Dictionary: Face
Synonyms: countenance, physiognomy, profile, features, expression, facial expression, look, appearance, air, manner, bearing, guise, cast, aspect, impression, grimace, scowl, wry face, wince, frown, glower, smirk, pout, moue, side, flank, vertical, surface, plane, facet, wall, elevation, dial, display, (outward) appearance, nature, image, front, show, act, false front, facade, exterior, mask, masquerade, pretence, charade, pose, illusion, smokescreen, veneer, camouflage, respect, honour, esteem, regard, admiration, approbation, acclaim, approval, favour, appreciation, popularity, estimation, veneration, awe, reverence, deference, recognition, prestige, standing, status, dignity, glory, kudos, cachet, effrontery, audacity, nerve, gall, brazenness, brashness, shamelessness, look out on, front on to, look towards, be facing, have/afford/command a view of, look over/across, open out over, look on to, overlook, give on to, give over, be opposite (to), accept, come to accept, become reconciled to, reconcile oneself to, reach an acceptance (of), get used to, become accustomed to, adjust to, accommodate oneself to, acclimatize oneself to, be confronted by, be faced with, encounter, experience, come into contact with, run into, come across, meet, come up against, be forced to contend with, beset, worry, distress, cause trouble to, trouble, bother, confront, burden, brave, face up to, meet head-on, dare, defy, oppose, resist, withstand, cover, clad, skin, overlay, dress, pave, put a facing on, laminate, inlay, plate, coat, line
Antonyms: dodge, fear, back, give way, back down, dodge, avoid, throw in the towel, withdraw, cave in, retreat, succumb to, lay down one's arms, throw in the sponge, defer, submit, escape, bashfulness, shun, evade, elude
Showing 851 to 875 of 1389 results
851. Asa King of Judah
2 Chronicles 14:2-15
Understanding Series
Louis C. Jonker
... Deut. 7:5; 12:3). These are mentioned, instead of the “male shrine prostitutes” and “idols his fathers had made” in the source text. The expansion of the Chronicler is also programmatic: he commanded Judah to seek the LORD. Again, the word darash features prominently. And equally programmatic is the Chronicler’s own description of the time: the kingdom was at peace under him (2 Chron. 14:5, with shaqath). 14:6–7 Prosperity in the land is expressed by means of building projects. Asa could build ...
852. Jehoshaphat King of Judah
2 Chronicles 17:1-19
Understanding Series
Louis C. Jonker
... 19:4–11 deals with some judicial reforms that Jehoshaphat initiated. This material comes from the Chronicler’s own hand again. The major part of 2 Chronicles 20 recounts Jehoshaphat’s defeat of the coalition of the Ammonites and Moabites (20:1–30). Prominent features are the prayer of Jehoshaphat (20:5–12) and a description of the role of Jehaziel the Levite (20:14–17). The Jehoshaphat account closes (20:31–21:1) with the normal summary of the king’s reign and some other minor events. In ...
853. Amaziah King of Judah
2 Chronicles 25:1-28
Understanding Series
Louis C. Jonker
... , Joash. His reign (ca. 796–767 B.C.) lasted for twenty-nine years. The ambiguity in the Chronicler’s presentation of many of Judah’s kings—for example Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Joash—continues in the next episode. The Chronicler’s version features two prominent insertions into the source material, 2 Kings 14:1–20. Second Chronicles 25:5–10 (from the Chronicler’s own hand) describes Amaziah’s mustering of his troops and hiring of additional mercenaries from his northern neighbor, Israel. An ...
854. Jotham King of Judah
2 Chronicles 27:1-9
Understanding Series
Louis C. Jonker
... “Judah” in the source text with Israel and Judah in order to emphasize the All-Israel concept again. Second Chronicles 27:8 repeats the introductory information in 27:1 and could be either the result of some error in textual transmission or a literary feature intended to enclose the Jotham narrative. The final remark about the burial of the king (27:9) follows the source text (2 Kgs. 15:38) but omits the words “with his fathers.” The reader would note that this is the first king since Jehoshaphat ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... to the fact that these are not simply two books by the same author, but two volumes of one book. This arrangement of a work into a number of “books” having a common preface, with the later books having their own brief introduction, was a not-uncommon feature of ancient writing (cf., e.g., Josephus, Against Apion 2.1–7; see BC, vol. 2, p. 491). Unlike the Gospel, there is no clear line of demarcation in Acts between the introduction and the narrative, for what begins as a reference back to the earlier ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... day. Second, in developing that point, Luke emphasized the disciples’ persistence in prayer. They prayed constantly (v. 14), this word expressing the Greek imperfect, which points to repeated or habitual action. Third, their praying together was an expression of the unity that was a feature of the early church—they all joined together (v. 14). Their praying was probably also a factor in maintaining that unity (cf. 2:46; 4:24; 5:12; Rom. 15:6; Eph. 4:3). It is also typical of Luke that he should draw ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
It is a feature of Luke’s method in these early chapters to intersperse his narrative with little cameos of life in the early church, intended, no doubt, as models for the church of his own day (see R. J. Karris, Perspectives, p. 117). This section contains the first of these sketches. It touches ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... by the authorities than they had been at first, due to growing official resentment of their preaching, both concerning its subject (see disc. on 4:2) and its success. The authorities were certainly quick to step in on this occasion. 3:1 The principal feature of the daily routine of the temple was the offering of the morning and evening sacrifices, the former soon after dawn, the latter at the ninth hour, that is, around midafternoon (Josephus, Antiquities 14.64–68). At these times the devout would gather ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... see 13:26, 47; 16:17). 4:13 Again it would appear that John spoke as well as Peter and with the same confidence. The word translated courage means to speak holding nothing back. It was a gift for which they prayed (“boldness,” vv. 29, 31) and a feature of their preaching (cf. 9:27f.; 13:46; 14:3; 18:26; 19:8; 26:26; 28:31; also Eph. 6:20; 1 Thess. 2:2). On this occasion the council members were astonished at their boldness, the more so since the apostles were obviously unschooled, ordinary men. Probably ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... in the earlier sketch, he has already had something more to say about prayer (4:23–31) and will shortly add something on the subject of miracles. 4:32 For the expression all (Gk. plethos) the believers, see note on 6:2. One of the most remarkable features of life among the early believers was their unity. This is expressed here in the words they were one in heart and mind, a typically Hebraic turn of phrase indicating their complete accord (cf. 1 Chron. 12:38). It is a general statement to which there ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... the sincerity of love (Rom. 12:9)? 5:11 The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira made a deep impression on both the church and the wider community—we should give to the words great fear their full force, no matter that a reference to fear was a regular feature of miracle stories (cf. v. 5; see disc. on 2:43). In bringing the narrative to a close, Luke uses the word church for the first time in Acts. Whether or not the Christians themselves were using this word at the time, Luke may have meant us to understand ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... that would appeal to Jews as the Greek equivalent of a number of Hebrew names. On this basis, Luke’s Theudas has been identified with Matthias (“a gift”), son of Margalothus, an insurgent at the time of Herod the Great who features prominently in Josephus’ narrative (Antiquities 18.147–150). This identification, of course, cannot be proved. If Luke’s accuracy has been called into question over Theudas, it is remarkably confirmed by his reference to Judas. For Gamaliel speaks of his insurrection ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... vv. 2, 7; 9:36; 11:26; 19:1–4). That the term disciple was still used makes it clear that the disciples of Jesus formed the nucleus of the church and that the relationship that Jesus had with them remained the pattern of his relationship with the church. A feature of the life of the early church was their readiness to meet the needs of their poor (cf. 2:44f.; 4:32ff.). Whether what was given was in service or material goods is not known, but we see here that it was given daily. We notice, too, that it is ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... for repentance and faith and was evidently assured of both in this case. But because the original text makes no mention of the Ethiopian’s response, verse 37 was added. It is not original, but is not without interest, for it reflects what was probably another feature of the early baptismal liturgy, namely, a formal interrogation leading to the credal statement “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (cf. 11:17; 16:31). 8:38 Assuming that they were on the road that went by way of Hebron, the ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... 2:21 (a quote of Joel 2:32) and is used again in verse 21 and in 22:16. This description means that they believe in Christ, and significantly, it is closely linked in 1 Corinthians 1:2 with the address to Christians as “the saints.” Another distinctive feature of the passage is the frequent use of the title Lord of Jesus. This was common at the time when Paul was writing his letters and may, again, reflect his own language in recounting the story to Luke. 9:15–16 The Lord’s command to Ananias to go ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... not show favoritism” (10:34; cf. 20:21; 26:20). The story ends characteristically on a note of praise. A well-supported reading of this verse has the verb to praise in the imperfect, allowing us to suppose that not only on this occasion, but as a common feature of their life, the Jewish church ascribed glory to God. Thus the writer, about to pass to other things, depicts the state of things that he leaves behind. Additional Notes 11:2 When Peter went up to Jerusalem: It is not said that he was summoned to ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... of the temple area (the Western text mentions his going down steps; cf. 21:35, 40). At all events, it appears to have been somewhere in the city. As for the manner of his escape, it must be admitted that “there are indeed some features of the narrative which would lead a police detective to conclude that it was a skillfully planned ‘inside job’ ” (Bruce, Book, p. 249). And we are certainly not obliged to look for the miraculous in every biblical narrative that could be explained otherwise. But ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... a narrative rich in detail, and it is tempting to think that this was due to Timothy’s eyewitness account, for he was probably a native of Lystra (see disc. on 16:1). That part of the story that concerns the healing of a lame man has some features in common with the miracle in 3:1–10. This need not concern us. In describing similar miracles, the same author is likely to use some of the same expressions. There is sufficient difference of detail to leave us in no doubt that the stories are different ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... ). Before he left, Paul cut his hair in fulfillment of a vow that he had made, perhaps early in his stay at Corinth when he had been depressed and afraid (v. 9). These vows, based on the Nazirite vow of Numbers 6:1–21, appear to have been a common feature of Jewish piety (cf. 23:21–26; m. Nazir). Their conclusion was marked by the shaving of one’s head and the offering of sacrifice in the temple. Both acts were normally done in Jerusalem, but if the devotee was far from the city, he seems to have been ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... is placed in the front rank of miracle workers with Peter and Jesus himself (cf. 9:36–41; Luke 7:11–15; 8:49–56). It was, of course, Jesus working through Paul who gave life to the boy. 20:11–12 Verse 11 may indicate yet another feature of these early meetings, namely, the eating of a common meal (the Agape or “Love Feast”) in the context of which the Lord’s Supper was held, for Paul is said to have “eaten” (“tasted”) as well as having “broken the bread.” Luke uses the same word ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
As the travelers resume their journey, the narrative shows the same detail as before (see disc. on 20:7–12). The most striking feature of this part of the story is the repeated warning of danger to Paul. 21:1 The opening words of this chapter recreate the closing scene of the last, with the travelers having to “tear themselves away” from their friends (the same verb as in 20:30). From Miletus they ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... along with the citizenship of one’s own or another city, but by the time of Claudius at the latest (A.D. 41–54), this prohibition no longer applied. The pride that Paul exhibited in his native city “was still at this point a noticeable feature of city life in the Roman Empire” (Hanson, p. 213). 22:3 Born … brought up … trained (“educated”): W. C. van Unnik has shown that these three verbs are found frequently in ancient writers and in the same order (Tarsus or Jerusalem: The City of Paul ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... supposed that his prisoner had committed some crime. Additional Notes 22:25 A Roman citizen: Paul was a citizen of both Tarsus (21:39) and Rome. His enjoyment of this dual status was a mark of the imperial period and his evident pride in both a feature of the early part of that period in particular (see note on 21:39). Sherwin-White points out that, at this time, when citizens were still relatively few in the eastern empire, the privilege was valued for the political rights it conferred. After the end of ...
874. Before the Sanhedrin
Acts 22:30--23:11
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... erupting in the Sanhedrin that Paul’s life was again in jeopardy and he had to be rescued. This was in some measure due to Paul himself, who showed neither tact nor any desire, as he had on the previous day, to conciliate his audience. A curious feature of the incident as Luke has reported it is that no mention is made of the charge that Paul had “brought Greeks into the temple area” (21:28b). But then we have already suggested that the real issue was his alleged teaching against “our people and our ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
... to “the chief priests and elders” that they went with their plan (v. 14). It is even possible that they were a band of sicarii employed by the high priest himself (see disc. on 23:2). The fanaticism evidenced by these men was becoming more and more a feature of life in Jerusalem. 23:14–15 Their plan was to have Paul appear before the council again and, as he was being brought from the Tower, to kill him. It was a desperate plan with little chance of success, conceived perhaps in the knowledge that the ...
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