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Bible Dictionaries
Apprehend
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words
or properly signifies "to lay hold of;" then, "to lay hold of so as to possess as one's own, to appropriate." Hence it has the same twofold meaning as the Eng. "to apprehend;" (a), "to seize upon, take possession of," (1) with a beneficial effect, as of "laying hold" of the righteousness which is of faith, Romans 9:30 (not there a matter of attainment, as in the Eng. versions, but of appropriation); of the obtaining of a prize, 1 Corinthians 9:24 (RV, "attain"); of the Apostle's desire "to apprehend," or "lay hold of," that for which he was apprehended by Christ, Philippians 3:12,13; (2) with a detrimental effect, e.g., of demon power, Mark 9:18; of human action in seizing upon a person, John 8:3,4; metaphorically, with the added idea of overtaking, of spiritual darkness in coming upon people, John 12:35; of the Day of the Lord, in suddenly coming upon unbelievers as a thief, 1 Thessalonians 5:4; (b), "to lay hold of" with the mind, to understand, perceive, e.g., metaphorically, of darkness with regard to light, John 1:5 , though possibly here the sense is that of (a) as in John 12:35; of mental perception, Acts 4:13; 10:34; 25:25; Ephesians 3:18 . See ATTAIN , No. 2, COME, Note (8), FIND, OBTAIN, OVERTAKE, PERCEIVE, TAKE.
Note: Cp. epilambano, "to take hold of," always in the Middle Voice in the NT. See HOLD."to lay hold of," with the suggestion of firm pressure or force, is used in the Gospels only in John, six times of efforts to seize Christ, and is always rendered "take" in the RV, John 7:30,32,44; 8:20; 10:39; 11:57 . The AV has "laid hands on" in John 8:20 . In Acts 12:4; 2 Corinthians 11:32 (AV), it is translated respectively "apprehended" and "apprehend" (RV, "had taken," and "take"). In Revelation 19:20 it is used of the seizure of the Beast and the False Prophet. In John 21:3,10 it is used of catching fish. Elsewhere in Acts 3:7 . See CATCH , LAY HANDS ON, TAKE. In the Sept., S. of Song of Solomon 2:15 .
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Vines, W. E., M. A. Entry for 'Apprehend'. Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ved/a/apprehend.html. 1940.
