Bible dictionaries

Restitution

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

Easton’s Bible Dictionary & Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Restitution - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

RESTITU'TION, n. [L. restitutio.]

1. The act of returning or restoring to a person some thing or right of which he has been unjustly deprived; as the restitution of ancient rights to the crown.

Restitution is made by restoring a specific thing taken away or lost.

2. The act of making good, or of giving an equivalent for any loss, damage or injury; indemnification.

He restitution to the value makes.

3. The act of recovering a former state or posture. [Unusual.]

Restitution of all things, the putting the world in a holy and happy state. Acts 3.

Matthew George Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary; Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language (1828)

The article in Easton + Webster 1828

Easton’s Bible Dictionary & Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Restore - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

RESTO'RE, v.t. [L. restauro. This is a compound of re and the root of store, story, history. The primary sense is to set, to lay or to throw, as in Gr. solid.]

1. To return to a person, as a specific thing which he has lost, or which has been taken from him and unjustly detained. We restore lost or stolen goods to the owner.

Now therefore restore to the man his wife. Gen 20.

2. To replace; to return; as a person or thing to a former place.

Pharaoh shall restore thee to thy place. Gen 40.

3. To bring back.

The father banish'd virtue shall restore.

4. To bring back or recover from lapse, degeneracy, declension or ruin to its former state.

- Loss of Eden, till one greater man restore it, and regain the blissful seat.

- Our fortune restored after the severest afflictions.

5. To heal; to cure; to recover from disease.

His hand was restored whole like as the other. Mat 12.

6. To make restitution or satisfaction for a thing taken, by returning something else, or something of different value.

He shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. Exo 22.

7. To give for satisfaction for pretended wrongs something not taken. Psa 69.

8. To repair; to rebuild; as, to restore and to build Jerusalem. Dan 9.

9. To revive; to resuscitate; to bring back to life.

Whose son he had restored to life. 2 Ki 8.

10. To return or bring back after absence. Heb 13.

11. To bring to a sense of sin and amendment of life.

Gal 6.

12. To renew or re-establish after interruption; as, peace is restored. Friendship between the parties is restored.

13. To recover or renew, as passages of an author obscured or corrupted; as, to restore the true reading.

RE'STORE, v.t. [re and store.] To store again. The goods taken out were restored.

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)

res-ti-tu'-shun.

See PUNISHMENTS.

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

The article in ISBE 1915

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE 1915)

res-to-ra'-shun: The idea of a restoration of the world had its origin in the preaching of the Old Testament prophets. Their faith in the unique position and mission of Israel as the chosen people of God inspired in them the conviction that the destruction of the nation would eventually be followed by a restoration under conditions that would insure the realization of the original divine purpose. When the restoration came and passed without fulfillment of this hope, the Messianic era was projected into the future. By the time of Jesus the conception became more or less spiritualized, and the anticipation of a new order in which the consequences of sin would no longer appear was a prominent feature of the Messianic conception. In the teaching of Jesus and the apostles such a restoration is taken for granted as a matter of course.

In Mt 17:11 (compare Mr 9:12), the moral and spiritual regeneration preached by John the Baptist is described as a restoration and viewed as a fulfillment of Mal 4:6. It is "to be observed, however, that the work of John could be characterized as restoration only in the sense of an inception of the regeneration that was to be completed by Jesus. In Mt 19:28 Jesus speaks of a regeneration (palingenesia) of the world in terms that ascribe to the saints a state of special felicity. Perhaps the most pointed expression of the idea of restoration as a special event or crisis is found in the address of Peter (Ac 3:21), where the restoration is described as an apokatastasis panton, and is viewed as a fulfillment of prophecy.

In all the passages cited the restoration is assumed as a matter with which the hearers are familiar, and consequently its nature is not unfolded. The evidence is, therefore, too limited to justify any attempt to outline its special features. Under such circumstances there is grave danger of reading into the language of the Scriptures one's own conception of what the restoration is to embody. We are probably expressing the full warrant of the Scripture when we say that the reconstruction mentioned in these passages contemplates the restoration of man, under the reign of Christ, to a life in which the consequences of sin are no longer present, and that this reconstruction is to include in some measure a regeneration of both the physical and the spiritual world.

Whether the benefits of the restoration are to accrue to all men is also left undefined in the Scriptures. In the passages already cited only the disciples of Christ appear in the field of vision. Certain sayings of Jesus are sometimes regarded as favorable to the more inclusive view. In Joh 12:32 Jesus speaks of drawing all men to Himself, but here, as in Joh 3:14,15, it is to be observed that while Christ's sacrifice includes all men in its scope, its benefits will doubtless accrue to those only who respond willingly to His drawing power. The saying of Caiaphas (Joh 11:52) is irrelevant, for the phrase, "the children of God that are scattered abroad," probably refers only to the worthy Jews of the dispersion. Neither can the statements of Paul (Ro 11:32; 1Co 15:22; Eph 1:9,10; Col 1:20; 1Ti 2:4; 4:10; Tit 2:11) be pressed in favor of the restorationist view. They affirm only that God's plan makes provision for the redemption of all, and that His saving will is universal. But men have wills of their own, and whether they share in the benefits of the salvation provided depends on their availing themselves of its privileges. The doctrine of the restoration of all can hardly be deduced from the New Testament.

See also PUNISHMENT, EVERLASTING.

Russell Benjamin Miller

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

The article in ISBE 1915

Translation Words

Definition

The terms “restore” and “restoration” refer to causing something to return to its original place or condition.

  • When a diseased body part is restored, this means it has been “healed.”
  • A broken relationship that is restored has been “reconciled.” God restores sinful people and brings them back to himself.
  • If people have been restored to their home country, they have been “brought back” or “returned” to that country.

Translation Suggestions

  • Depending on the context, ways to translate “restore” could include “renew” or “repay” or “return” or “heal” or “bring back.”
  • Other expressions for this term could be “make new” or “make like new again.”
  • When property is “restored,” it has been “repaired” or “replaced” or “given back” to its owner.
  • Depending on the context, “restoration” could be translated as “renewal” or “healing” or “reconciliation.”

Bible References

Word Data

The original work by unfoldingWord is available from https://www.unfoldingword.org/utw. Bible Strong converted the Markdown and resource links to its dictionary schema and normalized Bible references.

The article in Translation Words