Prevent

Prevent - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

PREVENT', v.t. [L. proevenio, supra.]

1. To go before; to precede.

I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried. Psa 119.

2. To precede, as something unexpected or unsought.

The days of my affliction prevented me. Job 30.

2 Sam 22.

3. To go before; to precede; to favor by anticipation or by hindering distress or evil.

The God of my mercy shall prevent me. Psa 59.

Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favor.

4. To anticipate.

Their ready guilt preventing thy commands.

5. To preoccupy; to pre-engage; to attempt first.

Thou hast prevented us with overtures of love.

[In all the preceding senses, the word is obsolete.]

6. To hinder; to obstruct; to intercept the approach or access of. This is now the only sense. No foresight or care will prevent every misfortune. Religion supplies consolation under afflictions which cannot be prevented. It is easier to prevent an evil than to remedy it.

Too great confidence in success, is the likeliest to prevent it.

PREVENT', v.i. To come before the usual time. [Not in use.]

pre-vent' (qadham; prophthano, phthano): "Prevent" occurs in the King James Version in the literal but obsolete sense of "to come or go before," "to anticipate," not in the sense of "to hinder." It is the translation of qadham, "to be sharp," "to be in front," "to be beforehand" (2Sa 22:6,19, the Revised Version (British and American) "came upon" Job 3:12, the Revised Version (British and American) "receive"; 30:27, "are come upon"; 41:11, "first given"; Ps 18:5,18, "came upon"; 21:3, the American Standard Revised Version "meetest"; 59:10, the American Standard Revised Version "meet"; 79:8, the American Standard Revised Version "meet"; 88:13, "come before"; 119:147,148, the American Standard Revised Version "anticipated"; Isa 21:14, "did meet"; Am 9:10, the American Standard Revised Version "meet"). In the New Testament prophthano, with same meaning, is translated "prevent" (Mt 17:25, "Jesus prevented him," the Revised Version (British and American) "spake first to him"); phthano (1Th 4:15, "shall not prevent," the Revised Version (British and American) "shall in no wise precede"). "Prevent" in the above sense occurs in The Wisdom of Solomon 6:13, the Revised Version (British and American) "forestalleth" (phthano); 16:28, "we must prevent the sun to give thee thanks," the Revised Version (British and American) "rise before."

W. L. Walker