Bible Encyclopedias
Meditation

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

med - i - tā´shun ( הגוּת , hāghūth , שׂיחה , sīḥāh ): "Meditation" is the translation of hāghūth , from hāghāh , "to murmur," "to have a deep tone," hence, "to meditate" ( Psalm 49:3 ); of hāghı̄gh , "sighing," "moaning" (Psalm 5:1; see Psalm 5:2 ); of higgāyōn , "the murmur" or dull sound of the harp, hence, meditation (Psalm 19:14 , "Let ... the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight"); of sı̄aḥ , "speech," "meditation" (Psalm 104:34 , "Let my meditation be sweet unto him"); of sı̄ḥāh , a "bowing down," "musing" (Psalm 119:97 , Psalm 119:99; 2 Esdras 10:5). "To meditate" is the translation of hāghāh (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2; Psalm 63:6; Isaiah 33:18 the King James Version); of sūaḥ (Genesis 24:63 ); of sı̄aḥ (Psalm 119:15 , Psalm 119:23 , etc.; Psalm 143:5 , the King James Version "muse"; 1 Chronicles 16:9; Psalm 105:2 margin). In Apocrypha we have "to meditate" (Ecclesiasticus 14:20, "Blessed is the man that shall mediate in wisdom," the Revised Version margin "most authorities read come to an end" ( teleutḗsei ); Ecclesiasticus 39:1, "meditateth in the law of the Most High" (dianoéomai )). The lack of meditation is a great want in our modern religious life. In the New Testament, we have "to meditate" (προμελετάω , promeletáō , "to take care beforehand"), Luke 21:14 , and "meditate" (μελετάω , meletáō , "to take care"), 1 Timothy 4:15 the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) "be diligent"); compare Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:2 .