KJV ENGLISH
ARCHAIC WORDS
LECTURE 2
Apparel (28) “clothing, covering”
As a noun it is defined as: clothing, vesture, garments, dress.
Isa 3:22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,
As a verb it is defined as: to adorn with dress or clothing; to cover with something ornamental; to cover.
Luke 7:25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.
Has the same root as ‘apparatus’. These come from the Latin word ‘parare’, which is ‘to prepare’…and eventually, ‘a thing prepared’. [Thus, the clothing was prepared (made).]
In Old Testament times, the distinction between male and female attire was often not very great. The Hebrew statute forbidding men to wear female apparel referred especially to ornaments and head-dresses. Both men and women wore:
…an under garment or tunic, which was bound by a girdle. One who had only this tunic on was spoken of as “naked” (1 Sam. 19:24; Job 24:10; Isa. 20:2). People with high positions sometimes wore two tunics, the outer one was called the “upper garment” (1 Sam. 15:27; 18:4; 24:5; Job 1:20).
Both men and women wore an over-garment (“mantle,” Isa. 3:22; 1 Kings 19:13; 2 Kings 2:13), a loose and flowing robe. The folds of this upper garment could be formed into a lap (Ruth 3:15; Ps. 79:12; Prov. 17:23; Luke 6:38).
Only priests wore trousers. Both men and women wore turbans. Kings and nobles usually had many expensive garments for festive occasions (Isa. 3:22; Zech. 3:4) and for presents (Gen. 45:22; Esther 4:4; 6:8, 11; 1 Sam. 18:4; 2 Kings 5:5; 10:22).
The NIV, NRSV, etc., have tried to remove the word; but all their energy is for naught, for every Department store has a “Ladies’ Apparel” department!
Appertain (7) “to belong to”
A verb which means “to belong or pertain to; to relate to; to belong whether by right, nature, or appointment.”
Comes from the French word ‘apartenir’ which means ‘to belong to’.
2 Chron 26:18 And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense:…
Num 16:32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
Art (491) “are”
A verb that is in the form of ‘to be’; are.
The second person, indicative mode, present tense, of the substantive verb am.
Ps 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
‘Art’ is also used four times for ‘performing with a special skill’.
The NIV, NRSV, and NKJV all eliminate the word when used for ‘are’ (491 times). However, the NASB employs its use 147 times, even in places where the KJV did not use it…. go figure…
Artificer (4) “one who makes something by art or skill”
It is from the Latin prefix ‘ars’, which is ‘art’.
An artist; a mechanic or manufacturer; one whose occupation requires skill or knowledge of a particular kind; as a silversmith, or sadler. An inventor. A person engaged in any kind of manual occupation.
Gen 4:22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
Asp (5) “the ancient Egyptian Cobra”
Asp is the modern Anglicisation of the word aspis, which in antiquity referred to any one of several venomous snake species found in the Nile region. It is believed that the aspis referred to in Egyptian mythology is the modern Egyptian cobra.
Isa 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
Deut 32:33 Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
Assay (6) “to attempt”
As a noun:
The trial of the goodness, purity, weight, value, &c. of metals or metallic substances. Any operation or experiement for ascertaining the quantity of a precious metal in an ore or mineral.
As a verb:
Assay, and its different forms, is only used in the verb form in the KJV.
It is derived from the French word ‘assaier’ which is ‘trial’.
To examine, analyze, test, prove, or attempt.
To try or prove, by examination or experiment, the quantity and purity of metallic substances.
Examined; tested; proved by experiment.
Job 4:2 If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?
Acts 9:26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: …
Asswage (3) “relieve or lessen”
There are ‘modernizations’ to this word in some KJV Bibles where it adopts ‘assuage’, vice asswage.
The word comes from the French word ‘assouagier’, which is ‘to sweeten or make agreeable’.
To relieve, lessen, appease, satisfy, or sweeten.
Gen 8:1 And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;
Astonied (10) “astonished”
From the French word ‘estoner’, which is ‘to stun’; similar to ‘astonish’.
Astonich, astound, amazed, surprised, or startled.
Ezra 9:4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.
Isa 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
Sources:
The Christian Answers WebBible Encyclopedia
Archaic Word and the Authorized Version by Laurence Vance
Webster’s 1828 and 1913
Wright's Bible Word-Book (1876)
Wikipedia