Approve

Approve - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

APPROVE', v.t. [L. approbo; of ad and probo, to prove or approve. See Approbate, Prove and Proof.]

1. To like; to be pleased with; to admit the propriety of; as, we approve the measures of administration. This word may include, with the assent of the mind to the propriety, a commendation to others.

2. To prove; to show to be true; to justify.

Would'st thou approve thy constancy? Approve first thy wisdom.

[This sense, though common a century or two ago, is now rare.]

3. To experience; to prove by trial. [Not used. See Prove.]

4. To make or show to be worthy of approbation; to commend.

Jesus, a man approved of God. Acts 2.

This word seems to include the idea of Christ's real office as the Messiah, and of God's love and approbation of him in that character.

5. To like and sustain as right; to commend.

Yet their posterity approve their sayings. Psa 49.

This word, when it signifies to be pleased, is often followed by of, in which use, it is intransitive; as, I approve of the measure. But the tendency of modern usage is to omit of. ""I approve the measure.""

6. To improve.

a-proov': This word, as ordinarily used, means "to entertain a favorable opinion concerning" (Ps 49:13; La 3:36). Its Biblical and archaic use conveys a much stronger meaning and is equivalent to its use in legal formalities of today, "to approve a bill," i.e. by some act, generally a signature, to express approval. In New Testament, a number of times, for Greek dokimazo, "to test, try, make proof of," and its derivative, dokimos, "tested," "tried." The word will, in almost every ease, imply that the proof is victoriously demonstrated, the proved is also approved, just as in English we speak of "tried men" (Trench, Greek Synonyms of New Testament). It is the word most frequently used for the testing of ores. That which does not stand the test is adokimos, "reprobate." Compare Jer 6:30 King James Version: "reprobate silver." That which stands the test is dokimos, "approved." "Salute Apelles the approved in Christ" (Ro 16:10); "they that are approved" (1Co 11:19); "Present thyself approved unto God" (2Ti 2:15); when he hath been "approved" (Jas 1:12). See also Ro 14:18,22; 1Th 2:4.

H. E. Jacobs