Death (properly nj«, ^avoroc). No logical defi- nition of death has been generally agreed upon. This point was much contested in the 17th century by the Cartesian and other theologians and philosophers. Since death can be regarded in various points of view, the descriptions of it must necessarily vary. If we consider the state of a dead man as it strikes the senses, death is the cessation of natural life. If we consider the cause of death, we may place it in that permanent and entire cessation of the filing and mo- tion of the body which results fh>m the destruction of the body. Among theologians, death is commonly aaid to consist in the separation of soul and body, im- plying that the soul still exists when the body perish- es. Among the ecclesiastical finthers, Tertullian (De Anima, c. 27) calls it *' the disunion of the body and soul." Cicero (Tuec. Di$. i) defines death to be *' the departure of the mind fh>m the body." The passage Heb. iv, 12, is sometimes cited on this subject, but has nothing to do with it. Death does not consist in ^his separation, but this separation is the consequence
leath. As soon as the body loses feeling and mo-
tion, it is hencefbrth useless to the 8oa],vtKhiii^ fore separated tnm it. See Dead.
Scriptmrdt rqtretentationt, name$^ andmaia'f^ retpeetimg deoM.— (1.) One of the most codib 0. T. is to re^um to (Ao dwt, or A> <fte eenH B«oo| phrase the dust of death. It is fooadad oa ^ scription in Gen. ii, 7, and ill, 19, and denob solution and destruction of the bodg. Hesee^i timent in Ecdes. xii, 7, "The dust sinll reUni earth as it was, the spirit nnto Gtf, whogtrei'
(2.) A withdrawing, exhalation, or renoni < breath of life (Psa. civ, 29). Hence the com to " give up the ghost,'* etc
(8.) A removal fh>m the body, a bong ttseeil the body, a departure fiom it, etc Tbk deic is founded on the comparison of the body to i g lodgment in which the sool dwells dni^ tin Death destroys this tent or house, and coomd to travel on (Job iv, 21 ; Isa. xxxviu, 12 ; Pn. H Hence Paul says (2 Cor. v, 1), ^'our eartidj k« this tabernacle*' will be destroyed ; aod Fttcr death a '' putting off of this tabemade" (i hti 14). Claasical writers speak of the sool i& tbi manner. So Hippocrates and .^schinet. Cob^ Cor. V, 8, 9. I
(4.) Paul likewise usea the tenn kfMeAa.»ft clothe one's self in reference to death (i Cv.r.li because the body is represented as the gsnaati^ soul, as Plato calls it. The soul, therefore, tik:t| it is in the body, is clothed, and as soon as it iiQ» bodied is naked«
(5.) The terms which denote sfe^ are i|9&d£»| quenUy in the Bible, as everywhere d«, to i* (Psa. Ixxvi, 5; Jer. 11, 89; John xi, 13 sq-X Sa.- this language nsed exclusively for the detdtc^c pious, as some pretend, though this k its pn*^ use. Homer calls sleep and dsM twin bntbs- xvi, 672). The terms likewise which nffiff^^ down, to rest, also denote death. |
(6.) Death is frequentiy compared with ssd bX fh>m a departure^ a going awag. Henoe veitM tf i^ import signify to die (Job z, 21 ; Psa. xxxix,4> & case is the same in tiie New Testament (Matt. ir. 24), and even among the classics. In this omfs» we may mention the terms &vakviw sod okH (PhU. i, 28; 2 Tim. iv, 6), which do not men A^ turn, but discestm (comp. Luke xii, 36).
Dekth, when personified, is described sstr^^ tyrant, having vast power and a great kingdaa,*^ which he reigns (Job xviii, 14). But the SDoeats li* represented it under some figures whiA •» K*f* mon among us. We represent it as a nota vitli scythe, or as a skeleton, etc ; but the Jews, bete* ^ esdle, frequentiy represented death as a holt*^ lays encores fbr men (Psa. xviii, 5, 6; xci, 8> ^" the exile they represented him as a min, or foi)rti« as an angel (the angel of Death), with a cvpofp^ which he reaches to men. See Dicstbotkil f^ this representation appears to have arisen dM ptn^ which occurs in the New Testament, to is* «*• (Matt, xvi, 28 ; Heb. ii, 9), which, howeTei^ » «^ mon speech, signifies merely to dte,witbontrHii*^ one of the ori^ of the phrase. TbecssetstkeHff with the phrase to see Axrf* (Psa, Ixxxix, 48; I«kea
26).— Kitto, 8. V. See Knapp's Chis^ Tk^'^. Dr. Wood ; Walther, De origine phratim '***« ' guslare mortem'' (Giess. 1745). .,
The " gates of death" (Job xxxviii; 17; I^>^ cvii, 18) signify the grave itself; andthe"**** of deatii" (Jer. ii, 6) denotes the gioomy nl«*f ?T tomb. S^Wemyw's dans SgiiioHca,».r'\^^^ De voabusy nj?^3t» fncia ^avarov (Vitemh. 17»>
Death may be considered as the cifoct rf$>B(^ V, 12). In Hebrews ii, 14, Satan is said to hivt» power ofdeath; not that he can, at his ple^»«^ death on mankind, but as he was the instmo^
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DEATH
t briBging death into the world (John viii, 44), and tie may be the executioner of God's wrath on im- itent sinners where God permits him. Death is once (Heb. ix, 27), yet certain (Job xiv, 1, 2), al- ugh uncertain as to tiie time (Prov. xxvii, 1); nni- sal (Gen. iii, 19) ; necessary, in order that God's tice may be displayed and his mercy manifested ; irable to the righteous (Luke ii, 28-30). The fear death is a source of anxiety and alarm to many, L to a guilty conscience it may indeed be terrible ; ; to a good man it should be obviated by the con- eration that death is the termination of every uble ; that it puts him beyond the reach of shi and iptation ; that God has promised to be with the hteous, even to the end (Heb. xiii, 6) ; that Jesus rist has taken away the sting (1 Cor. xt, 55, 56) ; 1 that it introduces him to a state of endless felicity Cor. V, 8).