Far

FAR; FARTHER [ISBE]

FAR; FARTHER - far, far'-ther: "Far" (adj.), distant, remote; (advb.) widely removed, is most frequently in the Old Testament the translation of rachoq, and in the New Testament of makran, but also of other Hebrew and Greek words. The word chalilah, an exclamation of abhorrence or aversion Septuagint me genoito; see FORBID), is rendered "far from me," "far from thee," etc. (Gen 18:25; 1 Sam 2:30; 20:9; 22:15; 2 Sam 20:20; 23:17; Job 34:10). Besides its literal sense, distance in a spiritual sense is expressed by "far," as "Salvation is far from the wicked" (Ps 119:155; compare Prov 15:29), "far from righteousness" (Isa 46:12), "not far from the kingdom of God" (Mk 12:34), etc. For "far" the Revised Version (British and American) has "aloof" in Job 30:10; in several places the word in the King James Version is omitted (Jdg 9:17; Ps 27:9; Isa 19:6; 26:15; Mk 13:34); "a far country" is changed to "another" (Mt 21:33; 25:14; Mk 13:34), etc. For "God forbid" the Revised Version (British and American) has "far be it," "far be it from me" (Gal 6:14; in the American Standard Revised Version, Gen 44:7,17; 1 Sam 12:23; Job 27:5, etc.).

The comparative "farther" occurs only once in the Old Testament (Eccl 8:17), and thrice in the New Testament (Mt 26:39; Mk 1:19; 10:1), and in each case is replaced in the Revised Version (British and American) by another word or phrase. The Revised Version (British and American), on the other hand, has "its farthest height" for "the height of his border" (Isa 37:24), and "his farthest lodging-place" for "the lodgings of his borders" (2 Ki 19:23).

W. L. Walker