Bible Dictionaries
Bear

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

* (in the sense of "carrying, supporting") For the verb "to bear" in the sense of "begetting," see BEGET.

signifies "to support as a burden." It is used with the meaning (a) "to take up," as in picking up anything, stones, John 10:31; (b) "to carry" something, Matthew 3:11; Mark 14:13; Luke 7:14; 22:10; Acts 3:2; 21:35; Revelation 17:7; "to carry" on one's person, Luke 10:4; Galatians 6:17; in one's body, Luke 11:27; "to bear" a name in testimony, Acts 9:15; metaphorically, of a root "bearing" branches, Romans 11:18; (c) "to bear" a burden, whether physically, as of the cross, John 19:17 , or metaphorically in respect of sufferings endured in the cause of Christ, Luke 14:27; Revelation 2:3; it is said of physical endurance, Matthew 20:12; of sufferings "borne" on behalf of others, Matthew 8:17; Romans 15:1; Galatians 6:2; of spiritual truths not able to be "borne," John 16:12; of the refusal to endure evil men, Revelation 2:2; of religious regulations imposed on others, Acts 15:10; of the burden of the sentence of God to be executed in due time, Galatians 5:10; of the effect at the judgment seat of Christ, to be "borne" by the believer for failure in the matter of discharging the obligations of discipleship, Galatians 6:5; (d) to "bear" by way of carrying off, John 12:6; 20:15 . See CARRY , TAKE.

"to bring or bear," is translated in the RV by the latter verb in Luke 23:26; John 2:8 (twice); 12:24; 15:2 (twice); Hebrews 13:13 . See BRING , No. 1 and words there.

No. 2, with ana, up, is used of "leading persons up to a higher place," and, in this respect, of the Lord's ascension, Luke 24:51 . It is used twice of the Lord's propitiatory sacrifice, in His bearing sins on the cross, Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 2:24; the AV margin, "to the tree," is to be rejected. The AV text, "on," and the RV "upon" express the phrase rightly. See BRING , CARRY , LEAD , OFFER.

No. 2, with ek, "out," is used, literally, "of carrying something forth, or out," e.g., a garment, Luke 15:22; sick folk, Acts 5:15; a corpse, Acts 5:6,9,10; of the impossibility of "carrying" anything out from this world at death, 1 Timothy 6:7 . The most authentic mss. have this word in Mark 8:23 , of the blind man, whom the Lord brought out of the village (RV). It is also used of the earth, in "bringing forth" produce, Hebrews 6:8 . See BRING , CARRY.

No. 2, with peri, "about," signifies "to carry about, or bear about," and is used literally, of carrying the sick, Mark 6:55 , or of physical sufferings endured in fellowship with Christ, 2 Corinthians 4:10; metaphorically, of being "carried" about by different evil doctrines, Ephesians 4:14; Hebrews 13:9; Jude 1:12 . See CARRY.

lit., "to bear up under," is best rendered by "endure," as 1 Corinthians 10:13 , RV, of enduring temptations; of "enduring" persecutions, 2 Timothy 3:11; grief 1 Peter 2:19 . See ENDURE.

a frequentative form of phero, is to be distinguished from it as denoting, not a simple act of bearing, but a continuous or habitual condition, e.g., of the civil authority in "bearing" the sword as symbolic of execution, Romans 13:4; of the natural state of bodily existence in this life, spoken of as "the image of the earthy," and the spiritual body of the believer hereafter, "the image of the heavenly," 1 Corinthians 15:49 , the word "image" denoting the actual form and not a mere similitude. See WEAR.

from tropos, "a manner," and phoreo, "to endure," is found in Acts 13:18 , where some ancient authorities have the verb trophophoreo, "He bare them as a nursing father," (from trophos, "a feeder, a nurse," and phoreo, "to carry").

signifies (a) "to raise up, to lift, to take upon oneself and carry what has been raised, physically" (its most frequent use), or as applied to the mind, "to suspend, to keep in suspense," as in John 10:24 , lit., "How long doth thou suspend our souls?;" (b) "to take away what is attached to anything, to remove," as of Christ, in taking (or "bearing," marg.) away the sin of the world, John 1:29; Christ "was manifested to take away sins," 1 John 3:5 , where, not the nature of the Atonement is in view, but its effect in the believer's life. See CARRY , DOUBT , No. 6, LIFT, LOOSE, PUT, No. 17, REMOVE, SUSPENSE, TAKE.

"to do," sometimes means "to produce, bear," Luke 8:8; 13:9; James 3:12 (AV, "bear," RV, "yield"); Revelation 22:2 . See COMMIT , DO.

primarily "to protect, or preserve by covering," hence means "to keep off something which threatens, to bear up against, to hold out against, and so to endure, bear, forbear," 1 Corinthians 9:12 . The idea of supporting what is placed upon a thing is prominent in 1 Thessalonians 3:1,5 ("forbear"), and 1 Corinthians 13:7 . See FORBEAR AND SUFFER.

signifies "to hold up against a thing and so to bear with" (ana, "up," and echomai, the Middle Voice of echo, "to have, to hold"), e.g., Matthew 17:7; 1 Corinthians 4:12; 2 Corinthians 11:1,4,19,20; Hebrews 13:22 , etc. See ENDURE , FORBEAR , SUFFER.

"to treat with mildness, or moderation, to bear gently with" (metrios, "moderate," and pascho, "to suffer"), is used in Hebrews 5:2 (RV and AV marg.). The idea is that of not being unduly disturbed by the faults and ignorance of others; or rather perhaps of feeling in some measure, in contrast to the full feeling with expressed in the verb sumpatheo in Hebrews 4:15 , with reference to Christ as the High Priest. See PATIENT , SUFFER.

Notes: (1) For "bear (or give) witness", see WITNESS.

(2) For "bear up into," in Acts 27:15 , see FACE.

(3) In 1 Corinthians 10:13 the adjective anthropinos, "human" (from anthropos, "man") is translated "is common to man," AV (RV, "man can bear").

(4) For karpophoreo, "to bear fruit," e.g., Mark 4:20 , (karpos, "fruit," and No. 7), AV, "bring forth," see FRUIT.

(5) In Acts 20:9 , RV, kataphero is rendered "borne down." See GIVE. No. 12.