Topical Encyclopedia
The term "by" in the Bible is a preposition that is used to indicate agency, means, or proximity. It is a small but significant word that appears frequently throughout the Scriptures, serving to clarify relationships between people, actions, and divine interventions. In the context of the Bible, "by" often denotes the means through which God's will is accomplished, the agency of individuals, or the manner in which events unfold.
Agency and Divine InterventionIn many instances, "by" is used to express the agency through which God acts in the world. For example, in the account of creation, God creates the world "by" His word.
Psalm 33:6 states, "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host." This usage underscores the power and authority of God's spoken word as the means of creation.
Similarly, the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt is often described in terms of divine agency. In
Exodus 14:31, the Israelites saw the great power that the LORD used "by" His hand against the Egyptians, leading them to fear the LORD and believe in Him.
Human Agency and ActionsThe Bible also uses "by" to describe human actions and the means by which individuals accomplish tasks. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul frequently speaks of his ministry as being conducted "by" the grace of God. In
1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul writes, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."
This highlights the concept that while human effort is involved, it is ultimately God's grace that enables and empowers believers to fulfill their callings.
Proximity and RelationshipThe preposition "by" is also used to indicate proximity or relationship. In the Gospels, Jesus often taught "by" the sea, as seen in
Mark 4:1: "Again Jesus began to teach by the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge."
This usage emphasizes the physical setting of Jesus' ministry and His accessibility to the people who came to hear Him.
Means of SalvationIn theological discussions, "by" is crucial in articulating the means of salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9 states, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." Here, "by" is used to clarify that salvation is achieved through God's grace, accessed through faith, and not by human effort or merit.
ConclusionThe word "by" in the Bible, though small, carries significant theological weight. It helps to articulate the means and agency through which God's purposes are fulfilled, the relationship between divine grace and human action, and the proximity of individuals to the divine narrative. Through its various uses, "by" serves as a reminder of the intricate ways in which God interacts with His creation and the means by which His will is accomplished in the world.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
By myself
In the expression "by myself" (A.V.,1 Corinthians 4:4), means, as rendered in the Revised Version, "against myself."
By and byImmediately (Matthew 13:21; R.V., "straightway;"Luke 21:9).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (pref.) In the neighborhood of; near or next to; not far from; close to; along with; as, come and sit by me.2. (pref.) On; along; in traversing. Compare 5.
3. (pref.) Near to, while passing; hence, from one to the other side of; past; as, to go by a church.
4. (pref.) Used in specifying adjacent dimensions; as, a cabin twenty feet by forty.
5. (pref.) Against.
6. (pref.) With, as means, way, process, etc.; through means of; with aid of; through; through the act or agency of; as, a city is destroyed by fire; profit is made by commerce; to take by force.
7. (adv.) Near; in the neighborhood; present; as, there was no person by at the time.
8. (adv.) Passing near; going past; past; beyond; as, the procession has gone by; a bird flew by.
9. (adv.) Aside; as, to lay by; to put by.
10. (a.) Out of the common path; aside; -- used in composition, giving the meaning of something aside, secondary, or incidental, or collateral matter, a thing private or avoiding notice; as, by-line, by-place, by-play, by-street. It was formerly more freely used in composition than it is now; as, by-business, by-concernment, by-design, by-interest, etc.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
BYIn the sense of "against" which survives only in dialectal English (compare Wright, Dialect Dict., I, 470, for examples) is the King James Version rendering of the dative emauto of1 Corinthians 4:4 (the American Standard Revised Version renders this "against"). In classical Greek the same idiom sunoida with dative = "be conscious" or "be cognizant of" a thing.
Greek
3855. parago -- to leadby, to passby or away... to lead
by, to pass
by or away. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: parago Phonetic
Spelling: (par-ag'-o) Short Definition: I pass
by, depart, pass away
...2315. theopneustos -- God-breathed, ie inspiredby God
... God-breathed, ie inspiredby God. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration:
theopneustos Phonetic Spelling: (theh-op'-nyoo-stos) Short Definition: God-breathed...
1281. diapragmateuomai -- to examine thoroughly, to gainby...
... to examine thoroughly, to gainby trading. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration:
diapragmateuomai Phonetic Spelling: (dee-ap-rag-mat-yoo'-om-ahee) Short...
3844. para -- from beside,by the side of,by, beside
... from beside,by the side of,by, beside. Part of Speech: Preposition Transliteration:
para Phonetic Spelling: (par-ah') Short Definition: from, in the presence...
5496. cheiragogeo -- to leadby the hand
... to leadby the hand. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: cheiragogeo Phonetic
Spelling: (khi-rag-ogue-eh'-o) Short Definition: I leadby the hand Definition...
3513. ne --by (a particle of affirmation employed in oaths)
...by (a particle of affirmation employed in oaths). Part of Speech: Particle, Disjunctive
Particle Transliteration: ne Phonetic Spelling: (nay) Short Definition...
5500. cheirotoneo -- to voteby stretching out the hand, to...
... to voteby stretching out the hand, to appoint. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration:
cheirotoneo Phonetic Spelling: (khi-rot-on-eh'-o) Short Definition: I...
2975. lagchano -- to obtainby lot
... to obtainby lot. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: lagchano Phonetic Spelling:
(lang-khan'-o) Short Definition: I obtainby lot, cast lots Definition: (a...
1793. entugchano -- to chance upon,by impl. confer with,by ext....
... entugchano. 1794 . to chance upon,by impl. confer with,by ext.... (see Thayer, 5177 ).].
Word Origin from en and tugchano Definition to chance upon,by impl....
2820. kleroo -- to assignby lot
... to assignby lot. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: kleroo Phonetic Spelling:
(klay-ro'-o) Short Definition: I make a heritage Definition: I cast lots...
Strong's Hebrew
3187. yachas -- to enroll oneself or be enrolledby genealogy... 3186, 3187. yachas. 3188 . to enroll oneself or be enrolled
by genealogy.
Transliteration: yachas Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-khas') Short Definition: genealogy
...5980. ummah -- closeby, sideby side with
... 5979, 5980. ummah. 5981 . closeby, sideby side with. Transliteration: ummah
Phonetic Spelling: (oom-maw') Short Definition: alongside....
4481. min -- from, out of,by,by reason of, at, more than
... 4480, 4481. min. 4482 . from, out of,by,by reason of, at, more than.
Transliteration: min Phonetic Spelling: (min) Short Definition: partly....
801. ishsheh -- an offering madeby fire
... 800, 801. ishsheh. 802 . an offering madeby fire. Transliteration: ishsheh
Phonetic Spelling: (ish-shaw') Short Definition: fire....
5674a. abar -- to pass over, through, orby, pass on
... 5674, 5674a. abar. 5674b . to pass over, through, orby, pass on.
Transliteration: abar Short Definition: pass. Word Origin a prim....
3119. yomam -- daytime,by day
... 3118, 3119. yomam. 3120 . daytime,by day. Transliteration: yomam Phonetic
Spelling: (yo-mawm') Short Definition: day.... daily,by, in the daytime....
775. Arpakshad -- third son of Shem, also the region settledby...
... Arpakshad. 776 . third son of Shem, also the region settledby him. Transliteration:
Arpakshad Phonetic Spelling: (ar-pak-shad') Short Definition: Arpachshad....
5455. Sabteka -- a son of Cush, also the territory settledby his...
... a son of Cush, also the territory settledby his desc.... Word Origin probably of foreign
origin Definition a son of Cush, also the territory settledby his desc....
8485. Tema -- a son of Ishmael, also his desc. and the region...
... Tema. 8486 . a son of Ishmael, also his desc. and the region settledby them.
Transliteration: Tema Phonetic Spelling: (tay-maw') Short Definition: Tema....
1215. betsa -- gain madeby violence, unjust gain, profit
... 1214, 1215. betsa. 1216 . gain madeby violence, unjust gain, profit.
Transliteration: betsa Phonetic Spelling: (beh'-tsah) Short Definition: gain....
Library
The Bible Periodby Period
The Bible Periodby Period. <. The Bible Periodby Period Josiah Blake Tidwell.
E-text preparedby Fredric B. Lozo Table of Contents. Title Page....
The Terrorby Night
... THE TERRORBY NIGHT. In some parts of Canada, where the country is still
thinly settledby people, wild animals are quite numerous....
Allegation 1 "It is Taughtby us that Certain Men, and Few in...
... ALLEGATION 1 "IT IS TAUGHTBY US THAT CERTAIN MEN, AND FEW IN NUMBER, ARE
ELECTED.". It is true that your theory, manifestly includes...
Stanzasby the Warden
... Stanzasby the Warden.... Beyond the haunts of men They urge their tedious way,
When lo! a wandering tribe appearsBy yonder northern bay....
Liveby Faith.
... LIVEBY FAITH. Liveby faith. There is no other true and right way to live....
Such a walk isby faith, notby sight. God honors faith....
By the Same Author.
... Part IV. THE HISTORY OF BEL AND THE DRAGONBY THE SAME AUTHOR. "... ELY DIOCESAN
REMEMBRANCER.""We think it will prove highly useful.".By the Rev....
The Opinions of Hermogenes,by the Prescriptive Rule of Antiquity...
... Chapter I."The Opinions of Hermogenes,by the Prescriptive Rule of Antiquity
Shown to Be Heretical. Not Derived from Christianity...
Growthby Transplanting
... GENESIS GROWTHBY TRANSPLANTING.... One of the great lessons meant to be taughtby
the whole patriarchal period was the sacredness of the family....
Prefaceby the Author
... PREFACEBY THE AUTHOR.... I found, or thought I found, nearly all the doctrines
of Christianity embarrassedby the assumptions above named....
'Constrainedby the Word'
... THE ACTS CHAP. XIII TO END 'CONSTRAINEDBY THE WORD'. 'And when Silas and
Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in...
Thesaurus
By (30426 Occurrences)... Easton's Bible Dictionary
By myself. In the expression "
by myself" (AV, 1 Corinthians
4:4), means, as rendered in the Revised Version, "against myself.".
...Passers-by (9 Occurrences)
Passers-by. Passers, Passers-by. Passes . Multi-Version Concordance
Passers-by (9 Occurrences). Matthew 27:39 And the passers-by reviled Him....
Passer-by (5 Occurrences)
Passer-by. Passer, Passer-by. Passers . Noah Webster's Dictionary
(n.) One who goesby; a passer. Multi-Version Concordance...
By-word (6 Occurrences)
By-word. Byword,By-word. Caanan . Easton's Bible Dictionary... In Jeremiah
24:9 it is rendered "taunt.". Multi-Version ConcordanceBy-word (6 Occurrences)....
By-paths (1 Occurrence)
By-paths. Bypaths,By-paths. Byssus . Multi-Version Concordance
By-paths (1 Occurrence). Jeremiah 18:15 For my people...
By-ways (1 Occurrence)
By-ways. Byways,By-ways. Byword . Easton's Bible Dictionary Only in... ways.".
Multi-Version ConcordanceBy-ways (1 Occurrence). Judges...
Good-by (8 Occurrences)
Good-by. Good, Good-by. Goodbye . Noah Webster's Dictionary (n. / interj.)
Alt. of Good-bye. Multi-Version Concordance Good-by (8 Occurrences)....
Sound (1245 Occurrences)
... 7. (superl.) Founded in truth or right; supportedby justice; not to be overthrown
on refuted; not fallacious; as, sound argument or reasoning; a sound...
Voluntary (17 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) Proceeding from the will; produced in orby
an act of choice. 2. (vt) Unconstrainedby the interference...
Zacchaeus (3 Occurrences)
... When our Lord reached the spot he looked up to the publican among the branches,
and addressing himby name, told him to make haste and come down, as he...
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