Bible Dictionaries
Matter, Matters

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

"a word, speech, discourse, account," hence also "that which is spoken of, a matter, affair, thing," is translated "matter" in Mark 1:45; Acts 8:21; 15:6; 19:38; in the RV of Philippians 4:15 , "in the matter of" (AV, "concerning"). See ACCOUNT.

akin to prasso, "to do," denotes (a) "that which has been done, a deed," translated "matters" in Luke 1:1 , RV (AV, "things"); "matter" in 2 Corinthians 7:11; (b) "that which is being done, an affair," translated "matter" in Romans 16:2 , RV (AV, "business"); 1 Corinthians 6:1 , in a forensic sense, "a lawsuit" (frequently found with this meaning in the papyri); 1 Thessalonians 4:6 , "in the matter," i.e., the "matter" under consideration, which, as the preceding words show, is here the sin of adultery. See BUSINESS , B, Note (1), THING.

"an accusation, charge," Acts 25:16 , RV, "matter laid against him;" elsewhere, Acts 23:29 , "charge;" see ACCUSATION , A, No. 3.

Notes: (1) In Galatians 2:6 , the statement "it maketh no matter" translates the verb diaphero, "to bear asunder, make a difference," with ouden, "nothing," used adverbially, i.e., "it makes no difference (to me);" his commission from the Lord relieved him of responsibility to the authority of the Apostles. (2) In 1 Corinthians 9:11 , RV, the neuter of the adjective megas "great," is translated "a great matter" (AV, "a great thing"). (3) In James 3:5 , AV, hule, "a wood, forest," is translated "a matter" (RV, and AV marg., "wood"). In older English the word "matter" actually meant "wood" (like its Latin original, materia). (4) In Acts 17:32 , the AV adds "matter" to the pronoun "this," RV, "(concerning) this." (5) In 2 Corinthians 8:19 , RV, the phrase, lit., "in this grace." (6) In 2 Corinthians 8:20 , RV, the phrase, lit., "in this bounty" is translated "in the matter of this bounty" (AV, "in this abundance"). (7) In 2 Corinthians 9:5 , the phrase, lit., "as a bounty" is amplified to "as a matter of bounty." (8) For 1 Peter 4:15 see BUSYBODY. See also OTHER , THIS , THESE , WEIGHTIER , WRONG.