DECISION de-sizh'-un: Has several different shades of meaning. It expresses the formation of a judgment on a matter under consideration. It expresses the quality of being firm or positive in one's actions. It expresses the termination of a contest or question in favor of one side or the other, as the decision of the battle, or the decision of the

DECENTLY de'-sent-li (euschemonos): Only once is this word found in our English Bible (1 Corinthians 14:40). It is in the last verse of that remarkable chapter on the proper use of spiritual gifts in the church and the proper conduct of public worship. It does not refer here to absence of impurity or obscenity. It rather refers to good order in th

DECEIT de-set' (mirmah; (dolos)): The intentional misleading or beguiling of another; in Scripture represented as a companion of many other forms of wickedness, as cursing (Psalms 10:7), hatred (Proverbs 26:24), theft, covetousness, adultery, murder (Mark 7:22; Romans 1:29). The Revised Version (British and American) introduces the word in Proverb

DECEIVABLENESS; DECEIVE de-sev'-a-b'-l-nes, de-sev' (nasha', "to lead astray"): "The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee" (Jeremiah 49:16), i.e. "Thy stern mountain fastnesses have persuaded thee that thou art impregnable." In Jeremiah 20:7, "O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived," pathah, signifies "to be enticed," "persuaded," as i

DECEASE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND APOCYPHRA de-ses' (rapha', plural repha'im, "ghosts," "shades," is translated by "dead," "dead body," and "deceased" in both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American)): The word seems to mean "soft," "inert," but its etymology is uncertain (see REPHAIM). The various writers of the Old T

DECEASE, IN NEW TESTAMENT de-ses' (teleutao, "to come to an end," "married and deceased" (Matthew 22:25)): With thanato, "death," "die the death" (Matthew 15:4; Mark 7:10, the Revised Version, margin "surely die"). Elsewhere the word is translated "die" (Matthew 2:19; 9:18; Mark 9:48 and often; Hebrews 11:22, the Revised Version (British and Ameri

DECAPOLIS de-kap'-o-lis (Dekapolis): The name given to the region occupied by a league of "ten cities" (Matthew 4:25; Mark 5:20; 7:31), which Eusebius defines (in Onomastica) as "lying in the Peraea, round Hippos, Pella and Gadara." Such combinations of Greek cities arose as Rome assumed dominion in the East, to promote their common interests in t

DECAY de-ka': Although this word is still in good use in both its literal sense, of the putrefaction of either animal or vegetable matter, and its derived sense, denoting any deterioration, decline or gradual failure, the Revised Version (British and American) has replaced it by other expressions in Leviticus 25:35; Ecclesiastes 10:18; Isaiah 44:2

DECALOGUE dek'-a-log. See TEN COMMANDMENTS. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'DECALOGUE'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.

DEBT; DEBTOR det, det'-er: It is difficult nowadays to think of debt without associating with it the idea of interest, and even usury. Certain it is that this idea is associated with the Old Testament idea of the word, at least in the later period of Old Testament history. This is true of the New Testament entire. The Hebrew word (neshi) always ca

DEBIR (2) de'-ber (debhir; Dabeir): "And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it: and he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword .... he left none remaining" (Joshua 10:38,39). In Joshua 15:15-17 and Judges 1:11-13 is an account of how Othniel captu

DEBORAH deb'-o-ra (debhorah, signifying "bee"): (1) Rebekah's nurse, who died near Bethel and was buried under "the oak of weeping" (Genesis 35:8 margin). (2) A prophetess, fourth in the order of the "judges." In aftertime a palm tree, known as the "palm tree of Deborah," was shown between Ramah and Bethel, beneath which the prophetess was wont t

DEBIR (1) de'-ber (debhir, or debhir, "oracle"): King of Eglon, one of the five Amorite kings whose confederation against Israel was overcome and who were killed by Joshua (Joshua 10:3). Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'DEBIR (1)'". "International Standar

DEBATE de-bat': This word is used only once in the Revised Version (British and American) (Proverbs 25:9). It evidently refers to the settling of a difficulty with a neighbor, and anticipates Matthew 18:15. It argues for and shows the advantage of private, peaceable settlement of difficulties. Compare Ecclesiasticus 28:9, and see MAKEBATES. Copyri

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

DEATH, SECOND (ho deuteros thanatos): An expression, peculiar to the Book of Rev.(Revelation 2:11; 20:6,14; 21:8) in Scripture, denoting the final penalty of the unrighteous; parallel with another expression likewise peculiar, "the lake of fire," in Revelation 20:14; 21:8. See ESCHATOLOGY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. Copyright Statement These files are p

DEATH (maweth; thanatos): $PHYSIOLOGICAL AND FIGURATIVE VIEW$ The word "Death" is used in the sense of (1) the process of dying (Genesis 21:16); (2) the period of decease (Genesis 27:7); (3) as a possible synonym for poison (2 Kings 4:40); (4) as descriptive of person in danger of perishing (Judges 15:18; "in deaths oft" 2 Corinthians 11:23).

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

DEAL del: The noun "deal" is not found in the Revised Version (British and American). The King James Version translation of `issaron, "the tenth deal" (Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 14:10, et al.) is rendered uniformly "the tenth part" in the Revised Version (British and American) (see WEIGHTS AND MEASURES). The verb "to deal" often means "to apportion,

DEADLY ded'-li: In the Old Testament two words are used in the sense of a "mortal (Hebrew nephesh, "hateful," "foul") enemy" (Psalms 17:9), and in the sense of "fatal disease," the destructiveness of which causes a general panic (Hebrew maweth, "death," 1 Samuel 5:11). In the New Testament we have in Revelation 13:3,12 the expression "deadly woun