The meaning of Freely in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)

fre'-li (chinnam, nedhabhah; dorean parrhesiazomai): "Freely" occurs in three senses:ts two slightly different words. In I Corinthians 7:22 the word is apeleutheros, "a freeman," one who was born a slave and has received freedom. In this case it refers to spiritual freedom. He that was in bondage to sin has been presented with spiritual freedom by the Lord. In Revelation 6:15 the word is simply eleutheros, "a free man" as opposed to a slave.

(1) Gratis, for nothing (Numbers 11:5, chinnam, "for nought," "the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely," the Revised Version (British and American) "for nought"); Matthew 10:8, dorean, "Freely ye have received, freely give," the Revised Version (British and American) omits "have"; Romans 3:24, "being justified freely by his grace"; II Corinthians 11:7, "I have preached to you the gospel freely," the Revised Version (British and American) "for nought"; Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:17, "Take the water of life freely"; charizomai (Romans 8:32) is translated "freely give," ta charisthenta (I Corinthians 2:12), "the things that are freely given," the American Standard Revised Version has "were" for "are."

(2) Willingly, spontaneously: nedhabhah, "willing offering" (Psalms 54:6, "I will freely sacrifice unto thee," the Revised Version (British and American) "with a freewill-offering"; Hosea 14:4, "I will love them freely"); nadhabh, "to give willingly' (Ezra 2:68, the Revised Version (British and American) "willingly offered"; compare Ezra 1:6); nedabh Aramaic (Ezra 7:15; compare Ezra 7:13, Ezra 7:16).

(3) Without hindrance or restraint, 'akhal, "to eat" is rendered in Genesis 2:16, "Thou mayest freely eat," the King James Version margin" Hebrew, eating thou shalt eat"; I Samuel 14:30, "if .... the people had eaten freely"; parrhesiazomai, "to speak freely, openly, boldly" (Acts 26:26, "Unto whom also I speak freely"); meta parrhesias, "with full speech" (Acts 2:29, "I may say unto you freely").

Revised Version has "have drunk freely" for "well drunk" (John 2:10). The word is methusko, Pass. "to become drunk." Comparison with Luke 12:45; Ephesians 5:18; I Thessalonians 5:7; Revelation 17:2, where the same word is translated the King James Version "made drunk," the Revised Version (British and American) "made drunken" (Matthew 24:49; Acts 2:15; I Corinthians 11:21; Revelation 17:6, "drunken"), will show that the meaning is "drunk," which was the rendering of Tyndale and Cranmer; Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 AD) has cum inebriati fuerint; Plummer renders "have become drunk, are drunk."

W. L. Walker

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