) “below, beneath,” of place, Mark 14:66; the realms that lie below in contrast to heaven, John 8:23; the earth, as contrasted with the heavens, Acts 2:19; with heos, “unto,” Matt. 27:51; Mark 15:38. The comparative degree, katotero, “under,” is used in Matt. 2:16. See BOTTOM, UNDER.

 

 

Benefit, Benefactor

1, euergesia
lit., “good work” (eu, “well,” ergon, “work”), is found in Acts 4:9, “good deed,” and 1 Tim. 6:2, “benefit.”

2, euergetes
“a benefactor,” expresses the agent, Luke 22:25.

3, charis
“grace,” is once rendered “benefit,” 2 Cor. 1:15; it stresses the character of the “benefit,” as the effect of the gracious disposition of the benefactor. See ACCEPTABLE, FAVOR, GRACE, LIBERALITY, PLEASURE, THANK.

4, agathon
the neuter of agathos, used as a noun in Philem. 1:14, is translated “benefit,” AV; RV, “goodness.” See GOOD.

Benevolence

1, eunoia

“good will” (eu, “well,” nous, “the mind”), is rendered “benevolence” in 1 Cor. 7:3, AV. The RV, following the texts which have opheilen (“due”), has “her due,” a more comprehensive expression; in Eph. 6:7, “good will.”

 

 

Bereaved, Bereft

1, aporphanizomai
lit., “to be rendered an orphan” (apo, “from,” with the thought of separation, and orphanos, “an orphan”), is used metaphorically in 1 Thess. 2:17 (AV, “taken from;” RV, “bereaved”), in the sense of being “bereft” of the company of the saints through being compelled to leave them (cp. the similes in 7 and 11). The word has a wider meaning than that of being an orphan.

Note: The corresponding adjective, orphanos, is translated “desolate” in John 14:18 (AV, “comfortless”); “fatherless” in Jas. 1:27; see DESOLATE, FATHERLESS.

2, apostereo
“to rob, defraud, deprive,” is used in 1 Tim. 6:5, in the Passive Voice, of being deprived or “bereft” (of the truth), with reference to false teachers (AV, “destitute”). See DEFRAUD, DESTITUTE, FRAUD.

Beryl

1, berullos

“beryl,” is a precious stone of a sea-green color, Rev. 21:20 (cp. Exod. 28:20).

 

 

Beseech

1, parakaleo
the most frequent word with this meaning, lit. denotes “to call to one's side,” hence, “to call to one's aid.” It is used for every kind of calling to a person which is meant to produce a particular effect, hence, with various meanings, such as “comfort, exhort, desire, call for,” in addition to its significance “to beseech,” which has a stronger force than aiteo (see ASK). See, e.g., the RV “besought” in Mark 5:18; Acts 8:31; 19:31; 1 Cor. 16:12. See CALL, No. 6, Note (2), COMFORT, DESIRE, EXHORT, INTREAT, PRAY.

2, erotao
often translated by the verb “to beseech,” in the Gospels, is elsewhere rendered “beseech,” in 1 Thess. 4:1; 5:12; 2 Thess. 2:1; 2 John 1:5. See under ASK, No. 2.

3, deomai
“to desire, to long for,” usually representing the word “need,” is sometimes translated “beseech,” e.g., Luke 5:12; Acts 21:39; 2 Cor. 10:2; Gal. 4:12. It is used of prayer to God, in Matt. 9:38; Luke 10:2; 21:36; 22:32; Acts 4:31; 8:22,24; 10:2; Rom. 1:10; 1 Thess. 3:10. See PRAY, REQUEST.

Note: Proskuneo is wrongly rendered “besought” in the AV marg. of Matt. 18:26. The word signifies “to worship.”

 

 

 

Beset

1, euperistatos

used in Heb. 12:1, and translated “which doth so easily beset,” lit. signifies “standing well (i.e., easily) around” (eu, “well,” peri, “around,” statos, “standing,” i.e., easily encompassing). It describes sin as having advantage in favor of its prevailing.

 

Beside oneself (to be)

1, existemi
primarily and lit. means “to put out of position, displace;” hence, (a) “to amaze,” Luke 24:22 (for AV, “make ... astonished”); Acts 8:9,11 (AV, “bewitched”); or “to be amazed, astounded,” Matt. 12:23; Mark 6:51; (b) “to be out of one's mind, to be beside oneself,” Mark 3:21; 2 Cor. 5:13, in the latter of which it is contrasted with sophroneo, “to be of a sound mind, sober.” See AMAZE.

2, mainomai
“to be mad, to rave,” is said of one who so speaks that he appears to be out of his mind, Acts 26:24, translated “thou art beside thyself,” AV; RV, “thou art mad.” In Acts: 26:25; John 10:20; Acts 12:15; 1 Cor. 14:23, both versions use the verb to be mad. See MAD.

Note: For paraphroneo, 2 Cor. 11:23, RV, see FOOL, B, No. 2.

 

Beside, Besides

1, choris
“separately, apart from, besides,” is translated “beside” in Matt. 14:21; 15:38; 2 Cor. 11:28. See APART, SEPARATE, WITHOUT.

2, loipon
is rendered “besides” in 1 Cor. 1:16. See FINALLY.

Notes: (1) Pareiserchomai, in Rom. 5:20, signifies “to come in beside,” i.e., of the Law, as coming in addition to sin committed previously apart from law, the prefix par--- (i.e., para) denoting “beside” (the AV, “entered” is inadequate); in Gal. 2:4 (“came in privily”). See COME.

(2) In Philem. 1:19, prosopheilo signifies “to owe in addition” (pros, “besides,” and opheilo, “to owe”): “thou owest (to me even thine own self) besides.”

(3) In 2 Pet. 1:5, the phrase, wrongly translated in the AV, “beside this,” means “for this very cause” (RV).

 

Best

1, protos
is one of two words translated “best” in the AV, but the only one so rendered in the RV. In Luke 15:22 “the best (robe)” is, lit., “the first (robe),” i.e., chief, principal, first in rank or quality. See BEFORE, BEGINNING, CHIEF, FIRST, FORMER.

2, meizon
“greater,” is translated “best” in 1 Cor. 12:31, “the best gifts,” greater, not in quality, but in importance and value. It is the comparative degree of megas, “great;” the superlative, megistos, is used only in 2 Pet. 1:4. See ELDER, GREATER and MORE.

 

Bestow

1, didomi
“to give,” is rendered “bestow” in 1 John 3:1, the implied idea being that of giving freely. The AV has it in 2 Cor. 8:1; the RV adheres to the lit. rendering, “the grace of God which hath been given in the churches of Macedonia.” See ADVENTURE and especially GIVE.

2, sunago
“to bring together” (sun, “together,” ago, “to bring”), is used in the sense of “bestowing,” or stowing, by the rich man who laid up his goods for himself, Luke 12:17,18. See ASSEMBLE, COME, GATHER, LEAD, RESORT, TAKE.

3, kopiao
(a) “to grow tired with toil,” Matt. 11:28; John 4:6; Rev. 2:3, also means (b) “to bestow labor, work with toil,” Rom. 16:6; Gal. 4:11; in John 4:38, AV, “bestowed (no) labor,” RV, “have (not) labored,” and, in the same verse, AV and RV, “labored.” See LABOR, TOIL, WEARY.

4, psomizo
primarily “to feed by putting little bits into the mouths of infants or animals,” came to denote simply “to give out food, to feed,” and is rendered by the phrase “bestow ... to feed” in 1 Cor. 13:3; “feed,” Rom. 12:20; there the person to be fed is mentioned; in 1 Cor. 13:3 the material to be given is specified, and the rendering “bestow ... to feed” is necessary. See FEED.

5, peritithemi
“to put around or on” (peri, “around,” tithemi, “to put”), is translated in 1 Cor. 12:23 (metaphorically) “bestow” (marg., “put on”). See PUT, SET, No. 5.

6, charizomai
“to show favor, grant, bestow,” is rendered “bestowed” in Luke 7:21, RV, for AV, “gave.” Here and in Gal. 3:18, the verb might be translated “graciously conferred.” See DELIVER, FORGIVE, GIVE, GRANT.

Note: For “freely bestowed” see ACCEPT, A, Note.

 

Betray, Betrayer

A-1,Verb, paradidomi
“to betray” (para, “up,” didomi, “to give”), lit., “to give over,” is used either (a) in the sense of delivering a person or thing to be kept by another, to commend, e.g., Acts 28:16; (b) to deliver to prison or judgment, e.g., Matt. 4:12; 1 Tim. 1:20; (c) to deliver over treacherously by way of “betrayal,” Matt. 17:22 (RV, “delivered”); Matt. 26:16; John 6:64 etc.; (d) to hand on, deliver, e.g., 1 Cor. 11:23; (e) to allow of something being done, said of the ripening of fruit, Mark 4:29, RV, “is ripe” (marg., “alloweth”). See BRING, Note (4), CAST, COMMIT, DELIVER, GIVE, HAZARD, PUT (in prison), RECOMMEND.

B-1,Noun, prodotes
“a betrayer” (akin to A), is translated “betrayers” in Acts 7:52; “traitor,” “traitors,” in Luke 6:16; 2 Tim. 3:4. See TRAITOR.

 

Betroth

1, mnesteuo

in the Active Voice, signifies “to woo a woman and ask for her in marriage;” in the NT, only in the Passive Voice, “to be promised in marriage, to be betrothed,” Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:27; 2:5, RV, “betrothed,” (AV, “espoused”). See ESPOUSED.

 

 

Better

1, kreisson
from kratos, “strong” (which denotes power in activity and effect), serves as the comparative degree of agathos, “good” (good or fair, intrinsically). Kreisson is especially characteristic of the Epistle to the Hebrews, where it is used 12 times; it indicates what is (a) advantageous or useful, 1 Cor. 7:9,38; 11:17; Heb. 11:40; 12:24; 2 Pet. 2:21; Phil. 1:23, where it is coupled with mallon, “more,” and pollo, “much, by far,” “very far better” (RV); (b) excellent, Heb. 1:4; 6:9; 7:7,19,22; 8:6; 9:23; 10:34; 11:16,35.

2, kalon ... mallon>
the neuter of kalos, with mallon, “more,” is used in Mark 9:42, “it were better (lit., 'much better') for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck.” In verses Mark 9:43,45,47, kalos is used alone (RV, “good,” for AV, “better”).

Note: In Luke 5:39 the most authentic texts have chrestos, “good,” instead of the comparative, chrestoteros, “better.”

 

 

Better (be)

1, diaphero
used (a) transitively, means “to carry through” or “about” (dia, “through,” phero, “to carry”), Mark 11:16 (“carry ... through”); Acts 13:49; 27:27 (“driven to and fro”); (b) intransitively, (1) “to differ,” Rom. 2:18; Gal. 2:6; Phil. 1:10; (2) “to excel, be better,” e.g., Matt. 6:26; 10:31 (“of more value”); Matt. 12:12; Luke 12:7,24; 1 Cor. 15:41; Gal. 4:1; some would put Rom. 2:18 and Phil. 1:10 here (see marg.). See CARRY, DIFFER, DRIVE, EXCELLENT, MATTER (make), PUBLISH.

2, perisseuo
“to be over or above (a number), to be more than enough, to be pre-eminent, superior,” Matt. 5:20, is translated “are we the better,” in 1 Cor. 8:8 (cp. 15:58; Rom. 15:13; 2 Cor. 3:9; 8:7; Phil. 1:9; Col. 2:7; 1 Thess. 4:1,10). See ABOUND.

3, lusiteleo
signifies “to indemnify, pay expenses, pay taxes” (from luo, “to loose,” telos, “toll, custom”); hence, “to be useful, advantageous, to be better,” Luke 17:2.

4, huperecho
lit. means “to hold or have above” (huper, “above,” echo, “to hold”); hence, metaphorically, to be superior to, to be better than, Phil. 2:3; 1 Pet. 2:13, “supreme,” in reference to kings; in Rom. 13:1, “higher;” Phil. 3:8, “excellency,” more strictly “the surpassing thing, (namely, the knowledge of Christ);” in Phil. 4:7 “passeth.” See EXCELLENCY, HIGHER, PASS, SUPREME.

Notes: (1) In Rom. 3:9 the RV rightly translates proecho (which there is used in the Passive Voice, not the Middle) “are we in worse case than ...?,” i.e., “are we surpassed?” “are we at a disadvantage?” The question is, are the Jews, so far from being better off than the Gentiles, in such a position that their very privileges bring them into a greater disadvantage or condemnation than the Gentiles? The AV “are we better” does not convey the meaning.

(2) Sumphero, in Matt. 18:6, AV, is translated “it were better for him,” RV, “profitable.” See Matt. 5:29,30 etc. See BRING, EXPEDIENT, GOOD, D, Note (2), PROFITABLE

 

Bettered (to be)

1, opheleo

in the Active Voice signifies “to help, to succor, to be of service;” in the Passive “to receive help, to derive profit or advantage;” in Mark 5:26, “was (nothing) bettered,” of the woman who had an issue of blood. See under ADVANTAGE, C, No. 1, and cp. A, Nos. 2, 3 and B.

 

 

Between

* In addition to the prepositions en and pros (see Note +, p. 9), the following have this meaning:

1,ana, meson
lit., “up to the middle of,” i.e., among, or in the midst of, hence, between, is used in 1 Cor. 6:5, of those in the church able to decide between brother and brother, instead of their going to law with one another in the world's courts.

2, metaxu
“in the midst, or between” (from meta, and xun, i.e., sun, “with”), is used as a preposition, (a) of mutual relation, Matt. 18:15; Acts 15:9; Rom. 2:15, RV, “one with another,” lit., “between one another,” for AV, “the meanwhile;” (b) of place, Matt. 23:35; Luke 11:51; 16:26; Acts 12:6; (c) of time, “meanwhile,” John 4:31. In Acts 13:42, the AV marg. has “in the week between,” the literal rendering. See WHILE.

Note: The phrase ek meta (ek, “out of,” meta, “with”) is translated “between ... and” in the AV of John 3:25 (RV, “on the part of ... with”).

 

Bewail

1, klaio
“to wail,” whether with tears or any external expression of grief, is regularly translated “weep” in the RV; once in the AV it is rendered “bewail,” Rev. 18:9. See WEEP.

Note: The associated noun is klauthmos, “weeping.” Cp. dakruo, “to weep,” John 11:35.

2, kopto
primarily, “to beat, smite;” then, “to cut off,” Matt. 21:8; Mark 11:8, is used in the Middle Voice, of beating oneself, beating the breast, as a token of grief; hence, “to bewail,” Matt. 11:17 (RV, “mourn,” for AV, “lament”); Matt. 24:30, “mourn;” Rev. 1:7 (RV, “mourn;” AV, “wail”); in Luke 8:52; 23:27 “bewail;” in Rev. 18:9, “wail” (for AV, “lament”). See CUT, MOURN. Cp. kopetos, “lamentation,” Acts 8:2.

3, pentheo
denotes “to lament, mourn,” especially for the dead; in 2 Cor. 12:21, RV, “mourn” (AV, “bewail”). See also Rev. 18:11,15,19. Cp. penthos, “mourning.” See MOURN.

Notes: (1) Threneo, “to sing a dirge, to lament,” is rendered “wail” in Matt. 11:17, RV; “mourned” in Luke 7:32; “to lament” in Luke 23:27; John 16:20. Threnos, “lamentation,” occurs in Matt. 2:18.

(2) Odurmos from oduromai, “to wail” (a verb not found in the NT), denotes “mourning,” Matt. 2:18; 2 Cor. 7:7.

(3) Cp. lupeomai, “to grieve;” see also Trench, Syn. lxv.

 

Beware

1, blepo
“to see,” is applied to mental vision, and is sometimes used by way of warning “to take heed” against an object, Mark 8:15; 12:38; Acts 13:40; Phil. 3:2 (three times); in Col. 2:8, RV, “take heed,” marg., “see whether.” See BEHOLD.

2, prosecho
lit., “to hold to” (pros, “to,” echo, “to have, to hold”), hence, “to turn one's mind or attention to a thing by being on one's guard against it” is translated “beware” in Matt. 7:15; 10:17; 16:6,11,12; Luke 12:1; 20:46. See ATTEND, HEED, REGARD.

3, phulasso
“to guard, watch, keep,” is used, in the Middle Voice, of being “on one's guard against” (the Middle V. stressing personal interest in the action), Luke 12:15, “beware of,” RV, “keep yourselves from,” as in Acts 21:25; in 2 Tim. 4:15, “be thou ware;” in 2 Pet. 3:17, “beware.” See GUARD, KEEP, OBSERVE, SAVE.

 

 

Bewitch

1, baskaino
primarily, “to slander, to prate about anyone;” then “to bring evil on a person by feigned praise, or mislead by an evil eye, and so to charm, bewitch” (Eng., “fascinate” is connected), is used figuratively in Gal. 3:1, of leading into evil doctrine.

2, existemi
is rendered “bewitch” in Acts 8:9,11, AV, concerning Simon the sorcerer; it does not mean “to bewitch,” as in the case of the preceding verb, but “to confuse, amaze” (RV). See AMAZE, B. No. 1.

 

Bewray

Note: The word “bewrayeth,” Matt. 26:73, is a translation of poieo, “to make,” with delos, “manifest, evident;” lit., “maketh thee manifest.”

 

 

Beyond

* In addition to the preposition huper, “over,” rendered “beyond” in 2 Cor. 8:3, the following adverbs have this meaning:

1, epekeina
epi, “upon,” and ekeina, “those,” the word “parts” being understood, is used in Acts 7:43.

2, peran
“on the other side, across,” is used with the definite article, signifying the regions “beyond,” the opposite shore, Matt. 8:18 etc. With verbs of going it denotes direction towards and “beyond” a place, e.g., John 10:40. It frequently indicates “beyond,” of locality, without a verb of direction, Matt. 16:5; Mark 10:1, RV; John 1:28; 3:26. See FARTHER, SIDE.

Note: In 2 Cor. 10:14, the verb huperekteino, “to stretch overmuch,” is so rendered in the RV, for AV, “... beyond our measure.” In 2 Cor. 10:16 the adverb huperekeina, “beyond,” is used as a preposition.

 

 

Bid Farewell

1, apotasso
is used in the Middle Voice to signify “to bid adieu to a person.” It primarily means “to set apart, separate” (apo, “from,” tasso, “to set, arrange”); then, “to take leave of, to bid farewell to,” Mark 6:46 (RV); Luke 9:61; “to give parting instructions to,” Acts 18:18,21; 2 Cor. 2:13; “to forsake, renounce,” Luke 14:33. See FORSAKE, RENOUNCE, SEND, Note (2) at end.

2, apaspazomai
“to bid farewell” (apo, “from,” aspazomai, “to greet”), is used in Acts 21:6, AV, “had taken our leave of;” RV, “bade ... farewell.”

 

Bid, Bidden, Bade, Bid again

1, kaleo
“to call,” often means “to bid,” in the sense of “invite,” e.g., Matt. 22:3,4,8,9; Luke 14:7-10,13, RV; Rev. 19:9, RV. See CALL, NAME, SURNAME.

2, keleuo
“to command,” is translated “bid” in Matt. 14:28, only. See COMMAND, No. 5. Compare the synonym entello, “to command.”

3, eipon
used as the aorist tense of lego, “to speak, to say,” sometimes has the meaning of “commanding, or bidding,” and is translated “bid,” or “bade,” e.g., in Matt. 16:22; 23:3; Luke 10:40; 9:54, AV, “command,” RV, “bid;” Acts 11:12; “bidding,” Acts 22:24, RV. See SAY, SPEAK.

4, antikaleo
“to bid again, invite in turn,” is found in Luke 14:12.

Notes: (1) Lego, “to say,” is translated “bid” and “biddeth” in the AV of 2 John 1:10,11; RV, “give (him no greeting),” “giveth (him greeting)”. See GREETING.

(2) In Matt. 1:24, prostasso, “to command,” is translated “had bidden,” AV; RV, “commanded.” See COMMAND.

 

Bier

1, soros
originally denoted a receptacle for containing the bones of the dead, “a cinerary urn;” then “a coffin,” Gen. 50:26; Job 21:32; then, “the funeral couch of bier” on which the Jews bore their dead to burial, Luke 7:14.

 

Bill

1, biblion
primarily “a small book, a scroll, or any sheet on which something has been written;” hence, in connection with apostasion, “divorce,” signifies “a bill of divorcement,” Matt. 19:7 (AV, “writing”); Mark 10:4. See BOOK, SCROLL, WRITING.

2, gramma
from grapho “to write” (Eng., “graph, graphic,” etc.), in Luke 16:6, AV, is translated “bill.” It lit. signifies that which is drawn, a picture; hence, a written document; hence, a “bill,” or bond, or note of hand, showing the amount of indebtedness. In the passage referred to the word is in the plural, indicating perhaps, but not necessarily, various “bills.” The bonds mentioned in rabbinical writings, were formal, signed by witnesses and the Sanhedrin of three, or informal, when only the debtor signed. The latter were usually written on wax, and easily altered. See LEARNING, LETTER, SCRIPTURE, WRITING.

Billows

·         For BILLOWS, Luke 21:25, RV, see WAVE

 

 

Bind, Binding (see also Bound)

1, deo
“to bind,” is used (a) literally, of any sort of “binding,” e.g., Acts 22:5; 24:27, (b) figuratively, of the Word of God, as not being “bound,” 2 Tim. 2:9, i.e., its ministry, course and efficacy were not hindered by the bonds and imprisonment suffered by the Apostle. A woman who was bent together, had been “bound” by Satan through the work of a demon, Luke 13:16. Paul speaks of himself, in Acts 20:22, as being “bound in the spirit,” i.e., compelled by his convictions, under the constraining power of the Spirit of God, to go to Jerusalem. A wife is said to be “bound” to her husband, Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:39; and the husband to the wife, 1 Cor. 7:27. The Lord's words to the Apostle Peter in Matt. 16:19, as to “binding,” and to all the disciples in Matt. 18:18, signify, in the former case, that the Apostle, by his ministry of the Word of Life, would keep unbelievers outside the kingdom of God, and admit those who believed. So with regard to Matt. 18:18, including the exercise of disciplinary measures in the sphere of the local church; the application of the Rabbinical sense of forbidding is questionable. See BOND, KNIT, Note. TIE.

2, perideo
peri, “around,” with No. 1, “to bind around,” is used in John 11:44 of the napkin around the face of Lazarus. Cp. Job 12:18, Sept.

3, hupodeo
hupo, “under,” with No. 1, “to bind underneath,” is used of binding of sandals, Acts 12:8; rendered “shod” in Mark 6:9; Eph. 6:15. See SHOD.

4, katadeo
kata, “down,” with No. 1, “to bind or tie down, or bind up,” is used in Luke 10:34 of the act of the good Samaritan.

5,sundeo
sun, “together,” and No. 1, “to bind together,” implying association, is used in Heb. 13:3 of those bound together in confinement.

6, desmeuo
signifies “to put in fetters or any kind of bond,” Luke 8:29; Acts 22:4, or “to bind a burden upon a person,” Matt. 23:4. The verb is connected with No. 1.

Notes: (1) Cp. desmos, “a band, bond, fetter,” e.g., Luke 13:16, and desmios, “bound,” Acts 25:14, AV (RV, “a prisoner”); Heb. 13:3, “them that are in bonds.” See BOND, CHAIN, PRISONER, STRING.

(2) Sundesmos (see No. 5, above), “that which binds together,” is translated “bands,” in Col. 2:19. See BONDS.

7, proteino
lit., “to stretch forth” (pro, “forth,” teino, “to stretch”), is used in Acts 22:25, AV, “they bound;” RV, “they had tied (him) up,” in reference to the preparations made for scourging, probably, to stretch the body forward, to make it tense for severer punishment. See TIE.

 

Bird (fowl)

1, orneon
is probably connected with a word signifying “to perceive, to hear;” Rev. 18:2; 19:17,21. See FOWL. Cp. ornis, a hen.

2, peteinon
signifies “that which is able to fly, winged.” It is connected with ptenon signifying “feathered, winged,” which is used in 1 Cor. 15:39. Cp. petomai and petaomai, “to fly.” In the Gospels the RV always translates it “birds,” e.g., Matt. 6:26; but “fowls” in Acts 10:12; 11:6. The AV unsuitably has “fowls,” in the Gospels, except Matt. 8:20; 13:32; Luke 9:58.

Birth

1, gennesis
“a birth, begetting, producing” (related to gennao, “to beget”), is used in Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:14. Some mss. have genesis, “lineage, birth” (from ginomai, “to become”).

2, genete
“a being born, or the hour of birth” (related to genea, “race, generation”), is connected with ginomai, “to become, to be born,” and is used in John 9:1.

Notes (1) For genesis and gennema see FRUIT, GENERATION, NATURE.

(2) In Gal. 4:19, odino, “to have birth pangs,” is rendered “travail in birth,” AV; RV, “am in travail.” See Rev. 12:2.

 

Birthday

1, genesia
a neuter plural (akin to genesis, “lineage,” from ginomai), primarily denoted “the festivities of a birthday, a birthday feast,” though among the Greeks it was also used of a festival in commemoration of a deceased friend. It is found in Matt. 14:6; Mark 6:21. Some have regarded it as the day of the king's accession, but this meaning is not confirmed in Greek writings.

 

 

Birthright

1, protokia
“a birthright” (from protos, “first,” tikto, “to beget”), is found in Heb. 12:16, with reference to Esau (cp. prototokos, firstborn). The “birthright” involved pre-eminence and authority, Gen. 27:29; 49:3. Another right was that of the double portion, Deut. 21:17; 1 Chron. 5:1,2. Connected with the “birthright” was the progenitorship of the Messiah. Esau transferred his “birthright” to Jacob for a paltry mess of pottage, profanely despising this last spirtual privilge, Gen. 25; 27. In the history of the nation God occassionally set aside the “birthright,” to show that the objects of His choice depended not on the will of the flesh, but on His own authority. Thus Isaac was preferred to Ishmael, Jacob to Esau, Joseph to Reuben, David to his elder brethren, Solomon to Adonijah. See FIRSTBORN.

 

 

Bishop (overseer)

1, episkopos
lit., “an overseer” (epi, “over,” skopeo, “to look or watch”), whence Eng. “bishop,” which has precisely the same meaning, is found in Acts 20:28; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:7; 1 Pet. 2:25. See OVERSEER.

Note: Presbuteros, “an elder,” is another term for the same person as bishop or overseer. See Acts 20:17 with verse Acts 20:28. The term “elder” indicates the mature spiritual experience and understanding of those so described; the term “bishop,” or “overseer,” indicates the character of the work undertaken. According to the Divine will and appointment, as in the NT, there were to be “bishops” in every local church, Acts 14:23; 20:17; Phil. 1:1; Titus 1:5; Jas. 5:14. Where the singular is used, the passage is describing what a “bishop” should be, 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:7. Christ Himself is spoken of as “the ... Bishop of our souls,” 1 Pet. 2:25. See ELDER.

2, episkope
besides its meaning, “visitation,” e.g., 1 Pet. 2:12 (cp. the Sept. of Exod. 3:16; Isa. 10:3; Jer. 10:15), is rendered “office,” in Acts 1:20, RV (AV, “bishoprick”); in 1 Tim. 3:1, “the office of a bishop,” lit., “(if any one seeketh) overseership,” there is no word representing office.

Note: The corresponding verb is episkopeo, which, in reference to the work of an overseer, is found in 1 Pet. 5:2, RV, “exercising the oversight,” for AV “taking the oversight.” See OVERSIGHT.

Bit

·         For BIT see BRIDLE

 

Bite

1, dakno
“to bite,” in Gal. 5:15, “if ye bite and devour one another,” is used metaphorically of wounding the soul, or rendering with reproaches.

 

 

Bitter, Bitterly, Bitterness

A-1,Adjective, pikros
from a root pik, meaning “to cut, to prick,” hence, lit., “pointed, sharp, keen, pungent to the sense of taste, smell, etc.,” is found in Jas. 3:11,14. In ver. 11 it has its natural sense, with reference to water; in ver. 14 it is used metaphorically of jealousy, RV.

B-1,Verb,4087,pikraino>
related to A, signifies, in the Active Voice, “to be bitter,” Col. 3:19, or “to embitter, irritate, or to make bitter,” Rev. 10:9; the Passive Voice, “to be made bitter,” is used in Rev. 8:11; 10:10.

C-1,Noun, pikria
denotes “bitterness.” It is used in Acts 8:23, metaphorically, of a condition of extreme wickedness, “gall of bitterness” or “bitter gal;” in Rom. 3:14, of evil speaking; in Eph. 4:31, of “bitter” hatred; in Heb. 12:15, in the same sense, metaphorically, of a root of “bitterness,” producing “bitter” fruit.

D-1,Adverb, pikros
“bitterly,” is used of the poignant grief of Peter's weeping for his denial of Christ, Matt. 26:75; Luke 22:62.

Note: In the Sept., pikros (not in the NT), “a bitter herb,” is used in Exod. 12:8; Num. 9:11.

 

Black, Blackness

1, melas
“black,” Matt. 5:36; Rev. 6:5,12, is derived from a root mal---, meaning “to be dirty;” hence Latin, malus, “bad.” See INK.

2,Noun, gnophos
Heb. 12:18, “blackness, gloom,” seems to have been associated with the idea of a tempest. It is related to skotos, “darkness,” in that passage, and in the Sept. of Exod. 10:22; Deut. 4:11; Zeph. 1:15.

3,Noun, zophos
akin to No. 1, especially “the gloom of the regions of the lost,” is used four times; 2 Pet. 2:4, “darkness” (RV); 2 Pet. 2:17, RV, “blackness,” for AV, “mist;” Jude 1:6, “darkness;” Jude 1:13, “blackness,” suggesting a kind of emanation. See DARKNESS, MIST.

 

Blade

·         For BLADE see GRASS

 

 

Blame, Blameless

A-1,Verb, momaomai
“to find fault with, to blame, or calumniate,” is used in 2 Cor. 6:3, of the ministry of the Gospel; in 8:20, of the ministration of financial help.

Notes: (1) Cp. the synonymous verb, memphomai, “to find fault,” Mark 7:2; Rom. 9:19; Heb. 8:8. See FAULT.

(2) In gal. 2:11, kataginosko is rightly rendered “stood condemned,” RV, for AV, “was to be blamed.” See CONDEMN.

B-1,Adjective, amomos
See BLEMISH, B.

B-2,Adjective, amometos
translated in Phil. 2:15 “without blemish” (AV, “without rebuke”), is rendered “blameless” in 2 Pet. 3:14 (AV and RV).

B-3,Adjective, amemptos
related to memphomai (A, Note), is translated “unblameable” in 1 Thess. 3:13; “blameless,” in Luke 1:6; Phil. 2:15; 3:6; “faultless” in Heb. 8:7. See FAULTLESS, UNBLAMEABLE.

“If amomos is the 'unblemished,' amemptos is the 'unblamed.' ... Christ was amomos in that there was in Him no spot or blemish, and He could say, 'Which of you convinceth (convicteth) Me of sin?' but in strictness of speech He was not amemptos (unblamed), nor is this epithet ever given to Him in the NT, seeing that He endured the contradition of sinners against Himself, who slandered His footsteps and laid to His charge 'things that He knew not' (i.e., of which He was guiltless).” Trench. Syn. 103.

B-4,Adjective, anaitios
“guiltless” (a, negative, n, euphonic, and aitia, “a charge”), is translated, “blameless” in the AV of Matt. 12:5, “guiltless” in Matt. 12:7. The RV has “guiltless” in both places. In the Sept., in Deut. 19:10,13; 21:8-9. See GUILTLESS.

B-5,Adjective, anepileptos
lit., “that cannot be laid hold of,” hence, “not open to censure, irreproachable” (from a, negative, n, euphonic, and epilambano, “to lay hold of”), is used in 1 Tim. 3:2; 5:7; 6:14 (in all three places the RV has “without reproach;” in the first two AV, “blameless,” in the last, “unrebukeable;” an alternative rendering would be “irrephensible”). See REPROACH, UNREBUKEABLE.

B-6,Adjective, anenkletos
signifies “that which cannot be called to account” (from a, negative, n, euphonic, and enkaleo, “to call in”), i.e., with nothing laid to one's charge (as the result of public investigation), in 1 Cor. 1:8, RV, “unreproveable,” AV, “blameless;” in Col. 1:22, AV and RV, “unreproveable;” in 1 Tim. 3:10; Titus 1:6,7, AV and RV, “blameless.” It implies not merely acquittal, but the absence of even a charge or accusation against a person. This is to be the case with elders.

C-1,Adverb, amemptos
in 1 Thess. 2:10, “unblameably;” in 1 Thess. 5:23, “without blame,” AV, “blameless,” is said of believers at the Judgment-Seat of Christ in His Parousia (His presence after His coming), as the outcome of present witness and steadfastness. See B, No. 3, above.

 

Blaspheme, Blasphemy, Blasphemer, Blasphemous

A-1,Noun, blasphemia
either from blax, “sluggish, stupid,” or, probably, from blapto, “to injure,” and pheme, “speech,” (Eng. “blasphemy”) is so translated thirteen times in the RV, but “railing” in Matt. 15:19; Mark 7:22; Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8; 1 Tim. 6:4; Jude 1:9. The word “blasphemy” is practically confined to speech defamatory of the Divine Majesty. See Note, below. See EVIL SPEAKING, RAILING.

B-1,Verb, blasphemeo
“to blaspheme, rail at or revile,” is used (a) in a general way, of any contumelious speech, reviling, calumniating, railing at, etc., as of those who railed at Christ, e.g., Matt. 27:39; Mark 15:29; Luke 22:65 (RV, “reviling”); Luke 23:39; (b) of those who speak contemptuously of God or of sacred things, e.g., Matt. 9:3; Mark 3:28; Rom. 2:24; 1 Tim. 1:20; 6:1; Rev. 13:6; 16:9,11,21; “hath spoken blasphemy,” Matt. 26:65; “rail at,” 2 Pet. 2:10; Jude 1:8,10; “railing,” 2 Pet. 2:12; “slanderously reported,” Rom. 3:8; “be evil spoken of,” Rom. 14:16; 1 Cor. 10:30; 2 Pet. 2:2; “speak evil of,” Titus 3:2; 1 Pet. 4:4; “being defamed,” 1 Cor. 4:13. The verb (in the present participial form) is translated “blasphemers” in Acts 19:37; in Mark 2:7, “blasphemeth,” RV, for AV, “speaketh blasphemies.”

There is no noun in the original representing the English “blasphemer.” This is expressed either by the verb, or by the adjective blasphemos. See DEFAME, RAIL, REPORT, REVILE.

C-1,Adjective, blasphemos
“abusive, speaking evil,” is translated “blasphemous,” in Acts 6:11,13; “a blasphemer,” 1 Tim. 1:13; “railers,” 2 Tim. 3:2, RV; “railing,” 2 Pet. 2:11. See RAIL.

Note: As to Christ's teaching concerning “blasphemy” against the Holy Spirit, e.g., Matt. 12:32, that anyone, with the evidence of the Lord's power before His eyes, should declare it to be Satanic, exhibited a condition of heart beyond Divine illumination and therefore hopeless. Divine forgiveness would be inconsistent with the moral nature of God. As to the Son of Man, in his state of humiliation, there might be misunderstanding, but not so with the Holy Spirit's power demonstrated.

 

Blaze abroad

1, diaphemizo
“to spread abroad” (dia, “throughout,” phemizo, “to speak”), is so translated in the RV in Matt. 9:31; 28:15 (AV, “commonly reported”); Mark 1:45 (AV, “blaze abroad”).

 

 

Blemish

A-1,Noun, momos
akin to momaomai (see BLAME, A), signifies (a) “a blemish” (Sept. only); (b) “a shame, a moral disgrace,” metaphorical of the licentious, 2 Pet. 2:13.

B-1,Adjective, amomos
“without blemish;” is always so rendered in the RV, Eph. 1:4; 5:27; Phil. 2:15; Col. 1:22; Heb. 9:14; 1 Pet. 1:19; Jude 1:24; Rev. 14:5. This meaning is to be preferred to the various AV renderings, “without blame,” Eph. 1:4, “unblameable,” Col. 1:22, “faultless,” Jude 1:24, “without fault,” Rev. 14:5. The most authentic mss. have amomos, “without blemish,” in Phil. 2:15, for amometos, “without rebuke.” In the Sept., in reference to sacrifices, especially in Lev. and Num., the Psalms and Ezek., “of blamelessness in character and conduct.” See BLAME, FAULT.

 

Bless, Blessed, Blessedness, Blessing

A-1,Verb, eulogeo
lit., “to speak well of” (eu, “well,” logos, “a word”), signifies, (a) “to praise, to celebrate with praises,” of that which is addressed to God, acknowledging His goodness, with desire for His glory, Luke 1:64; 2:28; 24:51,53; Jas. 3:9; (b) “to invoke blessings upon a person,” e.g., Luke 6:28; Rom. 12:14. The present participle Passive, “blessed, praised,” is especially used of Christ in Matt. 21:9; 23:39, and the parallel passages; also in John 12:13; (c) “to consecrate a thing with solemn prayers, to ask God's blessing on a thing,” e.g., Luke 9:16; 1 Cor. 10:16; (d) “to cause to prosper, to make happy, to bestow blessings on,” said of God, e.g., in Acts 3:26; Gal. 3:9; Eph. 1:3. Cp. the synonym aineo, “to praise.” See PRAISE.

A-2,Verb, eneulogeomai
“to bless,” is used in the Passive Voice, Acts 3:25; Gal. 3:8. The prefix en apparently indicates the person on whom the blessing is conferred.

A-3,Verb, makarizo
from a root mak---, meaning “large, lengthy,” found also in makros, “long,” mekos, “length,” hence denotes “to pronounce happy, blessed,” Luke 1:48; Jas. 5:11. See HAPPY.

B-1,Adjective, eulogetos
akin to A, 1, means “blessed, praised;” it is applied only to God, Mark 14:61; Luke 1:68; Rom. 1:25; 9:5; 2 Cor. 1:3; 11:31; Eph. 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:3. In the Sept. it is also applied to man, e.g., in Gen. 24:31; 26:29; Deut. 7:14; Judg. 17:2; Ruth 2:20; 1 Sam. 15:13.

B-2,Adjective, makarios
akin to A, No. 3, is used in the beatitudes in Matt. 5 and Luke 6, is especially frequent in the Gospel of Luke, and is found seven times in Revelation, 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7,14. It is said of God twice, 1 Tim. 1:11; 6:15. In the beatitudes the Lord indicates not only the characters that are “blessed,” but the nature of that which is the highest good.

C-1,Noun, eulogia
akin to A, 1, lit., “good speaking, praise,” is used of (a) God and Christ, Rev. 5:12,13; 7:12; (b) the invocation of blessings, benediction, Heb. 12:17; Jas. 3:10; (c) the giving of thanks, 1 Cor. 10:16; (d) a blessing, a benefit bestowed, Rom. 15:29; Gal. 3:14; Eph. 1:3; Heb. 6:7; of a monetary gift sent to needy believers, 2 Cor. 9:5,6; (e) in a bad sense, of fair speech, Rom. 16:18, RV, where it is joined with chrestologia, “smooth speech,” the latter relating to the substance, eulogia to the expression. See BOUNTY.

C-2,Noun, makarismos
akin to A, 3, “blessedness,” indicates an ascription of blessing rather than a state; hence in Rom. 4:6, where the AV renders it as a noun, “(describeth) the blessedness;” the RV rightly puts “(pronounceth) blessing.” So Rom. 4:9. In Gal. 4:15 the AV has “blessedness,” RV, “gratulation.” The Galatian believers had counted themselves happy when they heard and received the Gospel. Had they lost that opinion? See GRATULATION.

Note: In Acts 13:34, hosia, lit., “holy things,” is translated “mercies” (AV), “blessings” (RV).

 

Blew

·         For BLEW see BLOW

 

 

Blind, Blindness

A-1,Verb, tuphloo
“to blind” (from a root tuph---, “to burn, smoke;” cp. tuphos, “smoke”), is used metaphorically, of the dulling of the intellect, John 12:40; 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 2:11.

A-2,Verb, poroo
signifies “to harden” (from poros, “a thick skin, a hardening”); rendered “blinded,” AV, in Rom. 11:7; 2 Cor. 3:14 (RV, “hardened”); cp. 2 Cor. 4:4. See HARDEN.

B-1,Adjective, tuphlos
“blind,” is used both physically and metaphorically, chiefly in the Gospels; elsewhere four times; physically, Acts 13:11; metaphorically, Rom. 2:19; 2 Pet. 1:9; Rev. 3:17. The word is frequently used as a noun, signifying “a blind man.”

C-1,Noun, porosis
akin to A. No. 2, primarily means “a covering with a callus,” a “hardening,” Rom. 11:25; Eph. 4:18, RV, for AV, “blindness;” Mark 3:5, RV, for AV, “hardness.” It is metaphorical of a dulled spiritual perception. See HARDNESS.

Note: In John 9:8, the most authentic mss. have prosaites, “a beggar,” RV, instead of tuphlos, “blind.”

 

Blindfold

1, perikalupto
signifies “to blindfold” (peri, “around,” kalupto, “to hide”), Luke 22:64. See COVER, OVERLAY.

 

Blood

A-1,Noun, haima
(hence Eng., prefix haem,), besides its natural meaning, stands, (a) in conjunction with sarx, “flesh,” “flesh and blood,” Matt. 16:17; 1 Cor. 15:50; Gal. 1:16; the original has the opposite order, blood and flesh, in Eph. 6:12; Heb. 2:14; this phrase signifies, by synecdoche, “man, human beings.” It stresses the limitations of humanity; the two are essential elements in man's physical being; “the life of the flesh is in the blood,” Lev. 17:11; (b) for human generation, John 1:13; (c) for “blood” shed by violence, e.g., Matt. 23:35; Rev. 17:6; (d) for the “blood” of sacrificial victims, e.g., Heb. 9:7; of the “blood” of Christ, which betokens His death by the shedding of His “blood” in expiatory sacrifice; to drink His “blood” is to appropriate the saving effects of His expiatory death, John 6:53. As “the life of the flesh is in the blood,” Lev. 17:11, and was forfeited by sin, life eternal can be imparted only by the expiation made, in the giving up of the life by the sinless Savior.

A-2,Noun, haimatekchusia
denotes “shedding of blood,” Heb. 9:22 (haima, “blood,” ekchuno, “to pour out, shed”).

B-1,Verb, haimorrhoeo
from haima, “blood,” rheo, “to flow” (Eng., “hemorrhage”), signifies “to suffer from a flow of blood,” Matt. 9:20.

Notes: (1) In Mark 5:25; Luke 8:43, different constructions are used, the translations respectively being “having a flowing of blood” and “being in (i.e., with) a flowing of blood.”

(2) In Acts 17:26 (RV, “of one;” AV, “of one blood”), the most authentic mss. do not contain the noun haima, “blood.” So with the phrase “through His blood,” in Col. 1:14.

(3) For “bloody flux” in Acts 28:8, AV, see DYSENTERY (RV).

 

Blot out

1, exaleipho
from ek, “out,” used intensively, and aleipho, “to wipe,” signifies “to wash, or to smear completely.” Hence, metaphorically, in the sense of removal, “to wipe away, wipe off, obliterate;” Acts 3:19, of sins; Col. 2:14, of writing; Rev. 3:5, of a name in a book; Rev. 7:17; 21:4, of tears.

 

 

Blow (Noun)

1,rhapisma
(a) “a blow with a rod or staff,” (b) “a blow with the hand, a slap or cuff,” is found in three places; of the maltreatment of Christ by the officials or attendants of the high priest, Mark 14:65, RV, “received (according to the most authentic mss.) Him with blows of their hands,” (AV, “did strike Him with the palms of their hands”); that they received, or took, Him would indicate their rough handling of Him; John 18:22; 19:3; in all three places the RV marg. gives the meaning (a), as to the use of a rod.

So with the corresponding verb rhapizo, in Matt. 26:67. The soldiers subsequently beat Him with a reed, 27:30, where tupto, “to beat,” is used; rhapizo occurs elsewhere in Matt. 5:39. See SMITE.

 

Blow (Verb)

1, pneo
signifies (a) “to blow,” e.g., Matt. 7:25; John 3:8; in Acts 27:40 the present participle is used as a noun, lit., “to the blowing” (i.e., to the wind); (b) “to breathe.” See BREATHE.

2, hupopneo
hupo, “under” (indicating repression), and No. 1, denotes “to blow softly,” Acts 27:13.

Note: In Acts 28:13, epiginomai, “to come on,” is used of the springing up of a wind, AV, “blew;” RV, “sprang up.”

 

Board

1, sanis
denotes “a plank, or board,” Acts 27:44.

 

 

Boast, Boaster, Boastful

A-1,Verb, kauchaomai
and its related words katakauchaomai, “to glory or boast” and the nouns kauchesis and kauchema, translated “boast,” and “boasting,” in the AV, are always translated “glory,” and “glorying” in the RV, e.g., 2 Cor. 10:15; 11:10,17; Eph. 2:9. See GLORY.

A-2,Verb, megalaucheo
from megala, “great things,” and aucheo, “to lift up the neck,” hence, “to boast,” is found in some texts of Jas. 3:5. The most authentic mss. have the two words separated. It indicates any kind of haughty speech which stirs up strife or provokes others.

Note: In Acts 5:36, the verb lego, “to say,” is rendered “boasting” in the AV; “giving out” (RV).

B-1,Noun, alazon
“a boaster,” Rom. 1:30; 2 Tim. 3:2, AV, “boasters,” RV, “boastful,” primarily signifies “a wanderer about the country” (from ale, “wandering”), “a vagabond;” hence, “an impostor.”

B-2,Noun, alazoneia
the practice of an alazon, denotes quackery; hence, “arrogant display, or boastings,” Jas. 4:16, RV, “vauntings;” in 1 John 2:16, RV, “vainglory;” AV, “pride.” See PRIDE, VAUNT.

Note: In 2 Cor. 9:4, hupostasis, “a support, substance,” means “confidence” (RV); AV, “confident boasting.”

 

Boat

1, ploiarion
“a skiff or small boat,” is a diminutive of ploion (No. 2), Mark 3:9; 4:36; John 6:22 (but No. 2 in the 2nd part of the verse), John 6:23 (here some texts have No. 2), John 6:24; 21:8.

2, ploion
AV, “ship,” is preferably translated “boat” (RV) in the Gospels, where it is of frequent use; it is found 18 times in Acts, where, as in Jas. 3:4; Rev. 8:9; 18:19, it signifies a ship. See SHIP.

3, skaphe
is, lit., “anything dug or scooped out” (from skapto, “to dig”), “as a trough, a tub, and hence a light boat, or skiff, a boat belonging to a larger vessel,” Acts 27:16,30,32.

 

Body, Bodily

A-1,Noun, soma
is “the body as a whole, the instrument of life,” whether of man living, e.g., Matt. 6:22, or dead, Matt. 27:52; or in resurrection, 1 Cor. 15:44; or beasts, Heb. 13:11; of grain, 1 Cor. 15:37,38; of the heavenly hosts, 1 Cor. 15:40. In Rev. 18:13 it is translated “slaves.” In its figurative uses the essential idea is preserved.

Sometimes the word stands, by synecdoche, for “the complete man,” Matt. 5:29; 6:22; Rom. 12:1; Jas. 3:6; Rev. 18:13. Sometimes the person is identified with his or her “body,” Acts 9:37; 13:36, and this is so even of the Lord Jesus, John 19:40 with John 19:42. The “body” is not the man, for he himself can exist apart from his “body,” 2 Cor. 12:2,3. The “body” is an essential part of the man and therefore the redeemed are not perfected till the resurrection, Heb. 11:40; no man in his final state will be without his “body,” John 5:28,29; Rev. 20:13.

The word is also used for physical nature, as distinct from pneuma, “the spiritual nature,” e.g., 1 Cor. 5:3, and from psuche, “the soul,” e.g., 1 Thess. 5:23. “Soma, 'body,' and pneuma, 'spirit,' may be separated; pneuma and psuche, 'soul,' can only be distinguished” (Cremer).

It is also used metaphorically, of the mystic body of Christ, with reference to the whole church, e.g., Eph. 1:23; Col. 1:18,22,24; also of a local church, 1 Cor. 12:27.

A-2,Noun, chros
signifies “the surface of a body,” especially of the human body, Acts 19:12, with reference to the handkerchiefs carried from Paul's body to the sick.

A-3,Noun, ptoma
denotes, lit., “a fall” (akin to pipto, “to fall”); hence, “that which is fallen, a corpse,” Matt. 14:12; 24:28, “carcase;” Mark 6:29; 15:45, “corpse;” Rev. 11:8,9, “dead bodies” (Gk., “carcase,” but plural in the 2nd part of ver. 9). See CARCASE, CORPSE.

B-1,Adjective, sussomos
sun, “with,” and A, No. 1., means “united in the same body,” Eph. 3:6, of the church.

B-2,Adjective, somatikos
“bodily,” is used in Luke 3:22, of the Holy Spirit in taking a bodily shape; in 1 Tim. 4:8 of bodily exercise.

C-1,Adverb, somatikos
“bodily, corporeally,” is used in Col. 2:9.

 

Boisterous

Note: The AV “boisterous” in Matt. 14:30 is a rendering of the word ischuros, “strong” (see margin); it is not in the most authentic mss.

 

 

Bold, Boldness, Boldly

A-1,Verb, tharreo
a later form of tharseo (see CHEER, COMFORT), is connected with thero, “to be warm” (warmth of temperament being associated with confidence); hence, “to be confident, bold, courageous;” RV, invariably, “to be of good courage;” 2 Cor. 5:6,8 (AV, “to be confident”); 2 Cor. 7:16 (AV, “to have confidence”); 2 Cor. 10:1,2 (AV, “to be bold”); Heb. 13:6, AV, “boldly;” RV, “with good courage” (lit., “being courageous”). See COURAGE.

A-2,Verb, parrhesiazomai
“to speak boldly, or freely,” primarily had reference to speech (see B, below), but acquired the meaning of “being bold, or waxing bold,” 1 Thess. 2:2; in Acts 13:46, RV, “spake out boldly” (the aorist participle here signifies “waxing bold”); Acts 9:27,29, “preached boldly (see also Acts 18:26; 19:8); in Acts 26:26, “speak freely.” See FREELY.

A-3,Verb, tolmao
signifies “to dare to do, or to bear, something terrible or difficult;” hence, “to be bold, to bear onself boldly, deal boldly;” it is translated “be bold” in 2 Cor. 10:2, as contrasted with tharreo in verse 2 Cor. 10:1, and the first line of verse 2, “shew courage” (see No. 1, above); in 2 Cor. 10:12, RV, “are not bold to,” for AV, “dare not make ourselves of.” Tharreo denotes confidence in one's own powers, and has reference to character; tolmao denotes boldness in undertaking and has reference to manifestation (Thayer). See COURAGE, DARE.

A-4,Verb, apotolmao
apo (intensive), with No. 3, means “to be very bold, to speak out boldly,” and is used in Rom. 10:20.

B-1,Noun, parrhesia
from pas, “all,” rhesis, “speech” (see A, No. 2), denotes (a), primarily, “freedom of speech, unreservedness of utterance,” Acts 4:29,31; 2 Cor. 3:12; 7:4; Philem. 1:8; or “to speak without ambiguity, plainly,” John 10:24; or “without figures of speech,” John 16:25; (b) “the absence of fear in speaking boldly; hence, confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, without any connection necessarily with speech;” the RV has “boldness” in the following; Acts 4:13; Eph. 3:12; 1 Tim. 3:13; Heb. 3:6; 4:16; 10:19,35; 1 John 2:28; 3:21; 4:17; 5:14; (c) the deportment by which one becomes conspicuous, John 7:4; 11:54, acts openly, or secures publicity, Col. 2:15. See CONFIDENCE, OPENLY, PLAINNESS.

C-1,Adverb, tolmeroteros
the comparative degree of tolmeros, means “the more boldly,” Rom. 15:15; in some texts, tolmeroteron. Cp. A, No. 3. Cp. tolmetes, “presumptuous,” RV, “daring,” 2 Pet. 2:10.

 

 

 

Bond

1, desmos
from deo, “to bind” (see BAND), is usually found in the plural, either masculine or neuter; (a) it stands thus for the actual “bonds” which bind a prisoner, as in Luke 8:29; Acts 16:26; 20:23 (the only three places where the neuter plural is used); Acts 22:30; (b) the masculine plural stands frequently in a figurative sense for “a condition of imprisonment,” Phil. 1:7,13, i.e., “so that my captivity became manifest as appointed for the cause of Christ;” Phil 1:14,16; Col. 4:18; 2 Tim. 2:9; Philem. 1:10,13; Heb. 10:34.

In Mark 74:35 “the bond (AV string)” stands metaphorically for “the infirmity which caused an impediment in his speech.” So in Luke 13:16, of the infirmity of the woman who was bowed together. See BAND, CHAIN, STRING.

2, desmios
“a binding,” denotes “a prisoner,” e.g., Acts 25:14, RV, for the AV, “in bonds;” Heb. 13:3, “them that are in bonds,” Paul speaks of himself as a prisoner of Christ, Eph. 3:1: 2 Tim. 1:8; Philem. 1:1,9; “in the Lord,” Eph. 4:1. See PRISONER.

3, sundesmos
“that which binds together” (sum, “with,” and No. 1), is said of “the bond of iniquity,” Acts 8:23; “the bond of peace,” Eph. 4:3; “the bond of perfectness,” Col. 3:14 (figurative of the ligaments of the body); elsewhere; Col. 2:19, “bands,” figuratively of the bands which unite the church, the body of Christ. See BAND.

4, halusis
denotes “a chain;” so the RV in Eph. 6:20, for AV “bonds.” See CHAIN.

5, gramma
in Luke 16:6, RV, means “a bill or note of hand.” See BILL, No. 2.

6, cheirographon
“a handwriting,” is rendered “bond” in Col. 2:14, RV.

 

Bondage

A-1,Noun, douleia
akin to deo, “to bind,” primarily “the condition of being a slave,” came to denote any kind of bondage, as, e.g., of the condition of creation, Rom. 8:21; of that fallen condition of man himself which makes him dread God, Rom 8:15, and fear death, Heb. 2:15; of the condition imposed by the Mosaic Law, Gal. 4:24. See SERVE.

B-1,Verb, douleuo
“to serve as a slave, to be a slave, to be in bondage,” is frequently used without any association of slavery, e.g., Acts 20:19; Rom. 6:6; 7:6; 12:11; Gal. 5:13. See SERVE.

B-2,Verb, douloo
different from No. 1, in being transitive instead of intransitive, signifies “to make a slave of, to bring into bondage,” Acts 7:6; 1 Cor. 9:19, RV; in the Passive Voice, “to be brought under bondage,” 2 Pet. 2:19; “to be held in bondage,” Gal. 4:3 (lit., “were reduced to bondage”); Titus 2:3, “of being enslaved to wine;” Rom. 6:18, “of service to righteousness” (lit. “were made bondservants”). As with the purchased slave there were no limitations either in the kind or the time of service, so the life of the believer is to be lived in continuous obedience to God. See ENSLAVED, GIVE, SERVANT.

B-3,Verb, doulagogeo
“to bring into bondage” (from A, above, and ago, “to bring”), is used in 1 Cor. 9:27, concerning the body, RV, “bondage,” for AV, “subjection.”

B-4,Verb, katadouloo
“to bring into bondage,” occurs in 2 Cor. 11:20; Gal. 2:4.

 

Bondman, Bondmaid

1, doulos
from deo, “to bind,” “a slave,” originally the lowest term in the scale of servitude, came also to mean “one who gives himself up to the will of another,” e.g., 1 Cor. 7:23; Rom. 6:17,20, and became the most common and general word for “servant,” as in Matt. 8:9, without any idea of bondage. In calling himself, however, a “bondslave of Jesus Christ,” e.g., Rom. 1:1, the Apostle Paul intimates (1) that he had been formerly a “bondslave” of Satan, and (2) that, having been bought by Christ, he was now a willing slave, bound to his new Master. See SERVANT.

The feminine, doule, signifies “a handmaid,” Luke 1:38,48; Acts 2:18.

2, paidiske
“a young girl, maiden,” also denoted “a young female slave, bondwoman, or handmaid.” For the AV, “bondmaid” or “bondwoman,” in Gal. 4:22,23,30,31, the RV has “handmaid.” See DAMSEL, HANDMAID, MAID.

 

Bondservant

·         For BONDSERVANT see SERVANT

 

 

Bone

1,osteon
probably from a word signifying strength, or firmness, sometimes denotes “hard substances other than bones,” e.g., the stone or kernel of fruit. In the NT it always denotes “bones,” Matt. 23:27; Luke 24:39; John 19:36; Heb. 11:22.

Note: As to Eph. 5:30, RV, “We are members of His body” (in contrast to the AV), “the words that follow in the common text are an unintelligent gloss, in which unsuccessful endeavor is made to give greater distinctness to the Apostle's statement” (Westcott).

 

Book

1, biblos
(Eng. “Bible”) was the inner part, or rather the cellular substance, of the stem of the papyrus (Eng. “paper”). It came to denote the paper made from this bark in Egypt, and then a written “book,” roll, or volume. It is used in referring to “books” of Scripture, the “book,” or scroll, of Matthew's Gospel, Matt. 1:1; the Pentateuch, as the “book” of Moses, Mark 12:26; Isaiah, as “the book of the words of Isaiah,” Luke 3:4; the Psalms, Luke 20:42; Acts 1:20; “the prophets,” Acts 7:42; to “the Book of Life,” Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 20:15. Once only it is used of secular writings, Acts 19:19.

2, biblion
a diminutive of No. 1, had in Hellenistic Greek almost lost its diminutive force and was ousting biblos in ordinary use; it denotes “a scroll or a small book.” It is used in Luke 4:17,20, of the “book” of Isaiah; in John 20:30, of the Gospel of John; in Gal. 3:10; Heb. 10:7, of the whole of the OT; in Heb. 9:19, of the “book” of Exodus; in Rev. 1:11; 22:7,9,10,18 (twice), 19, of the Apocalypse; in John 21:25; 2 Tim. 4:13, of “books” in general; in Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:12; 21:27, of the “Book” of Life (see Note, below); in Rev. 20:12, of other “books” to be opened in the Day of Judgment, containing, it would seem, the record of human deeds. In Rev. 5:1-9 the “Book” represents the revelation of God's purposes and counsels concerning the world. So with the “little book” in Rev. 10:8. In Rev. 6:14 it is used of a scroll, the rolling up of which illustrates the removal of the heaven.

In Matt. 19:7; Mark 10:4 the word is used of a bill of divorcement. See BILL.

Note: In Rev. 22:19, the most authentic mss. have xulon, “tree (of life),” instead of “biblion.”

3, biblaridion
another diminutive of No. 1, is always rendered “little book,” in Rev. 10:2,9,10. Some texts have it also in verse Rev. 10:8, instead of biblion (but see beginning of No. 2).

 

Boon

1, dorema
translated “boon” in Jas. 1:17, RV, is thus distinguished, as the thing given, from the preceding word in the verse, dosis, “the act of giving” (AV, “gift” in each case); elsewhere in Rom. 5:16. It is to be distinguished also from doron, the usual word for a gift. See GIFT.

 

 

Border

1, kraspedon
was primarily “the extremity or prominent part of a thing, an edge;” hence “the fringe of a garment, or a little fringe,” hanging down from the edge of the mantle or cloak. The Jews had these attached to their mantles to remind them of the Law, according to Num. 15:38,39; Deut. 22:12; Zech. 8:23. This is the meaning in Matt. 23:5. In Matt. 9:20; 14:36; Mark 6:56; Luke 8:44, it is used of the border of Christ's garment (AV “hem,” in the first two places). See HEM.

2, horion
“the border of a country or district” (cp. Eng., “horizon”), is always used in the plural. The AV has “coasts,” but “borders” in Matt. 4:13; the RV always “borders,” Matt. 2:16; 4:13; 8:34; 15:22,39; 19:1; Mark 5:17; 7:31 (twice); 10:1; Acts 13:50. In some of these it signifies territory. See COAST.

3, methorion
meta, “with,” and No. 2, similar in meaning, is found, in some mss., in Mark 7:24. Cp. horothesia, under BOUND.

 

Born

·         For BORN see BEGET

 

 

Borne

·         For BORNE see BEAR

 

 

Bosom

1, kolpos
signifies (a) “the front of the body between the arms;” hence, to recline in the “bosom” was said of one who so reclined at table that his head covered, as it were, the “bosom” of the one next to him, John 13:23. Hence, figuratively, it is used of a place of blessedness with another, as with Abraham in paradise, Luke 16:22,23 (plural in ver. 23), from the custom of reclining at table in the “bosom,” a place of honor; of the Lord's eternal and essential relation with the Father, in all its blessedness and affection as intimated in the phrase, “The Only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father” (John 1:18); (b) “of the bosom of a garment, the hollow formed by the upper forepart of a loose garment, bound by a girdle and used for carrying or keeping things;” thus figuratively of repaying one liberally, Luke 6:38; cp. Isa. 65:6; Jer. 39:18; (c) “of an inlet of the sea,” because of its shape, like a bosom, Acts 27:39. See BAY, CREEK.  Borrow

1, daneizo
in the Active Voice, signifies “to lend money,” as in Luke 6:34,35; in the Middle Voice, “to have money lent to oneself, to borrow,” Matt. 5:42. Cp. dan(e)ion, “a debt,” Matt. 18:27, and dan(e)istes, “a creditor,” Luke 7:41. See LEND.

 

 

Both

·         For BOTH see Note +, p. 9.

 

Bottle

·         For BOTTLE see SKIN

 

 

Bottom, Bottomless

A-1,Adverb, kato
for this see BENEATH.

B-1,Adjective, abussos
“bottomless” (from a, intensive, and bussos, “a depth”), is used as a noun denoting the abyss (AV, “bottomless pit”). It describes an immeasurable depth, the underworld, the lower regions, the abyss of Sheol. In Rom. 10:7, quoted from Deut. 30:13, the abyss (the abode of the lost dead) is substituted for the sea (the change in the quotation is due to the facts of the death and resurrection of Christ); the AV has “deep” here and in Luke 8:31; the reference is to the lower regions as the abode of demons, out of which they can be let loose, Rev. 11:7; 17:8; it is found seven times in the Apocalypse, 9:1,2,11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1,3; in 9:1,2 the RV has “the pit of the abyss.” See DEEP.

 

Bought

·         For BOUGHT see BUY

 

Bound (Noun)

1, horothesia
“the fixing of a boundary,” rather than the boundary itself (from horos, “a boundary,” and tithemi, “to place”), is used in Acts 17:26, “bounds.”

 

Bound (to be)

* (a) of obligation:

1, opheilo
“to owe, whether of a debt or any obligation,” is translated “we are bound,” in 2 Thess. 1:3; 2:13 (the Apostle expressing his obligation to give thanks for his readers). See BEHOVE.

Note: Dei, it is necessary (for which see MUST), expresses, not the obligation (as does opheilo) but the certainty or inevitableness of what is bound to happen, e.g., John 3:15, “must be lifted up” (i.e., inevitably), and Acts 4:12, “wherein we must be saved” (i.e., there is a certainty of salvation).

(b) of binding:

2, perikeimai
lit., “to lie around” (peri, “around,” keimai, “to lie”), “to be compassed,” is used of binding fetters around a person, Acts 28:20; in Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2, to hang about a person's neck; in Heb. 5:2, to compass about, metaphorically of infirmities; in Heb. 12:1, of those who have witness borne to their faith. See COMPASS, HANG.

Note: For “bound” in Acts 22:5; 24:27, see BIND, No. 1; for Acts 22:25, AV, see BIND, No. 7; for Luke 8:29, see BIND, No. 6.

 

 

Bounty, Bountifully

1, eulogia
“a blessing,” has the meaning of “bounty” in 2 Cor. 9:5, of the offering sent by the church at Corinth to their needy brethren in Judea.

Note: In the next verse the adverb “bountifully” is a translation of the phrase ep'eulogiais, lit., “with blessings” (RV marg.), that is, that blessings may accrue. See BLESSING.

2, haplotes
from haplous, “simple, single,” is translated “bountifulness” in 2 Cor. 9:11, AV; RV, “liberality” (marg., “singleness”); cp. 2 Cor. 8:2; 9:13; from sincerity of mind springs “liberality.” The thought of sincerity is present in Rom. 12:8; 2 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 6:5; Col. 3:22. See LIBERAL, SIMPLICITY, SINGLENESS.

3, charis
“grace,” is rendered, “bounty” in 1 Cor. 16:3, RV, (AV, “liberality”), by metonymy for a material gift. See BENEFIT, No. 3.

4, hadrotes
lit., “fatness” (from hadros, “thick, well-grown”), is used of a monetary gift, in 2 Cor. 8:20, AV, “abundance,” RV, “bounty.”

 

Bow (Noun)

1, toxon
“a bow,” is used in Rev. 6:2. Cp. Hab. 3:8,9. The instrument is frequently mentioned in the Sept., especially in the Psalms.

Bow, Bowed (Verb)

1, kampto
“to bend,” is used especially of bending the knees in religious veneration, Rom. 11:4; 14:11; Eph. 3:14; Phil. 2:10.

2, sunkampto
signifies “to bend completely together, to bend down by compulsory force,” Rom. 11:10.

3, sunkupto
“to bow together” (sun, “together with,” kupto, “to bow”), is said, in Luke 13:11, of the woman crippled with a physical infirmity.

4, klino
“to incline, to bow down,” is used of the women who in their fright “bowed” their faces to the earth at the Lord's empty tomb, Luke 24:5; of the act of the Lord on the Cross immediately before giving up His Spirit. What is indicated in the statement “He bowed His head,” is not the helpless dropping of the head after death, but the deliberate putting of His head into a position of rest, John 19:30. The verb is deeply significant here. The Lord reversed the natural order. The same verb is used in His statement in Matt. 8:20; Luke 9:58, “the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head.” It is used, too, of the decline of day, Luke 9:12; 24:29; of turning enemies to flight, Heb. 11:34. See LAY, SPENT. No. 7, TURN, WEAR.

5, tithemi
“to put, or place,” is said of the soldiers who mockingly bowed their knees to Christ, Mark 15:19. See APPOINT.

Note: For gonupeteo, “to bow the knee,” Matt. 27:29, see KNEEL.

 

Bowels

1, splanchnon
always in the plural, properly denotes “the physical organs of the intestines,” and is once used in this respect, Acts 1:18 (for the use by Greeks and Hebrews, see AFFECTION, No. 2). The RV substitutes the following for the word “bowels:” “affections,” 2 Cor. 6:12; “affection,” 2 Cor. 7:15; “tender mercies,” Phil. 1:8; 2:1; “a heart (of compassion),” Col. 3:12; “heart,” Philem. 1:12,20; “hearts,” Philem. 1:7; “compassion,” 1 John 3:17. The word is rendered “tender” in the AV and RV of Luke 1:78, in connection with the word “mercy.” See AFFECTION, No. 2, COMPASSION, A, No. 2 and B, No. 2.

 

Bowl

<1,,5357,phiale>
(Eng., “phial”) denotes “a bowl;” so the RV, for AV, “vial,” in Rev. 5:8; 15:7; 16:1-4,8,10,12,17; 17:1; 21:9; the word is suggestive of rapidity in the emptying of the contents. While the seals (ch. 6) give a general view of the events of the last “week” or “hebdomad,” in the vision given to Daniel, Dan. 9:23-27, the “trumpets” refer to the judgments which, in a more or less extended period, are destined to fall especially, though not only, upon apostate Christendom and apostate Jews. The emptying of the “bowls” betokens the final series of judgments in which this exercise of the wrath of God is “finished” (Rev. 15:1, RV). These are introduced by the 7th trumpet. See Rev. 11:15 and the successive order in Rev. 11:18, “the nations were wroth, and Thy wrath came ...;” see also Rev. 6:17; 14:19,20; 19:11-21. Box

1, alabastron
“an alabaster vessel,” is translated in the AV of Matt. 26:7; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37, “box,” RV, “cruse.” The breaking refers to the seal, not to the box or cruse. See CRUSE.

 

Boy

1, pais
denotes “a boy” (in contrast to paidion, a diminutive of pais, and to teknon, “a child”). With reference to Christ, instead of the AV “child,” the RV suitably translates otherwise as follows: Luke 2:43, “the boy Jesus;” Acts 4:27,30, “The Holy Servant, Jesus.” So in the case of others, Matt. 17:18; Luke 9:42 (“boy”). See CHILD, MAID, MANSERVANT, SERVANT, SON, YOUNG MAN.

 

Braided (AV, Broided)

1, plegma
signifies “what is woven” (from pleko, “to weave, plait”), whether a net or basket (Josephus uses it of the ark of bulrushes in which the infant Moses was laid), or of a web, plait, braid. It is used in 1 Tim. 2:9, of “braided hair,” which the Vulgate signifies as “ringlets, curls.”

Notes: (1) Cp. emploke, 1 Pet. 3:3, “plaiting,” i.e., intertwining the hair in ornament.

(2) “Broided” is to be distinguished from broidered, which means to adorn with needlework (not to plait).

 

Brake

·         For BRAKE see BREAK

 

Bramble bush

·         For BRAMBLE BUSH see BUSH

 

Branch

1, klados
from klao, “to break” (cp. klasma, “a broken piece”), properly a young tender shoot, “broken off” for grafting, is used for any kind of branch, Matt. 13:32; 21:8; 24:32; Mark 4:32; 13:28; Luke 13:19; the descendants of Israel, Rom. 11:16-19,21.

2, klema
akin to klao, “to break,” denotes “a tender, flexible branch, especially the shoot of a vine, a vine sprout,” John 15:2,4-6.

3, stoibas | stibas
from steibo, “to tread on,” primarily denoted “a layer of leaves, reeds, twigs or straw, serving for a bed;” then “a branch full of leaves, soft foliage,” which might be used in making a bed, or for treading upon, Mark 11:8.

4, baion
of Egyptian origin, frequent in the papyri writings, denotes “a branch of the palm tree,” John 12:13.

Note: Matthew, Mark and John each use a different word for “branch” in narrating Christ's entry into Jerusalem.

 

Branded

1, kausteriazo
“to burn in with a brading iron” (cp. Eng., “caustic”), is found, in the best mss., in 1 Tim. 4:2, RV “branded.” Others have kauteriazo (from kauterion, “a branding-iron,” “cauterize”), to mark by “branding,” an act not quite so severe as that indicated by the former. The reference is to apostates whose consciences are “branded” with the effects of their sin. See SEARED.

Note: In the RV of Gal. 6:17, “branded” does not represent a word in the original; it serves to bring out the force of the Apostle's metaphor of bearing in his body the stigmata, the marks, of the Lord Jesus. The reference is not to the branding of slaves, soldiers and criminals, but rather to the religious devotee, who “branded” himself with the mark of the god whom he specially worshipped. So Paul describes the physical marks due to the lictor's rods at Philippi and to the stones at Lystra, marks which, while not self-inflicted, betokened his devotion to Christ and his rejoicing therein.

 

Brass, Brazen

1, chalkos
primarily, “copper,” became used for metals in general, later was applied to bronze, a mixture of copper and tin, then, by metonymy, to any article made of these metals, e.g., money, Matt. 10:9; Mark 6:8; 12:41, or a sounding instrument, 1 Cor. 13:1, figurative of a person destitute of love. See Rev. 18:12. See MONEY.

2, chalkeos
“made of brass or bronze,” is used of idols, Rev. 9:20.

3, chalkion
is used in Mark 7:4 of “brazen vessels.”

4, chalkolibanon
is used of “white or shining copper or bronze,” and describes the feet of the Lord, in Rev. 1:15; 2:18.

5, chalkeus
denotes “a coppersmith,” 2 Tim. 4:14.

 

Brawler

1, paroninos
an adjective, lit., “tarrying at wine” (para, “at,” oinos, “wine”), “given to wine,” 1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:7, AV, probably has the secondary sense, of the effects of wine-bibbing, viz., abusive brawling. Hence RV, “brawler.” See WINE.

2, amachos
an adjective, lit., “not fighting” (a, negative, mache, “a fight”), came to denote, metaphorically, “not contentious,” 1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 3:2, RV, for AV, “not a brawler,” “not brawlers.” See CONTENTIOUS.

 

Bread (loaf)

1, artos
“bread” (perhaps derived from aro, “to fit together,” or from a root ar---, “the earth”), signifies (a) “a small loaf or cake,” composed of flour and water, and baked, in shape either oblong or round, and about as thick as the thumb; these were not cut, but broken and were consecrated to the Lord every Sabbath and called the “shewbread” (loaves of presentation), Matt. 12:4; when the “shewbread” was reinstituted by Nehemiah (Neh. 10:32) a poll-tax of 1/3 shekel was laid on the Jews, Matt. 17:24; (b) “the loaf at the Lord's Supper,” e.g., Matt. 26:26 (“Jesus took a loaf,” RV, marg.); the breaking of “bread” became the name for this institution, Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 10:16; 11:23; (c) “bread of any kind,” Matt. 16:11; (d) metaphorically, “of Christ as the Bread of God, and of Life,” John 6:33,35; (e) “food in general,” the necessities for the sustenance of life, Matt. 6:11; 2 Cor. 9:10, etc.

2, azumos
denotes “unleavened bread,” i.e., without any process of fermentation; hence, metaphorically, “of a holy, spiritual condition,” 1 Cor. 5:7, and of “sincerity and truth” (1 Cor 5:8). With the article it signifies the feast of unleavened bread, Matt. 26:17; Mark 14:1,12; Luke 22:1,7; Acts 12:3; 20:6.

 

Breadth

·         For BREADTH see BROAD

 

Break, Breaker, Breaking, Brake

A-1,Verb, klao | klazo
“to break, to break off pieces,” is used of “breaking bread,” (a) of the Lord's act in providing for people, Matt. 14:19; 15:36; Mark 8:6,19; (b) of the “breaking of bread” in the Lord's Supper, Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 10:16; 11:24; (c) of an ordinary meal, Acts 2:46; 20:11; 27:35; (d) of the Lord's act in giving evidence of His resurrection, Luke 24:30.

A-2,Verb, ekklao
ek, “off,” and No. 1, “to break off,” is used metaphorically of branches, Rom. 11:17,19,20.

A-3,Verb, kataklao
kata, “down,” and No. 1, is used in Mark 6:41; Luke 9:16, of Christ's “breaking” loaves for the multitudes.

A-4,Verb, luo
“to loosen,” especially by way of deliverance, sometimes has the meaning of “breaking, destructively,” e.g., of “breaking” commandments, not only infringing them, but loosing the force of them, rendering them not binding, Matt. 5:19; John 5:18; of “breaking” the Law of Moses, John 7:23; Scripture, John 10:35; of the “breaking up” of a ship, Acts 27:41; of the “breaking down” of the middle wall of partition, Eph. 2:14; of the marriage tie, 1 Cor. 7:27. See DESTROY, DISSOLVE, LOOSE, MELT, PUT, Note (5), UNLOOSE.

A-5,Verb, suntribo
lit., “to rub together,” and so “to shatter, shiver, break in pieces by crushing,” is said of the bruising of a reed, Matt. 12:20 (No. 9 is used in the next clause); the “breaking” of fetters in pieces, Mark 5:4; the “breaking” of an alabaster cruse, Mark 14:3; an earthenware vessel, Rev. 2:27; of the physical bruising of a person possessed by a demon, Luke 9:39; concerning Christ, “a bone of Him shall not be broken,” John 19:36; metaphorically of the crushed condition of a “broken-hearted” person, Luke 4:18 (AV only); of the eventual crushing of Satan, Rom. 16:20. See BRUISE. This verb is frequent in the Sept. in the Passive Voice, e.g., Ps. 51:17; Isa. 57:15, of a contrite heart, perhaps a figure of stones made smooth by being rubbed together in streams. Cp. suntrimma, “destruction.”

A-6,Verb, rhegnumi
“to tear, rend, as of garments, etc.,” is translated “break” in the AV, of Matt. 9:17, of wine-skins (RV, “burst”); as in Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37.; “break forth” in Gal. 4:27. See BURST, REND, TEAR.

A-7,Verb, diarrhegnumi
dia, “through” (intensive), and No. 6, “to burst asunder, to rend, cleave,” is said of the rending of garments, Matt. 26:65; Mark 14:63; Acts 14:14; of the “breaking” of a net, Luke 5:6; of fetters, 8:29. See REND.

A-8,Verb, prosrhegnumi
see BEAT, No. 8.

A-9,Verb,2608,katagnumi
kata, “down” (intensive), and No. 6, is used of the “breaking” of a bruised reed, Matt. 12:20, and of the “breaking” of the legs of those who were crucified, John 19:31,32,33.

A-10,Verb, sunthlao
sun, “together” (intensive), and thlao, “to break or crush, to break in pieces, to shatter,” is used in Matt. 21:44; Luke 20:18 of the physical effect of falling on a stone.

A-11,Verb, sunthrupto
sun, and thrupto, “to crush, to break small, weaken,” is used metaphorically of “breaking” one's heart, Acts 21:13.

A-12,Verb, schizo
“to split, to rend open,” is said of the veil of the temple, Matt. 27:51; the rending of rocks, Matt. 27:51; the rending of the heavens, Mark 1:10; a garment, Luke 5:36; John 19:24; a net, John 21:11; in the Passive Voice, metaphorically, of being divided into factions, Acts 14:4; 23:7. See DIVINE, Note, OPEN, REND, RENT.

Note: Cp. schisma (Eng., “schism”), said of the rent in a garment, Matt. 9:16. See DIVISION, RENT, SCHISM.

A-13,Verb, diorusso
lit., “to dig through” (dia, “through,” orusso, “to dig”), is used of the act of thieves in “breaking” into a house, Matt. 6:19,20; 24:43; Luke 12:39.

A-14,Verb, exorusso
lit., “to dig out” (cp. No. 13), is used of the “breaking up” of part of a roof, Mark 2:4, and, in a vivid expression, of plucking out the eyes, Gal. 4:15. See PLUCK.

Note: For aristao, “to break one's fast,” see DINE.

B-1,Noun, klasis
“a breaking” (akin to A, No. 1), is used in Luke 24:35; Acts 2:42, of the “breaking” of bread.

B-2,Noun, klasma
“a broken piece, fragment,” is always used of remnants of food, Matt. 14:20; 15:37 and corresponding passages. See PIECE.

B-3,Noun, parabasis
“a transgression” (para, “across,” baino, “to go”), is translated “breaking” in Rom. 2:23, AV; RV, “transgression;” AV and RV ditto in Rom. 4:15; 5:14; Gal. 3:19; 1 Tim. 2:14; Heb. 2:2; 9:15. See TRANSGRESSION.

B-4,Noun, parabates
“a transgressor” (cp. No. 3), is translated “breaker,” Rom. 2:25, AV; RV, “transgressor.” In Rom 2:27 the AV turns it into a verb, “dost transgress.” See Gal. 2:18; Jas. 2:9,11.

 

Breast

1, stethos
connected with histemi, “to stand,” i.e., that which stands out, is used of mourners in smiting the “breast,” Luke 18:13; 23:48; of John in reclining on the “breast” of Christ, John 13:25; 21:20; of the “breasts” of the angels in Rev. 15:6.

2, mastos
used in the plural, “paps,” Luke 11:27; 23:29; Rev. 1:13, AV, is preferably rendered “breasts,” in the RV.

 

Breastplate

1, thorax
primarily, “the breast,” denotes “a breastplate or corselet,” consisting of two parts and protecting the body on both sides, from the neck to the middle. It is used metaphorically of righteousness, Eph. 6:14; of faith and love, 1 Thess. 5:8, with perhaps a suggestion of the two parts, front and back, which formed the coat of mail (an alternative term for the word in the NT sense); elsewhere in Rev. 9:9,17.

 

Breath, Breathe

A-1,Noun, pnoe
akin to pneo, “to blow,” lit., “a blowing,” signifies (a) “breath, the breath of life,” Acts 17:25; (b) “wind,” Acts 2:2. See WIND.

A-2,Noun, pneuma
“spirit,” also denotes “breath,” Rev. 11:11; 13:15, RV. In 2 Thess. 2:8, the AV has “spirit” for RV, “breath.” See GHOST, LIFE, SPIRIT, WIND.

B-1,Verb, empneo
lit., “to breathe in, or on,” is used in Acts 9:1, indicating that threatening and slaughter were, so to speak, the elements from which Saul drew and expelled his breath.

B-2,Verb, emphusao
“to breathe upon,” is used of the symbolic act of the Lord Jesus in breathing upon His Apostles the communication of the Holy Spirit, John 20:22.

 

Bride, Bridechamber, Bridegroom

1, numphe
(Eng. “nymph”) “a bride, or young wife,” John 3:29; Rev. 18:23; 21:2,9; 22:17, is probably connected with the Latin nubo, “to veil;” the “bride” was often adorned with embroidery and jewels (see Rev. 21:2), and was led veiled from her home to the “bridegroom.” Hence the secondary meaning of “daughter-in-law,” Matt. 10:35; Luke 12:53. See DAUGHTER-IN-LAW. For the relationship between Christ and a local church, under this figure, see 2 Cor. 11:2; regarding the whole church, Eph. 5:23-32; Rev. 22:17.

2, numphios
“a bridegroom,” occurs fourteen times in the Gospels, and in Rev. 18:23. “The friend of the bridegroom,” John 3:29, is distinct from “the sons of the bride-chamber” who were numerous. When John the Baptist speaks of “the friend of the Bridegroom,” he uses language according to the customs of the Jews.

3, numphon
signifies (a) “the room or dining hall in which the marriage ceremonies were held,” Matt. 22:10; some mss. have gamos, “a wedding,” here; (b) “the chamber containing the bridal bed,” “the sons of the bridechamber” being the friends of the bridegroom, who had the charge of providing what was necessary for the nuptials, Matt. 9:15; Mark 2:19; Luke 5:34.

 

Bridle

A-1,Noun, chalinos
“a bridle,” is used in Jas. 3:3 (AV, “bits”), and Rev. 14:20. “The primitive bridle was simply a loop on the halter-cord passed round the lower jaw of the horse. Hence in Ps. 32:9 the meaning is bridle and halter” (Hastings, Bib. Dic.).

B-1,Verb, chalinagogeo
from chalinos and ago, “to lead,” signifies “to lead by a bridle, to bridle, to hold in check, restrain;” it is used metaphorically of the tongue and of the body in Jas. 1:26; 3:2.

 

Briefly

1, di' oligon
lit. means “by few.” In 1 Pet. 5:12 it signifies by means of few words, “briefly.” The RV of Rom. 13:9 omits “briefly,” the meaning being “it is summed up.”

 

Brier

·         For BRIER see THISTLE

 

Bright, Brightness

A-1,Adjective, photeinos
“bright” (from phos, “light”), is said of a cloud, Matt. 17:5; metaphorically of the body, Matt. 6:22, “full of light;” Luke 11:34,36. See LIGHT.

A-2,Adjective,  lampros
“shining, brilliant, bright,” is used of the clothing of an angel, Acts 10:30; Rev. 15:6; symbolically, of the clothing of the saints in glory, Rev. 19:8, RV, in the best texts (AV, “white”); of Christ as the Morning Star, Rev. 22:16; of the water of life, Rev. 22:1, AV, “clear.” See CLEAR, GAY, GOODLY, GORGEOUS, WHITE.

Note: Cp. lampros, “sumptuously,” Luke 16:19.

B-1,Noun, lamprotes
“brightness,” akin to A, No. 2, above, is found in Acts 26:13.

B-2,Noun, apaugasma
“a shining forth” (apo, “from,” auge, “brightness”), of a light coming from a luminous body, is said of Christ in Heb. 1:3, AV, “brightness,” RV, “effulgence,” i.e., shining forth (a more probable meaning than reflected brightness).

Note: Epiphaneia, lit., “shining forth or upon,” is rendered “brightness” in the AV of 2 Thess. 2:8; RV, “manifestation.” See APPEARING.

 

Brim

1, ano
“above, on high, in a higher place,” in John 2:7 is used to denote the “brim” of a waterpot, lit., “up to above,” i.e., “up to the higher parts,” i.e., “the brim.” See ABOVE, HIGH, UP.

 

Brimstone

1, theion
originally denoted “fire from heaven.” It is connected with sulphur. Places touched by lightning were called theia, and, as lightning leaves a sulphurous smell, and sulphur was used in pagan purifications, it received the name of theion, Luke 17:29; Rev. 9:17,18; 14:10; 19:20; 20:10; 21:8.

2,theiodes
akin to No. 1, signifies “brimstone-like, or consisting of brimstone,” Rev. 9:17.

 

Bring, Bringing, Brought

A-1,Verb, phero
“to bear, or carry,” is used also of “bearing or bringing forth fruit,” Mark 4:8; John 15:5, etc. To bring is the most frequent meaning. See BEAR, CARRY, DRIVE, ENDURE, GO, LEAD, MOVE, REACH, RUSHING, UPHOLD. Compounds of No. 1, translated by the verb “to bring,” are as follows:

A-2,Verb, anaphero
denotes “to bring up,” Matt. 17:1. See BEAR, No. 3.

A-3,Verb, apophero
“to carry forth,” is rendered “bring,” in the AV of 1 Cor. 16:3; Acts 19:12 (RV, “carried away”); some mss. have epiphero here. See CARRY.

A-4,Verb, eisphero
denotes “to bring to,” Acts 17:20; “to bring into,” Luke 5:18,19; 1 Tim. 6:7; Heb. 13:11. See LEAD, No. 11.

A-5,Verb, ekphero
“to bring forth.” See BEAR, No. 4.

A-6,Verb, epiphero
signifies (a) “to bring upon, or to bring against,” Jude 1:9; (b) “to impose, inflict, visit upon,” Rom. 3:5. Some mss. have it in Acts 25:18 (for No. 1); some in Phil. 1:16 (RV, ver. 17, “raise up,” translating egeiro).

A-7,Verb, prophero
denotes “to bring forth,” Luke 6:45, twice.

A-8,Verb, prosphero
means (a) “to bring (in addition),” Matt. 25:20; “to bring unto,” Matt. 5:23 (RV, “art offering”); Mark 10:13; (b) “to offer,” Matt. 5:24. See DEAL WITH, DO, OFFER, PRESENT, PUT.

A-9,Verb, sumphero
“to bring together,” has this meaning in Acts 19:19. See BETTER (be), EXPEDIENT, GOOD, PROFIT.

A-10,Verb, ago
“to lead, to lead along, to bring,” has the meaning “to bring” (besides its occurrences in the Gospels and Acts) in 1 Thess. 4:14, 2 Tim. 4:11; Heb. 2:10. See CARRY, GO, KEEP, LEAD.

*Compounds of this verb are:

A-11,Verb, anago
“to lead or bring up to,” Luke 2:22; Acts 9:39 etc.; “to bring forth,” Acts 12:4; “to bring again,” Heb. 13:20; “to bring up again,” Rom. 10:7. See DEPART, LAUNCH, LEAD, LOOSE, OFFER, TAKE UP, SAIL.

A-12,Verb, apago
“to lead away, bring forth, bring unto,” Acts 23:17. See CARRY, DEATH, LEAD, TAKE.

A-13,Verb, eisago
“to bring in, into,” Luke 2:27 etc. See LEAD.

A-14,Verb, exago
“to lead out, bring forth,” Acts 5:19; 7:36,40 etc. See FETCH, LEAD.

A-15,Verb, epago
“to bring upon,” Acts 5:28; 2 Pet. 2:1,5.

A-16,Verb, katago
“to bring down,” Acts 9:30; 22:30; 23:15,20; Rom. 10:6; “to bring forth,” Acts 23:28; of boats, “to bring to land,” Luke 5:11. See LAND, TOUCH.

A-17,Verb, pareisago
“to bring in privily” (lit., “to bring in beside”), “to introduce secretly,” 2 Pet. 2:1.

A-18,Verb, proago
“to bring or lead forth,” e.g., Acts 12:6; 16:30; 25:26. See GO, No. 10.

A-19,Verb, prosago
“to bring to, or unto,” Acts 16:20; 1 Pet. 3:18. For Acts 27:27 see DRAW, (B), No. 3.

*Other verbs are:

A-20,Verb, komizo
usually, “to receive, to bring in,” Luke 7:37. See RECEIVE.

A-21,Verb, parecho
usually, “to offer, furnish, supply” (lit., “to have near”), “to bring, in the sense of supplying,” Acts 16:16; 19:24. See DO, GIVE, KEEP, MINISTER, OFFER, SHEW, TROUBLE.

A-22,Verb, apostrepho
“to turn, or put, back,” is translated “brought back” in Matt. 27:3. See PERVERT, PUT, TURN.

A-23,Verb,  katabibazo
in the Active Voice, “to cause to go down,” is used in the Passive in the sense of “being brought down,” Luke 10:15 (AV, “thrust down”); “go down” in Matt. 11:23 (marg., “be brought down”).

A-24,Verb, sumbibazo
rendered “brought” in Acts 19:33.

A-25,Verb, propempo
“to send forth, to bring on one's way,” Acts 15:3; 20:38, RV; 21:5; Rom. 15:24; 1 Cor. 16:6,11; 2 Cor. 1:16; Titus 3:13; 3 John 1:6. See ACCOMPANY, CONDUCT.

A-26,Verb, blastano
“to bud, spring up,” translated “brought forth” (i.e., “caused to produce”), in Jas. 5:18. See BUD, SPRING.

A-27,Verb, poieo
“to make, to do,” used of the bringing forth of fruit, Matt. 3:8,10; 7:17,18. See DO.

A-28,Verb, ekballo
“to cast out,” used of bringing forth good and evil things from the heart, Matt. 12:35. See CAST, No. 5.

A-29,Verb, tikto
“to beget, bring forth,” Matt. 1:21,23,25; Jas. 1:15 (first part of verse, according to the best mss.); Rev. 12:5 (RV, “was delivered of”). See BEGET, BORN, DELIVER.

A-30,Verb, apokueo
“to bear young,” “bringeth forth” in Jas. 1:15 (end of verse) and “brought forth,” Jas 1:18 (AV, “begat”). See BEGET.

A-31,Verb, gennao
“to beget,” translated “brought forth” in Luke 1:57. See BEGET, A, No. 1.

A-32,Verb, euphoreo
“to bear well, be productive,” “brought forth plentifully,” Luke 12:16. Cp. karpophoreo, Mark 4:20, RV “bear;” so, Col. 1:6.

A-33,Verb, trepho
“to rear, bring up,” Luke 4:16. See FEED, NOURISH.

A-34,Verb, anatrepho
“to nourish,” Acts 7:20,21; “brought up,” Acts 22:3.

A-35,Verb, ektrepho
“to nourish,” Eph. 5:29; “bring up,” Eph. 6:4, AV; RV, “nurture.” See NURTURE.

A-36,Verb, apangello>
“to announce,” is translated “bring word” in Matt. 2:8, RV (the AV unnecessarily adds “again”); Matt. 28:8. See DECLARE, REPORT, SHEW, TELL.

B-1,Noun, epeisagoge
lit., “a bringing in besides,” is translated “a bringing in thereupon” in Heb. 7:19.

Notes: (1) In Mark 4:21, erchomai, “to come,” is translated “is brought,” lit., “(does a lamp) come.”

(2) In Mark 13:9, the verb translated “be brought,” AV, is histemi, “to stand” (RV); in Acts 27:24, paristemi, “to stand before” (AV, “be brought before”).

(3) In Acts 5:36, ginomai, “to become,” is rendered “came (to nought),” RV, for AV, “were brought.” So in 1 Cor. 15:54, “come to pass,” for “shall be brought to pass.”

(4) In Mark 4:29, paradidomi is rendered “is ripe,” RV and AV marg., for AV, “brought forth.”

(5) In Matt. 1:11,12,17, metoikesia signifies “a removal, or carrying away” (not “they were brought,” ver. 12, AV).

(6) In Acts 13:1, suntrophos denotes “a foster-brother,” RV (AV, marg.).

(7) In 1 Cor. 4:17, for “bring you into rememberance” (RV, “put ...), see REMEMERANCE.

(8) In Luke 1:19, for RV, “bring you good tidings,” and Acts 13:32; Rom. 10:15 (end), see PREACH.

(9) In 1 Cor. 1:19, atheteo, “to reject” (RV), is rendered “bring to nothing” (AV). See DESPISE, Note (1).

(10) For katargeo, “bring to nought,” RV, “destroy,” 1 Cor. 6:13, etc., see ABOLISH, DESTROY.

(11) For eipon in Matt. 2:13, AV, “bring ... word,” see TELL.

(12) See also DESOLATION, No. 1, PERFECTION, B.

(13) For “bring into bondage” see BONDAGE, B.

(14) In Matt. 16:8 some mss. have lambano (AV, “ye have brought”).

 

Broad, Breadth

A-1,Adjective, euruchoros
from eurus, “broad,” and chora, “a place,” signifies, lit., “(with) a broad place,” i.e., “broad, spacious,” Matt.7:13.

B-1,Verb, platuno
connected with plak, “a flat, broad surface,” signifies “to make broad;” said of phylacteries, Matt. 23:5; used figuratively in 2 Cor. 6:11,13, “to be enlarged,” in the ethical sense, of the heart.

C-1,Noun, platos
denotes “breadth,” Eph. 3:18; Rev. 20:9; 21:16 (twice).

 

Broided

·         For BROIDED see BRAIDED

 

Broiled

1, optos
“broiled” (from optao, “to cook, roast”), is said of food prepared by fire, Luke 24:42.

Broken

·         For BROKEN see BREAK

 

Brokenhearted

·         For BROKENHEARTED see BREAK, A, No. 5

 

Brood

1, nossia
primarily, “a nest,” denotes “a brood,” Luke 13:34. Some texts have nossion in the plural, as Matt. 23:37, “chicken.”

 

Brook

1, cheimarrhos
lit., “winter-flowing” (from cheima, “winter,” and rheo, “to flow”), a stream which runs only in winter or when swollen with rains, a “brook,” John 18:1.

 

Brother, Brethren, Brotherhood, Brotherly

1, adelphos
denotes “a brother, or near kinsman;” in the plural, “a community based on identity of origin or life.” It is used of:

(1) male children of the same parents, Matt, 1:2; 14:3; (2) male descendants of the same parents, Acts 7:23,26; Heb. 7:5; (3) male children of the same mother, Matt. 13:55; 1 Cor. 9:5; Gal. 1:19; (4) people of the same nationality, Acts 3:17,22; Rom. 9:3. With “men” (aner, “male”), prefixed, it is used in addresses only, Acts 2:29,37, etc.; (5) any man, a neighbor, Luke 10:29; Matt. 5:22; 7:3; (6) persons united by a common interest, Matt. 5:47; (7) persons united by a common calling, Rev. 22:9; (8) mankind, Matt. 25:40; Heb. 2:17; (9) the disciples, and so, by implication, all believers, Matt. 28:10; John 20:17; (10) believers, apart from sex, Matt. 23:8; Acts 1:15; Rom. 1:13; 1 Thess. 1:4; Rev. 19:10 (the word “sisters” is used of believers, only in 1 Tim. 5:2); (11) believers, with aner, “male,” prefixed, and with “or sister” added, 1 Cor. 7:14 (RV), 15; Jas. 2:15, male as distinct from female, Acts 1:16; 15:7,13, but not Acts 6:3. * [* From Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and Vine, p. 32.]

Notes: (1) Associated words are adelphotes, primarily, “a brotherly relation,” and so, the community possessed of this relation, “a brotherhood,” 1 Pet. 2:17 (see 5:9, marg.); philadelphos, (phileo, “to love,” and adelphos), “fond of one's brethren,” 1 Pet. 3:8; “loving as brethren,” RV; philadelphia, “brotherly love,” Rom. 12:10; 1 Thess. 4:9; Heb. 13:1; “love of the brethren,” 1 Pet. 1:22; 2 Pet. 1:7, RV; pseudadelphos, “false brethren,” 2 Cor. 11:26; Gal. 2:4.

(2) In Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13, the RV has “son,” for AV, “brother.”

(3) In Acts 13:1, for suntrophos, see BRING, B, Note (6).

 

Brought

·         For BROUGHT see BRING

 

Brow

1, ophrus
“an eyebrow,” stands for “the brow of a hill,” Luke 4:29, from the resemblance to an eyebrow, i.e., a ridge with an overhanging bank.

 

Bruise

1, suntribo
see BREAK, A, No. 5.

2, thrauo
“to smite through, shatter,” is used in Luke 4:18, “them that are bruised,” i.e., broken by calamity.

 

Brute

1, alogos
translated “brute” in the AV of 2 Pet. 2:12; Jude 1:10, signifies “without reason,” RV, though, as J. Hastings points out, “brute beasts” is not at all unsuitable, as “brute” is from Latin brutus, which means “dull, irrational;” in Acts 25:27 it is rendered “unreasonable.”

 

Bud

1, blastano
“to bud,” is said of Aaron's rod, Heb. 9:14; “spring up,” Matt. 13:26; Mark 4:27; elsewhere, in Jas. 5:18. See BRING, No. 26, SPRING, No. 6.

 

Buffet

1, kolaphizo
signifies “to strike with clenched hands, to buffet with the fist” (kolaphos, “a fist”), Matt. 26:67; Mark 14:65; 1 Cor. 4:11; 2 Cor. 12:7; 1 Pet. 2:20.

2, hupopiazo
lit., “to strike under the eye” (from hupopion, “the part of the face below the eye;” hupo, “under,” ops, “an eye”), hence, to beat the face black and blue (to give a black eye), is used metaphorically, and translated “buffet” in 1 Cor. 9:27 (AV, “keep under”), of Paul's suppressive treatment of his body, in order to keep himself spiritually fit (RV marg., “bruise”); so RV marg. in Luke 18:5, of the persistent widow, text, “wear out” (AV, “weary”). See KEEP, WEAR, WEARY.

 

Build, Builder, Building

A-1,Verb, oikodomeo
lit., “to build a house” (oikos, “a house,” domeo, “to build”), hence, to build anything, e.g., Matt. 7:24; Luke 4:29; 6:48, RV, “well builded” (last clause of verse); John 2:20; is frequently used figuratively, e.g., Acts 20:32 (some mss. have No. 3 here); Gal. 2:18; especially of edifying, Acts 9:31; Rom. 15:20; 1 Cor. 10:23; 14:4; 1 Thess. 5:11 (RV). In 1 Cor. 8:10 it is translated “emboldened” (marg., “builded up”). The participle with the article (equivalent to a noun) is rendered “builder,” Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7. See EDIFY, EMBOLDEN.

A-2,Verb, anoikodomeo
signifies “to build again” (ana, “again”), Acts 15:16.

A-3,Verb, epoikodomeo
signifies “to build upon” (epi, “upon”), 1 Cor. 3:10,12,14; Eph. 2:20; Jude 1:20; or up, Acts 20:32; Col. 2:7.

A-4,Verb, sunoikodomeo
“to build together” (sun, “with”), is used in Eph. 2:22, metaphorically, of the church, as a spiritual dwelling-place for God.

A-5,Verb, kataskeuazo
“to prepare, establish, furnish,” is rendered “builded” and “built” in Heb. 3:3,4. See MAKE, ORDAIN, PREPARE.

B-1,Noun, oikodome
“a building, or edification” (see A, No. 1), is used (a) literally, e.g., Matt. 24:1; Mark 13:1,2; (b) figuratively, e.g., Rom. 14:19 (lit., “the things of building up”); 15:2; of a local church as a spiritual building, 1 Cor. 3:9, or the whole church, the body of Christ, Eph. 2:21. It expresses the strengthening effect of teaching, 1 Cor. 14:3,5,12,26; 2 Cor. 10:8; 12:19; 13:10, or other ministry, Eph. 4:12,16,29 (the idea conveyed is progress resulting from patient effort). It is also used of the believer's resurrection body, 2 Cor. 5:1. See EDIFICATION, EDIFY.

B-2,Noun, endomesis
“a thing built, structure” (en, “in,” domao, “to build”), is used of the wall of the heavenly city, Rev. 21:18 (some suggest that the word means “a fabric;” others, “a roofing or coping;” these interpretations are questionable; the probable significance is “a building”).

B-3,Noun, ktisis
“a creation,” is so translated in the RV of Heb. 9:11 (AV “building,”) See CREATION, B, No. 1, CREATURE, ORDINANCE.

B-4,Noun, technites
“an artificer, one who does a thing by rules of art,” is rendered “builder” in Heb. 11:10, marg., “architect,” which gives the necessary contrast between this and the next noun in the verse. See CRAFTSMAN, No. 2.

 

Bull

·         For BULL see OX

 

Bundle

1, desme
from deo, “to bind” (similarly, Eng. “bundle” is akin to “bind”), is used in Matt. 13:30.

2, plethos
“a great number” (akin to pleo, “to fill”), is the word for the “bundle of sticks” which Paul put on the fire, Acts 28:3. See COMPANY, MULTITUDE.

 

Burden, Burdened, Burdensome

A-1,Noun, baros
denotes “a weight, anything pressing on one physically,” Matt. 20:12, or “that makes a demand on one's resources,” whether material, 1 Thess. 2:6 (to be burdensome), or spiritual, Gal. 6:2; Rev. 2:24, or religious, Acts 15:28. In one place it metaphorically describes the future state of believers as “an eternal weight of glory,” 2 Cor. 4:17. See WEIGHT.

A-2,Noun, phortion
lit., “something carried” (from phero, “to bear”), is always used metaphorically (except in Acts 27:10, of the lading of a ship); of that which, though “light,” is involved in discipleship of Christ, Matt. 11:30; of tasks imposed by the scribes, Pharisees and lawyers, Matt. 23:4; Luke 11:46; of that which will be the result, at the judgment-seat of Christ, of each believer's work, Gal. 6:5.

Note: The difference between phortion and baros is, that phortion is simply “something to be borne,” without reference to its weight, but baros always suggests what is “heavy or burdensome.” Thus Christ speaks of His “burden” (phortion) as “light;” here baros would be inappropriate; but the “burden” of a transgressor is baros, “heavy.” Contrast baros in Gal. 6:2, with phortion in Gal 6:5.

A-3,Noun, gomos
from a root gem---, signifying “full, or heavy,” seen in gemo, “to be full,” gemizo, “to fill,” Lat. gemo, “to groan,” denotes “the lading of freight of a ship,” Acts 21:3, or “merchandise conveyed in a ship,” and so “merchandise in general,” Rev. 18:11,12. See MERCHANDISE.

B-1,Verb, bareo
akin to A, No. 1, is used of the effect of drowsiness, “were heavy,” Matt. 26:43; Mark 14:40; Luke 9:32; of the effects of gluttony, Luke 21:34 (“overcharged”); of the believer's present physical state in the body, 2 Cor. 5:4; of persecution, 2 Cor. 1:8; of a charge upon material resources, 1 Tim. 5:16 (RV). See CHARGE, HEAVY PRESS.

B-2,Verb, epibareo
epi, “upon” (intensive), “to burden heavily,” is said of material RV, “burden,” AV, “be chargeable to;” of the effect of spiritual admonition and discipline, 2 Cor. 2:5, RV, “press heavily,” AV, “overcharge.” See CHARGEABLE, PRESS.

B-3,Verb, katabareo
“to weigh down” (kata, “down”), “overload,” is used of material charges, in 2 Cor. 12:16.

B-4,Verb, katanarkao
“to be a burden, to be burdensome,” primarily signifies “to be numbed or torpid, to grow stiff” (narke is the “torpedo or cramp fish,” which benumbs anyone who touches it); hence, “to be idle to the detriment of another person” (like a useless limb), 2 Cor. 11:9; 12:13,14. See CHARGEABLE.

Note: For thlipsis, “distress, affliction,” “burdened” (AV of 2 Cor. 8:13) see AFFLICTION, B. No. 4.

C-1,Adjective, abares
“without weight” (a, negative, and baros, “see” A, No. 1), is used in 2 Cor. 11:9, lit. “I kept myself burdensomeless.”

 

Burial, Bury, Burying

A-1,Noun, entaphiasmos
lit., “an entombing” (from en, “in,” taphos, “a tomb”), “burying,” occurs in Mark 14:8; John 12:7. Cp. B.1.

A-2,Noun, taphe
“a burial” (cp. No. 1, and Eng., “epitaph”), is found in Matt. 27:7, with eis, “unto,” lit. “with a view to a burial (place) for strangers.”

B-1,Verb, entaphiazo
see A, No. 1, “to prepare a body for burial,” is used of any provision for this purpose, Matt. 26:12; John 19:40.

B-2,Verb, thapto
occurs in Matt. 8:21,22, and parallels in Luke; Matt. 14:12; Luke 16:22; Acts 2:29; 5:6,9,10; of Christ's “burial,” 1 Cor. 15:4.

B-3,Verb, sunthapto
akin to A. 2, “to bury with, or together” (sun), is used in the metaphorical sense only, of the believer's identification with Christ in His “burial,” as set forth in baptism, Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12.

 

Burn, Burning

A-1,Verb, kaio
“to set fire to, to light;” in the Passive Voice, “to be lighted, to burn,” Matt. 5:15; John 15:6; Heb. 12:18; Rev. 4:5; 8:8,10; 19:20; 21:8; 1 Cor. 13:3, is used metaphorically of the heart, Luke 24:32; of spiritual light, Luke 12:35; John 5:35. See LIGHT.

A-2,Verb, katakaio
from kata, “down” (intensive), and No. 1 signifies “to burn up, burn utterly,” as of chaff, Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17; tares, Matt. 13:30,40; the earth and its works, 2 Pet. 3:10; trees and grass, Rev. 8:7. This form should be noted in Acts 19:19, 1 Cor. 3:15; Heb. 13:11; Rev. 17:16. In each place the full rendering “burn utterly” might be used, as in Rev. 18:8.

A-3,Verb, ekkaio
from ek, “out” (intensive), and No. 1, lit., “to burn out,” in the Passive Voice, “to be kindled, burn up,” is used of the lustful passions of men, Rom. 1:27.

A-4,Verb, puroomai
from pur, “fire, to glow with heat,” is said of the feet of the Lord, in the vision in Rev. 1:15; it is translated “fiery” in Eph. 6:16 (of the darts of the evil one); used metaphorically of the emotions, in 1 Cor. 7:9; 2 Cor. 11:29; elsewhere literally, of the heavens, 2 Pet. 3:12; of gold, Rev. 3:18 (RV, “refined”). See FIERY, FIRE, TRY.

A-5,Verb, empipremi
or empretho, “to burn up,” occurs in Matt. 2:7.

B-1,Noun, kausis
akin to A, No. 1 (Eng., “caustic”), is found in Heb. 6:8, lit., “whose end is unto burning.” Cp. BRANDED.

B-2,Noun, kauson
is rendered “burning heat” in Jas. 1:11, AV (RV, “scorching”). See HEAT.

B-3,Noun, purosis
akin to A. No. 4, is used literally in Rev. 18:9,18; metaphorically in 1 Pet. 4:12, “fiery trial.” See TRIAL.

 

Burnished

1,,5474,chalkolibanon
see BRASS.

 

Burnt (offering)

1, holokautoma
denotes “a whole burnt offering” (holos, “whole,” kautos, for kaustos, a verbal adjective from kaio, “to burn”), i.e., “a victim,” the whole of which is burned, as in Ex. 30:20; Lev. 5:12; 23:8,25,27. It is used in Mark 12:33, by the scribe who questioned the Lord as to the first commandment in the Law, and in Heb. 10:6,8, RV, “whole burnt offerings.” See OFFERING

Burst (asunder)

1, rhegnumi
see BREAK, A. No. 6.

2, lakeo | lasko
primarily, “to crack, or crash,” denotes “to burst asunder with a crack, crack open” (always of making a noise), is used in Acts 1:18.

 

Bury

·         For BURY see BURIAL

 

Bush

1, batos
denotes “a bramble bush,” as in Luke 6:44. In Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37 the phrase “in the place concerning the Bush” signifies in that part of the book of Exodus concerning it. See also Acts 7:30,35.

 

Bushel

1, modios

 

Business

A-1,Noun, chreia
translated “business” in Acts 6:3, of the distribution of funds, signifies “a necessity, a need,” and is used in this place concerning duty or business. See LACK, NECESSITY, NEED, USE, WANT.

A-2,Noun, ergasia
denotes “a business,” Acts 19:24,25, RV, AV, “gain” and “craft” (from ergon, “work”). See DILIGENCE.

B-1,Adjective, idios
expresses “what is one's own” (hence, Eng. “idiot,” in a changed sense, lit., “a person with his own opinions”); the neuter plural with the article (ta idia) signifies “one's own things.” In 1 Thess. 4:11, the noun is not expressed in the original but is supplied in the English versions by “business,” “your own business.” For the same phrase, otherwise expressed, see John 1:11, “His own (things);” John 16:32; 19:27, “his own (home);” Acts 21:6, “home.” In Luke 2:49, the phrase “in My Father's house” (RV), “about My Father's business” (RJV), is, lit., “in the (things, the neuter plural of the article) of My Father.” See ACQUAINTANCE, COMPANY, No. 8, DUE, HOME, OWN, PRIVATE, PROPER, SEVERAL.

Notes: (1) In the AV of Rom. 16:2 pragma is translated “business,” RV, “matter.” See MATTER, THING, WORK.

(2) In Rom. 12:11 spoude, translated “business” (AV), signifies “diligence” (RV). See DILIGENCE.

Busybody

A-1,Verb, periergazomai
lit., “to be working round about, instead of at one's own business” (peri, “around,” ergon, “work”), signifies to take more pains than enough about a thing, to waste one's labor, to be meddling with, or bustling about, other people's matters. This is found in 2 Thess. 3:11, where, following the verb ergazomai, “to work,” it forms a paronomasia. This may be produced in a free rendering: “some who are not busied in their own business, but are overbusied in that of others.”

B-1,Adjective, periergos
akin to A, denoting “taken up with trifles,” is used of magic arts in Acts 19:19; “busybodies” in 1 Tim. 5:13, i.e., meddling in other persons' affairs. See CURIOUS.

C-1,Noun, allotrioepiskopos
from allotrios, “belonging to another person,” and episkopos, “an overseer,” translated “busybody” in the AV of 1 Pet. 4:15, “meddler,” RV, was a legal term for a charge brought against Christians as being hostile to civilized society, their purpose being to make Gentiles conform to Christian standards. Some explain it as a pryer into others' affairs. See MEDDLER

 

Buy, Bought

1, agorazo
primarily, “to frequent the market-place,” the agora, hence “to do business there, to buy or sell,” is used lit., e.g., in Matt. 14:15. Figuratively Christ is spoken of as having bought His redeemed, making them His property at the price of His blood (i.e., His death through the shedding of His blood in expiation for their sins), 1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23; 2 Pet. 2:1; see also Rev. 5:9; 14:3,4 (not as AV, “redeemed”). Agorazo does not mean “to redeem.” See REDEEM.

2, oneomai
“to buy, in contradistinction to selling,” is used in Acts 7:16, of the purchase by Abraham of a burying place.

Note: In Jas. 4:13 (AV) the verb emporeuomai (Eng., “emporium”) is rendered “buy and sell.” Its meaning is to trade, traffic, RV. It primarily denotes to travel, to go on a journey, then, to do so for traffic purposes; hence to trade; in 2 Pet. 2:3, “make merchandise of.” See MERCHANDISE.

 

By

* For BY See Note +, p. 9.

Note: The phrase “by and by” in the AV is in several places misleading. The three words exautes, Mark 6:25, euthus, Matt. 13:21, and eutheos, Luke 17:7; 21:9, mean “straightway,” “immediately.” See under these words.