Bible dictionaries
Countervail
What Bible dictionaries say about “Countervail”, one article after the other.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary & Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
Countervail - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)
COUNTERVAIL, v.t. [counter and L., to avail or be strong.] To act against with equal force, or power; to equal; to act with equivalent effect against any thing; to balance; to compensate.
The profit will hardly countervail the inconveniences.
Although the enemy could not countervail the kings damage. Est 7.
COUNTERVAIL, n. Equal weight or strength; power or value sufficient to obviate any effect; equal weight or value; compensation; requital.
Matthew George Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary; Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language (1828)
The article in Easton + Webster 1828International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE 1915)
koun-ter-val' (shawah, "equalize"): To thwart or overcome by acting against with equal force; thus, "The enemy could not countervail the king's damage" or loss (Es 7:4 the American Standard Revised Version reads "The adversary could not have compensated for the king's damage"). "Nothing doth countervail (the Revised Version (British and American) "can be taken in exchange for") a faithful friend" (Ecclesiasticus 6:15).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia — James Orr, general editor and contributors; CrossWire SWORD module ISBE 2.2
The article in ISBE 1915