ek´sē̇ -kūt , ek -sē̇ -kū´shun -ẽr ( עשׂה , ‛āsāh , "to do," דּין , dı̄n ,"to judge," "decide"; ποιέω , poiéō , "to do"; σπεκουλάτωρ , spekoulátōr , Latin speculator , "an attendant"): "Execute" in the sense of "executing judgment," "vengeance," etc., is often found in the Old Testament (Exodus 12:12; Deuteronomy 10:18; Psalm 149:7; Jeremiah 22:3; Ezekiel 25:11; Micah 5:15; compare Jeremiah 21:12 , "Execute justice in the morning") and a few times in the New Testament (John 5:27; Romans 13:4 the King James Version; Judges 1:15 ). In the sense of punishing capitally, by legal process, it is not found. "Executioner" is found only in Mark 6:27 the King James Version, where Herod, the king, is said to have "sent an executioner" ( spekoulatōr ) to behead John the Baptist, but the Revised Version (British and American) and the American Standard Revised Version have instead, according to the stricter meaning of the text, "The king sent forth a soldier of his guard." The office of executioner, however, was a recognized office in all the great nations of antiquity.
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.
WikipediaThe ISBE is a classic Bible reference compiled from nearly 10,000 entries written by over 200 different Bible scholars and teachers. In addition to the encyclopedia articles, all of the major words of the Bible are represented and defined.
The historical, cultural, and linguistic information in the ISBE can be of great value in Bible study and research.
But as with any writings of men, the careful student of the Bible must always compare them with Scripture. As you use this helpful study resource, remember that only God's word is pure.
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