Bible Dictionaries
Care, Careful, Carefully, Carefulness

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

probably connected with merizo, "to draw in different directions, distract," hence signifies "that which causes this, a care, especially an anxious care," Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:19; Luke 8:14; 21:34; 2 Corinthians 11:28 (RV, "anxiety for"); 1 Peter 5:7 (RV, "anxiety"). See ANXIETY.

Note: The negative adjective amerimnos (a, negative) signifies "free from care," Matthew 28:14 , RV, "we will ... rid you of care," AV, "we will ... secure you" ("secure" lit. means "free from care"); 1 Corinthians 7:32 , AV, "without carefulness."

primarily "haste, zeal, diligence," hence means "earnest care, carefulness," 2 Corinthians 7:11,12; 8:16 (RV, "earnest care," in each place). Merimna conveys the thought of anxiety, spoude, of watchful interest and earnestness. See BUSINESS , DILIGENCE (A, No. 2), EARNESTNESS, FORWARDNESS, HASTE.

akin to A, No. 1, signifies "to be anxious about, to have a distracting care," e.g., Matthew 6:25,28 , RV, "be anxious," for AV, "take thought;" Matthew 10:19; Luke 10:41 (RV, "anxious," for AV, "careful"); Luke 12:11 (RV, "anxious"); to be careful for, 1 Corinthians 7:32-34; to have a care for, 1 Corinthians 12:25; to care for, Philippians 2:20; "be anxious," Philippians 4:6 , RV. See THOUGHT (to take).

the third person sing. of melo, used impersonally, signifies that "something is an object of care," especially the care of forethought and interest, rather than anxiety, Matthew 22:16; Mark 4:38; 12:14; Luke 10:40; John 10:13; 12:6; Acts 18:17; 1 Corinthians 9:9 (RV, "Is it for the oxen that God careth?" The AV seriously misses the point. God does "care" for oxen, but there was a Divinely designed significance in the OT passage, relating to the service of preachers of the Gospel); 7:21; 1 Peter 5:7 .

signifies "to take care of," involving forethought and provision (epi indicating "the direction of the mind toward the object cared for"), Luke 10:34,35 , of the Good Samaritan's care for the wounded man, and in 1 Timothy 3:5 , of a bishop's (or overseer's) care of a church, a significant association of ideas.

"to think, consider, be thoughtful" (from phren, "the mind"), is translated "be careful" in Titus 3:8 .

translated "be careful," in Philippians 4:10 , AV (RV, "(ye did) take thought"), has a much wider range of meaning than No. 5, and denotes to be minded, in whatever way. See AFFECTION , B, Note (1), MIND , REGARD , SAVOR , THINK , UNDERSTAND.

Note: Episkopeo, "to oversee," is rendered "looking carefully," in Hebrews 12:15 , RV. See OVERSIGHT.

"carefully;" see ACCURATELY.

Note: For akribesteron, "more carefully," see EXACTLY.

the comparative adverb corresponding to A, No. 2, signifies "the more diligently," Philippians 2:28 , RV (AV, "carefully"). The adverb spoudaios denotes "diligently." 2 Timothy 1:17 (some mss. have the comparative here); Titus 3:13; or "earnestly," Luke 7:4 (AV, "instantly"). See also spoudaios and its comparative, in 2 Corinthians 8:17,22 , RV , "earnest," "more earnest."