Topical Encyclopedia
The term "perchance" is an archaic English word that means "perhaps" or "by chance." While the specific word "perchance" does not appear in the Berean Standard Bible , the concept of chance or uncertainty is present in various passages throughout the Scriptures. In the biblical context, the idea of chance is often juxtaposed with the sovereignty and providence of God, who orchestrates all events according to His divine will and purpose.
Biblical Context and Usage1.
Divine Sovereignty and Human Uncertainty: The Bible frequently addresses the tension between human perception of chance and the divine orchestration of events.
Proverbs 16:33 states, "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD." This verse highlights that what may seem like chance to humans is ultimately under God's control.
2.
Human Plans and God's Will:
James 4:13-15 warns against presuming upon the future without acknowledging God's will: "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.' You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.'" This passage underscores the uncertainty of human plans and the necessity of submitting to God's sovereign will.
3.
God's Providence in Apparent Chance: The account of Ruth provides a narrative example of God's providence working through what appears to be chance.
Ruth 2:3 says, "So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech." The phrase "happened to come" suggests chance, yet the unfolding events reveal God's providential guidance in Ruth's life.
4.
The Role of Chance in Decision-Making: In the early church, the casting of lots was used to make decisions, such as the selection of Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot as an apostle (
Acts 1:26). This practice reflects a reliance on God's guidance in situations where human wisdom is insufficient, trusting that God would direct the outcome.
5.
Ecclesiastes and the Uncertainty of Life:
Ecclesiastes 9:11 observes, "I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all." This verse acknowledges the unpredictability of life, yet within the broader biblical narrative, it serves to remind believers of the need to trust in God's ultimate plan.
Theological ImplicationsThe concept of "perchance" or chance in the Bible serves to remind believers of the limitations of human understanding and the necessity of faith in God's sovereign plan. While humans may perceive events as random or uncertain, Scripture affirms that God is actively involved in the world, guiding and directing all things according to His purposes. This understanding calls for humility, trust, and reliance on God in all aspects of life, recognizing that what may seem like chance is ultimately part of His divine orchestration.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
adv.) By chance; perhaps; peradventure.
Greek
5177. tugchano -- to hit, hit upon, meet, happen... secure an object or end, or (intransitively) to happen (as if meeting with); but
in the latter application only impersonal (with ei), ie
Perchance; or (present
...302. an -- usually untranslatable, but generally denoting...
... occurs. [Though 302 () is not easily "," it always conveys meaning. (The
sometimes translates as "perchance," "haply."). 302 () is...
Library
IfPerchance it is not This, are victims not Slain in Sacrifice to...
... Book VII. 4 Ifperchance it is not this, are victims not slain in sacrifice
to the gods? Ifperchance it is not this, [4785] are...
If any onePerchance Thinks that we are Speaking Wicked Calumnies....
... Book V. 26 If any oneperchance thinks that we are speaking wicked calumnies?
If any oneperchance thinks that we are speaking...
"But Lest this ShouldPerchance Seem Incredible to any One...
... "But lest this shouldperchance seem incredible to any one? "But lest this should
perchance seem incredible to any one, I shall mention still greater things....
Canon Lxxxviii. No one May Drive any Beast into a Church Except...
... The Sixth Ecumenical Council. Canon LXXXVIII. No one may drive any beast
into a church exceptperchance a traveller? No one may...
As to the Words of St. ...
... Peter, knowing his evil heart, might well use words of doubt, and then by some Old
Testament instances it is pointed out that "perchance" does not exclude...
But is it So, as one Remembers Carthage who Hath Seen It? No. ...
...Perchance; for my joy I remember, even when sad, as a happy life, when unhappy;
nor did I ever with bodily sense see, hear, smell, taste, or touch my joy; but...
Many Evils Before his Commingling with Evil are Attributed to the...
... Orperchance he did not know that this would happen to his members, that they should
love darkness and become hostile to holy light, as Manich??us says, that is...
St. Ambrose Returns to the Story of the Widow of Sarepta...
... Are they not,perchance, those in which the Lord came to the earth and could not
find fruit on the fig-tree, according to that which is written: "Behold, there...
Epistle xv. To Marinianus, Bishop of Ravenna.
... But ifperchance any matter of dispute should arise between the Church of Ravenna
and the aforesaid monastery, and it cannot be settled amicably, let it be...
The Manich??ans Inquire Whence is Evil and by this Question Think...
... Hereperchance some one may say: Whence are sins themselves, and whence is evil
in general? If from man, whence is man? if from an angel, whence is the angel?...
Thesaurus
Perchance (5 Occurrences)...Perchance (5 Occurrences).
... 1 Samuel 20:10 Then said David to Jonathan, "Who shall
tell me if
perchance your father answers you roughly?" (WEB JPS ASV).
...Perch (2 Occurrences)
Uncertainty (4 Occurrences)
... 1 Thessalonians 3:5 For this reason I also, when I could no longer endure the
uncertainty, sent to know the condition of your faith, lestperchance the Tempter...
Listen (441 Occurrences)
... Mark 4:12 that "'They may look and look but not see, and listen and listen but not
understand, lestperchance they should return and be pardoned.'" (WEY)....
Roughly (8 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 20:10 Then said David to Jonathan, "Who shall tell me ifperchance your
father answers you roughly?" (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)....
Rough (24 Occurrences)
... 1 Samuel 20:10 Then said David to Jonathan, "Who shall tell me ifperchance your
father answers you roughly?" (Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS RSV)....
Perched (1 Occurrence)
Pardoned (21 Occurrences)
... Mark 4:12 that "'They may look and look but not see, and listen and listen but not
understand, lestperchance they should return and be pardoned.'" (WEY)....
Perhaps (89 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (adv.) By chance; peradventure;perchance; possibly.
Multi-Version Concordance Perhaps (89 Occurrences)....
Chance (78 Occurrences)
... 8. (vt) To befall; to happen to. 9. (a.) Happening by chance; casual. 10. (adv.)
By chance;perchance. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. CHANCE....
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