The meaning of Former in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
for'-mer: The word in the sense of "maker," "framer," occurs only in Jeremiah 51:19, "He is the former (from yatsar, "to form") of all things." The adjective, in the sense of preceding in the order of time, is commonly in Hob the translation of ri'shon, "first," "foremost" (Genesis 40:13; Numbers 21:26; Deuteronomy 24:4, etc.); in Greek of proteros (Ephesians 4:22; Hebrews 10:32; I Peter 1:14); and in two cases (Acts 1:1; Revelation 21:4) of protos, where the Revised Version (British and American) has (in Acts in the margin) "the first." As denoting place or position the word occurs in the Old Testament in Zechariah 14:8, "the former sea" as translation of qadhmoni, "in front," where the Revised Version (British and American) has "eastern," i.e. the Dead Sea, in contrast with the Mediterranean, or western sea (compare Ezekiel 47:18; Joel 2:20). For "former iniquities" (Psalms 79:8) the Revised Version (British and American) has simply "the iniquities"; Other changes may be seen in Numbers 6:12; Isaiah 65:7; Ezekiel 36:11; Micah 4:8; Haggai 2:3.
W. L. Walker
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