Bible Encyclopedias
Compass; Compasses

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kum´pas , kum´pas -iz : "Compass," noun, is the translation of חוּג , ḥūgh , "a circle," "vault" or "arch" ("when he set a compass upon the face of the depth" Proverbs 8:27 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American), the American Standard Revised Version "circle"; compare Job 26:10; and see CIRCLE; VAULT OF EARTH ); of כּרכּב , karkōbh , "a margin" "border" (Exodus 27:5 , "the compass of the altar," the Revised Version (British and American) "the ledge round," so Exodus 38:4 ); the phrase "to fetch a compass" is the translation of סבב , sābhabh , "to turn about," "go round about" (Numbers 34:5; Joshua 15:3 , the Revised Version (British and American) "turn about," 2 Samuel 5:23; 2 Kings 3:9 , the Revised Version (British and American) "make a circuit"); of periérchomai , "to go about" (Acts 28:13 , the Revised Version (British and American) "made a circuit"; margin "Some ancient authorities read cast loose "; see CIRCUIT ).

"Compasses" is the Revised Version (British and American) for "compass," מהוּגה , meḥūghāh , an instrument for describing a circle: "He marketh it out with the compasses" (Isaiah 44:13 ) in making an idol.

The verb "to compass" occurs frequently in the senses of "to surround" and "to go round about," e.g. Genesis 2:11 , "which compasseth the whole land of Havilah," Deuteronomy 2:1 , "We compassed (went around) mount Seir many days"; in Jeremiah 31:22 we have "A new thing on the earth: a woman shall compass a man," the Revised Version (British and American) "encompass"; possibly as a suitor; but more probably as a protector. In those happy days, the protection of women (under God, Jeremiah 31:28 ) will be sufficient, while the men are at their work; "to encompass" ("The cords of death compassed me" Psalm 18:4; "the waves of death," 2 Samuel 22:5 ). "To gird" (Isaiah 50:11 the Revised Version (British and American)); "to lie around," "to be laid around" ( Hebrews 5:2 , "compassed with infirmity" (clothed with it); Hebrews 12:1 , "compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses").

In Apocrypha we have "compassed about with yawning darkness" (The Wisdom of Solomon 19:17); "compassed the circuit of heaven" (Ecclesiasticus 24:5); "compassed with pomegranates of gold" (Ecclesiasticus 45:9); "The rainbow compasseth the heaven" (Ecclesiasticus 43:12); the course of the sun (1 Esdras 4:34).