Bible dictionaries

Close

What Bible dictionaries say about “Close”, one article after the other.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary & Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Close - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

CLOSE, v.t.

1. To shut; to make fast, by pressing together, or by stopping an open place, so as to intercept a passage, in almost any manner; as, to close the eyes; to close a gate, door or window. In these and other cases, closing is performed by bringing an object before the opening. To close a book, is to bring the parts together.

The Lord hath closed your eyes. Isa 29.

He closed the book. Luke 4.

2. To end; to finish; to conclude; to complete; to bring to a period; as, to close a bargain, or contract.

One frugal supper did our studies close.

3. To unite, as the parts of a breach or fracture; to make whole; to consolidate; often followed by up.

The Lord closed up the flesh instead thereof. Gen 2.

4. To cover; to inclose; to encompass; to overwhelm.

The depths closed me round about. Jonah 2.

5. To inclose; to confine. [See Inclose.]

6. To move or bring together; to unite separate bodies or parts; as, to close the ranks of an army.

CLOSE, v.i. s as z.

1. To unite; to coalesce; to come together; as the parts of a wound or fracture, or parts separated; often followed by on or upon.

The fat closed upon the blade. Judg 3.

The earth closed upon them. Num 16.

2. To end; to terminate, or come to a period; as, the debate closed at six oclock.

To close on or upon, to come to a mutual agreement; to agree on or join in.

France and Holland might close upon some measures to our disadvantage.

To close with, to accede to; to consent or agree to; as, to close with the terms proposed. When followed by the person with whom an agreement is made, to make an agreement with; to unite with; as, to close with an enemy.

He took the time when Richard was deposed,

And high and low with happy Harry closed.

In this sense, to close in with is less elegant.

To close with,

To close in with, To unite; to join closely; to grapple, as persons in a contest; applied to wrestlers, when they come to close embrace for scuffling.

CLOSE, a.

1. Shut fast; tight; made fast, so as to have no opening; as a close box; a close vizard.

2. Having parts firmly united; compact; dense; applied to solid substances of any king; as the close texture of wood or metal.

3. Having parts firmly adhering; viscous; tenacious; as oil, or glue.

4. Confined; stagnant; without ventilation or motion; as close air.

5. Confined; retired.

While David kept himself close. 1 Chr 12.

6. Hid; private; secret; as, to keep a purpose close. Num 5. Luke 9.

7. Confined within narrow limits; narrow; as a close alley.

8. Near; within a small distance; as a close fight or action.

9. Joined; in contact or nearly so; crowded; as, to sit close.

10. Compressed, as thoughts or words; hence, brief; concise; opposed to loose or diffuse.

Where the original is close, no version can reach it in the same compass.

11. Very near, in place or time; adjoining, or nearly so.

I saw him come close to the ram. Dan 8.

They sailed close by Crete. Acts 27.

Some dire misfortune follows close behind.

12. Having the quality of keeping secrets, thoughts or designs; cautious; as a close minister. Hence in friendship, trusty; confidential

13. Having an appearance of concealment; implying art, craft or wariness; as a close aspect.

14. Intent; fixed; attentive; pressing upon the object; as, to give close attention.

Keep your mind or thoughts close to the business or subject.

15. Full to the point; home; pressing; as a close argument; bring the argument close to the question.

16. Pressing; earnest; warm; as a close debate.

17. Confined; secluded from communication; as a close prisoner.

18. Covetous; penurious; not liberal; as a close man.

19. Applied to the weather or air, close, in popular language, denotes warm and damp, cloudy or foggy, or warm and relaxing, occasioning a sense of lassitude and depression. Perhaps originally, confined air.

20. Strictly adhering to the original; as a close translation.

21. In heraldry, drawn in a coat of arms with the wings close, and in a standing posture.

Close communion, with baptists, communion in the Lords supper with their own sect only.

Close election, an election in which the votes for different candidates are nearly equal.

CLOSE, adv. Closely; nearly; densely; secretly; pressingly.

Behind her death close followed, pace for pace.

Matthew George Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary; Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language (1828)

The article in Easton + Webster 1828

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE 1915)

kloz, klos verb, adjective and adverb, (kacah, caghar; kammuo): Other words are charah, "to burn"; "Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar?" (Jer 22:15 the King James Version), the Revised Version (British and American) "strivest to excel in cedar," margin "viest with the cedar"; atsam, "to harden"; "Yahweh has closed your eyes" (Isa 29:10); gadhar, "to hedge" or "wall up" (Am 9:11); `atsar, "to restrain" (Ge 20:18). In Lu 4:20, ptusso, "to fold up." the Revised Version (British and American) has "was closed," margin "is opened," for "are open" (Nu 24:3,15), "closed" for "narrow" or "covered" (Eze 40:16; 41:16,26). To "keep close," sigao (Lu 9:36), the Revised Version (British and American) "held their peace." We have also "kept close" (the Revised Version (British and American) Nu 5:13; Hebrew cathar, "to hide"); also Job 28:21; "kept himself close," the Revised Version, margin "shut up" (1Ch 12:1); "close places," micgereth (2Sa 22:46; Ps 18:45 = "castles or holds shut in with high walls").

W. L. Walker

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia — James Orr, general editor and contributors; CrossWire SWORD module ISBE 2.2

The article in ISBE 1915