Give

GIVE (nathan, yahabh, sum; didomi):

"Give" is a very common word in the Old Testament. It is most frequently the translation of nathan, "to give" (Genesis 1:29; 3:6; Exodus 2:9; Deuteronomy 18,20, etc., over 800 instances); nathan is also translated "to give up" (Deuteronomy 23:14; Isaiah 43:6; Hosea 11:8); of yahabh, "to give" (Genesis 30:1; 1 Chronicles 16:28 the King James Version). In Psalms 55:22 we have the perfect with suffix, "Cast thy burden upon Yahweh," margin "what he hath given thee"; elsewhere it is the imperative "Give!" (the King James Version in Gen, "Go to"); sum, "to put," "place" (Numbers 6:26; Proverbs 8:29); rum, "to lift up," "exalt" (2 Chronicles 30:24; 35:7,8,9, "to give to"); shubh, "to cause to turn back" (Leviticus 25:51,52; 2 Kings 17:3, "to give again"); various other words are in single instances translated "give."

In the New Testament, the common word is didomi, "to give" (Matthew 4:9; John 1:12; Revelation 1:1; 21:6, etc.); we have also apodidomi, "to give away (from one's self)" (Matthew 12:36; Luke 16:2; Acts 4:33; 19:40; Revelation 22:12); diadidomi, "to give throughout" (Revelation 17:13); epididomi, "to give upon or besides" (Matthew 7:9,10; John 13:26); metadidomi, "to give a share" (Romans 12:8); paradidomi, "to give over to" (Romans 1:28; 1 Corinthians 13:3; Galatians 2:20, etc.); prodidomi, "to give forth or foremost" (Romans 11:35); aponemo, "to apportion" (1 Peter 3:7); doreomai, "to give as a gift" (Mark 15:45, the Revised Version (British and American) "granted"; 2 Peter 1:3,4 the King James Version); martureo, "to give testimony or witness" (1John 5:10); pareisphero, "to bring forward therewith" (2 Peter 1:5); parecho, "to hold near by" (Colossians 4:1; 1 Timothy 6:17); kataphero, "to bear against or down" (Acts 26:10); charizomai, "to grant as a favor" (Luke 7:21; Acts 27:24; Romans 8:32; Galatians 3:18; Philippians 2:9; Philemon 1:22 the King James Version). A few other words mostly occurring singly are translated "give."

Of the many changes in the Revised Version (British and American), the following are among the most important:

for "Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies," "Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me" (2 Samuel 22:41; Psalms 18:40); for "He that made him can make his sword to approach unto him" (Job 40:19), the American Standard Revised Version has "He only that made him giveth him his sword," the English Revised Version, margin "furnished"; for "hasten after another god" (Psalms 16:4), the American Standard Revised Version has "give gifts for" (ERVm); for "give" (Psalms 29:1,2, etc.), the American Standard Revised Version has "ascribe"; for "give myself unto wine" (Ecclesiastes 2:3), "cheer my flesh with wine"; for "giveth his life" (John 10:11), "layeth down"; "given" is supplied (Acts 19:2), where we read instead of "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost," "We did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given," margin "there is a Holy Spirit"; for Christ shall give thee light" (Ephesians 5:14), "Christ shall shine upon thee"; for "give in charge" (1 Timothy 5:7), "command"; for "not given to wine" (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7), "no brawler," margin "not quarrelsome over wine"; for "she that liveth in pleasure" (1 Timothy 5:6), "giveth herself to"; for "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16), "Every scripture inspired of God," margin "Every scripture is inspired of God"; for "given to filthy lucre" (Titus 1:7), "greedy of"; in Hebrews 2:16, the American Standard Revised Version has "For verily not of angels doth he give help," margin "For verily not of angels doth he take hold, but he taketh hold," etc. (compare Isaiah 41:9; Ecclesiasticus 4:11; 8:9 (in the Greek) the English Revised Version, "not of angels doth he take hold") (the idea is that of taking hold of to lift up or help); in Ecclesiasticus 13:15 for "giving thanks to his name," the Revised Version (British and American) reads "make confession to his name"; for "giving all diligent" (2 Peter 1:5), "adding."

The prominence of "give" in the Bible reminds us that God is the great Giver (James 1:5), and of the words of the Lord Jesus, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35), "Freely ye received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8).

W. L. Walker

Copyright Statement

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Bibliography Information

Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'GIVE'".  "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia".  1915.