COUKSE
COVENANT
509
belongs to the earlier parts of the Pentateuch. The conrageous feats of Jonathan and David and others are related with admiration (e.g. 1 S 14. 17). We hear much of ' men of valour' (Jg, S, etc., and esp. Ch). The faint-hearted are not to be allowed to serve in battle (Jg 7^ Dt 20«, 1 Mac 3"). Be- tween the earlier kings and the Maccabees we hear little or nothine of courage in war. The coura<je of endurance shown by martyrs is a lea<lint; topic m Dn, Mac, and parts of KT, esp. He II, 1 P and Rev.
The secondary forms of the virtue also have their place in the Bible. Man is not to fear un-
g)pularity nor the blame of his fellow-men (Is 51', zr 10*, Pr 29" etc.). This moral courage is esp. demanded of the prophets {e.g. Ezk 3', cf. ^Ik IS*"") : they were therefore encouraged for their work by special revelations and calls (Ex 4'°'", Jer I', Ezk 2*). Men must not be daunted by tribu- lation (Ps 27" 31") ; nor give way to any super- stitious fear of false gods (Jos 23*-', 2 Ch 15*, Jer 10"). Again, David charges Solomon to be of good courage in building the temple (I Ch 22" 28"). Jehosliaphat bids his judges of assize deal cour- ageou.tly (2 Ch 19"). The spiritual conflict with the hosts of evil demands courage (Eph 6'°"").
The Heb. words for courage and kindred ideas(e.^. r5?> P!9) suggest firmness, strength, power of resist- ance. The man is to be himself, his best self, in spite of all that might unman him. Here the thought is close to that of dvSpela, manliness (not in NT, but dySpiCo/iai occurs I Co 10", and is common in LXX). That which will enable a man to stand firm is faith, which is expressly connected with courage in Ps 5G», Mt 8* etc. (cf. 2 S 10"). Faith implies the consciousness of God's sympathy, which is the secret of all courage that is more than natural spirit and the love of fighting (see Is 50', Pr 28',
1 Ti 3"). In a secondary degree the knowledge of man's sympathy confirms courage ( Ac28", He 12''"). In Rev 21° cowardice is coupled with unbelief, and the two head the list of deadly sins (cf. Sir 2"- "). See also Pear. W. O. Burrows.
COURSE (from cursum, running, race). — 1. On- ward movement in a jiarticular piith, as of a ship, Ac 10" 21'- ' ; of the stars, Jg S'" * the stars in their courses fought against Sisera ' ; of the sun, 1 Es 4" 'swi t is the sun in his c' ; and tig. of the gospel,
2 Tb V ' that the word of the Lord may have free c.' (Tflxv, liV ' may run '). 2. The path in which the onward movement is made, of a riiier. Is 44* ' willows by the watercourses' ; fig. of one's manner of life, Jer 8" 23'"; and of the manner of the present age, Eph 2- 'the c. [aluiv, KVm 'age') of this world." 3. The space over which a race ex- tends, a.s the duration of life (or perhaps rather of special servire), Ac 13*'20»*, 2 Ti 4" I have (iiiished my c' 4. The fixed order of things, Ps .S"J"' ' the foundations of the earth art; out of c' (RV ' are moved ') ; or regular succession, Ezr 3" ' they sang togetlier by c' (RV 'one to another'), 1 Co 14" 'by c' (dyi lUpos, RV 'in turn'), and esjjccially the Courses of the Priests and Levites. See Priests and Levites. J. HASTiNoa
COURT See Templk.
COUSIN. — This word was formerly used of any near kiii.-nian or kinswoman, except those of the first degree. Shakespeare uses it of a nephew (King John, III. iii. 6), a niece (Tturlflh Night, I. iii. 5), an uncle (I. v. 131), etc. Tlius, As You Like It, I. iii. 44—
' Ro$alind — Me, uncle ?
JMJce Frfderick — You, couslo.
It U In this older and wider sense that c. is nsed • For Ja 3^ iee Mayor in toe.
in To 6» 7»-", 2 Mac ll'", Lk l"". C. is also applied by a sovereign to one whose rank is the lyime, or is courteously assumed to be the same. In this sense is c. in 1 Es 3' 4" (' thou shalt sit next me, and shalt be called my c.'), 1 Mac 11". The Greek is auryeuT,^, Lk !»>•", 1 Es 3' 4**, To 4", 1 Mac U", 2 Mac 11'- «; d^^f-iit, To V ; and dJeX^it, 7". The older VSS nearly always have ' cousin ' as AV ; it is only in RV that the change is made into 'kinswoman,' Lk I"; 'kinsfolk,' 1"; 'kins- man,' To 6'», 1 Mac 11", 2 Mac ll'«>; and 'brother,' To 7": while 'cousin' is retained in I Es 3' 4*^ To 7'. On the relationship bet. Elisa- beth and Mary, who are called ' cousins ' in AV, see Plummer on Lk I'', and art. Elisabeth.
J. Hastings.
COVENANT (nna bSrith, LXX Stad^Kii, in other Gr. versions sometimes (rivO-fiKri). — The Eng. word covenant (from Lat. convenire) means a convention, agreement, compact, etc., and may thus embrace a variety of agreements, from a treaty or league between two nations down to a contract between two persons. The Heb. term is used with the same latitude, though properly birith is employed only of the more important class of conventions, at the forming of which a religious rite was per- formed, by which the Deity was involved as a party to the covenant, or as the guardian of it. Other uses are derived, and are either less strict or metaphorical.