Bible dictionaries

Piety

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

Easton’s Bible Dictionary & Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Piety - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

Lat. pietas, properly honour and respect toward parents (1 Tim. 5:4). In Acts 17:23 the Greek verb is rendered "ye worship," as applicable to God.

Piety - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

PI'ETY, n. [L. pietas, from pius, or its root, probably a contracted word.]

1. Piety in principle, is a compound of veneration or reverence of the Supreme Being and love of his character, or veneration accompanied with love; and piety in practice, is

the exercise of these affections in obedience to his will and devotion to his service.

Piety is the only proper and adequate relief of decaying man.

2. Reverence of parents or friends, accompanied with affection and devotion to their honor and happiness.

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)

pi'-e-ti: Only in 1Ti 5:4: "Let them learn first to show piety toward their own family," where "let them show piety" represents a single Greek verb (eusebeo), in its only other occurrence (Ac 17:23) being rendered "worship." In Elizabethan English "piety" (like the Latin pietas) could be used of devotion to one's parents (as still in the phrase "filial piety"), as well as of devotion to God. Hence, there is no explicit statement here that filial devotion is one form of divine worship.

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

The article in ISBE 1915

Smith’s Bible Dictionary

This word occurs but once in the Authorized Version: "Let them learn first to show piety at home," better "toward their own household" or family. (1 Timothy 5:4) The choice of this word here instead of the more usual equivalents -of "godliness," "reverence," and the like, was probably determined by the special sense of pietas , as "erga parentes," i.e. toward parents.

William Smith; revised by F. N. Peloubet and M. A. Peloubet; CrossWire SWORD module Smith 1.3

The article in Smith