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pled: In modern non-legal English is a synonym of “pray†or “beseech,†but in legal phraseology “plea,†“plead,†and “pleading†have a great variety of technical meanings, with “present a case before the court†as the idea common to all. All the uses of “plead†in English Versions of the Bible are connected with this legal sense, so that outside of the set phrase “plead a cause†(, etc.) there is hardly a use of the word in the King James Version, the English Revised Version, or the American Standard Revised Version that is clear modern English The most obscure instances are due to The King James Version's employment of “plead†to translate the niphal of ש×פט, shaÌ„phatÌ£. ShaÌ„phatÌ£ means “judge,†so its niphal means “bring oneself into a case to be judged,†“enter into controversy with,†and so “plead†in the legal sense. Hence, “None pleadeth in truth†() means “none of their lawsuits are honest.†Accordingly, when God is said to “plead with†man ( the King James Version, the English Revised Version, etc.), the meaning is that God states His side of the case and not at all that He supplicates man to repent. And this statement by God is a judicial act that of course admits of no reply. Hence, the Revised Version (British and American) has changed “plead with†into “enter into judgment with†in , and the American Standard Revised Version has carried this change into all the other passages (; ; , ; ), with “execute judgment†in ; . The same verb form occurs also in : “Let us plead together,†where “Let us present our arguments on both sides†would be a fair paraphrase. Otherwise “plead†usually represents ריב, rı̄bh, for which the Revised Version (British and American) gives “strive†in place of “plead†in , and “contend†in ; (the American Standard Revised Version also in , ; ; ; ; , retaining “plead†only in and in the phrase “plead a causeâ€). ×™×›×—, yaÌ„khahÌ£, is rendered “plead†in (“plead against me my reproach,†where the meaning is “convict me ofâ€), in the King James Version and the English Revised Version (the American Standard Revised Version “contendâ€), and the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) “maintain the rightâ€). “Plead†is used also for דּין, dı̄n, in and the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) “minister justice toâ€), and the Revised Version (British and American) (the King James Version “judgeâ€; compare , the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) “judgeâ€). the Revised Version (British and American) would have done vastly better if the use of “plead†had been avoided altogether.
Pleadings (i.e. “argumentsâ€) occurs in (for rı̄bh), and “plea†(dı̄n, in a specific legal sense) in . the King James Version uses “implead†in for ἐγκαλεÌω, egkaleÌoÌ„, the Revised Version (British and American) “accuse,†literally, “call into courtâ€; compare also “pleaded the cause†in 2 Macc 4:44 (literally, “argued the caseâ€) and 4:47, the Revised Version (British and American) “pleaded†(literally, “spoken,†the King James Version “told their causeâ€).