In other words, adamant to zeitgeber

• adamant, adjective. Utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals, urgings, etc. (noun) any impenetrably or unyieldingly hard substance.
• cataract,  noun. A place in a river where the water falls to a lower level.
• chyron, noun. A digital text-based caption superimposed over usually the lower part of a video image (as during a news broadcast). Named after the Chyron Corporation, manufacturer of a character-generating device that created such captions.
• desultory, adjective. Leaping or skipping about; jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another.
• divagate, verb. To wander or drift about; ramble; digress; stray.
• dysania, noun. An extreme difficulty rising from bed or an inability to leave the bed.
• eidolon, noun. A likeness; phantom; apparition; a shade or specter; a confusing reflection or reflected image.
• exercise, verb. Do repeatedly, especially to improve.
• exorcise, verb. Free from evil spirits; cast out demons.
• idioglossia, noun. An invented language developed by an individual or a very small group of people (e.g.,  by children in close contact, such as twins).
• kritarchy (aka kritocracy), noun. A system of government characterized by rule by judges, especially the system of rule by Hebrew judges described in the Old Testament Bible.
• nudiustertian, adjective. Of or relating to the day before yesterday.
• pastrix, noun. Female who claims to be a pastor, a term usually used pejoratively by Christians who do not recognize female pastors, but embraced by some supporters of female pastors.
• pismire, noun. An ant; emmet.
• rückenfigur (or ruckenfigur), noun. A compositional device in painting (or photography and film) in which the subject is depicted from behind, typically facing away from the viewer to contemplate a distant scene (German, meaning “back-figure” or “figure from the back”).
• stupor, noun. The feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally; marginal consciousness.
• telluric, adjective. Of or pertaining to the earth; proceeding from the earth.
• torpor, noun. A state of mental or physical inactivity or insensibility; the dormant, inactive state of a hibernating or estivating animal.
• veridical, adjective. Truthful; veracious; showing what is true or real.
• zeitgeber, noun. An external stimulus or cue, such as daylight or a regularly repeated occurrence, that serves to regulate an organism’s biological clock.

Cottonpickin’ hands

Do not assume you know the conclusion if you do not read the entire post.

The extent of folks rewriting history and “playing the race card” has become a wearisome but regular part of “politics as usual.” When everything is about race, eventually nothing is about race. Enter a discussion between radio host Rich Herrera and Virginia Representative Jen Kiggans about U. S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries inserting himself into a state of Virginia problem. Hakeem Jeffries lives in New York and represents New York in the U. S. House of Representatives. Herrara suggested that if Jeffries wants to be involved in Virigina politics, he should move to Virginia and run for office. He continued, “If not, get your cottonpickin’ hands off of Virginia.” Kiggans agreed with this sentiment.[i]

The condemnation was swift and brutal, with Democrats asserting that Jen Kiggans should “apologize and resign” – for something she did not even say. Elaine Luria sang a high harmony part, claiming, “The racist comments proudly endorsed today by Jen Kiggans warning House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to ‘Get your cotton-picking hands off of Virginia’ are disgusting and beneath any elected official. I grew up in the South. I know what these racist dog whistles mean.” I did a little checking. Reperesentative Luria did grow up in the South, but that doesn’t make her any kind of expert on this subject. Her age, where she lived, that she attended a private school – and the content of what she said – makes me initially think that she does not know anything about picking cotton (or probably farming in general).

Unfortunately, Kiggans partly bought the lie. After complaining about the Democrats divisive tactics, she said, “The radio host should not have used that language and I do not — and did not — condone it. It was obvious to anyone listening that I was agreeing Hakeem Jeffries should stay out of Virginia.”

There is nothing wrong with “cottonpickin’ hands” and nothing specifically racist about the term “cottonpickin’ hands.” In the particular context, this is political theatre. If there are any racists likely involved – the real racists are the ones who apply their own prejudice in assuming that only black Americans picked cotton.

I expect the people who are most “enraged” by this actually know nothing about picking cotton (and probably could care less). Cotton was the “cash crop” of our Rusk County community. The children of all farming families picked cotton. “Cotton-pickin’ hands” was a common expression.[ii] It had nothing to do with the color of the person whose hands were picking cotton. The origin relies on the state of what the hands looked like after a day of picking cotton (often dirty, cut, and bleeding). It was a common rebuke for children. We were told, “Get your cottonpickin hands out of that,” or “Keep your cottonpickin hands off of that.” This is not to say that no one might or could use it with a racist connotation, but simply to acknowledge the fact that it is not inherently racist. Even if you believe the origins were racist – which requires accepting that prejudice that only black Americans picked cotton – it is still a silly accusation, like claiming the atheist who just told you good-bye has just turned into a theist because the origin of “good-bye” is “God be with you.”

Politicians are gonna politic, and I don’t suppose there is any cure for that! For Christians, I think we can “one another” from two directions.

• On the one hand, don’t “make a man an offender for a word” (Isaiah 29:21). If someone does not mean something offensive, don’t take it as or make it offensive.[iii]
• On the other hand, if a thing that is innocuous and allowable “make my brother to offend” (1 Corinthians 8:13), we can choose to leave it off as a matter of liberty.[iv]

Provoked partisan politicians should not be our examples. Brothers and sisters in Christ working together in love on the two suggestions above will likely come out alright in the end.

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[i] And so do I. There is far too much outside meddling in the internal politics and policies of states. And it is not just a Democrat problem. Republicans do it too. Additionally, heating this up as a race issue exposes the weak overall position of the opposers of the Virginia Supreme Court ruling.
[ii] “Picking cotton” (as opposed to pulling the bolls) consisted of picking the cotton out of the boll as opposed to pulling the boll off the plant, with sharp hard edges often scraping and cutting the picker’s hands and fingers. “Cottonpickin hands” usually developed some calluses over time. In explaining the terminology, Michael Schwarz wrote, “The slang adjective ‘cottonpickin’ means ‘damned’ or ‘confounded.’ No sane person in 2026 believes that it has anything to do with the enslaved people who harvested the cash crop of the antebellum South.” I think Schwarz makes two mistakes. First, in seeming to accept that only enslaved people picked cotton in the antebellum South. Second, in relying solely on Dictionary.com for his definition. As someone who grew up regularly hearing the expression, and accepting that it is a euphemism, I do not think people necessarily meant “damned” or “confounded.” Probably more often it was considered an intensifier of dirty or defiled. Another colloquial saying derived from cotton-picking culture is “fair to middling” – a quality grading of cotton (middling being the average). This became a general expression for something that was average, sort of okay but not that great – and also for how a person feels. Another more general farm colloquialism meaning roughly the same as “cotton-pickin’ hands” is “pea-pickin hands.”
[iii] “Just because you are offended doesn’t mean that you’ve been wronged,” Keith Foskey
[iv] In this, I mean things that we are at liberty to do or not do (such as eating meat, in the context of 1 Corinthians 8). When it comes to obeying God, we must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29) – regardless of who might be offended. Let us carefully judge our motives in all things.

Words we used to say

A few years ago, I got to thinking about words and phrases we used to say. Not always words I said, but words I heard in the community and area where I grew up – and don’t hear too much anymore. Elsewhere some may have never used them, and some may still do.

• Divan (a sofa, couch)
• Gallery (pronounced “gal-ree,” a porch, the front porch in particular)
• Galluses (Suspenders)
• El-um (the tree)
• Sword (say it all, don’t waste the “w”)
• Chimlee or perhaps Chimblee (the vent on your fireplace)
• Chesterdrawers (Chest-O-Drawers)
• Directly (pronounced dreckly; meaning soon or shortly, “I’ll be there dreckly.”)
• Do tell (not asking someone to tell something, but mildly expressing surprise)
• I have a bone to pick with you (didn’t want to hear Mother say this)
• Jubus (pronounced jew-bus). Used as in: “sounds kind of jubus to me” meaning one is skeptical of he or she just heard. It may be a corruption of “dubious,” and may not technically be an actual word.
• Mess of (lot of; large amount)
• Pure-dee (complete; genuine; without any impurities)
• Settee (wooden bench with a back)
• Stove up (have sore joints or muscles)
• Skedaddle (get a move on out of here)
• Touchous (used to describe someone who is overly sensitive, or we might use fractious to say they are hard to get along with)
• Tump over (spill; turn over; knock over)
• You’re better paid (thanks)
• Wampus cat (a frightening but apparently mythical creature in tales people tell)
• Words ending in “a” vowel changed to a hard “r” sound, especially but not only names (Stella becomes Steller, Ella becomes Eller, and Sarah can even become Saer-er; Potato becomes Potater, or usually Tater; Tomato becomes Tomater/Mater; and China becomes Chiner). Not sure whether this might be a Tennessee dialect. A lot of our community had Tennessee roots.

Ever hear any of these? Have some to add?

In other words, aboulia to vying

• aboulia (also abulia), noun. A pathological inability to make decisions.
• aesthete, noun. A person who has or professes to have refined sensitivity toward the beauties of art or nature.
• aseity, noun. (Theology, Metaphysics) Existence originating from and having no source other than itself; self-existence (from Latin a ‘from’ and se ‘self’ + -ity, a suffix of state, condition, or quality).
• catena, noun. A connected series of related things; (Theology) a connected series of texts written by early Christian theologians (from the Latin, meaning “chain”).
• circumambient, adjective. Ascribing to all aspects of; encompassing; surrounding.
• cognomen, noun. Name; surname; any name, especially a nickname.
• concatenation, noun. A series of things depending on each other as if linked together; the state of being linked together as in a chain; union in a linked series.
• desideratum, noun. Something considered essential, necessary, or highly desirable.
• froth, noun. Bubbles formed in or on a liquid; foam.
• froth, verb. To foam at the mouth; to cause to foam.
• frother, noun. A device for making liquid, especially milk for coffee, frothy (that is, full of small air bubbles).
• gallimaufry, noun. A confused medley, jumble, hodgepodge; also, a type of stew or hash.
• gauche, noun. Lacking grace and perceptivity in social situations; tactless; socially awkward (from French, meaning “left”).
• gaucho, noun. A cowboy of the South American pampas; (pl.) Calf-length pants with flared legs (from South American Spanish, meaning “comrade”).
• hospo, noun. (Australian and New Zealand slang). The hospitality industry.
• inspissate, verb. Become thick or thicker; make thick.
• ludic, adjective, Of or pertaining to play; playful; lively and full of fun.
• minatory, adjective. Of a menacing or threatening nature; minacious.
• minority, noun. The smaller in number of two groups forming a whole.
• myrmidon, noun. A soldier or a subordinate civil officer who executes orders of a superior without protest or pity.
• propaganda, noun. Ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one’s cause or to damage an opposing cause; (Roman Catholic) A committee of cardinals, established in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, having supervision over foreign missions and the training of priests for these missions. (from Latin congregātiō dē propāgandā fidē meaning “congregation for propagating the faith”)
• spoonerism, noun. The transposition of initial or other sounds of words, usually by accident (e.g. snail tracks for trail snacks).
• stochastic, adjective. Random; chance; involving probability; opposite of deterministic.
• vying, verb. Present participle of vie ( to strive for superiority; contend).

In other words, b to threnody

• threnody, noun. A poem or song of mourning or lamentation.
• solipsism, noun. The view that the self is the only reality.
• sforzando, noun. (Music) A tempo mark directing to play a note with sudden, strong emphasis.
• Satanist, noun. a person who engages in any of a highly diverse group of religious, philosophical, or countercultural practices centered around Satan.
• quoz, noun. An odd, absurd, or ridiculous person or thing.
• pogonotrophy, noun. The act of cultivating, or growing and grooming, a mustache, beard, sideburns or other facial hair.
• plenipotentiary, noun. A person (especially a diplomat) Invested with full power to act on behalf of another.
• maladroit, adjective. Marked by a lack of adroitness; clumsy; inept; awkward in movement or unskilled in behavior.
• magister, noun. A master or teacher in ancient Rome; a male member/priest of the Fourth Degree in the Church of Satan (female, magistra); the possessor of a master’s degree.
• maga, noun. A female member/priestess of the Fifth Degree in the Church of Satan (male, magus).
• lucubration, noun. Laborious study or thought; the product of such laborious effort or study.
• lubrication, noun. Minimizing the friction force between surfaces sliding on each other, by lubricant (by a fluid, such as oil).
• lex talionis, noun. The principle or law of equal retaliation (i.e., a punishment inflicted should correspond in degree and kind to the offense of the wrongdoer, as “an eye for an eye”). Latin “law of talion” (i.e., retribution).
• grotto, noun. A cave or cavern; an artificial cavernlike recess or structure.
• Disneyfication, noun. The process of transforming real places, events, cultures, or ideas into simplified, sanitized, and commercially appealing entertainment.
• cosplay, noun. The practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game (portmanteau of costume and play).
• Church of Satan, proper noun. A religious organization dedicated to the religion of Satanism as defined by Anton Szandor LaVey.
• cabal, noun. A secret political clique or faction; a small group of secret plotters; a mystical local group of Satanists.
• bicinium, noun. An unaccompanied composition for only two parts, especially one for the purpose of teaching counterpoint.

In other words, a to voluble

• acrimony, noun. Sharpness, harshness, or bitterness of nature, speech, of disposition.
• ataractic, adjective. Able to calm or tranquillize.
• avarice, noun. Insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth.
• bier, noun. A stand on which a corpse or the coffin is placed before burial; such a stand together with the corpse or coffin.
• blather, noun. Foolish, voluble talk.
• blatherskite, noun. A person given to blather; a person full of incessant, empty talk.
• boscage (also, boskage), noun. A mass of trees or shrubs; wood, grove, or thicket.
• curio, noun. Any unusual article, object of art, etc., valued as a curiosity.
• ephemera, noun. Items designed to be useful or important for only a short time, especially pamphlets, notices, tickets, etc.
• fissiparous, adjective. Tending to break or split up into parts; divisive.
• fulgurate, verb. To emit flashes of lightning; to flash or dart like lightning.
• matrimony, noun. The state of being married; marriage; the rites or ceremony of marriage.
• mondegreen, noun. A form of error arising from mishearing a spoken or sung phrase.
• moue, noun. A pouting grimace.
• nothingburger, noun. (Slang) A thing that is less consequential or important than originally suspected; a person or thing of little or no importance; a dud.
• numismatics, noun. The study or collection of coins, paper currency, and medals.
• Palladian, adjective. Of or relating to the goddess Athena (Pallas); pertaining to wisdom, knowledge, or study.
• postprandial, adjective. After a meal, especially after dinner (e.g. postprandial nap; postprandial lounging).
• scofflaw, noun. A contemptuous law violator; a person who flouts the law.
• skiddoo, verb. (Informal) To go away; get out (probably a variant of skedaddle).
• titian, noun. A bright auburn color, tinted with gold.
• tristful, adjective. Sad, sorrowful, gloomy, melancholy.
• voluble, adjective. Characterized by a ready and continuous flow of words; talkative.

In other (German) words

• angst, noun. A feeling of dread, anxiety, fear, or anguish.
• ausgangstext, noun. Initial text, that is, the earliest recoverable version of a text that can be considered the direct predecessor to the surviving manuscript traditions.
• blitz, noun. A swift, intensive attack or effort.
• dachshund, noun. One of a German breed of dogs having short legs, a long body and ears, literally “badger dog.”
• delicatessen, noun. A store selling foods already prepared or requiring little preparation for serving, as cooked meats, cheese, salads, and the like.
• doppelgänger, noun. A double or counterpart of a living person; someone who looks like someone else.
• fest, noun. A festival, celebration, or party.
• gesundheit, interjection. Good health, used for good wishes to a person who has just sneezed.
• hinterland, noun. Wilderness, backwoods, “the land behind.”
• kaput, adjective. Ruined; broken; not working.
• kindergarten, noun. In the U.S. a school or class for young children between the ages of four and six years (from German kinder, “children” + garten, “garden”).
• kitsch, noun. Art or design considered tasteless or overly sentimental
• leitmotif, noun. A unifying or dominant motif; a recurrent theme; recurring theme in a work.
• poltergeist, noun. A noisy ghost; mischievous spirit.
• rucksack, noun. A backpack, often for hiking or traveling.
• sauerkraut, noun. Cabbage cut fine, salted, and allowed to ferment until sour (from German sauer, “sour” + kraut, “cabbage,” “greens”).
• schadenfreude, noun. A feeling of pleasure or satisfaction when something bad happens to someone else.
• sitz im leben, noun phrase. The context in which a text, or object, has been created, and its function and purpose at that time.
• sosein, noun. The qualities or properties something has; being, essence.
• weltanschauung, noun. A worldview (from German welt, “world” + anschauung, “vision”).
• weltschmerz, noun. A feeling of sadness and lack of hope about the state of the world.
• zeitgeist, noun. The spirit of the time; the general trend of thought, etc., characteristic of a particular period of time.

In other words, ana to xeno

• anadiplosis, noun. Rhetorical repetition at the beginning of a phrase using the word or words with which the previous phrase ended.
• brinkmanship, noun. The art or practice of pushing a dangerous situation or confrontation to the limit of safety. especially to force a desired outcome.
• claustrophobic, adjective. Relating to or suffering from claustrophobia, a fear of narrow or confined spaces.
• dispositive, adjective. Relating to or determining the outcome of a case or decision.
• froyo (also fro-yo), noun. (Informal) Short for frozen yogurt.
• imbroglio, noun. A difficult or intricate situation; an entanglement; a confused heap.
• ignominy, noun. Disgrace; dishonor; public contempt.
• infamy, noun. Extremely bad reputation, public reproach, or strong condemnation as the result of a shameful, criminal, or outrageous act.
• interlocutor, noun. A person who takes part in a conversation or dialogue.
• inveigh, verb. Speak against in an impassioned manner; complain bitterly.
• jaggery, noun. A coarse, dark sugar, especially that which is made from the sap of East Indian palm trees.
• janiform, adjective. Two-faced; resembling the god Janus, having two faces looking in opposite directions (also Janus-faced).
• mellifluous, adjective. Sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding; flowing with honey.
• osmosis, noun. A subtle or gradual absorption or mingling; (Science) the diffusion of fluids through membranes or porous partitions.
• palaver, noun. A conference or discussion; a parley or conference between persons of different cultures; idle chatter.
• repatriate, verb. To restore or return to the country of origin, allegiance, or citizenship.
• superfluous, adjective. Being more than is sufficient or required; excessive; overflowing; unnecessary.
• tamalada, noun. A tamale-making get together or party.
• xenophobic, adjective. Suffering from xenophobia, a fear of strangers or foreigners.

Toward a biblical definition of “prophet”

Prophet, noun. According to Merriam-Webster, may be (1) one who utters divinely inspired revelations; (2) one gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight; (3) one who foretells future events. The third definition is probably that which comes most readily to mind to modern English speakers. What is a prophet, biblically defined?

The meaning of the word.

As we notice in the introduction, the English word “prophet” includes several different shades of meaning (e.g., 5 at Merriam-Webster, 7 at Dictionary.com). What about the Bible?

The primary Hebrew word for prophet is (נָבִיא nāḇî'). The word “seer” (הָרֹאֶה rō'ê/rā'â) is synonymous for prophet, according to 1 Samuel 9:9. The Hebrew word (הַחֹזֶה ḥōzêh) is also translated “seer.” In 1 Chronicles 29:29 all three of these Hebrew words are used (נָבִיא nāḇî') (הָרֹאֶה rō'ê) (הַחֹזֶה ḥōzêh).[i]

The primary Greek for prophet is (προφήτης prophētēs). Greek also has the word (ψευδοπροφήτης pseudoprophētēs) for a false prophet. Hebrew adds descriptors about prophets prophesying falsely rather than having a word “false prophet.”[ii]

The biblical use of the word.

The first use of the word “prophet” in the Bible is found in Genesis 20:7, where God calls Abraham a prophet. There it seems to primarily mean that Abraham is God’s spokesman or representative. The last use of the word “prophets” is found in Revelation 22, which seems to connect both the ideas of God’s spokesmen (v. 9) and the references to future events (v. 6).

God told Moses, “Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet” (Exodus 7:1). This also seems to emphasize the nature of the prophet as a spokesman (e.g. Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well…and Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, Exodus 4:14, 30). In Exodus 15:20, where Moses’s sister Miriam is referred to as a prophetess, she took a timbrel in her hand and led the women in singing to the LORD – emphasizing the nature of forthtelling. Notice also that the musicians for the tabernacle and temple were considered prophets (1 Chronicles 25:1-3).

The Old Testament prophets spoke for God. In connection with this, some of them also dreamed dreams, saw visions, and foretold the future (Numbers 12:6; Isaiah 1:11; Jeremiah 28:9; Ezekiel 33:33). The word and its related work included “forthtelling” and “foretelling.” The commonality in all of this seems to be that of accurately presenting and representing God’s truth. Those who wrote the Old Testament Scripture, or at least many of them, were considered prophets.

Many times in the New Testament, the word “prophet” refers back to the Old Testament prophet (Matthew 1:22; 2:17; Acts 2;16). “The prophets” may also mean the Scriptures of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17; Luke 16:29; 24:27, 44: John 1:45).

However, prophets are also current/active in the New Testament. John the Baptist was a prophet (Luke 7:28), a spokesman for God who came before and announced the coming of the Christ.[iii] Those called prophets in the New Testament include Jesus; Agabus (Acts 11:27-28; 21:10); Barnabas, Simeon Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, and Saul (Acts 13:1); Judas and Silas (Acts 15:32).[iv] Though prophets and apostles were different – that is, all prophets were not apostles – it seems that by default the Bible considers all the apostles to be prophets, even while not specifically naming each of them them thusly (Acts 4:33; 1 Corinthians 13:2; Revelation 1:3; 18:20: 22:6).

Paul refers to those who speak in the Corinthian assembly as prophets, who could speak in a way to edify, exhort, and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3-5). Though prophecy is a gift (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 14:32), the prophets are not out of control. They can contain themselves from all speaking at once (1 Corinthians 14:26, 29, 40), and must speak so as to acknowledge that the inspired words of the apostles are the commandments of the Lord (1 Corinthians 14:37). (Therefore, they cannot claim a the Spirit made me do it excuse for bad behavior.)

In Titus 1:12, Paul applies the word “prophet” in a “non-biblical” or “non-Christian” sense, calling a spokesman for the Cretians “a prophet.”

Prophecy is a spiritual gift, as we see from Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; 28-31; 13:2; and 14:1-6. Those who prophesy, prophesy according to the proportion of faith with which they are gifted, within the place in the body the Spirit has placed them.

The rhetorical question of 1 Corinthians 12:29 indicates that all of God’s people are not prophets (cf. Numbers 11:29). Everyone should be a representative of God in witnessing to and sharing his truths. However, some are gifted to do so in a more official way.

Paul indicates that supernatural tongues, prophecy, and knowledge will cease with the close of the biblical revelation (canon), 1 Corinthians 13:8. “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”

Concluding thoughts on the words and its meaning.

In the Bible, a prophet was a spokesman for God – one who conveyed a message from God to the people. The calling or work included foretelling (proclaiming God’s events and plan for the future) and forthtelling (publishing God’s will and truth in the present). Often this role of prophet combined these two features, for example, using warning of future judgment as a call to present repentance. Prophets guided the people concerning truth, faith, morality, and judgment (cf. Acts 24:25). His duty was not solely about predicting the future – and often not even primarily.

• The Bible reader should not just think “predicter of the future” when encountering the word “prophet.” A full picture is needed.
• The Bible reader should think of “spiritual gift” when encountering the word prophet, especially in the New Testament.

It seems difficult for the average modern English Bible student to think “prophet” and not think of someone who foretold the future. Yet, the common thread of all prophets is not that fact, primarily, but rather of being God’s sent spokesman. Perhaps these thoughts will help. What have I forgotten to consider? If something, please add in the comments.

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[i] I have put these words in parentheses due to the tendency of the embedded “backward spelling” of Hebrew to go haywire in Microsoft Word, ending up at times in various crazy fashions.
[ii] The Old Testament calls five women prophetesses – Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, Noadiah, and the wife of Isaiah (Isaiah 8:3). The latter may simply mean the wife of a prophet, and Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14) seems to be a false one, opposing the work of Nehemiah. The New Testament calls two women prophetesses – Anna (Luke 2:36) and Jezebel (Revelation 2:20). The first one is on God’s side, and the latter seems to only be one falsely so-called. Compare also Acts 21:9.
[iii] John the Baptist is evidence that a prophet did not necessarily perform miracles. “And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true” (John 10:41).
[iv] The emphasis of Judas and Silas as prophets was that they “exhorted the brethren with many words.”

Awhile versus A While

As I get older I seem to become more forgetful, and have problems with stuff I once knew well. However, with “awhile” versus “a while” I think I have generally always had problems remembering the correct usage. Here is how it should be:

“Awhile” is an adverb. It means “for a while.” As an adverb, “awhile” usually modifies a verb – as in “I will wait awhile.”

“While” is a noun. It means “a period of time” (and “a” is an indefinite article modifying it). Usually, the two words “a while” is used when following a preposition – as in, “I will wait for a while” – or with the words ago or back (a while ago; a while back).

In other words, apathy to zenith

• apathy, noun. Absence of passion, emotion, or excitement; lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting. (Cf. empathy and sympathy.)
• banausic, adjective. Merely mechanical; mundane; routine (from Greek Banausos/βάναυσος, a pejorative term applied to manual laborers).
• belabor, verb. To explain, worry about, or work at (something) repeatedly or more than is necessary; 
• beleaguer, verb. To surround or beset, as with troubles; to surround with military forces.
• bromide, noun. A commonplace or hackneyed statement or notion; a platitude, often designed to placate.
• cacography, noun. Bad handwriting; poor penmanship; incorrect spelling.
• cacoethes, noun. A bad custom or habit; an insatiable desire.
• corybantic, adjective. Frenzied, ecstatic, unrestrained; wildly emotional (i.e., being in the spirit or manner of the Corybants, the attendants of the Greco-Roman goddess Cybele).
• delineate, verb. To draw or depict; to describe or characterize in words.
• doohickey, noun. (Informal) A gadget; thingamajig.
• empathy, noun. The psychological identification with the emotions, thoughts, or attitudes of another. (Cf. apathy and sympathy.)
• glossology, noun. (Archaic) The science of language; linguistics.
• idiosyncratic, adjective. Pertaining to the nature, characteristic, habit, or manner peculiar to an individual.
• inanition, noun. Exhaustion from lack of nourishment; starvation; lack of vigor; lethargy.
• interlard, verb. To diversify by adding or interjecting something unique, striking, or contrasting; (Obsolete) to mix, as fat with lean meat.
• nepo baby, noun. A person whose career is similar or related to the career in which a parent succeeded (especially a child of a famous parent, such as an actor or musician; short for nepotism baby).
• obdurate, adjective. Unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding.
• peroration, noun. (Rhetoric) The concluding part of a speech or discourse, in which the speaker or writer recapitulates the principal points and urges them with greater earnestness and force.
• rhinoglottophilia, noun. (Linguistics) The connection between or co-occurrence of laryngeal (glottal) and nasal articulations (rhino- of the nose +‎ glotto- of the tongue, speech +‎ -philia love or like; coined by linguist James Matisoff in 1975).
• spoor, noun. A track or trail, especially that of a wild animal pursued as game.
• sympathy, noun. The act or state of feeling sorrow or compassion for another. (Cf. apathy and empathy.)
• zenith, noun. The point on the celestial sphere that is directly above the observer; the highest point above the horizon attained by a celestial body.

In other words, of information

• agnotology, noun. The process of intentionally creating or encouraging doubt or ignorance, for example, by spreading false information.
• articulate, adjective. Expressing oneself readily, fluently, and effectively.
• articulent, adjective. (Of a voice, reader, or spoken delivery) Exhibiting a high degree of precise articulation, rhythmic pacing, and phonetic clarity; marked by controlled cadences, distinct enunciation, and vocal flow.
• biopic, noun. A biographical movie or TV show (a portmanteau of biography + [moving] picture).
• cognitive dissonance, noun. (Psychology) Anxiety or discomfort that results from simultaneously holding contradictory or otherwise incompatible attitudes or beliefs.
• critical, adjective. involving criticism, or skillful judgment as to truth, merit, etc.
• diaspora, noun. The spread or dissemination of something originally confined to a local, homogeneous group, as a language or cultural institution.
• fusty , adjective. Having a stale smell; moldy, musty; old-fashioned or out-of-date.
• intellectual dishonesty, noun. The intentional misrepresentation, omission, or distortion of facts, arguments, or evidence in order to support a desired conclusion or win an argument, even though one knows the truth.
• iterative, adjective. Marked by iteration (i.e., the act of repeating; a repetition).
• kern, verb. To remove a portion of space between (adjacent letters) in preparation for printing.
• kernel, noun. The softer, usually edible part contained in the shell of a nut or the stone of a fruit.
• myopic, adjective. Nearsighted; having myopia; (by extension) shortsighted; lacking foresight.
• nepenthe, noun. A drug or drink having the power to bring forgetfulness of sorrow or trouble; anything inducing a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, especially of sorrow or trouble.
• nontraditional, adjective. Not following or conforming to tradition; not adhering to past practices or conventions.
• plenipotentiary, noun. A person invested with full power or authority to transact business on behalf of another.
• quanked, adjective. Overcome by fatigue; extremely exhausted.
• riff, noun. (Jazz music) A melodic phrase, often repeated as an accompaniment or part of an accompaniment for a soloist; a new variation on or a different manifestation of an existing thing or idea (usually followed by “on”).
• splenetic, adjective. Irritable; peevish; spiteful.
• thanatopsis, noun. A view or contemplation of death.
• thanatosis, noun. The act of faking or feigning death.
• tycoon, noun. A person of great wealth, influence, or power; magnate.
• xanthan gum, noun. A polysaccharide that is produced by fermentation of carbohydrates by a gram-negative bacterium.

Have ye not read?

Have ye not read?

Matthew 12:3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

Matthew 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

Matthew 22:31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,

Mark 12:26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

Mark 12:10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

Luke 6:3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;

Have ye never read?

Matthew 21:16 and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Mark 2:25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

Did ye never read?

Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

In other words, including Catholic and Orthodox stuff

• aristocratic, adjective. Of or relating to the nobility; of or relating to government by an aristocracy (cf. demotic).
• bespoke, adjective. Custom-made.
• catechumen, noun. A convert to Christianity receiving training in doctrine and discipline before baptism.
• demotic, adjective. Of or relating to the common people; popular (cf. aristocratic).
• diluvial, adjective. Pertaining to or caused by a flood or deluge.
• diocese, noun. A geographical area or ecclesiastical district under the direction of a single bishop (used in this way by the Roman Catholic church, the Greek Orthodox churches, the Anglican Communion, and others).
• diurnal, adjective. Of or belonging to the daytime (cf. nocturnal).
• Filioque, noun. The Roman Catholic doctrine that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son (from Latin, “and the son”).
• gainsay, verb. To declare to be false or invalid; to oppose, especially by contradiction.
• glyph, noun. A pictograph or hieroglyph; a sculptured figure or relief carving.
• heresy, noun. An opinion or doctrine at variance with the orthodox or accepted doctrine, especially of a church or religious system.
• Icon, noun. (Theology) A representation or picture of a sacred or sanctified Christian personage, used and venerated - especially in Eastern Orthodoxy.
• Iconoclast, noun. A person who breaks or destroys images, especially those set up for religious veneration.
• Iconophile, noun. A person who religiously venerates icons or images.
• mugwump, noun. A person who is unable to make up his or her mind on an issue (especially in politics); a person who is neutral on a controversial issue.
• nocturnal, adjective. Of or relating to the night (cf. diurnal).
• par excellence, adjective. Being an example of excellence; superior; preeminent.
• parish, noun. An ecclesiastical district having its own church and member of the clergy; (in the state of Louisiana) The equivalent of a county.
• primate, noun. A chief or leader; (Eastern Orthodox) The archbishop (aka patriarch) ranking first among the bishops in each of the separate autocephalous hierarchical churches professing Eastern Orthodoxy.
• pontifex, noun. (Roman religion) A member of the Pontifical College, which was presided over by a chief priest Pontifex Maximus; (Roman Catholic religion) A bishop; the Roman Catholic pope, the Bishop of Rome.
• Quartodecimanism, noun. The celebration of Easter on the fourteenth of Nisan according to the Jewish lunar calendar -- regardless of what day of the week on which it occurred.
• replevy, verb. To take or get back by a writ for replevin (an action regarding personal property which is claimed to be wrongfully taken).
• Theotokos, noun. A title for Mary, the mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Orthodoxy.
• Tonsure, noun. The practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility.
• voluntarism, noun. The concept that belief is a matter of the will.
• Vulgate, noun. (Latin “common”) A translation of the Bible into Latin from the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek (by Jerome, who lived circa AD 342-420).
• zeitgeist, noun. The spirit of the times; the general trend of thought, feeling, or tastes characteristic of a particular period of time.

King James Bible Adverbs

The King James Bible uses six adverbs – hence, hither, thence, thither, whence, whither – that are not archaic but nevertheless used less than some other adverbs in modern times.

• Hence, adverb. From this place; from here.
• Hither, adverb. To or toward this place; to here.

• Thence, adverb. From there; from that place.
• Thither, adverb. To there; to or toward that place.

• Whence, adverb. From what place? from where?
• Whither, adverb. To what place? to where?

The adverbs whence and whither ask direction or location; the adverbs hence, hither, thence, and thither give direction or location. The “ence” forms carry the general sense out of (exit). The “ither” forms carry the sense into. Robert Hammond, pastor of Long Hill Baptist Church, has suggested this mnemonic to help remember – those with “e” think exit; those with “i” think into. Also, the beginning letters help to focus on their location – “h” here; “th” there; “wh” where.

For more information, see Directional Adverbs in our King James Bible.

Updating an older verb table

Below I am updating a table that I published about 12 years ago. You should be able to select the picture and enlarge it to see it better.

For discussion of the verb endings, see Use of "-est" and "-eth" in the KJV and The verb ending "-edst".

In other words, caesura-plex

• caesura, noun. A break, especially a sense pause, usually near the middle of a verse.
• Chrislam, noun. A blending of Christian and Islamic principles and practices into a single unifying theological perspective.
• coeval, noun. One of the same age or period; a contemporary in age or active existence; equally old.
• collectivism, noun. A theory or political system based on the principle that all of the farms, factories, and other places of work in a country should be owned by (or for) all the people in that country.
• cozenage, noun. The practice of cozening (i.e., fraud, trickery).
• decoct, verb. To extract the flavor or essence of by boiling.
• dight, verb. To dress; adorn.
• doula, noun. A person, usually a woman, who is not medically trained but who gives help and support to a woman during pregnancy, as well as during and after the birth of her baby.
• eldritch, adjective. Eerie; weird; spooky.
• erstwhile, adverb. In the past, formerly; (adjective) former, previous.
• flood the zone, verb. To put forth a very large quantity of something (idiomatic expression from sports, to apply a large amount of pressure to a particular area of play).
• fustian, noun. A coarse sturdy cloth made of cotton and linen or flax; or, pretentious speech or writing; pompous language.
• hemistich, noun. The exact or approximate half of a stich, or poetic verse or line; an incomplete line, or a line of less than the usual length (cf. stich).
• hysteron proteron, noun. (Rhetoric) A figure of speech in which the conventional order of words, actions, or ideas are revesed; i.e., an inversion of the natural order (Latin, latter as former).
• incunabula, plural noun. (singular, incunabulum) Extant copies of books produced in the earliest stages (before 1501) of printing from movable type; the earliest stages or first traces of anything.
• indent, verb. To set in from the margin (cf. outdent).
• ineluctable, adjective. Incapable of being evaded or avoided; inescapable.
• irredentist, noun. Someone who calls for the seizure or recovery of territories or states currently subject to other countries.
• Jehovah, noun. A name of God in the Old Testament, a rendering of the ineffable name, JHVH, in the Hebrew Scriptures.
• Jehovic, adjective. Of or relating to Jehovah.
• ketovangelist, noun. An individual who promotes and educates about the ketogenic diet and lifestyle (a portmanteau of ketogenic + evangelist).
• leucistic, adjective. Affected by an abnormal condition of reduced pigmentation (i.e., leucism).
• outdent, verb. To set out from the margin (cf. indent).
• skulduggery, noun. Underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; trickery.
• steerage, noun. The inferior or lowest category of passenger accommodation in a ship.
• stich, noun. A verse or line of poetry.
• Texaplex, noun. A triangular region of Texas framed in by the cities of Austin, Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio, and Interstates 10, 35, and 45 (Texas + plex, from author David Winans; also known as the Texas Triangle).

In other words, beginning with ign-

• ign- prefix. (Latin) Fire.
• ignatia, noun. Dried ripe seeds of the plant Strychnos ignatia (St. Ignatius’s Bean), used as a homeopathic remedy.
• igneous, adjective. (Geology) Produced under conditions involving intense heat; for example, rocks of volcanic origin or rocks crystallized from molten magma.
• ignescent, adjective. Emitting sparks of fire (as certain stones when struck with steel); bursting into flame.
• ignify, verb. (rare) To form into fire; to turn into fire.
• ignimbrite, noun. (Petrology) A fine-grained volcanic rock consisting mainly of welded shards of feldspar and quartz.
• ignition, noun. The act or fact of igniting (i.e., setting on fire); a means or device for igniting.
• ignoble, adjective. Of low character, base; of low quality; inferior; not noble, of humble descent or rank.
• ignominious, adjective. Marked by or attended with ignominy (i.e., disgrace, shame, contempt); contemptible.
• ignoramus, noun. An extremely ignorant person; simpleton,
• ignorant, adjective. Lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned; lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact; uninformed.
• ignore, verb. To refrain from noticing or recognizing; overlook, neglect.

In other words, -arking, et al.

• barking, present participle of verb bark. (of a dog or other animal) To utter an abrupt, explosive cry or a series of such cries.
• captatio benevolentiae, noun. A rhetorical technique aimed to positive rapport with an the audience at the beginning of a speech (Latin, meaning “capture of goodwill”).
• carking, adjective. Distressful; causing distress, anxiety.
• coterie. noun. A small, exclusive group of people with shared interests or tastes; a club or clique.
• darking, noun. (US slang) The practice of intentionally ignoring someone by turning off one’s phone and ignoring all calls to pursue other activities (especially in a courting context).
• harking, present participle of verb hark. Used to tell someone to listen; also an acronym for hypothesizing after the results are known (coined by social psychologist Norbert Kerr).
• hubris, noun. Overbearing pride, exaggerated self-confidence, or presumption; arrogance.
• marking, noun. A mark, or a number or pattern of marks; the act of a person or thing that marks.
• narking, (US slang) To secretly tell the police or someone in authority about something bad or illegal that someone has done (especially regarding narcotics).
• parking, noun. The act of a person or thing that parks, especially a vehicle; a space in which to park vehicles.
• rapport, noun. A friendly, harmonious relationship; especially a relationship characterized by empathy that makes communication possible or easy.
• rhetor, noun. A teacher or master of rhetoric; an orator.
• sarking, noun. A timber or felt cladding placed over the rafters of a roof before the tiles or slates are fixed in place.
• sparking, noun. (US, somewhat obsolete) The process of courting or wooing someone; that is, pursuing someone romantically.

In other words, auctor to vanguard

• auctor, noun. Author or source (mostly obsolete, except in specialized writings).
• avant-garde, noun. The advance group in any field, especially in the visual, literary, or musical arts, whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods. (adjective, unorthodox, daring, or radical)
• avoidant discord, noun. An abrupt relationship departure without explanation.
• campanulate, adjective. Shaped like a bell (as a corolla).
• deepfake, noun. An image, audio, or video altered and manipulated using artificial intelligence techniques to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that they did not actually do or say (a portmanteau, “deep learning” + “fake”).
• entelechy, noun. A realization or actuality as opposed to a potentiality.
• evert, verb. To overturn, undermine, turn aside.
• fenowed, adjective. (archaic) Moldy; decayed; corrupted.
• fribble, verb. To act in a foolish or frivolous manner; trifle.
• gephyrophobia, noun. The fear of crossing bridges.
• ghosting, noun (aka simmering and icing). (colloquial or slang) The practice of suddenly ending all communication and avoiding contact with another person without any apparent warning or explanation (usually understood so as to ignore any subsequent attempts to communicate).
• graupel, noun. A precipitation that forms when supercooled droplets of water condense on a snowflake; granular snow pellets.
• harp, verb. To play on a harp; harp on (verb phrase) To dwell in speaking or writing upon someone or something repeatedly and to the point of tediousness.
• harping, noun. (Shipbuilding) Any of several horizontal members at the ends of a vessel for holding cant frames in position until the shell planking or plating is attached.
• misanthrope, noun. A person who hates or distrusts humankind.
• panary, noun. A bakery. (adjective) of or relating to bread or breadmaking.
• pars, noun. A part; portion of a larger structure (usually Medical; e.g. used in medical names and descriptions. Latin word meaning part).
• quinquagenarian, noun. A person who is 50 years old, or whose age is between 50 and 60.
• repdigit, noun. A natural number composed of repeated instances of the same digit in a positional number system (a portmanteau of repeated + digit).
• smithereens, noun (plural noun). Fragments or splintered pieces; bits (esp. a lot of smashed pieces).
• vanguard, noun (aka van). The foremost division or the front part of an army; advance guard; the forefront in any movement, field, activity, or the like.