Presence

Presence - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

PRES'ENCE, n. s as z. [L. proesentia; proe, before, and esse, to be.] The existence of a person or thing in a certain place; opposed to absence. This event happened during the king's presence at the theater. In examining the patient, the presence of fever was not observed. The presence of God is not limited to any place.

1. A being in company near or before the face of another. We were gratified with the presence of a person so much respected.

2. Approach face to face or nearness of a great personage.

Men that very presence fear,

Which once they knew authority did bear.

3. State of being in view; sight. An accident happened in the presence of the court.

4. By way of distinction, state of being in view of a superior.

I know not by what pow'r I am made bold,

In such a presence here to plead my thoughts.

5. A number assembled before a great person.

Odmar, of all this presence does contain,

Give her your wreath whom you esteem most fair.

6. Port; mien; air; personal appearance; demeanor.

Virtue is best in a body that is comely, and that has rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect.

A graceful presence bespeaks acceptance.

7. The apartment in which a prince shows himself to his court.

An't please your grace, the two great cardinals.

Wait in the presence.

8. The person of a superior.

Presence of mind, a calm, collected state of the mind with its faculties at command; undisturbed state of the thoughts, which enables a person to speak or act without disorder or embarrassment in unexpected difficulties.

Errors, not to be recalled, do find

Their best redress from presence of the mind.

prez'-ens: In the Old Testament nearly always the rendition of panim, "face" (Ge 3:8; Ex 33:14 f; Ps 95:2; Isa 63:9, etc.); occasionally of `ayin, "eye" (Ge 23:11; De 25:9; Jer 28:1,11, etc.); and in 1Ki 8:22; Pr 14:7, "the presence of" represents the preposition neghedh, "before"; compare also Aramaic qodham, in Da 2:27 the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) "before"). In Greek, "presence" has an exact equivalent in parousia, but this word is rendered "presence" only in 2Co 10:10; Php 2:12; the Revised Version (British and American); Php 1:26 (the King James Version "coming"). Elsewhere parousia is rendered "coming," but always with "presence" in the margin. Otherwise in the New Testament "presence" represents no particular word but is introduced where it seems to suit the context (compare e.g. Ac 3:13 the King James Version and Ac 3:19).

See PAROUSIA.

Burton Scott Easton