The meaning of Stay in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
sta: Is derived from two distinct forms. From one derivation it has the meaning "to stand" and so "to continue in one place" (Genesis 8:10; Leviticus 13:23, Leviticus 13:28, etc.), "to forbear to act" (Ruth 1:13), "to rest," "to be trustful" (King James Version, the English Revised Version Isaiah 10:20; see below). Transitively it means "to cause to stay," "to hinder" (Daniel 4:35, etc.), and "stay" as a noun means "cessation of progress"' (Leviticus 13:5, Leviticus 13:37), "sojourn." From the second derivation the verb means "to support" (Exodus 17:12; I Kings 22:35; Song of Solomon 2:5), while the noun means "a support" (I Kings 10:19; Isaiah 3:1, etc.). the American Standard Revised Version has judged obsolete "stay on" in the sense "trust in," and for "stay" has substituted "lean" in Isaiah 10:20 and "rely" in Isaiah 30:12; Isaiah 31:1; Isaiah 50:10, although "stay themselves upon" (= "support themselves by") has been kept in Isaiah 48:2. Otherwise the Revised Version (British and American) has made few alterations. But such as have been made ("tarry ye" for "stay yourselves" in Isaiah 29:9 and the American Standard Revised Version "restrain" for "stay" in Job 37:4) could have been carried farther with advantage.
Burton Scott Easton
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