med-i-ta'-shun (haghuth, sichah): "Meditation" is the translation of haghuth, from haghah, "to murmur," "to have a deep tone," hence, "to meditate" (Psalms 49:3); of haghigh, "sighing," "moaning" (Psalms 5:1; see Psalms 5:2); of higgayon, "the murmur" or dull sound of the harp, hence, meditation (Psalms 19:14, "Let .... the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight"); of siach, "speech," "meditation" (Psalms 104:34, "Let my meditation be sweet unto him"); of sichah, a "bowing down," "musing" (Psalms 119:97,99; 2 Esdras 10:5). "To meditate" is the translation of haghah (Joshua 1:8; Psalms 1:2; 63:6; Isaiah 33:18 the King James Version); of suach (Genesis 24:63); of siach (Psalms 119:15,23, etc.; Psalms 143:5, the King James Version "muse"; 1 Chronicles 16:9; Psalms 105:2 margin). In Apocrypha we have "to meditate" (Ecclesiasticus 14:20, "Blessed is the man that shall mediate in wisdom," the Revised Version margin "most authorities read come to an end" (teleutesei); Ecclesiasticus 39:1, "meditateth in the law of the Most High" (dianoeomai)). The lack of meditation is a great want in our modern religious life. In the New Testament, we have "to meditate" (promeletao, "to take care beforehand"), Luke 21:14, and "meditate" (meletao, "to take care"), 1 Timothy 4:15 the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) "be diligent"); compare Philippians 4:8; Colossians 3:2.

W. L. Walker

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

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