the Third Week of Advent
Click here to join the effort!
Bible Dictionaries
Obsolete or Obscure Words in the English Av Bible
People's Dictionary of the Bible
Abjects, Psalms 35:15—low, despised persons.
Abomination, Deuteronomy 7:26—idol; polluted thing.
Addicted, 1 Corinthians 16:15—devoted; given to.
Affect, Galatians 4:17—seek to win.
Aha, Psalms 35:21—"hurrah."
Albeit, Ezekiel 13:7—although it be.
Allow, Luke 11:48—to praise; to approve.
All to brake, Judges 9:53—brake to pieces.
Amerce, Deuteronomy 22:19—punish by fire.
Ancients, Isaiah 47:6—aged persons.
Anon, Matthew 13:20—quickly at once.
Apothecary, Exodus 30:25—not a druggist, but "a maker of perfumes."
Artillery, 1 Samuel 20:40—bows; arrows; sling.
Astonied, Job 17:8—astonished.
At one, Acts 7:26—in concord, or agreement.
Attent, 2 Chronicles 6:40—attentive.
Avoid, 1 Samuel 18:11—to withdraw.
Away with, Isaiah 1:13—bear or endure.
Barbarian, 1 Corinthians 14:11—foreigner; not a Greek.
Beeves, Leviticus 22:21—(plural of beef) oxen; cows.
Bestead, Isaiah 8:21—placed.
Bewray, Matthew 26:73—expose; betray.
Blains, Exodus 9:9—blisters; pimples.
Boiled, Exodus 9:31—gone to seed.
Bosses, Job 15:26—stud; knob: buckle.
Botch, Deuteronomy 28:27—swelling; boil.
Bravery, Isaiah 3:18—fine dress; showy.
Bray, Proverbs 27:22—to beat; pound.
Brigandine, Jeremiah 46:4—coat of armor.
Bruit, Jeremiah 10:22—report; fame.
By, 1 Corinthians 4:4—against.
By and by, Matthew 13:21—at once; immediately.
Calker, Ezekiel 27:9—one who stops leaks of a ship.
Camphire, Song of Solomon 1:14—refers to cypress, or to "henna-flowers."
Careful, Philippians 4:6—anxious.
Carriage, 1 Samuel 17:22.—baggage; what is carried.
Caul, Isaiah 3:18—network for the head.
Champaign, Deuteronomy 11:30—level place.
Chapiter, Exodus 36:38—capital of a pillar.
Chapmen, 2 Chronicles 9:14—traders; merchants.
Chapt, Jeremiah 14:4—cracked open.
Charger, Matthew 14:8—large dish.
Charges, to be at, Acts 21:24—to pay expenses.
Charity, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13—love to God and man.
Clouted, Joshua 9:5—patched.
Cockle, Job 31:40—refers to weed in grain.
Collops, Job 15:27—slices of fat.
College, 2 Kings 22:14—refers to "second ward," or port.
Comfort, 1 Thessalonians 4:18—to strengthen.
Compass, Acts 28:13—to make a circuit; surround.
Concision, Philippians 3:2—cutting off.
Confection, Exodus 30:35—compound of various things.
Conscience, Hebrews 10:2—to have sense of.
Convenient, Acts 24:25—seasonable; becoming.
Conversation—(never means "speech" in Scripture) but, (1) Philippians 1:27—behavior; (2) Philippians 3:20—citizenship; (3) Hebrews 13:5—disposition.
Countervail, Esther 7:4—to compensate.
Cracknels, 1 Kings 14:3—brittle cakes.
Crisping pins, Isaiah 3:22—irons for curling the hair.
Cumber, Luke 10:40—to burden uselessly.
Curious arts, Acts 19:19—magic.
Damnation, 1 Corinthians 11:29—condemnation.
Daysman, Job 9:33—umpire; arbiter.
Deal, Exodus 29:40—portion, or part.
Delicates, Jeremiah 51:34—choice dainties.
Deputy, 1 Kings 22:47—deputed to rule.
Disposition, Acts 7:53—ordering.
Dote, Jeremiah 50:36—become foolish.
Do you to wit, 2 Corinthians 8:1—make you to know.
Draught, Matthew 15:17—drain.
Draught house, 2 Kings 10:27—cesspool.
Ear, to, Isaiah 30:24—to plow.
Earing, Genesis 45:6—plowing.
Earnest, 2 Corinthians 1:22—a pledge or token of what is to come.
Emerods, 1 Samuel 5:6—hemorrhoids; piles.
Enlarge, 2 Samuel 22:37—make free.
Ensample, 1 Corinthians 10:11—example.
Ensue, 1 Peter 3:11—to follow and overtake.
Eschew, 1 Peter 3:11—shun; flee from.
Exchangers, Matthew 25:27—bankers; brokers.
Exorcists, Acts 19:13—one who pretends to cast out evil spirits by magic.
Eyeservice, Ephesians 6:6—work done when watched.
Fain, Luke 15:16—glad; gladly.
Fats, Joel 2:24—vats.
Fenced, Numbers 32:17—walled (cities).
Flood, Joshua 24:3—Euphrates river.
Fray, Deuteronomy 28:26—scare; frighten.
Fritting, Leviticus 13:51—corroding; eating as a moth.
Gainsay, Luke 21:15—disprove; contradict.
Garner, Matthew 3:12—storehouse for grain.
Gin, Amos 3:5—trap or snare.
Glistering, Luke 9:29—sparkling; glittering.
Greaves, 1 Samuel 17:6—armor-plates for legs.
Grudge, James 5:9—grumble.
Habergeon, Job 41:26—coat-of-mail.
Haft, Judges 3:22—handle of knife; dagger.
Hale, Luke 12:58—forcibly drag.
Halt, Luke 14:21—lame; crippled.
Harness, 1 Kings 22:34—body-armor of a soldier.
Hoised, Acts 27:40—hoisted.
Hold, Judges 9:46—stronghold; prison.
Honest, Romans 12:17—honorable.
Hosen, Daniel 3:21—trowsers and stockings in one piece.
Hough, Joshua 11:6—to hamstring.
Instant, Romans 12:12—pressing; urgent.
Instantly, Acts 26:7—earnestly; at once.
Jeopard, Judges 5:18—hazard, or risk of life.
Kerchief, Ezekiel 13:21—covering for the head.
Kine, 1 Samuel 6:7—cows; milch-kine = milking-cows.
Knop, Exodus 25:33—knob; a bud-shaped carving.
Leasing, Psalms 4:2—lying; falsehood.
Let, 2 Thessalonians 2:7—hinder; prevent.
Lewdness, Acts 18:14—wickedness; crime.
Libertine, Acts 6:9—child of a freed slave.
Listeth. John 3:8—desireth; wills; chooseth; like.
Lust, Exodus 15:9—desire of any kind.
Lusty, Judges 3:29—healthy; vigorous; strong.
Magnifical, 1 Chronicles 22:5—grand; magnificent.
Marishes, Ezekiel 47:11—marshes; swampy ground.
Maw, Deuteronomy 18:3—stomach.
Meat, Genesis 1:29—any kind of food.
Meet, Matthew 3:8—suitable; fitting.
Mete, Matthew 7:2—measure.
Meteyard, Leviticus 19:35—measuring-rod; yard measure.
Mincing, Isaiah 3:16—walking with short steps.
Minish, Exodus 5:19—diminish; lessen.
Minister, Luke 4:20—attendant; helper.
Munition, Nahum 2:1—fortifications; ramparts.
Murrain, Exodus 9:3—cattle-plague.
Naught, Proverbs 20:14—bad; worthless.
Neesings, Job 41:18—old form of "sneezing."
Nephew, 1 Timothy 6:4—grandchild.
Nether, Deuteronomy 24:6—lower.
Noisome, Psalms 91:3—noxious; hurtful.
Occupy, Luke 19:13—trade with.
Offence, Romans 9:33—that against which one stumbles.
Offend, Matthew 18:9—stumble against; cause to stumble.
Or ever, Daniel 6:24—before.
Ouches, Exodus 28:11—sockets (of gold or silver).
Outlandish, Nehemiah 13:26—foreign; strange.
Painful, Psalms 73:16—hard to do.
Painfulness, 2 Corinthians 11:27—painstaking.
Peeled, Isaiah 18:2; Isaiah 18:7—robbed; plundered.
Pilled, Genesis 30:37-38—peel; strip off bark.
Poll, to, 2 Samuel 14:26—lop; cut off, esp. hair.
Pommel, 2 Chronicles 4:12—globes; apple-shaped.
Potsherd, Psalms 22:16—fragment of broken pottery.
Pressfat, Haggai 2:16—vat to receive grape-juice from the winepress.
Prevent, 1 Thessalonians 4:15—come before; precede.
Proper, Hebrews 11:23—fair; handsome.
Provoke, 2 Corinthians 9:2—stimulate; challenge to action.
Publican, Luke 5:27—collector of public revenue.
Quick, Psalms 124:3—living; lively.
Quicken, Psalms 71:20—make alive.
Quit, 1 Corinthians 16:13—acquit; act.
Ravening, Luke 11:39—greediness; rapacity.
Ravin, raven, Genesis 49:27—plunder; capture; spoil.
Reins, Psalms 7:9—kidneys, hence emotions; affections.
Rereward, Isaiah 52:12; Isaiah 58:8—rear-guard.
Ringstraked, Genesis 30:35—marked with circular bands or rings.
Savour, Matthew 16:23—taste; relish; relish in mind.
Scrabbled, 1 Samuel 21:13—scrawled; made unmeaning marks.
Scrip, Luke 22:36—small bag or wallet.
Seethe, Exodus 16:23—boil; perf. "sod," part. "sodden."
Servitor, 2 Kings 4:43—servant or attendant.
Sherd, Isaiah 30:14—fragment; shred, as of pottery.
Shroud, Ezekiel 31:3—shelter; covering, as of a tree.
Silverling, Isaiah 7:23—small silver coin.
Sith, Ezekiel 35:6—since; forasmuch as.
Sod, sodden, Exodus 12:9—boiled; from the verb "seethe."
Sojourn, Genesis 12:10—to dwell temporarily.
Sometimes, Ephesians 2:13—once; formerly.
Speed, Genesis 24:12—subst. success.
Steads, 1 Chronicles 5:22—(Sax. stede) places.
Straightway, Luke 5:39—immediately; at once.
Strain at, Matthew 23:24—as in swallowing, (probably a misprint for "strain out.")
Straitly, Mark 1:4—strictly; closely.
Straitness, Jeremiah 19:9—scarcity of food; famine.
Strake, Genesis 30:37—a streak.
Strake, Acts 27:17—past tense of the vent to "strike."
Strawed, Matthew 21:8—strewed or scattered, Sundry, Hebrews 1:1—several; various.
Tabering, Nahum 2:7—beating, as on a taber-drum.
Taches, Exodus 26:6—catches or clasps; any fastening.
Tale, Exodus 5:8; Exodus 5:18—reckoning; appointed number.
Target, 1 Samuel 17:6—light shield; buckler.
Temperance, Galatians 5:23—moderation; sedateness; self-control.
Tempt, Genesis 22:1—test; try.
Thought, Matthew 6:25—worry; anxious care.
Tired, 2 Kings 9:30; Isaiah 3:18—adorned, as the head.
Trow, Luke 17:9—think; imagine; suppose.
Turtle, Sol. Song of Solomon 2:12—a dove; the turtle-dove.
Twain, Isaiah 6:2—two.
Undergird, Acts 27:17—pass ropes round hull of a ship.
Undersetter, 1 Kings 7:30; 1 Kings 7:34—prop; support.
Vile, James 2:2—plain; poor.
Ware, Acts 14:6—aware; to know.
Wax, Luke 1:80—grow or become.
Wench, 2 Samuel 17:17—maid-servant.
Whit, 2 Corinthians 11:5—(Sax. wihi) a bit; atom.
Wimple, Isaiah 3:22—veil; covering of head and neck.
Winefat—wine vat.
Wist, Mark 14:40—(Sax. wiste) knew.
Wit, to, 2 Corinthians 8:1—(Sax. witan) to know.
Withs, Judges 16:7—young twigs of a willow; osier.
Withal, Acts 25:27—with the same; therewith.
Wittingly, Genesis 48:14—Intentionally; knowingly.
Woe worth, Ezekiel 30:2—woe be or become.
Wont, Matthew 27:15—accustomed.
Wot, Genesis 39:8; Exodus 32:1—know.
Wreathen. Exodus 28:14—twisted; turned; "wreathen work."
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Rice, Edwin Wilbur, DD. Entry for 'Obsolete or Obscure Words in the English Av Bible'. People's Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​rpd/​o/obsolete-or-obscure-words-in-the-english-av-bible.html. 1893.