Bible Encyclopedias
Fain

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fān (advb.): Occurs twice in English Versions of the Bible, in the sense of "gladly": (1) in Job 27:22 as the rendering of בּרח , bāraḥ , "to flee with haste" (from anything), "He would fain flee out of his hand," literally, as in in of the King James Version, "in fleeing he would flee"; (2) in Luke 15:16 , as the translation of ἐπιθυμέω , epithuméō , "to fix the mind or desire on," "He would fain have filled his belly with the husks which the swine did eat." the Revised Version (British and American) adds two instances: (1) Luke 13:31 , "Herod would fain kill thee"; (2) Acts 26:28 , "Thou wouldest fain make me a Christian." See ALMOST .