The meaning of Lay; Laying in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
la, la'-ing: (1) sim, "to put," and the Greek equivalent, tithemi, are very frequently translated by "to lay." the Revised Version (British and American) very often changes the King James Version rendering of sim, but never that of tithemi: I Samuel 15:2, "how he set himself against him in the way" (the King James Version "he laid wait for him"); II Kings 11:16, "So they made way for her" (the King James Version "And they laid hands on her"); compare II Chronicles 23:15; Job 24:12, "God regardeth not the folly" (the King James Version "God layeth not folly"); Job 34:23, "For he needeth not further to consider a man" (the King James Version "For he will not lay upon man more"); Isaiah 28:17, "And I will make justice the line" (the King James Version "Judgment also will I lay to the line"); Job 17:3, "Give now a pledge" (the King James Version "Lay down now"). (2) nathan, literally, "to give," is very commonly translated by "to lay." the Revised Version (British and American) changes the translation of the King James Version in Ezekiel 4:5, "I have appointed"; Ezekiel 33:28 f., "I will make the land a desolation" (the King James Version "I will lay the land most desolate"). (3) "To lay" of the King James Version is frequently rendered differently in the Revised Version (British and American); Isaiah 54:11, "I will set thy stones" (the King James Version "lay thy stones"); Deuteronomy 29:22, "the sicknesses wherewith Yahweh hath made it sick" (the King James Version "sicknesses which the Lord hath laid upon"). For other differences of the Revised Version (British and American) and the King James Version compare Deuteronomy 21:8; II Kings 9:25 m; II Kings 12:11; Ezra 8:31; Psalms 104:5 m; Isaiah 53:6; Jeremiah 5:26; Mark 7:8; Luke 19:44; James 1:21; I Peter 2:1. In most of these passages the change of the Revised Version (British and American) is due to the peculiar use of the word "to lay" in the King James Version. The following expressions are found very frequently: "to lay hands on," "to lay wait," "to lay up," "to lay aside," "to lay upon," "to lay down," etc.
"Laying of wait," the King James Version, is rendered "lying in wait" in Numbers 35:20 ff.; Acts 9:24 reads: "But their plot became known" (the King James Version "But their laying await was known"). The "laying on of hands" is a very general expression.
See HANDS, IMPOSITION, LAYING ON OF.
A. L. Breslich
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