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Bible Dictionaries
Adversary
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words
or firstly, "an opponent in a lawsuit," Matthew 5:25 (twice); Luke 12:58; 18:3 , is also used to denote "an adversary or an enemy," without reference to legal affairs, and this is perhaps its meaning in 1 Peter 5:8 , where it is used of the Devil. Some would regard the word as there used in a legal sense, since the Devil accuses men before God.
is, lit., "to lie opposite to, to be set over against." In addition to its legal sense it signifies "to withstand;" the present participle of the verb with the article, which is equivalent to a noun, signifies "an adversary," e.g., Luke 13:17; 21:15; 1 Corinthians 16:9; Philippians 1:28; 1 Timothy 5:14 . This construction is used of the Man of Sin, in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 , and is translated "He that opposeth," where, adopting the noun form, we might render by "the opponent and self-exalter against..." In Galatians 5:17 it is used of the antagonism between the Holy Spirit and the flesh in the believer; in 1 Timothy 1:10 , of anything, in addition to persons, that is opposed to the doctrine of Christ. In these two places the word is rendered "contrary to." In the Sept. it is used of Satan, Zechariah 3:1 , and of men, Job 13:24; Isaiah 66:6 . See CONTRARY , OPPOSE.
"contrary, opposed," is a strengthened form of enantios (en, "in," and antios, "set against"). The intensive force is due to the preposition hupo. It is translated "contrary to," in Colossians 2:14 , of ordinances; in Hebrews 10:27 , "adversaries." In each place a more violent form of opposition is suggested than in the case of enantios. See CONTRARY.
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Vines, W. E., M. A. Entry for 'Adversary'. Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ved/a/adversary.html. 1940.
