A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

James Hastings • SECTION 93

Section 93

← A Dictionary of the Bible — Volume 4

J. Hastings.

VOL. IV. — 5

PRESS, PRESSFAT.— See Fat and WiNE.

PREVENT.— This word is more frequently used in AV than in any previous version. It does not occur in Wyclif, and in Tindale but rarely The AV was translated at the time of its greatest popularity. Its meaning is, after the Lat. prce- venirc and the Fr. privenir, 'to be before, 'to anticipate.' Very often the word has practically the opposite of its modern meaning. In a note to Jn 3"' the Rliemish translators s.ay, 'The oUstinate Heretike is condemned by his owne judgement, preventing in him self, of his owne free wil, the sentence both of Christ and of the Church.' The Heb. verb so translated in AV is always [Dip], chielly in the Piel, twice (Job 41", Am 9'") in the Ilil^hJ. The Greek verbs are 0ffdvw(\Vis4'G'M6-', 1 Th 4i»), or irpo<t>9ivoi (1 Mac 10'=', Mt 17^), and once TrpoKaraXati^avu (1 jiac 6"'').

1. To be bf.fore, anticipate: Ps 88" 'In the morning shall my prayer prevent thee' (LXX Trpo(t>0a.aei <re, Vulg. pro'ceniet te, Cov. 'cometh my prayer before thee,' I'erowne 'cometh to meet thee,' RV as Cov. 'shall come before thee'); ligi47. 148 < 1 prevented the dawning of the morning and cried ' . . . ' mine eyes prevent the night watches' (LXX ■rpoi(pOaaav iie . . , ■irpoi<p0aaa.v ol iipdaXfioi fj.ov, Vulg. pranxni in maturitate . . . prcEvenerunt oculi mci. Purvey ' I befor cam in ripenesse . . . vayn ej'en befor caiiicii to thee ful eerli,' Cov. ' Early in the mornyngc do I crie unto the . . . myne eyes prevente the night watches,' Cheyne ' I forestalled the daylight and cried for help . . . mine eyes outgo the night watches,' de Witt ' I am up before dawn . . . mine eyes forestall every watch in the night'); Wis 4' 'Though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest' (^di" tpSda-g reXtwijaai, Vulg. si morte prwocrupatus ftierit, Cov. ' be overtaken with death,' Gen. 'be prevented with death,' RV ' though he die before his time ') ; 6'" She [Wisdom] preventeth them that desire lier, in making herself lirst known unto them' {(pOdi^a tovs iinUv,u.oOi'Tas Trpoyi^wa$TJifai, Vulg. P raiorv apat qui sc fO}tctipi^runtf ■ut illis se prior ostcnilut, Cov. ' .She preventeth them that de-syre her,' RV 'She foiestalleth them that desire to know her') ; 16^ 'We must prevent the sun to give thee thanks' (5ei tpOdvetv rby ViXioi-, Vulg. oportet prwvcnirc solem. Gen. ' We o<;ht to prevente the sunne rising to give thankes unto thee,' RV ' We must rise before the sun to give thee thanks'); Mt 17" 'When he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying. What thinkest thou, Simon ?' (irpoiipBaaev aiWiv 6 'Ij)iroCs, Vulg. prn'fernt eum Jcsu.'!, Wye. 'Jhesus came bifore hym,' Tind. ' lesus spake fyrst to him,' Cov. ' lesus prevented him,' RV as Tind. 'Jesus spake first to him ') ; 1 Th 4" ' We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep' (Sn . . . oi /li) <j>Bd<xafjitp Tous Koiii.r]0{iiTas, Vulg. nan prdvenievuts eos qui dormierunt. Wye. ' schulen not come bifore hem that slepten,' Tind. ' shall not come yerre they which slepe,' Gen. 'slial not prevent them which slejic' ; RV 'shall in nowise precede them that are fallen asleep').

The following quotations ilhistrato this first meaning : — l!(l;ill, Eragviun' J*araj'hras'', lol. vii., *thc (.Jenlyles that wer lur of do prevente the .lewes wliicli wer tlioii^ht to be next unto Uod': Hall, ConUliij'ttUwnSt ii. 1*2'.!, 'When ho was upon the Hca of Tiherius . . . they followed him so fast on foot that they prevented his landing'; North's /'fnirtrcA, 8711, ' The con- spinitora, having prevented this dantjer, saved theniselvc« * ; Mk 14S Kheni. ' She hath prevented to anoint my body to the burial ' ; Milton, liyinn on the Nalitntt/—

• See how from far upon the eastern rode The star-led \Vizar<ls haste with Odours sweet O run, i>re\'ent them with Iliy luimhlu ode, And lav it lowly at his blessed feet ; Have tliou tlio uonour first thy Lord to greet*'

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PREVENT

PREl

2. To anticipate for one's good: Job 41" 'Who hath prevented me that I should repay him ? ' (dVs^xi ';;'-pn 'p,* Vulg. Quis ante dedit mihi ut reddam ei?, Cov. 'Who hath geven me eny thj'nge afore liande, that 1 am bounde to rewarde him ogayne ? ' RV ' Who liath first j^ven unto me, that

1 sliould repay him?'); Ps 21' 'Thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness' (LAX Trpo^cp- 6a(xas ai'TOv iv iiiXoyiais Xf'O^'^^'^^^^y Vulg. prwrt'.nwiti euin in benedict ioniljus dulcedinis ; Wye. 'thou ■neiitist beforn liim in blessingus of sweetnesse,' Cov. ' thou liast prevented him with liberall bless- inges') ; 59'" 'The (iod of my mercy sliall prevent me ' (LXX 6 ^eis /xou, rb fKeos airroO TrpotpOdcret ^e, Vulg. Deus jdcifs, misericordia ejus prcEveniet me. Gen. ' My merciful God will prevent me ' ; Perowne, ' My God witli his loving kindness sliall come to meet me ') ; 79* ' Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us' (LXX rax!) TpoKaraXa^eTwaav Jifiat oi oiKTeipnoi (Tou, Vulg. cito anticipient nos misericordicE suoe. Gen. ' Make haste and let thy tender mercies prevent us,' de Witt ' Let thy mercies with speed come to meet us'); Is 21" 'They prevented with their bread him that tied' (LXX dprois awavTar^ Toi! <l>e&yoviji.v , Vulg. cum panibus occurrite fugicnti. Wye. ' With loeves ageucometh to the fleende,' Purvey ' Renne ye with looves to hym that fleeth ' ; Cov. ' Meet those witli bread that are fled,' Gen. ' Prevent him that fleeth with his bread,' Chevne ' With his bread meet tlie fugitive,' Skinner ' Meet the fugitive with bread [suitable] for him ' ; RV ' The inliabitants of Tenia did meet the fugitives ■with their bread' [so Dt 23* AV itself for same Heb.]).

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