Bible Encyclopedias
Exercise

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ek´sẽr -sı̄z ( עשׂה , ‛āsāh ; γυμνάζω , gumnázō , ποιέω , poiéō ) : "Exercise" (meaning originally, "to drive or thrust out") has different shades of meaning: It means (1) "to do," "to put into action" (Jeremiah 9:24 , ‛āsāh , "to do," "Yahweh who exerciseth lovingkindness"; Revelation 13:12 , poieō , "to do," "He exerciseth all the authority of the first"; Tobit 12:9, the Revised Version (British and American) "do"); (2) with violence implied, gāzal , "to take away violently," "have exercised robbery" (Ezekiel 22:29 ); "to act habitually" (Psalm 131:1 , hālakh , "to walk," "Neither do I exercise myself in great matters" the Revised Version, margin "walk"; Acts 24:16 , askéō , "to work up"; compare 2 Esdras 15:8; Ecclesiasticus 50:28); (3) "to train" or "discipline," gumnazō , "to use exercise," "to train up" (1 Timothy 4:7 , "Exercise thyself unto godliness"; Hebrews 5:14; Hebrews 12:11; 2 Peter 2:14; compare 1 Macc 6:30; 2 Macc 15:12); (4) "to afflict" (Ecclesiastes 1:13; Ecclesiastes 3:10 , ‛ānāh , "to be afflicted," "exercised therewith," "exercised in it"); in Matthew 20:25; Mark 10:42 , katakurieúō , "to lord it over," and katexousiázō , "to exercise authority," are translated respectively "exercise dominion" and "exercise authority," the English Revised Version "lord it over" and "exercise authority"; in Luke 22:25 , the Greek words are kurieúō , "to be lord over" and exousiázō , "to have power or authority over," the Revised Version (British and American) "have lordship," "have authority." In 1 Timothy 4:8 the noun, gumnası́a , meaning gymnastic exercise, occurs (sōmatikḗ gumnası́a ), translated "bodily exercise," contrasted with "exercise unto godliness," the Revised Version (British and American) "For bodily exercise is profitable for a little (m "for little"); but godliness is profitable for all things," a saying to which the youth of all times would do well to give heed. In 2 Macc 4:9, Jason is said to have set up "a place of exercise" (gumnásion ) in Jerusalem. In 1 Peter 5:2 the Revised Version (British and American), "exercising the oversight" is substituted for "taking the oversight."

Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Exercise'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​isb/​e/exercise.html. 1915.