Wednesday, February 12, 2025
“And the man wondering at her held his peace…” (Genesis 24:21 KJV).
The King James Bible features nearly 60 references to men “holding [their] peace.” What is the denotation?
“And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:48). “But he held his peace, and answered nothing…” (Mark 14:61). “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not” (Luke 4:35). “And they held their peace…” (Luke 14:4). “And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me” (Luke 18:39). “And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40).
“…[A]nd they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace” (Luke 20:26). “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God,…” (Acts 11:18). “But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place” (Acts 12:17). “And after they had held their peace, James answered,…” (Acts 15:13). “Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:…” (Acts 18:9). “If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace” (1 Corinthians 14:30).
The Authorized Version defines “holding the peace” as: “answered him not a word” (2 Kings 18:36; Isaiah 36:21), “found nothing to answer” (Nehemiah 5:8), “their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth” (Job 29:10), “dumb with silence” (Psalm 39:2), “keep silence” (Psalm 83:1; Isaiah 62:6), “shutteth his lips” (Proverbs 17:28), and “answered nothing” (Mark 14:61). “Hold” is “maintain or keep in a specified state or relation.” For example, “hold still” is “stay motionless.” Hence, “hold one’s peace” is “maintain silence.”
333 Words of Grace 