Basic HTML Version
$
(
A
, 3642), lit., “small-souled” (
, “small,”
$
, “the
soul”), denotes “despondent”; then, “fainthearted,” 1 Thess. 5:14,
RV
, for the incorrect
KJV
, “feeble-minded.” ¶ In the Sept., similarly, in a good sense, Isa. 57:15, “who giveth
endurance to the fainthearted,” for
RV
, “to revive the spirit of the humble”; in a bad sense,
Prov. 18:14, “who can endure a fainthearted man?”
FAIR
1.
(
, 791), lit., “of the city” (from
$
, “a city”; like Lat.
$ $
,
from
$
, “a city”; Eng., “urbane”; similarly, “polite,” from
, “a town”), hence,
“fair, elegant” (used in the papyri writings of clothing), is said of the external form of a
child, Acts 7:20, of Moses “(exceeding) fair,” lit., “fair to God”; Heb. 11:23 (
RV
,
“goodly,”
KJV
, “proper”). See
BEAUTIFUL
,
GOODLY
,
Note
.¶
2.
$
(
' &
, 2105) denotes “fair weather,” Matt. 16:2, from
$
, “calm”; from
$
, “good,” and
, “divine,” among the pagan Greeks, akin to the name for the god
Zeus, or Jupiter. Some would derive
4
and the Latin
$
(god) and
(day) from a
root meaning “bright.” Cf. the Latin
$
2
, “under a bright, open sky.”¶
3.
(
, 2570), “beautiful, fair, in appearance,” is used as part of the proper
name, Fair Havens, Acts 27:8. See
BETTER
,
GOOD
.
Notes:
(1) In Rom. 16:18
$
, which generally signifies “blessing,” is used in its
more literal sense, “fair speech,” i.e., a fine style of utterance, giving the appearance of
reasonableness.
(2) In Gal. 6:12 the verb
$
, “to look well,” lit., “to be fair of face” (
$
,
“well,” and
, “a face”), signifies “to make a fair or plausible show,” used there
metaphorically of making a display of religious zeal.
FAITH
(
&
, 4102), primarily, “firm persuasion,” a conviction based upon hearing
(akin to
, “to persuade”), is used in the NT always of “faith in God or Christ, or
things spiritual.”
The word is used of (a) trust, e.g., Rom. 3:25 [see
Note
(4) below]; 1 Cor. 2:5; 15:14,
17; 2 Cor. 1:24; Gal. 3:23 [see
Note
(5) below]; Phil. 1:25; 2:17; 1 Thess. 3:2; 2 Thess.
1:3; 3:2; (b) trust-worthiness, e.g., Matt. 23:23; Rom. 3:3,
RV
, “the faithfulness of God”;
Gal. 5:22 (
RV
, “faithfulness”); Titus 2:10, “fidelity”; (c) by metonymy, what is believed,
the contents of belief, the “faith,” Acts 6:7; 14:22; Gal. 1:23; 3:25 [contrast 3:23, under
(a)]; 6:10; Phil. 1:27; 1 Thess. 3:10; Jude 3, 20 (and perhaps 2 Thess. 3:2); (d) a ground
for “faith,” an assurance, Acts 17:31 (not as in
KJV
, marg., “offered faith”); (e) a pledge
of fidelity, plighted “faith,” 1 Tim. 5:12.
The main elements in “faith” in its relation to the invisible God, as distinct from
“faith” in man, are especially brought out in the use of this noun and the corresponding
verb,
$
; they are (1) a firm conviction, producing a full acknowledgement of God’s
revelation or truth, e.g., 2 Thess. 2:11-12; (2) a personal surrender to Him, John 1:12; (3)
a conduct inspired by such surrender, 2 Cor. 5:7. Prominence is given to one or other of