Word

One of the titles of the second person of the Trinity, indicating perhaps that by his acts and teachings God is revealed, somewhat as thought is by words, 1 John 1:1 5:7 Revelation 19:13. "The word of the Lord" was a common phrase in the Old Testament, always denoting some revelation of Jehovah. Long before the coming of Christ, the Jewish paraphrasts of the Bible used "The Word" in the passage where Jehovah occurred in the original; and the term was familiar to Jewish writers as the name of a divine being, the Son of God.

To show its true meaning and its application to our Savior, was of great importance to John, the last of the inspired writers, in whose later years certain errors as to the person of Christ, borrowed from Eastern philosophy, had begun to creep into the Christian church. He describes "The Word" as a personal and divine Being, self-existent, and coexistent from eternity with the Father, yet distinguished from him as The Son, the creator of all created things, the source of all life and light to men, and in the fullness of time incarnate among men, John 1:13,14. John's gospel is full and clear respecting the divinity of Christ, John 20:31.

WORD

wurd: The commonest term in the Old Testament for "word" is dabhar (also "matter" "thing"); in the New Testament logos ("reason," "discourse," "speech"); but also frequently rhema. Rhema is a "word" in itself considered; logos is a spoken word, with reference generally to that which is in the speaker's mind. Some of the chief applications of the terms may thus be exhibited:

(1) We have the word of Yahweh (or God; see below)

(a) as the revelation to the patriarch, prophet, or inspired person (Genesis 15:1 Exodus 20:1 Numbers 22:38, etc.);

(b) as spoken forth by the prophet (Exodus 4:30; Exodus 34:1 2 Kings 7:1 Isaiah 1:10, etc.).

(2) The word is often a commandment, sometimes equivalent to "the Law" (Exodus 32:28 Numbers 20:24 Deuteronomy 6:6 Psalm 105:8; Psalm 119:11, 17 Isaiah 66:2, etc.).

(3) As a promise and ground of hope (Psalm 119:25, 28, 38, etc.; 130:5, etc.).

(4) As creative, upholding, and preserving (Psalm 33:6; compare Genesis 1:3 Psalm 147:15, 18 Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 11:3 2 Peter 3:5, 7).

(5) As personified (in Apocrypha, The Wisdom of Solomon 18:15; Ecclesiasticus 1:5, the Revised Version margin "omitted by the best authorities").

(6) As personal (John 1:1). Logos in Philo and Greek-Jewish philosophy meant both reason or thought and its utterance, "the whole contents of the divine world of thought resting in the Nous of God, synonymous with the inner life of God Himself and corresponding to the logos endiathetos of the human soul; on the other hand, it is the externalizing of this as revelation corresponding to the logos prophorikos in which man's thought finds expression (Schultz). Compare also the references to Creation by "the word of God" and its personifications; see LOGOS; incarnated in Jesus Christ (John 1:14 1 John 1:1, 2 Revelation 19:13, "His name is called, The Word of God," Ho Logos tou Theou). See PERSON OF CHRIST.

(7) Cannot be broken, endureth forever (2 Kings 10:10 Psalm 119:89 Isaiah 40:8, etc.).

(8) A designation of the gospel of Christ: sometimes simply "the word"; with Jesus "the word of the Kingdom" (Matthew 13:19 Mark 2:2 Acts 4:4, 29, 31, etc.). In John's Gospel Jesus frequently speaks of His "word" and "works" as containing the divine revelation and requirements made through Him, which men are asked to believe in, cherish and obey (John 5:24; John 6:63, 68, etc.); "the words of God" (John 3:34; John 8:47; John 14:10; John 17:8, 14, etc.); His "word" (logos and rhema) is to be distinguished from lalia, speech (compare Matthew 26:73 Mark 14:70), translated "saying," John 4:42 (4:41, "Many more believed because of his own word" (logos); 4:42, "not because of thy saying" (lalia), the Revised Version (British and American) "speaking"); in the only other occurrence of lalia in this Gospel (John 8:43) Jesus uses it to distinguish the outward expression from the inner meaning, "Why do ye not understand my speech?" (lalia), "Even because ye cannot hear my word" (logos).

(9) "Words" are distinguished from "power" (1 Corinthians 4:20 1 Thessalonians 1:5); are contrasted with "deed" (Malachi 2:17 1 Corinthians 4:20 1 John 3:18). (10) Paul refers to "unspeakable words" (arrheta rhemata) which he heard in Paradise (2 Corinthians 12:4), and to "words (logoi).... which the Spirit teacheth" (1 Corinthians 2:13).

For "word" the Revised Version (British and American) has "commandment" (Numbers 4:45, etc.); for "words," "things" (John 7:9; John 8:30; John 9:22, 40; 17:1), "sayings" (John 10:21; John 12:47, 48); for "enticing words," "persuasiveness of speech" (Colossians 2:4); conversely, "word" for "commandment" (Numbers 24:13; Numbers 27:14 Joshua 8:8, etc.), with numerous other changes.

W. L. Walker

(Gr. Logos), one of the titles of our Lord, found only in the writings of John (John 1:1-14; 1 John 1:1; Revelation 19:13). As such, Christ is the revealer of God. His office is to make God known. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" (John 1:18). This title designates the divine nature of Christ. As the Word, he "was in the beginning" and "became flesh." "The Word was with God " and "was God," and was the Creator of all things (Comp. Psalm 33: 6; 107:20; 119:89; 147:18; Isaiah 40:8).

Word of God

(Hebrews 4:12, etc.). The Bible so called because the writers of its several books were God's organs in communicating his will to men. It is his "word," because he speaks to us in its sacred pages. Whatever the inspired writers here declare to be true and binding upon us, God declares to be true and binding. This word is infallible, because written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and therefore free from all error of fact or doctrine or precept. (see INSPIRATION; BIBLE.) All saving knowledge is obtained from the word of God. In the case of adults it is an indispensable means of salvation, and is efficacious thereunto by the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:15, 16; 1 Peter 1:23).

1. (n.) The spoken sign of a conception or an idea; an articulate or vocal sound, or a combination of articulate and vocal sounds, uttered by the human voice, and by custom expressing an idea or ideas; a single component part of human speech or language; a constituent part of a sentence; a term; a vocable.

2. (n.) Hence, the written or printed character, or combination of characters, expressing such a term; as, the words on a page.

3. (n.) Talk; discourse; speech; language.

4. (n.) Account; tidings; message; communication; information; -- used only in the singular.

5. (n.) Signal; order; command; direction.

6. (n.) Language considered as implying the faith or authority of the person who utters it; statement; affirmation; declaration; promise.

7. (n.) Verbal contention; dispute.

8. (n.) A brief remark or observation; an expression; a phrase, clause, or short sentence.

9. (v. i.) To use words, as in discussion; to argue; to dispute.

10. (v. t.) To express in words; to phrase.

11. (v. t.) To ply with words; also, to cause to be by the use of a word or words.

12. (v. t.) To flatter with words; to cajole.

1697. dabar -- speech, word
... << 1696, 1697. dabar. 1698 >>. speech, word. Transliteration: dabar Phonetic
Spelling: (daw-baw') Short Definition: word. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/1697.htm - 8k

4405. millah -- a word, speech, utterance
... << 4404, 4405. millah or milleh. 4406 >>. a word, speech, utterance. Transliteration:
millah or milleh Phonetic Spelling: (mil-law') Short Definition: words. ...
/hebrew/4405.htm - 6k

4406. millah -- a word, thing
... << 4405, 4406. millah. 4407 >>. a word, thing. Transliteration: millah Phonetic
Spelling: (mil-law') Short Definition: matter. Word Origin ...
/hebrew/4406.htm - 6k

1703. dabbarah -- a word
... << 1702, 1703. dabbarah or dabbereth. 1704 >>. a word. Transliteration: dabbarah
or dabbereth Phonetic Spelling: (dab-baw-raw') Short Definition: words. ...
/hebrew/1703.htm - 6k

6600. pithgam -- a command, word, affair
... << 6599, 6600. pithgam. 6601 >>. a command, word, affair. Transliteration: pithgam
Phonetic Spelling: (pith-gawm') Short Definition: answer. ...
/hebrew/6600.htm - 6k

561. emer -- speech, word
... << 560, 561. emer. 562 >>. speech, word. Transliteration: emer Phonetic Spelling:
(ay'-mer) Short Definition: words. Word Origin from ...
/hebrew/561.htm - 6k

565a. imrah -- utterance, speech, word
... << 565, 565a. imrah. 565b >>. utterance, speech, word. Transliteration: imrah
Short Definition: word. Word Origin from amar Definition ...
/hebrew/565a.htm - 5k

3983. memar -- a word
... << 3982, 3983. memar. 3984 >>. a word. Transliteration: memar Phonetic Spelling:
(may-mar') Short Definition: command. Word Origin (Aramaic ...
/hebrew/3983.htm - 6k

565b. emrah -- utterance, speech, word
... utterance, speech, word. Transliteration: emrah Short Definition: word. Word Origin
from amar Definition utterance, speech, word NASB Word Usage word (1). ...
/hebrew/565b.htm - 5k

562. omer -- promise, speech, thing, word
... promise, speech, thing, word. Transliteration: omer Phonetic Spelling: (o'-mer)
Short Definition: promise. Word Origin see emer. promise, speech, thing, word ...
/hebrew/562.htm - 5k