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Sect

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G139

αἵρεσις

ahiresis — sect

αἵρεσις, -εως, ἡ (αἱρέω, -ομαι), [in LXX for נְדָבָה,] 1. capture. 2. choosing, choice (see MM, VGT, see word). 3. that which is chosen, hence, opinion; esp. a peculiar opinion, heresy: 1Co.11:19, Gal.5:20, 2Pe.2:1 R, txt. 4. In late writers (MM, VGT), of a set of persons professing particular principles or opinions, a school, sect, party, faction: Act.5:17 15:5 24:5,14 26:5 28:22, I Co, Ga, II Pe, l.with, R, mg. (Cremer, 614). † (AS)

9 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4714

מִצְרַ֫יִם

mits.ra.yim — Egypt

§ Egypt = "land of the Copts" a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows Egyptians = "double straits"

524 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5775

עוֹף

oph — bird

1) flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds 1a) fowl, birds 1b) winged insects Aramaic equivalent: oph (עוֹף "bird" H5776)

64 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8144

שָׁנִי

sha.ni — scarlet

1) scarlet, crimson 1a) properly, the insect 'coccus ilicis', the dried body of the female yielding colouring matter from which is made the dye used for cloth to colour it scarlet or crimson

42 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8318

שֶׁ֫רֶץ

she.rets — swarm

1) teeming or swarming things, creepers, swarmers 1a) of insects, animals, small reptiles, quadrupeds

15 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2999

יַבֹּק

yab.boq — Jabbok

§ Jabbok = "emptying" a stream which intersects the mountain range of Gilead, and falls into the Jordan on the east about midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea

7 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G4042

περιοχή

periochē — passage

περι-οχή, -ῆς, ἡ (περιέχω), [in LXX for מָצוּד, מָצוֹר, etc. ;] 1. compass, circumference. 2. a portion circumscribed, a section: Act.8:32.† (AS)

1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H7171

קֶ֫רֶץ

qe.rets — stinging fly

1) nipping, nipper, stinger 1a) nipping or stinging insect, gadfly

1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G9419

τέμνω

temnō — to prune

1. to cut, hew , (Homer), etc.; ὀδόντας οἵους τέμνειν teeth fit for cutting , (Xenophon Historicus) 2. to cut, wound, maim , (Iliad by Homer); πρὸς δέρην τ. to wound her in the neck, (Aeschulus Tragicus) 3. of a surgeon, to cut , (Iliad by Homer): absolute to use the knife , as opposite to cautery ( κάειν), (Aeschulus Tragicus), etc.:—;Pass. to be operated upon , (Plato Philosophus) 4. to cut up, cut to pieces , (Homer), etc.:—; to slaughter, sacrifice , (Iliad by Homer) 5. ὅρκια τάμνειν to sacrifice in attestation of an oath, and so to take solemn oaths , (Homer); θάνατόν νύ τοι ὅρκι᾽ ἔταμνον I made a truce which was death to thee, (Iliad by Homer):—;Mid., of two parties, ὅρκια τάμνεσθαι (Herdotus Historicus):—;cf. Lat. foedus ferire. 6. φάρμακον τέμνειν to cut or chop up a plant for purposes of medicine or witchcraft, (Aeschulus Tragicus), etc.; ἄκος τέμνειν to contrive a means or remedy, (Euripides) 7. to divide , of a river, μέσην τ. Λιβύην to cut it in twain, (Herdotus Historicus); δίχα τ. to cut in two, bisect , (Plato Philosophus) 8. to cut asunder, cut off, sever , κεφαλὴν ἀπὸ δειρῆς (Iliad by Homer), etc.; with double accusative, ἐρινεὸν τάμνε ὄρπηκας cut the branches off the fig-tree, (Iliad by Homer); and in Pass., τρίχας ἐτμήθην had them cut off , (Euripides) 9. to part off, mark off , τέμενος (Iliad by Homer) 10. to cut down, fell trees, (Iliad by Homer), etc.:—;Mid., δοῦρα τάμνεσθαι to fell oneself timber, (Odyssey by Homer) 11. λίθον τ. to hew stone, (Plato Philosophus): Mid., λίθους τάμνεσθαι to have them wrought or hewn , (Herdotus Historicus) 12. to cut down for purposes of destruction, (Euripides), etc.; τ. τὴν γῆν to ravage the country by felling the trees and cutting the corn , (Herdotus Historicus); with partitive genitive, τῆς γῆς τ. to waste part of it, (Thucydides) 13. to cut or hew into shape , δούρατα (Odyssey by Homer), etc. 14. to cut lengthwise, to plough , Solon. 15. τ. ὁδόν to cut or make a road, (Thucydides):—;Pass., τέτμηνται κέλευθοι (Pindar) 16. also to make one's way, advance , τ. ὁδόν (Euripides); τὴν μεσόγαιαν τ. τῆς ὁδοῦ to take the middle road, strike through the interior, (Herdotus Historicus); μέσον τέμνειν to hold a middle course, (Plato Philosophus) 17. of ships, to cut through the waves, plough the sea , (Odyssey by Homer):—;so of birds, to cleave the air, (Aristophanes Comicus) 18. to bring to a decision , Lat. decidere, (Pindar) (ML)

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H9017

פ

P — [¶]

Punctuation Pe paragraph: ends a literary section

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H9018

ס

S — [¶]

Punctuation Sameq paragraph: ends a lectionary section

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HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H9019

N — [¶]

Punctuation Inverted Nun paragraph: ends a lectionary section

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Historical dictionary entry

(Gr. hairesis, usually rendered “heresy”, Acts 24:14; 1 Chr. 11:19; Gal. 5:20, etc.), meaning properly “a choice,” then “a chosen manner of life,” and then “a religious party,” as the “sect” of the Sadducees (Acts 5:17), of the Pharisees (15:5), the Nazarenes, i.e., Christians (24:5). It afterwards came to be used in a bad sense, of those holding pernicious error, divergent forms of belief (2 Pet. 2:1; Gal. 5:20).

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Sect in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →