Sure

Sure - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

SURE, a. shure. [L. assevero, and to be connected with swear, and perhaps with L. verus; s being the remains of a prefix.]

1. Certain; unfailing; infallible.

The testimony of the Lord is sure. Psa 19.

We have also a more sure word of prophecy. 2 Pet 1.

2. Certainly knowing, or having full confidence.

We are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth-- Rom 2.

Now we are sure that thou knowest all things. John 16.

3. Certain; safe; firm; permanent.

Thy kingdom shall be sure to thee. Dan 4.

4. Firm; stable; steady; not liable to failure, loss or change; as a sure covenant. 2 Sam 23. Neh 9. Isa 28.

The Lord will make my lord a sure house. 1 Sam 25.

So we say, to stand sure, to be sure of foot.

5. Certain of obtaining or of retaining; as, to be sure of game; to be sure of success; to be sure of life or health.

6. Strong; secure; not liable to be broken or disturbed.

Go your way, make it as sure as ye can. Math.27.

7. Certain; not liable to failure. The income is sure.

To be sure, or be sure, certainly. Shall you go? be sure I shall.

To make sure, to make certain; to secure so that there can be no failure of the purpose or object.

Make sure of Cato.

A peace cannot fail, provided we make sure of Spain.

Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure. 2 Pet 1.

SURE, adv. Certainly; without doubt; doubtless.

Sure the queen would wish him still unknown.

[But in this sense, surely is more generally used.]

Surely - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

SU'RELY, adv. Certainly; infallibly; undoubtedly.

In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. Gen 2.

He that created something out of nothing, surely can raise great things out of small.

1. Firmly; without danger of falling.

He that walketh uprightly, walketh surely. Prov 10.

shoor, shoor'-li: In modern English is used chiefly in the phrases "to be sure" or "to make sure," and as a simple adjective it is usually either archaic or exceedingly colloquial. The adjectival use, however, is common (chiefly for 'aman, "to confirm," and its derivatives) in English Versions of the Bible, where modern English would prefer "secure" or "certain" (1Sa 2:35; /RAPC Sir 40:25; Ac 13:34, etc.). "To be sure that" is also fairly common in the King James Version, and occasionally (as in De 12:23, "Be sure that thou eat not the blood," for chazaq, "to be firm") it has rather more emphasis than in modern English. But usually the phrase is a mere periphrasis for some word meaning "to know" (compare the Revised Version (British and American) Ex 3:19; Lu 10:11; Ro 2:2, etc.). In Pr 6:3, the King James Version has "Make sure thy friend" for rahabh, "be boisterous" "beset" the Revised Version (British and American) "importune." The sense is "Force him to pay his debt."

Surely in English Versions of the Bible is used almost always to qualify an entire phrase, as in Ge 28:16, "Surely Yahweh is in this place." In modern English "surely" used in this way suggests that the statement is being argued and is therefore slightly doubtful, but in Elizabethan English the purpose is to exclude all doubt ("beyond question"). With this force the King James Version uses "surely" to translate almost any emphatic form, and the Revised Version (British and American) has conformed to AV's use, and such changes as have been made by the Revised Version (British and American) (Mt 26:73; Lu 4:23; Re 22:20, etc.) are merely to preserve uniformity of rendition. The most common use of "surely" in this sense is to translate a verb when emphasized by its own part. (absolute inf. in Hebrew), as "Thou shalt, surely die" (Ge 2:17) for "dying thou shalt die" (compare Ge 22:17 for the Hebrew construction). In this sense "surely" is sometimes varied by "of a surety" (Ge 15:13, etc.) without the slightest difference in meaning (compare Ge 9:5 and 26:9). In addition "surely" is used occasionally as a simple adverb where modern English would prefer "securely" or "certainly" (compare Pr 10:9 and the King James Version Lu 1:1, "surely believed," the Revised Version (British and American) "fulfilled," the Revised Version margin "fully established").

Surety, besides its use in "of a surety" appears, in the Old Testament to translate `arabh, "to be surety," and in Heb 7:22 for egguos, "guarantor," "giver of security." Modern English prefers "security," as does even the King James Version in Ac 17:9. "Suretiship" (the American Standard Revised Version "suretyship") in Proverbs 11:15 for taqa`, "to strike (hands)."

See STRIKE; SURETY.

Burton Scott Easton