DEGREES, SONGS OF (shir ha-ma`aloth; Septuagint ode ton anabathmon; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A. D.) canticum graduum, the Revised Version (British and American) "a song of ascents"): The title prefixed to 15 psalms (Pss 120-134) as to the significance of which there are four views: (1) The Jewish interpretation. According to the Mis

DEGENERATE de-jen'-er-at: Only in Jeremiah 2:21, where Judah is compared to a "noble vine" which it "turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine." It represents Hebrew curim = "stray" or "degenerate (shoots)," from cur = "to turn aside," especially to turn aside from the right path (Greek pikria, literally, "bitterness"). Copyright State

DEGREE de-gre' (ma`alah, "a going up" or "ascent," hence, a staircase or flight of steps; "rank": tapeinos, "low"): By derivation it should mean "a step down" (Latin, de, down, gradus, step). It is used, however, of any step, up or down; then of grade or rank, whether high or low. (1) In its literal sense of step (as of a stair), it is used in th

DEFY de-fi' (charaph, za`am): In 1 Samuel 17:10,25,26,36,45 (the story of David and Goliath) and kindred passages, this word is used in its most familiar sense--"to taunt," "challenge to combat" (Hebrew charaph). In Numbers 23:7,8 "denounce" would be a better translation than "defy" (Hebrew za`am). Copyright Statement These files are public domain

DEFER de-fur' ('achar (in Hiphil), 'arakh (in Hiphil), mashakh (in Niphal), "to postpone," more or less definitely; "delay": In Old Testament passages such as Isaiah 48:9; Ezekiel 12:25,28; Daniel 9:19, the idea of indefinite postponement agrees with the Hebrew and with the context. In the only New Testament occurrence of the word anaballo, in the

DEFILE; DEFILEMENT de-fil', de-fil'-ment (Anglo-Saxon, afylau, etc.; Middle English, defoulen, "make foul," "pollute," render (the King James Version) 9 Hebrew roots (the Revised Version (British and American) six): ga`al, "defile"; chalal, "defile" (from "untie, loosen, open," i.e. "make common," hence, "profane"); chaneph, "incline away" (from r

DEFENCED See FORTIFICATION. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'DEFENCED'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.

DEFENCE de-fens'. See COURTS, JUDICIAL. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'DEFENCE'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.

DEFECT; DEFECTIVE de-fekt', de-fekt'-iv (hettema, "loss," "a defect"): Occurs in 1 Corinthians 6:7: "Nay, already it is altogether a defect in you (the King James Version "there is utterly a fault among you"), that ye have lawsuits one with another." "Defect" means "want or absence of something necessary for completeness" (the Revised Version, mar

DEFAME; DEFAMING de-fam', de-fam'-ing: These words occur but twice in the King James Version, and are translations of dibbah, "slander," from dabhath, "to slander," or spread an evil report, and blasphemeo, "to speak injuriously" of anyone (Jeremiah 20:10; 1 Corinthians 4:13). "To defame" differs from "to revile" in that the former refers to publi

DEEP SLEEP See SLEEP, DEEP. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'DEEP SLEEP'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.

DEER der ('ayyal, feminine 'ayyalah, and 'ayyeleth (compare Arabic, 'ayyal and 'iyal, "deer" and 'ayil, "ram," and Latin caper and capra, "goat," caprea, capreolus, "wild goat," "chamois," or "roe deer")); yachmur (compare Arabic, yachmur, "deer"); ya`alah, feminine of ya`el (compare Arabic, wa`l, "Pers wild goat"); tsebhi, and feminine tsebhiyah (

DEEP (tehom; abussos, Luke 8:31 the King James Version; Romans 10:7 the King James Version; bathos, Luke 5:4; buthos, 2 Corinthians 11:25): The Hebrew word ("water in commotion") is used (1) of the primeval watery waste (Genesis 1:2), where some suggest a connection with Babylonian Tiamat in the creation-epic; (2) of the sea (Isaiah 51:10 and co

DEED ded: Used in its ordinary modern sense in EV. In the Old Testament it is used to translates five Hebrew words: gemylah, literally, "recompense" (Isaiah 59:18); dabhar, literally, "word," "thing" (2 Chronicles 35:27 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "acts"; Esther 1:17,18; Jeremiah 5:28); ma`aseh (Genesis 20:9;

DEDICATION, FEAST OF ded-i-ka'-shun (ta egkainia, John 10:22): A feast held by the Jews throughout the country for eight days, commencing on the 25th Kiclev (December), in commemoration of the cleansing of the temple and dedication of the altar by Judas Maccabeus after their desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes (1 Macc 4:56,59). The feast was to be

DEDAN; DEDANITES de'-dan, de'dan-its (the King James Version Dedanim, ded'-a-nim; dedhan, "low," dedhanim): An Arabian people named in Genesis 10:7 as descended from Cush; in Genesis 25:3 as descended from Keturah. Evidently, they were, like the related Sheba (Sabaeans), of mixed race (compare Genesis 10:7,28). In Isaiah 21:13 allusion is made to

DEDICATE; DEDICATION ded'-i-kat, ded-ika'-shun (chanukkah, "initiation," "consecration"; qadhesh, "to be clean," "sanctify"; cherem, "a thing devoted (to God)"): Often used in Hebrew of the consecration of persons, but usually in the English Versions of the Bible of the setting apart of things to a sacred use, as of the altar (Numbers 7:10,84,88;

DECLINE de-klin' [(@cur], or sur, naTah): In the King James Version this word occurs 9 times in its original sense (now obsolete) of "turn aside." the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "turn aside" in Exodus 23:2; Deuteronomy 17:11; 2 Chronicles 34:2; Job 23:11. In Psalms 102:11; 109:23, the lengthening shadows of afternoon are sa

DECLARATION; DECLARE dek-la-ra'-shun, deklar': "Declare" is the translation of a variety of Hebrew and Greek words in the Old Testament and New Testament, appearing to bear uniformly the meaning "to make known," "set forth," rather than (the older meaning) "to explain" (Deuteronomy 1:5). Declaration (Esther 10:2 the King James Version, the Revised

DECISION, VALLEY OF See JEHOSHAPHAT, VALLEY OF. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'DECISION, VALLEY OF'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.