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koun´te-nans:
(1) The noun (see also under the word FACE) is the translation of a variety of Hebrew and Greek expressions, ×¤Ö¼× ×™×, paÌ„nı̄m; Ï€ÏοÌσωπον, proÌsoÌ„pon, being the most frequent. Besides these there are found מר××”, mar'eh, “appearance,†“shape,†“comeliness,†“visage,†עין, ‛ayı̄n, “the eye,†תּ×ר, toÌ„'ar, “appearance,†“figure,†etc., and Aramaic זיו, zı̄w. To the Oriental the countenance mirrors, even more than to us, the character and feelings of the heart. The countenance (mar'eh is “fair†(; ; ); in , literally, “fair of eyesâ€; “comely†(); “beautiful†‛toÌ„'ar, ); “cheerful†(paÌ„nı̄m, ); “angry†(); “fierce†(); “troubled†(); “sad†(; , ; ). The countenance is “sharpened†i.e. made keen (); it “falls,†i.e. looks despondent, disappointed (, ); is “cast down†(); “changed†(; compare “altered†into glory, ; , , ; , Aramaic zı̄w). To settle one's countenance stedfastly upon a person () is synonymous with staring or gazing at a person. Not infrequently we find compound expressions such as “light of countenance,†i.e. favor (; ; ; ; ); health of countenance†(; ); “help of countenance†(); “rebuke of countenance†(); “pride of countenance†(Hebrew 'aph, literally, “haughty,†“lofty nose,†).
(2) As verb (Hebrew הדר, haÌ„dhar, “to countenanceâ€) we find the word in the King James Version of , where the Revisers translate “Neither shalt thou favor (the King James Version “countenanceâ€) a poor man in his cause.†Here the meaning seems to be that no distinction of persons shall be made by the judge. See , where, however, a different word is used. There is therefore no need of the emendation proposed by Knobel and accepted by Kautzsch, who would read גּדל, gaÌ„dhoÌ„l, “great,†for ודל, wedhaÌ„l, “and the poor†of the text. The Septuagint has πεÌνης, peÌneÌ„s, “poor.â€