Day: February 2, 2024

Friday, February 2, 2024

“And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it” (Leviticus 7:24 KJV).

What does “in no wise” mean?

In the case of “wise” here, this is not to be understood in the sense of possessing wisdom. If we familiarize ourselves with our language, “wise” can also carry the meaning of “way of proceeding or considering; manner; fashion.” (The word comes to us from the Old English term with the same spelling, which was defined as “manner.”) It is also interesting to note there are related expressions such as “otherwise” and “in any wise.”

For “in any wise” appearing in the Authorized Version 12 times, see Exodus 22:23, Leviticus 19:17, Leviticus 27:19, Deuteronomy 17:15, Deuteronomy 21:23, Deuteronomy 22:7, Joshua 6:18, Joshua 23:12, 1 Samuel 6:3, 1 Kings 11:22, Psalm 37:8, and Mark 14:31. This carries the meaning of “in any way/method/manner.” It is the most positive sense—ever.

As for “otherwise,” see the 14 occurrences in 2 Samuel 18:13, 1 Kings 1:21, 2 Chronicles 30:18, Psalm 38:16, Matthew 6:1, Luke 5:36, Romans 11:6, Romans 11:22, 2 Corinthians 11:16, Galatians 5:10, Philippians 3:15, 1 Timothy 5:25, 1 Timothy 6:3, and Hebrews 9:17. This is the sense of “in other way/method/manner.” It is a neutral sense.

In the 11 “in no wise” cases (today’s Scripture; 1 Kings 3:26,27; Matthew 5:18; Matthew 10:42; Luke 13:11; Luke 18:17; John 6:37; Acts 13:41; Romans 3:9; Revelation 21:27), this carries the meaning of “in no way/method/manner.” It is the most negative sense—never.

The “wise” expressions—“in any wise,” “otherwise,” and “in no wise”—are much more formal or majestic than just the plain phrases “in any way” (“ever”), “in another way,” or “in no way” (“never”). Our King James Bible’s language is magnificent. It takes effort and research to pinpoint why its translators selected the words they did. We can be sure they gave a great deal of thought as they worked, and only children and/or dishonest adults would criticize and re-translate. In any wise, we should be people of faith. Otherwise, we will wind up in unbelief. In no wise should we be people of doubt.