The meaning of Guide in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
gid ('alluph, nachal, nachah; hodegos, hodegeo): "Guide" (noun) is the translation of 'alluph, "an intimate," "a friend," the leader of a family or tribe: Psalms 55:13, "a man mine equal, my guide," the Revised Version (British and American) "my companion"; Proverbs 2:17, "the guide of her youth," the Revised Version (British and American) "friend," margin "or guide"; Jeremiah 3:4, "My father, thou (art) the guide of my youth," the Revised Version, margin "companion"; Micah 7:5, "Put ye not confidence in a guide," the American Standard Revised Version "in a friend," margin "confidant" (which the context shows to be the meaning), the English Revised Version "guide," margin "familiar friend"; once of katsin, "a judge," "a military leader or commander" (compare Joshua 10:24; Daniel 11:18); Proverbs 6:7, the Revised Version (British and American) "chief," margin "judge"; once nahagh, "to lead," is translated "guide" (Psalms 48:14). In the New Testament hodegos, "a way-leader," is translated "guide" (Matthew 23:16, "ye blind guides"; Matthew 23:24; Acts 1:16; Romans 2:19); "to guide" is the translation of nachah, "to lead forth" (Job 38:32; Psalms 73:24); once of 'ashar, Piel, "to guide" or "lead straight (Proverbs 23:19); of ya'ats, "to command," "to give counsel" ("I will guide thee with mine eye," the Revised Version (British and American) "I will counsel thee with mine eye upon thee," Psalms 32:8); of kul, "to contain," "to sustain" (Psalms 112:5, "He will guide his affairs with discretion," the Revised Version (British and American) "He shall maintain his cause in judgment"); of nahagh, "to drive," "to lead" (Psalms 78:52); of hodegeo, "to show the way," "guide" (John 16:13, "He shall guide you into all truth," the Revised Version (British and American) "the truth"; Acts 8:31); oikodespoteo is translated "to guide the house" the Revised Version (British and American) "rule the household" (I Timothy 5:14); the word means literally, to be a house-master (the head of the house).
The Revised Version (British and American) has "guide" for "lead" (Psalms 25:5; Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39; Revelation 7:17); "a guide to" for "more excellent than" (Proverbs 12:26); "guided" for "brought in" (Psalms 78:26); "guideth" for "maketh" (II Samuel 22:33), for "leadeth" (Psalms 23:3); "my heart yet guiding me," margin "holding its course," for "yet acquainting mine heart" (Ecclesiastes 2:3).
"Guide-posts" is substituted for "high heaps" (Jeremiah 31:21).
W. L. Walker
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