stil : "To be still" is "to keep silence" ( Psalm 4:4 , etc.) and so "to be quiet" (Psalm 107:29 , etc.) or "inactive" in any way (Judges 18:9; 1 Kings 22:3; Zechariah 1:11 , etc.). So "be still" in Psalm 46:10 means "desist from your war" (compare the Revised Version margin "let be"). The "still small voice" of 1 Kings 19:12 (the Revised Version margin "sound of gentle stillness") is due to taking the Hebrew demāmāh in its literal force of "silent," but the word here means "whisper" - "a whispering, little voice." This familiar passage, however, has made "still voice" good English, and the combination is used in Job 4:16 by the Revised Version margin. In Psalm 23:2 the translation "still waters" takes "waters of rest" (so literally for מנוּחה , menūḥāh ; compare the Revised Version margin) to mean "waters with little motion." But the meaning is either "wells by which the flocks rest" or "wells that give refreshing water." As an adverb "still" is perhaps more emphatic than in modern English; compare "power to keep still the kingdom," 2 Chronicles 22:9 the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) "to hold the kingdom").
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.
Read More