the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Dictionaries
Security
Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words
or A. Nouns.
Mibṭâch (מִבְטָח, Strong's #4009), “the act of confiding; the object of confidence; the state of confidence or security.” This word occurs 15 times. The word refers to “the act of confiding” in Prov. 21:22: “A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.” Mibṭâch means the “object of confidence” in Job 8:14 and the “state of confidence or security” in Prov. 14:26.
Bâṭach is a noun meaning “security, trust.” One occurrence is in Isa. 32:17: “… And the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance [bâṭach] for ever.”
B. Verb.
Bâṭach (בָּטַח, Strong's #982), “to be reliant, trust, be unsuspecting.” This verb, which occurs 118 times in biblical Hebrew, has a possible Arabic cognate and a cognate in late Aramaic. The word means “to trust” in Deut. 28:52: “And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land.…”
C. Adjective.
Bâṭach (בָּטַח, Strong's #982), “secure.” In two passages this word is used as an adjective suggesting trust and security: “And Gideon went up … and smote the host: for the host was secure [unsuspecting]” (Judg. 8:11; cf. Isa. 32:17).
D. Adverb.
Beṭach (בֶּטַח, Strong's #983), “securely.” The occurrences of this word appear in all periods of biblical Hebrew.
In its first occurrence beṭach emphasizes the status of a city which was certain of not being attacked: “… Two of the sons … took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males” (Gen. 34:25). Thus the city was unsuspecting regarding the impending attack. In passages such as Prov. 10:9 (cf. Prov. 1:33) beṭach emphasizes a confidence and the absence of impending doom: “He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known [faces certain judgment].” Israel dwells in security apart from any possible doom or danger because God keeps her completely safe (Deut. 33:12, 28; cf. 12:10). This condition is contingent on their faithfulness to God (Lev. 25:18-19). In the eschaton, however, such absence of danger is guaranteed by the Messiah’s presence (Jer. 23:5-6).
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Vines, W. E., M. A. Entry for 'Security'. Vine's Expository Dictionary of OT Words. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/vot/s/security.html. 1940.
