Bible dictionaries

Mastery

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

Easton’s Bible Dictionary & Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Mastery - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

M`ASTERY, n. Dominion; power of governing or commanding.

If divided by mountains, they will fight for the mastery of the passages of the tops--

1. Superiority in competition; preeminence.

Every man that striveth for the mystery, is temperate in all things. 1 Cor 9.

2. Victory in war.

It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery. Exo 32.

3. Eminent skill; superior dexterity.

He could attain to a mastery in all languages.

4. Attainment of eminent skill or power.

The learning and mastery of a tongue being unpleasant in itself, should not be cumbered with other difficulties.

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)

mas'-ter-i, gebhurah, shelet, Aramaic; agonizomai, athleo): "Mastery" occurs twice in the Old Testament and twice in the King James Version of the New Testament: in Ex 32:18 (gebhurah, "might"), "the voice of them that shout for mastery"; in Da 6:24 ([~shelet, "to have power"), "The lions had the mastery of them"; in 1Co 9:25, agonizomai, "to contend for a prize," to be a combatant in the public games, is translated "striveth for the mastery," the Revised Version (British and American) "striventh in the games"; and in 2Ti 2:5, athelo, with the same meaning, is translated "strive for masteries," the Revised Version (British and American) "contend in the games." From the Greek we have the words "athlete," etc..

W. L. Walker

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

The article in ISBE 1915