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 24:12subst. 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."

Bibliography Information
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.