Topic
Mean
37 passages cited, from 1 classic reference work.
These works date from 1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Genesis 21:29ISBE
And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
- Genesis 50:20ISBE
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
- Exodus 12:26ISBE
And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
- 1 Samuel 4:6ISBE
And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.
- 1 Kings 10:29ISBE
And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.
- 1 Kings 18:45ISBE
And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
- Proverbs 6:26ISBE
For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
- Proverbs 22:29ISBE
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
- Isaiah 2:9ISBE
And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.
- Isaiah 3:15ISBE
What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.
- Isaiah 5:15ISBE
And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:
- Isaiah 10:7ISBE
Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
Show 25 more
- Isaiah 31:8 ISBE
- Daniel 8:15 ISBE
- Wisdom of Solomon 8:13 ISBE
- 1 Maccabees 11:14 ISBE
- 1 Maccabees 11:41 ISBE
- 1 Maccabees 15:4 ISBE
- 1 Maccabees 15:15 ISBE
- 2 Maccabees 15:38 ISBE
- Matthew 9:13 ISBE
- Luke 8:36 ISBE
- Luke 12:1 ISBE
- Luke 15:26 ISBE
- John 4:31 ISBE
- John 9:21 ISBE
- Acts 18:21 ISBE
- Acts 21:13 ISBE
- Acts 21:39 ISBE
- Acts 27:2 ISBE
- Romans 2:15 ISBE
- 1 Corinthians 14:11 ISBE
- 2 Corinthians 8:13 ISBE
- 2 Thessalonians 2:3 ISBE
- 2 Thessalonians 3:16 ISBE
- Hebrews 9:15 ISBE
- Revelation 13:14 ISBE
In the reference works
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 37 references
men: The noun "meaning" (Da 8:15 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "I sought to understand"; and 1Co 14:11) is synonymous with "signification" but in 1 Macc 15:4 the King James Version it expresses "purpose" (the Revised Version (British and American) "I am minded to land"). The noun "mean" in Hebrew always occurs in the plural, and is generally used in the sense of "agency," "instrument" (compare 1Ki 10:29, etc.). the Revised Version (British and American) very frequently changes, King James Version: The Wisdom of Solomon 8:13, "because of her"; 2Th 2:3, "in any wise"; Lu 8:36, "how"; Pr 6:26, "on account of"; Re 13:14, "by reason of" (compare also 2Th 3:16; Joh 9:21). Heb 9:15 (the King James Version "that by means of death") translates literally, "that a death having taken place," from ginomai, "to become," "to happen." Ac 18:21 the King James Version, "I must by all means keep this feast," is omitted in the Revised Version (British and American) in harmony with several cursives, the Vulgate, and some other versions
The adjective "mean" is used in the sense of "common," "humble" ('adham, "man"; compare Isa 2:9; 5:15; 31:8 omits "mean"). It is also used in the sense of "obscure" (Pr 22:29, chashokh, "obscure"; asemos, literally, "without a mark," "unknown," Ac 21:39). "Mean" is found in expressions like "in the meanwhile" (the King James Version 1Ki 18:45, the Revised Version (British and American) "little while"; Joh 4:31; Ro 2:15, the Revised Version (British and American) "one with another"); "in the meantime" (1 Macc 11:41 the King James Version; Lu 12:1); and "in the mean season" the King James Version (1 Macc 11:14; 15:15). The adverb "meanly" is found (2 Macc 15:38) in the sense of "moderately."
The verb "mean" expresses purpose (Isa 3:15; 10:7; Ge 50:20, etc.). In some cases the Revised Version (British and American) renders literal translation: Ac 27:2, "was about to sail" (the King James Version "meaning to sail"); compare Ac 21:13; 2Co 8:13. In other instances the idea of "to mean" is "to signify," "to denote" (1Sa 4:6; Ge 21:29; Mt 9:13, etc.). Lu 15:26 translates literally, "what these things might be." In Ex 12:26 the sense of "mean ye" is "to have in mind."
A. L. Breslich
Texts: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.