man´i - fōld ( רב , rabh ; ποικίλος , poikı́los ): "Manifold," which occurs only a few times, is in the Old Testament the translation of rabh , "many," "abundant" ( Nehemiah 9:19 , Nehemiah 9:27; Amos 5:12 , where it is equivalent to "many"), and of rābhabh , "to multiply," "to increase" (Psalm 104:24 , "O Yahweh, how manifold are thy works"); poikilos , properly, "many colored," "spotted," "variegated," is translated "manifold": 1 Peter 1:6 margin, "manifold temptations"; 1 Peter 4:10 , "manifold grace," suggests variety , diverseness; polupoı́kilos has this meaning more intensely (Ephesians 3:10 , "the manifold wisdom of God"). With this may be compared a fine passage in The Wisdom of Solomon 7:22, where it is said that in Wisdom there is "an understanding spirit, holy, one only (the Revised Version (British and American) "alone in kind," margin "Greek: sole-born"), manifold (polumerḗs )." In like manner, pollaplası́ōn , "manifold more" (Luke 18:30 ), indicates the varied elements of the reward of him who is faithful to Christ. In Ecclesiasticus 51:3, we have "manifold afflictions" ( pleı́ōn ).
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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