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Bible Dictionaries
Doubt

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

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DOUBT (from Lat. dubitare , ‘to hold two (opinions),’ ‘hesitate’). 1. In AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ‘doubt’ (vb. and noun) six times renders a Gr. vb. meaning ‘to be at a loss’ or ‘quite at a loss’; in all these instances except John 13:22 RV [Note: Revised Version.] substitutes ‘ perplexity ,’ following the AV [Note: Authorized Version.] rendering of Luke 9:7; Luk 24:4 , 2 Corinthians 4:8 . In this sense ‘doubt’ is now nearly obsolete; as it is in the meaning riddle, knotty question , which it bears in Daniel 5:12; Daniel 5:16 . Not dissimilar is its use in the AV [Note: Authorized Version.] of John 10:24 (‘make us to doubt’), where RV [Note: Revised Version.] , more literally, reads ‘hold us in suspense.’ Quite archaic also is the use of ‘doubt’ for ‘suspect,’ instanced in Sir 6:13 (AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ). 2. Elsewhere ‘doubt’ has a religious signification, standing in express or tacit antithesis to ‘faith’ (wh. see). ( a ) In Matthew 21:21 , Mark 11:23 , Acts 10:20; Acts 11:12 , Romans 14:23 , James 1:6 (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ), Judges 1:22 (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ), it stands for a vb. signifying ‘to be divided in mind (judgment)’ the same Gr. word is rendered ‘staggered’ in AV [Note: Authorized Version.] , ‘wavered’ in RV [Note: Revised Version.] , of Romans 4:20; ( b ) in Matthew 14:31; Matthew 28:17 ‘to be of two opinions,’ ‘to waver,’ is the force of the original: the vb. above indicates (1) more subjectively, (2) more objectively, a state of qualified faith , of faith mixed with misgiving, something between whole-hearted faith and decided unbelief. Thus wavering, faith is robbed of its power; hence such hesitation, in regard to Christ and the promises and commands of God, is strongly deprecated and reproved. In the above examples the doubt, affecting the mind of a believer, arises from contradictory circumstances or conscientious scruples; unless this be the case in Matthew 28:17 (cf. Luke 24:38 , noticed below), it has none of the quality of rationalistic doubt or scepticism. ( c ) Akin to the above is the expression of Luke 12:29 , where ‘of doubtful mind’ (AV [Note: Authorized Version.] , RV [Note: Revised Version.] ) is the rendering of an obscure Gr. word that seems to mean being lifted into the air , and so agitated, held in suspense or driven by gusts (cf. Ephesians 4:14 , James 1:4-6 ). ( d ) Another group of expressions remains: Romans 14:1 ‘doubtful disputations’ (AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ), ‘decisions of doubts’ (RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] ); 1 Timothy 2:8 ‘disputing’ (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ) or ‘doubting’ (AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ) = ‘reasoning’ ( Luke 24:38 RV [Note: Revised Version.] ); ‘disputings’ ( Philippians 2:14 ). In these passages arguing, questioning is intended, and (in Ro.) matter of argument, debatable questions . This usage lies on the border between 1 and 2; for the questions referred to, except in Luke 24:38 , did not directly belong to faith, but their agitation disturbed and tended to weaken it.

G. G. Findlay.

Bibliography Information
Hastings, James. Entry for 'Doubt'. Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​hdb/​d/doubt.html. 1909.
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