Bible Dictionaries
Divide, Divider, Dividing

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

lit., "to mark off by boundaries or limits" (apo, "from," horizo, "to determine, mark out"), denotes "to separate;" "divideth," Matthew 25:32 , AV; RV, "separateth," as in the preceding part of the verse. See SEPARATE , SEVER.

lit., "to take asunder" (see DIFFER , B, No. 1), "to divide into parts, to distribute," is found in Luke 15:12; 1 Corinthians 12:11 .

see DISTRIBUTE , A, No. 1.

"to separate," discriminate, hence, "to be at variance with oneself, to be divided in one's mind," is rendered "divided" in James 2:4 , RV; AV, "partial." See DISCERN.

"to become," is translated "was divided" in Revelation 16:19 (of "the great city"), lit., "became into three parts."

akin to meros, "a part, to part, divide into," in the Middle Voice means "to divide anything with another, to share with." The usual meaning is "to divide," Matthew 12:25,26; Mark 3:24-26; 6:41; Luke 12:13 (Middle Voice); Romans 12:3 , "hath dealt" 1 Corinthians 1:13; Hebrews 7:2 , RV (AV, "gave a part"). Elsewhere with other meanings, 1 Corinthians 7:17,34; 2 Corinthians 10:13 . See DEAL , DIFFER , A, No. 2, DISTRIBUTE, A, No. 2, GIVE.

dia, "through," and No. 6, "to divide through," i.e., "completely, to divide up," is translated "to divide" in Luke 11:17,18; 12:52,53; 22:17; "parted" in Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24; Acts 2:45; in Acts 2:3 , AV, "cloven," RV, "parting asunder." See CLOVEN.

lit., "to cut straight" (orthos, "straight," temno, "to cut"), is found in 2 Timothy 2:15 , AV, "rightly dividing," RV, "handling aright" (the word of truth); the meaning passed from the idea of cutting or "dividing," to the more general sense of "rightly dealing with a thing." What is intended here is not "dividing" Scripture from Scripture, but teaching Scripture accurately. In the Sept., of directing one's paths, Proverbs 3:6; 11:5 ("righteousness traces out blameless paths").

Note: In Acts 13:19 , the AV, "He divided their land ... by lot," represents the verb kataklerodoteo, from kata, suggesting "distribution," kleros, "a lot," didomi, "to give." The most authentic mss. have katakleronomeo, "to distribute," as an inheritance, from kleronomia, "an inheritance;" hence RV, "He gave them their land for an inheritance." For schizo, Acts 14:4; 23:7 , see BREAK , No. 12.

"a divider," is found in Luke 12:14 .

akin to No. 1, primarily denotes "a division, partition" (meros, "a part"); hence, (a) "a distribution," Hebrews 2:4 , "gifts" (marg. of RV, "distributions"); (b) "a dividing or separation," Hebrews 4:12 , "dividing" (AV, "dividing asunder"). Some take this in the Active sense, "as far as the cleaving asunder or separation of soul and spirit;" others in the Passive sense, "as far as the division (i.e., the dividing line) between soul and spirit," i.e., where one differs from the other. The former seems more in keeping with the meaning of the word. See GIFT.