the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!
Bible Dictionaries
Interpret, Interpretation, Interpreter
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words
or (cp. Hermes, the Greek name of the pagan god Mercury, who was regarded as the messenger of the gods), denotes "to explain, interpret" (Eng., "hermeneutics"), and is used of explaining the meaning of words in a different language, John 1:38 (in some mss.), see No. 3; John 9:7 ("Siloam," interpreted as "sent"); Hebrews 7:2 (Melchizedec, "by interpretation," lit., "being interpreted," King of righteousness).
a strengthened form of No. 1 (dia, "through," used intensively), signifies "to interpret fully, to explain." In Luke 24:27 , it is used of Christ in interpreting to the two on the way to Emmaus "in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself," RV, "interpreted" (AV, "expounded"); in Acts 9:36 , it is rendered "is by interpretation," lit., "being interpreted" (of Tabitha, as meaning Dorcas); in 1 Corinthians 12:30; 14:5,13,27 , it is used with reference to the temporary gift of tongues in the churches; this gift was inferior in character to that of prophesying unless he who spoke in a "tongue" interpreted his words, 1 Corinthians 14:5; he was, indeed, to pray that he might interpret, 1 Corinthians 14:13; only two, or at the most three, were to use the gift in a gathering, and that "in turn" (RV); one was to interpret; in the absence of an interpreter, the gift was not to be exercised, 1 Corinthians 14:27 . See EXPOUND.
"to change or translate from one language to another (meta, implying change, and No. 1), to interpret," is always used in the Passive Voice in the NT, "being interpreted," of interpreting the names, Immanuel, Matthew 1:23; Golgotha, Mark 15:22; Barnabas, Acts 4:36; in Acts 13:8 , of Elymas, the verb is rendered "is ... by interpretation," lit., "is interpreted;" it is used of interpreting or translating sentences in Mark 5:41; 15:34; in the best mss., John 1:38 (Rabbi, interpreted as "Master"); John 1:41 (Messiah, interpreted as "Christ"); see No. 1.
* (INTERPRETATION)(or -ia), akin to A, No. 1, is used in 1 Corinthians 12:10; 14:26 (see A, No. 2).
from epiluo, "to loose, solve, explain," denotes "a solution, explanation," lit., "a release" (epi, "up," luo, "to loose"), 2 Peter 1:20 , "(of private) interpretation;" i.e., the writers of Scripture did not put their own construction upon the "God-breathed" words they wrote.
Note: For "hard of interpretation," Hebrews 5:11 , RV, see UTTER , Note (1). * (INTERPRETER)lit., "a thorough interpreter" (cp. A, No. 2), is used in 1 Corinthians 14:28 (some mss. have hermeneutes).
These files are public domain.
Vines, W. E., M. A. Entry for 'Interpret, Interpretation, Interpreter'. Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ved/i/interpret-interpretation-interpreter.html. 1940.
