Adjacent Words

Scripture definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SCRIP'TURE, n. [L. scriptura, from scribo, to write.]
1. In its primary sense, a writing; any thing written.
2. Appropriately, and by way of distinction, the books of the Old and New Testament; the Bible. The word is used either in the singular or plural number, to denote the sacred writings or divine oracles, called sacred or holy, as proceeding from God and containing sacred doctrines and precepts.
There is not any action that a man ought to do or forbear, but the Scripture will give him a clear precept or prohibition for it.
Compared with the knowledge which the Scriptures contain, every other subject of human inquiry is vanity and emptiness.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the sacred writings of the Christian religions; "he went to carry the Word to the heathen" [syn: Bible, Christian Bible, Book, Good Book, Holy Scripture, Holy Writ, Scripture, Word of God, Word]
2: any writing that is regarded as sacred by a religious group [syn: scripture, sacred scripture]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin scriptura, from Latin, act or product of writing, from scriptus Date: 14th century 1. a. (1) capitalized the books of the Bible — often used in plural (2) often capitalized a passage from the Bible b. a body of writings considered sacred or authoritative 2. something written <the primitive man's awe for any scripture — George Santayana>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 sacred writings. 2 (Scripture or the Scriptures) a the Bible as a collection of sacred writings in Christianity. b the sacred writings of any other religion. Etymology: ME f. L scriptura (as SCRIPT)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Scripture Scrip"ture (?; 135), n. [L. scriptura, fr. scribere, scriptum, to write: cf. OF. escripture, escriture, F. ['e]criture. See Scribe.] 1. Anything written; a writing; a document; an inscription. I have put it in scripture and in remembrance. --Chaucer. Then the Lord of Manny read the scripture on the tomb, the which was in Latin. --Ld. Berners. 2. The books of the Old and the new Testament, or of either of them; the Bible; -- used by way of eminence or distinction, and chiefly in the plural. There is not any action a man ought to do, or to forbear, but the Scripture will give him a clear precept or prohibition for it. --South. Compared with the knowledge which the Scripteres contain, every other subject of human inquiry is vanity. --Buckminster. 3. A passage from the Bible;; a text. The devil can eite Scripture for his purpose. --Shak. Hanging by the twined thread of one doubtful Scripture. --Milton.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(scriptures) Scripture or the scriptures refers to writings that are regarded as holy in a particular religion, for example the Bible in Christianity. ...a quote from scripture. ...the Holy Scriptures. N-VAR: oft the N

Easton's Bible Dictionary

invariably in the New Testament denotes that definite collection of sacred books, regarded as given by inspiration of God, which we usually call the Old Testament (2 Tim. 3:15, 16; John 20:9; Gal. 3:22; 2 Pet. 1:20). It was God's purpose thus to perpetuate his revealed will. From time to time he raised up men to commit to writing in an infallible record the revelation he gave. The "Scripture," or collection of sacred writings, was thus enlarged from time to time as God saw necessary. We have now a completed "Scripture," consisting of the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament canon in the time of our Lord was precisely the same as that which we now possess under that name. He placed the seal of his own authority on this collection of writings, as all equally given by inspiration (Matt. 5:17; 7:12; 22:40; Luke 16:29, 31). (See BIBLE; CANON.)

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

skrip'-tur (he graphe, plural hai graphai): The word means "writing." In the Old Testament it occurs in the King James Version only once, "the scripture of truth," in Da 10:21, where it is more correctly rendered in the Revised Version (British and American), "the writing of truth." The reference is not to Holy Scripture, but to the book in which are inscribed God's purposes. In the New Testament, "scripture" and "scriptures" stand regularly for the Old Testament sacred books regarded as "inspired" (2Ti 3:16), "the oracles of God" (Ro 3:2). Compare on this usage Mt 21:42; 22:29; Mr 12:10; Lu 4:21; 24:27,32,45; Joh 5:39; 10:35; Ac 8:32; 17:2,11; Ro 15:4; 16:26, etc.; in Ro 1:2, "holy scriptures." See BIBLE. The expression "holy scriptures" in 2Ti 3:15 the King James Version represents different words (hiera grammata) and is properly rendered in the Revised Version (British and American) "sacred writings." In 2Pe 3:16, the term "scriptures" is extended to the Eppistle of Paul. In Jas 4:5, the words occur: "Think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?" The passage is probably rather a summary of Scripture teaching than intended as a direct quotation. Others (e.g. Westcott) think the word is used in a wide sense of a Christian hymn.

James Orr

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Writing, document, inscription, manuscript, book. 2. The Scriptures, the Bible, the Holy Scriptures. II. a. See scriptural.

Moby Thesaurus

Bhagavad-Gita, Bible, Book of Mormon, Douay Bible, Holy Scripture, Holy Writ, King James Version, Koran, Revised Standard Version, Revised Version, Septuagint, Testament, Vulgate, canon, sacred writings, the Book, the Good Book, the Scriptures, the Word