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Friday, October 31st, 2025
the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
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Bible Encyclopedias
Precept
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
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prē´sept : A commandment, an authoritative rule for action; in the Scriptures generally a divine injunction in which man's obligation is set forth (Latin praeceptum , from praecipere , "to instruct").
Four words are so rendered in the King James Version: (1) מצוה , micwāh , very frequently (168 times) translated "commandment," but 4 times "precept" (in the Revised Version (British and American) only Jeremiah 35:18; Daniel 9:5 ); (2) from the same root is צו , cāw , or וי , caw (Isaiah 28:10 , Isaiah 28:13 ); (3) פּקּוּדים , piḳḳūdhı̄m , only in the Psalms (21 times in Ps 119, e.g. Psalm 119:4 , Psalm 119:15 , Psalm 119:27; also the Revised Version (British and American) Psalm 19:8; Psalm 103:18; Psalm 111:7 ); (4) in the New Testament, ἐντολή , entolḗ , generally in the King James Version translated "commandment" (68 times), but twice "precept" (Mark 10:5; Hebrews 9:19; in both cases the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "commandment"). See COMMANDMENT .
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Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Precept'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/p/precept.html. 1915.
