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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia: New; Newness
Subjects in this Topic:
nuÌ„, nū´nes (חדש×, hÌ£aÌ„dhaÌ„sh; καινοÌÏ‚, kainoÌs, νεÌος, neÌos):
1. In the Old Testament:
The word commonly translated “new†in the Old Testament is hÌ£aÌ„dhaÌ„sh, “bright,†“fresh,†“new†(special interest was shown in, and importance attached to, fresh and new things and events); ; ; ; ; ; ; , “a new songâ€; , “new covenantâ€; , “a new spiritâ€; “new heartâ€; , etc.; hÌ£oÌ„dhesh is “the new moon,†“the new-moon day,†the first of the lunar month, a festival, then “month†(, “a month of daysâ€); it occurs frequently, often translated “monthâ€; we have “new moon†(, , , etc.); tı̄roÌ„sh is “new (sweet) wine†(; in ; , it is ‛aÌ„sis, the Revised Version (British and American) “sweet wineâ€); in , “new wine†is gleuÌkos.
Other words in the Old Testament for “new†are hÌ£ădhath, Aramaic (); tÌ£aÌ„rı̄, “fresh†(, the Revised Version (British and American) “a fresh jawbone of an assâ€); berı̄'ah, a “creation†(, “if Yahweh make a new thing,†the Revised Version margin “create a creationâ€); baÌ„khar, “to be first-fruits†(; so the Revised Version margin); kÌ£uÌ„m, “setting,†is translated “newly†(); also mikÌ£kÌ£aÌ„roÌ„bh, “recently†(, the Revised Version (British and American) “of late “); news is shermū‛aÌ„h, “report,†“tidingsâ€; , “good news from a far country.â€
2. In the New Testament:
In the New Testament “new†(mostly kainos, “new,†“fresh,†“newly madeâ€) is an important word. We have the title of the “New Testament†itself, rightly given by the American Standard Revised Version as “New Covenant,†the designation of “the new dispensation†ushered in through Christ, the writings relating to which the volume contains. We have “new covenant†(kainos) in , “This cup is the new covenant in my blood†(the English Revised Version margin “testamentâ€; in ; , “new†is omitted in the Revised Version (British and American), but in Matthew the margin “many ancient authorities insert new,†and in Mark “some ancient authoritiesâ€); , the English Revised Version margin “or testamentâ€; , the English Revised Version margin “or testamentâ€; , the English Revised Version margin “or testamentâ€; in , “covenant†is supplied (compare , neos).
Corresponding to this, we have (, the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American)), “The old things have passed away; behold, they are become newâ€: ibid., “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature,†the Revised Version margin “there is a new creationâ€; , margin “or creation,†“new man†(; ; (neos)); “new commandment†(); “new doctrine†(); “new thing†(); “newness of life†(kainoÌtes) (); “newness of the spirit†(; compare ); “a new name,†(; ), “new heavens and a new earth†(); “new Jerusalem†(; ); “new song†(); compare “new friend†and “new wine†(Sirach 9:10b,c); artigeÌnneÌ„tos, “newborn†(); proÌsphatos, “newly slain,†“new†(, the Revised Version (British and American) “a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his fleshâ€; compare Sirach 9:10a; Judith 4:3); “new†is the translation of neos, “new,†“young†(; ; “new manâ€; , “new covenantâ€).
The difference in meaning between kainos and neos, is, in the main, that kainos denotes new in respect of quality, “the new as set over against that which has seen service, the outworn, the effete, or marred through ageâ€; neos, “new (in respect of time), that which has recently come into existence,†e.g. kainoÌn mneÌ„meıÌon, the “new tomb†in which Jesus was laid, was not one recently made, but one in which no other dead had ever lain; the “new covenant,†the “new man,†etc., may be contemplated under both aspects of quality and of time (Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament, 209 f).
In ; , aÌgnaphos, “unsmoothed,†“unfinished,†is translated “new,†“new cloth,†the Revised Version (British and American) “undressed.†For “new bottles†( and parallels), the Revised Version (British and American) has “fresh wine-skins.â€