FATHOM
<fath’-um> ([ojrguia>, orguia]): The literal meaning is the length of the outstretched arms, and it was regarded as equal to 4 cubits, or about 6 feet.
(<442728>Acts 27:28).
See WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
FATLING, FATTED See CALF.
FATNESS
<fat’-nes> ([ˆv,D,, deshen]; [pio>hv, piotes]):
Standard Revised Version; the text is believed to be corrupt; Septuagint has “from your shoulders.”
W. L. Walker FAUCHION
<fo’-shun>.
See SCIMITAR.
FAULT
<folt> ([af;j;, chaTa’]; [aijti>a, aitia], [me>mfomai, memphomai]): Implies
defect, of less moral weight than crime or sin. It is the translation of
chaTa’, “error,” “failure,” “sin” (<020516>Exodus 5:16); of cheT’, same meaning
(<014109>Genesis 41:9, “I do remember my faults this day”); of `awon,
“perversity,” “iniquity” (<100308>
2 Samuel 3:8; <195904>
Psalm 59:4); of rish`ah,
“wrongness,” “wickedness” (<052502>Deuteronomy 25:2, the Revised Version (British and American) “wickedness”); of shechath (Aramaic) “corruption”
(<270604>Daniel 6:4 twice); me’umah, “anything” (<092903>1 Samuel 29:3, “no fault
in him,” literally, “not anything”); of aitia, “cause,” “case,” “guilt,”
(<431838>John 18:38; 19:4,6; Pilate of Jesus, “I find no fault in him,” the Revised
Version (British and American) “no crime”; the same word is rendered
“accusation,” i.e. `legal cause for prosecution,’ <402737>Matthew 27:37;
<411526>
Mark 15:26; compare <442518>
Acts 25:18,27); of aition, same meaning
(<422304>Luke 23:4,14; 23:22, aition thanatou “cause of death”); of hettema, “a
worse condition,” “defect” (<460607>1 Corinthians 6:7, the Revised Version (British and American) “a defect,” margin “a loss to you”); of paraptoma,
“a falling aside” (<480601>Galatians 6:1, “If a man be overtaken in fault,” the Revised Version (British and American) “in any trespass,” margin “by”; Jas 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another,” the Revised Version (British and American) “Confess therefore your sins one to another”); hamartano,
“to miss,” “err,” “sin,” is translated “your faults” (<600220>1 Peter 2:20 the Revised Version (British and American), “when ye sin”); memphomai, “to blame,” is translated “to find fault” (<410702>Mark 7:2 omitted the Revised Version (British and American); <450919>Romans 9:19; <580808>Hebrews 8:8);
elegcho, “to convict,” “to tell one’s fault” (<401815>Matthew 18:15, the Revised Version (British and American) “show him his fault”); amomos, “without blemish,” “spotless,” is translated “without fault” (<661405>Revelation 14:5, the Revised Version (British and American) “without blemish,” “faultless”;
<650124>Jude 1:24, “able to present you faultless,” the Revised Version (British and American) “without blemish”); amemptos, “blameless,” “without reproach” (<580807>Hebrews 8:7, “for if that first covenant had been faultless”).
“Faulty” is the translation of ‘ashem, “guilty” (<101413>
2 Samuel 14:13, “as one which is faulty,” the Revised Version (British and American) “guilty”); of
‘asham, “to be or become guilty” (<281002>Hosea 10:2, Revised Version
“guilty”).
W. L. Walker FAVOR
<fa’-ver> ([ˆje, chen], [ˆwOxr;, ratson], with other Hebrew words; [ca>riv,
charis]): Means generally good will, acceptance, and the benefits flowing from these; in older usage it meant also the countenance, hence,
appearance. Alternating in English Versions of the Bible with “grace,” it is used chiefly of man, but sometimes also of God (<011803>Genesis 18:3; 30:27;
39:21; <020321>Exodus 3:21; <101525>2 Samuel 15:25, “in the eyes of Yahweh,”
etc.). It is used perhaps in the sense of “countenance” in <203130>Proverbs 31:30, “Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain” (the King James Version), where for “favor” the Revised Version (British and American) has “grace”;
the reference is to external appearance. “Favored” is used in the sense of
“appearance” in the phrase “well-favored” (<012917>Genesis 29:17; 39:6;
41:2,4).; conversely, “ill-favored” (<014103>Genesis 41:3,4). For “favor” the Revised Version (British and American) has “have pity on” (<19A912>Psalm 109:12), “good will” (<201409>
Proverbs 14:9), “peace” (Song of Solomon of Solomon 8:10); the English Revised Version “grace” (<080213>Ruth 2:13), the American Standard Revised Version “kindness” (<160217>Nehemiah 2:17;
<270109>Daniel 1:9), etc. In the American Standard Revised Version “the
acceptable year of the Lord” (<236102>
Isaiah 61:2) is changed Into “the year of Yahweh’s favor”; “Do I now persuade men” (<480110>Galatians 1:10) into, “Am I now seeking the favor of men,” and there are other the Revised Version (British and American) changes.
W. L. Walker FAWN
<fon>.
See DEER.
FEAR
<fer> ([ha;r]yi, yir’ah], [arey;, yare’]; [fo>bov, phobos], [fobe>w, phobeo]):
TERMS, ETC.:
“Fear” is the translation of many words in the Old Testament; the chief are:
yir’ah, “fear,” “terror,” “reverence,” “awe,” most often “the fear of God,”
“fear of Yahweh” (<012011>Genesis 20:11; <141909>2 Chronicles 19:9, etc.); also of
“fear” generally (<182204>
Job 22:4; <230725>
Isaiah 7:25; <263013>
Ezekiel 30:13, etc.);
yare’, “to be afraid,” “to fear,” “to reverence” (<011501>Genesis 15:1;
Leviticus19:3,14; <050602>Deuteronomy 6:2, etc.); pachadh, “fear,” “terror,”
“dread” (<013142>Genesis 31:42,53; <051125>Deuteronomy 11:25; <091107>1 Samuel 11:7 the King James Version; <180414>
Job 4:14; <230210>
Isaiah 2:10 the King James Version, etc.).
“Fearful” (timid) is the translation of yare’ (<052008>Deuteronomy 20:8;
<070703>Judges 7:3); “to be feared,” yare’ (<021511>Exodus 15:11; <052858>Deuteronomy
28:58; compare <19D004>Psalm 130:4); in <233504>Isaiah 35:4, it is the translation of mahar, “hasty,” “them that are of a fearful heart,” margin “Hebrew hasty”;
perhaps, ready to flee (for fear).
“Fearfully” (<19D914>Psalm 139:14): yare’, “I am fearfully (and) wonderfully made,” so the Revised Version (British and American); “and” is not in the text, so that “fearfully” may be equivalent to “extremely,” to an awesome degree; compare <196505>
Psalm 65:5, “by terrible things .... in righteousness”;
66:3, “How terrible are thy works (yare’ “fearful “); the Septuagint, Peshitta, Vulgate (Jerome’s Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) have “Thou art fearfully wonderful.”
“Fearfulness” occurs In <195505>
Psalm 55:5 (yir’ah); <232104>
Isaiah 21:4 (pallatsuth), the Revised Version (British and American) “horror”;
<233314>Isaiah 33:14 (re`adhah, “trembling”), “Fearfulness hath surprised the
hypocrites,” the Revised Version (British and American) “Trembling hath seized the godless ones.”
In the New Testament the chief words are phobos, “fear,” “terror,”
“affright” (<401426>Matthew 14:26; 28:4,8; <422126>Luke 21:26; <620418>1 John 4:18, etc.), and phobeo, “to put in fear” (both used of ordinary fear)
(<400120>Matthew 1:20; 10:26; 28:5; <471220>2 Corinthians 12:20, etc.); of the fear
of God, the noun (<450318>
Romans 3:18; <470701>
2 Corinthians 7:1), the verb
(<421804>Luke 18:4; 23:40, etc.); deilia, “timidity,” “fear,” occurs in <550107>2 Timothy 1:7, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear,” the Revised Version (British and American) “a spirit of fearfulness”; ekphobos,
“frightened out (of one’s senses),” “greatly terrified” (<581221>
Hebrews 12:21;
compare <050919>Deuteronomy 9:19; The Wisdom of Solomon 17:9 the King James Version); apo tes eulabeias is translated (<580507>Hebrews 5:7) “(of Christ) who was heard in that he feared,” the Revised Version (British and American) “having been heard for his godly fear”; so all the Greek
commentators; eulabeia, properly, “caution,” “circumspection,” is used in the New Testament for godly fear (<581228>Hebrews 12:28, the Revised Version (British and American) “reverence and awe,” margin as the King James Version); compare eulabes (<420225>Luke 2:25; <440205>Acts 2:5; 8:2); eulabeomai,
“to act with caution” (<442310>
Acts 23:10). Deilos, “fearful,” “timid,” occurs in
<400826>Matthew 8:26; <410440>Mark 4:40; <662108>Revelation 21:8, “Their part shall be
.... the second death”; phoberos, “fearful,” “terrible” (<581027>Hebrews 10:27,31); phobetron, “something fearful,” “a terrible sign or portent”
(<422111>
Luke 21:11, Revised Version (British and American) “terrors”).
Fear is a natural and, in its purpose, beneficent feeling, arising in the presence or anticipation of danger, and moving to its avoidance; it is also awakened in the presence of superiors and of striking manifestations of power, etc., taking the form of awe or reverence. Fear has been said to be the source of religion, but religion can never have originated from fear alone, since men are impelled to draw nigh with expectation to the object of worship.
“Fear” is certainly a prominent element in Old Testament religion; the “fear of God” or of Yahweh, “the fear of the Lord,” is indeed synonymous with religion itself (<193411>Psalm 34:11; <200107>Proverbs 1:7; <231102>Isaiah 11:2,3;
<240219>Jeremiah 2:19; <211213>Ecclesiastes 12:13, “the whole duty of man,” the
Revised Version, margin “the duty of all men”). But although the element of dread, or of “fear” in its lower sense, is not always absent and is
sometimes prominent in the earlier stages especially, though not exclusively
(<022327>Exodus 23:27, ‘emah; <091107>1 Samuel 11:7; <142029>2 Chronicles 20:29;
<19B9120>Psalm 119:120; <230210>Isaiah 2:10,19,21), it is more the feeling of reverent
regard for their God, tempered with awe and fear of the punishment of disobedience. As such it is a sentiment commanded and to be cherished toward Yahweh (<022020>Exodus 20:20; <050613>Deuteronomy 6:13; <060424>Joshua 4:24; <091224>1 Samuel 12:24; <180614>Job 6:14; <193308>Psalm 33:8; 34:9; <202317>Proverbs 23:17; <210507>
Ecclesiastes 5:7, etc.). It is an essential element in the worship
and service of Yahweh (2 Kings 17 often; <190211>Psalm 2:11, etc.); it is a Divine qualification of the Messiah (<231102>Isaiah 11:2,3). This “fear of Yahweh” is manifested in keeping God’s commandments, walking in His ways, doing His will, avoiding sin, etc. (<022020>
Exodus 20:20;
<050613>Deuteronomy 6:13,14; <102303>2 Samuel 23:3; <193404>Psalm 34:4,9 parallel
<200813>Proverbs 8:13; 16:6). It is the true wisdom (<182828>Job 28:28; <192514>Psalm
25:14; <200107>Proverbs 1:7; 15:33); it gives life (<201027>Proverbs 10:27, etc.), blessedness (<19C801>Psalm 128:1,4), sufficiency (<193409>Psalm 34:9), Divine friendship (<192514>Psalm 25:14), protection (<193407>Psalm 34:7), deliverance
(<198509>Psalm 85:9), forgiveness (<19D004>Psalm 130:4). In <199011>Psalm 90:11 the
King James Version has “According to thy fear so is thy wrath,” the Revised Version (British and American) “and thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee”; the meaning probably is “thy wrath is in proportion to thy fear.”
The “fear of the Lord” is a frequent phrase in Apocrypha, and is highly exalted, e.g. Ecclesiasticus 1:11-30; the idea of it became gradually more and more elevated; in 2:15,16 it is joined with the love of God.
“Fear” is the natural consequence of sin (<010310>
Genesis 3:10; 4:13,14;
<202801>Proverbs 28:1); it comes as a punishment (<052825>Deuteronomy 28:25,28).
The fear of man and of evils are dangers to be avoided, from which the fear of God delivers (<041409>Numbers 14:9; 21:34; <192304>Psalm 23:4; 31:14, etc.).
“Fear” sometimes stands for the object of fear (<201024>Proverbs 10:24;
<236604>Isaiah 66:4); for the object of worship (<013142>Genesis 31:42,53, “the God
of Abraham, and the Fear of isaac,” pachadh).
In the New Testament dread, or fear of God in the lower sense, is removed; He is revealed as the loving and forgiving Father, who gives to men the spirit of sonship (<450815>
Romans 8:15; <550107>
2 Timothy 1:7; <620418>
1 John 4:18); we are invited even to come “with boldness unto the throne of grace,” with confidence, assurance (parrhesia), which, however, may have its literal meaning of free “utterance” (<580416>Hebrews 4:16; 10:19); but there remains a filial fear and sense of awe and of the greatness of the issues involved (<451120>Romans 11:20; <490521>Ephesians 5:21, the Revised Version (British and American) “of Christ”; <540520>1 Timothy 5:20; <580401>Hebrews 4:1);
all other fears should be dismissed (<400826>Matthew 8:26; 10:26-28,31;
<421232>Luke 12:32); in <401028>Matthew 10:28; <421205>Luke 12:5, “fear” is used in the
sense of “stand in awe of,” so perhaps <422340>Luke 23:40; to “fear God” is
sometimes used in the New Testament as equivalent to religion (<421804>Luke 18:4; <441002>Acts 10:2,35; 13:16,26, used of proselytes); in <581027>Hebrews 10:27, it is said that if Christ be willfully rejected, nothing remains but “a fearful looking for (the Revised Version (British and American)
“expectation”) of judgment,” and 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God,” in which places “fearful” means “terrible,”
something well to be feared. the Revised Version (British and American) gives frequently a more literal rendering of the words translated “fear.”
W. L. Walker FEASTS, AND FAST
<fests> ([d[ewOm, mo`edh], “an appointed day” or “an assembling,” [gj”,
chagh], from [gg”j;, chaghagh], “to dance” or possibly “to make a pilgrimage”; [µwOx, tsom], “fast,” [tyni[}T”, ta`anith], “a day of affliction”):
THE NATURE OF THE HEBREW FESTIVALS:
The Hebrews had an abundance of holidays, some based, according to their tradition, on agriculture and the natural changes of times and seasons, some on historical events connected with the national or religious life of Israel, and still others simply on immemorial custom. in most instances two or more of these bases coexist, and the emphasis on the natural, the
agricultural, the national, or the religious phase will vary with different writers, different context, or different times. Any classification of these feasts and fasts on the basis of original significance must therefore be imperfect.
We should rather classify them as preexilic and post-exilic, because the period of the Babylonian captivity marks a complete change, not only in the kinds of festivals instituted from time to time, but also in the manner of celebrating the old.