The meaning of Exercise in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
ek'-ser-siz ('asah; gumnazo, poieo) : "Exercise" (meaning originally, "to drive or thrust out") has different shades of meaning: It means (1) "to do," "to put into action" (Jeremiah 9:24, 'asah, "to do," "Yahweh who exerciseth lovingkindness"; Revelation 13:12, poieo, "to do," "He exerciseth all the authority of the first"; Tobit 12:9, the Revised Version (British and American) "do"); (2) with violence implied, gazal, "to take away violently," "have exercised robbery" (Ezekiel 22:29); "to act habitually" (Psalms 131:1, halakh, "to walk," "Neither do I exercise myself in great matters" the Revised Version, margin "walk"; Acts 24:16, askeo, "to work up"; compare 2 Esdras 15:8; Ecclesiasticus 50:28); (3) "to train" or "discipline," gumnazo, "to use exercise," "to train up" (I Timothy 4:7, "Exercise thyself unto godliness"; Hebrews 5:14; Hebrews 12:11; II Peter 2:14; compare 1 Macc 6:30; 2 Macc 15:12); (4) "to afflict (Ecclesiastes 1:13; Ecclesiastes 3:10, 'anah, "to be afflicted," "exercised therewith," "exercised in it"); in Matthew 20:25; Mark 10:42, katakurieuo, "to lord it over," and katexousiazo, "to exercise authority," are translated respectively "exercise dominion" and "exercise authority," the English Revised Version "lord it over" and "exercise authority"; in Luke 22:25, the Greek words are kurieuo, "to be lord over" and exousiazo, "to have power or authority over," the Revised Version (British and American) "have lordship," "have authority." In I Timothy 4:8 the noun, gumnasia, meaning gymnastic exercise, occurs (somatike gumnasia), translated "bodily exercise," contrasted with "exercise unto godliness," the Revised Version (British and American) "For bodily exercise is profitable for a little (m "for little"); but godliness is profitable for all things," a saying to which the youth of all times would do well to give heed. In 2 Macc 4:9, Jason is said to have set up "a place of exercise" (gumnasion) in Jerusalem. In I Peter 5:2 the Revised Version (British and American), "exercising the oversight" is substituted for "taking the oversight."
W. L. Walker
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