di -vizh´un : Used in English Versions of the Bible in the following senses:
(1) A separate body of people (a ) of the tribal divisions of Israel (Joshua 11:23; Joshua 12:7; Joshua 18:10 ); (b ) of sections of a tribe, "the divisions of Reuben" (Judges 5:15 , Judges 5:16 the King James Version; but the Revised Version (British and American) rightly substitutes "the watercourses of Reuben"; in Job 20:17 the same word is rendered "rivers"); ( c ) of the (late) organization of priests and Levites into classes or families who ministered in the temple in rotation; translated "courses" generally in the King James Version, and always in the Revised Version (British and American) (1 Chronicles 24:1; 1 Chronicles 26:1 , 1 Chronicles 26:12 , 1 Chronicles 26:19; Nehemiah 11:36; compare 2 Chronicles 35:5 ). Much prominence is given by the Chronicler to the 24 classes of priests, singers, and doorkeepers, who served in turns in the temple (compare Luke 1:5 , Luke 1:8 ). (3) In the New Testament, dissension, disunion, schism (Luke 12:51; Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 3:3 the King James Version, omitted the Revised Version (British and American); 1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 11:18; Galatians 5:20 ).
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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