Gain

Gain - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

GAIN, v.t. [Heb. to gain, to possess.]

1. To obtain by industry or the employment of capital; to get as profit or advantage; to acquire. Any industrious person may gain a good living in America; but it is less difficult to gain property, than it is to use it with prudence. Money at interest may gain five, six, or seven per cent.

What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world,and lose his own soul? Mat 16.

2. To win; to obtain by superiority or success; as, to gain a battle or a victory; to gain a prize; to gain a cause in law.

3. To obtain; to acquire; to procure; to receive; as, to gain favor; to gain reputation.

For fame with toil we gain, but lose with ease.

4. To obtain an increase of anything; as, to gain time.

5. To obtain or receive anything, good or bad; as, to gain harm and loss. Acts 27.

6. To draw into any interest or party; to win to one's side; to conciliate.

To gratify the queen,and gain the court.

If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Mat 18.

7. To obtain as a suitor.

8. To reach; to attain to; to arrive at; as, to gain the top of a mountain; to gain a good harbor.

To gain into, to draw or persuade to join in.

He gained Lepidus into his measures.

To gain over, to draw to another party or interest; to win over.

To gain ground, to advance in any undertaking; to prevail; to acquire strength or extent; to increase.

GAIN, v.i. To have advantage or profit; to grow rich; to advance in interest or happiness.

Thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by extortion. Ezek 22.

1. To encroach; to advance on; to come forward by degrees; with on; as, the ocean or river gains on the land.

2. To advance nearer; to gain ground on; with on; as, a fleet horse gains on his competitor.

3. To get ground; to prevail against or have the advantage.

The English have not only gained upon the Venetians in the Levant, but have their cloth in Venice itself.

4. To obtain influence with.

My good behavior had so far gained on the emperor,that I began to conceive hopes of liberty.

To gain the wind, in sea language, is to arrive on the windward side of another ship.

GAIN, n. Profit; interest; something obtained as an advantage.

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Phil 3.

1. Unlawful advantage. 2 Cor 12.

2. Overplus in computation; any thing opposed to loss.

GAIN, n. In architecture, a beveling shoulder; a lapping of timbers, or the cut that is made for receiving a timber.

GAIN, a. Handy; dexterous.

gan: In the Old Testament the translation of three Hebrew substantives, betsa`, "unjust gain," "any gain" (Jud 5:19; Job 22:3; Pr 1:19; 15:27; Isa 33:15; 56:11; Eze 22:13,17; Mic 4:13); mechir, "price" for which a thing is sold (Da 11:39, the only place where the Hebrew word is translated "gain" in the King James Version, though it occurs in other places translated "price"); tebhu'ah, "produce," "profits," "fruit" (Pr 3:14). It is the translation of one Hebrew verb, batsa`, "to gain dishonestly" (Job 27:8); of one Aramaic verb, zebhan, "to buy," "procure for oneself" (Da 2:8, here used of buying time, i.e. "seeking delay" (Gesenius)).

In the New Testament, the translation of three Greek substantives, ergasia, "gain gotten by work," "profit" (Ac 16:16,19; 19:24 (the King James Version)); kerdos, "gain," "advantage" (Php 2:1; 3:7, in the former, Paul asserting that to him to die was a personal advantage, because then he would "be with Christ"; in the latter, he counts as "loss" his personal privileges in the flesh, when compared with "the excellency of the knowledge of Christ"); porismos, "gain," "a source of gain" (1Ti 6:5,6, where the apostle asserts, not "gain" (earthly) is godliness, but godliness is "gain" (real, abiding)).

It is the translation of three Greek vbs., kerdaino, "to gain," "acquire," in Mt 16:26, where Jesus teaches that the soul, or life in its highest sense ("his own self," Lu 9:25), is worth more than the "gaining" of the whole (material) world; Mt 18:15, concerning the winning of a sinning brother by private interview; Mt 25:17,22, the parable of the Talents; Ac 27:21 the King James Version, injury "gained," sustained, by sailing from Crete; 1Co 9:19,20 bis, 21,22, all referring to Paul's life-principle of accommodation to others to "gain," win, them to Christ; in Jas 4:13 used in a commercial sense; poieo, "to make," "make gain" (Lu 19:18 the King James Version, the parable of the Pounds); prosergazomai, "to gain by trading" (Lu 19:16, commercial use, in the same parallel).

Charles B. Williams