verb
gerund or present participle: revelling
- enjoy oneself in a lively and noisy way, especially with drinking and dancing.
“they spent the evening reveling with their guests”
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21, KJV
verb
noun: reviler
- criticize in an abusive or angrily insulting manner.
“he was now reviled by the party that he had helped to lead”
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11, KJV
verb
- make (previously unknown or secret information) known to others.
“Brenda was forced to reveal Robbie’s whereabouts”
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
Luke 10:21-22, KJV
noun
- a surprising and previously unknown fact, especially one that is made known in a dramatic way.
“revelations about his personal life” - the divine or supernatural disclosure to humans of something relating to human existence or the world.
“an attempt to reconcile Darwinian theories with biblical revelation”
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set at his own right hand in heaven, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all under his feet, and gave him the head over all to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 1:15-23, KJV
Above are just a few interesting notes about the English language that I’ve learned from my time with the King James bible. As our culture changes, our language changes, obscuring the past and the truth. It seems we keep adding more words to our dictionaries and to our sentences, all the while saying less and less which is true, helpful or useful. I had no idea what a “reviler” was and how that was different from a “reveller”, or why I probably don’t want to be either one!
Another example is the word “hardly”. Which I generally thought of as “barely”, as in the popular quip “Are you hard at work, or hardly working?” But in the King James Bible you will find it used in a few other contexts that reveal other aspects of the word, and a fuller comprehension of its meanings.
But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thine hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
Genesis 16:6, KJV
Here the meaning is “dealt with in a hard manner”, not that Sarai refused to deal with her fully.
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.
Exodus 13:15, KJV
Again, this does not mean that Pharaoh let them go “just barely”, rather it means he hardened his heart against the Israelites and refused to let them go until catastrophe befell the Egyptians. And even after letting them go, he changed his mind and went after them with chariots to try and destroy them.
And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.
Luke 9:38-39, KJV
Here the man is indicating that the evil spirit possessing his son bruised him in very hard manner before leaving him.
And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Luke 18:24, KJV
This last passage is the one that really got me thinking that I didn’t understand the full meaning of this word. Clearly, Jesus is indicating that it will be very difficult, or very hard, for anyone who possesses great riches to enter into the kingdom of God. It makes good sense because the root of the word is “hard” (not “bare”) so hardly means with hardness or hard to achieve. This still fits with the original definition as well if you can wrap your head around it: “Are you hard at work, or finding it very hard to get to work?”