Prautaes

Maurice A. O'Sullivan mauros at iol.ie
Thu Sep 16 19:37:36 EDT 1999


Here's an excerpt from Vine's Expository Dictionary --- which of course is 
also a Logos book <g>
[ forgive the failure to adopt the B-GREEK transcription -- this is how it 
cut and pasted ]

1.      PRAUèTE÷S, or PRAOTES, an earlier form, (prau>th", (4240)) denotes 
meekness. In its use in Scripture, in which it has a fuller, deeper 
significance than in non–scriptural Greek writings, it consists not in a 
person’s “outward behaviour only; nor yet in his relations to his 
fellow–men; as little in his mere natural disposition. Rather it is an 
inwrought grace of the soul; and the exercises of it are first and chiefly 
towards God. It is that temper of spirit in which we accept His dealings 
with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting; it is 
closely linked with the word tapeinophrosuneµ [humility], and follows 
directly upon it, Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:12; cp. the adjectives in the Sept. of 
Zeph. 3:12, “meek and lowly;” 
 it is only the humble heart which is also 
the meek, and which, as such, does not fight against God and more or less 
struggle and contend with Him. This meekness, however, being first of all a 
meekness before God, is also such in the face of men, even of evil men, out 
of a sense that these, with the insults and injuries which they may 
inflict, are permitted and employed by Him for the chastening and purifying 
of His elect” (Trench, Syn. § xlii). In Gal. 5:23 it is associated with 
enkrateia, self–control.
The meaning of prau¬teµs “is not readily expressed in English, for the 
terms meekness, mildness, commonly used, suggest weakness and pusillanimity 
to a greater or less extent, whereas prau¬teµs does nothing of the kind. 
Nevertheless, it is difficult to find a rendering less open to objection 
than ‘meekness;’ ‘gentleness’ has been suggested, but as prau¬teµs 
describes a condition of mind and heart, and as ‘gentleness’ is appropriate 
rather to actions, this word is no better than that used in both English 
Versions. It must be clearly understood, therefore, that the meekness 
manifested by the Lord and commended to the believer is the fruit of power. 
The common assumption is that when a man is meek it is because he cannot 
help himself; but the Lord was ‘meek’ because he had the infinite resources 
of God at His command. Described negatively, meekness is the opposite to 
self–assertiveness and self–interest; it is equanimity of spirit that is 
neither elated nor cast down, simply because it is not occupied with self 
at all.!
Vine, W. E., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 
(Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell) 1981.

.............and much more !
Maurice





At 14:29 16/09/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Question on the word prautaes
>used in these verses 1 Co. 4:21     2 Co. 10:1    Gal. 5:23    Gal. 6:1
>Eph. 4:2    Col. 3:12
>2 Tim. 2:25    Tit. 3:2      Jas. 1:21     Jas. 3:13   1 Pet. 3:16
>
>In her devotions, my wife ran across an article on meekness which claims
>that this word comes from the description of a powerful stallion
>responding to the gentle signals of his master. I can't find any support
>for this claim. Is anyone familiar with they etymology of this word?  Can
>you help me here?  Even better, can you turn me on to some sources which
>would give me a deeper insight into words like this than I'm able to
>acquire through my existing sources (Bible Works/Logos)?
>
>Thank you so much!
>
>
>David Bielby
>dbielby at juno.com
>
>---
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Maurice A. O'Sullivan  [ Bray, Ireland ]
mauros at iol.ie





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