Easton's Bible Dictionary Strain at Simply a misprint for "strain out" (Matthew 23:24). Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Race; stock; generation; descent; family. 2. (n.) Hereditary character, quality, or disposition. 3. (n.) Rank; a sort. 4. (v.) To draw with force; to extend with great effort; to stretch; as, to strain a rope; to strain the shrouds of a ship; to strain the cords of a musical instrument. 5. (v.) To act upon, in any way, so as to cause change of form or volume, as forces on a beam to bend it. 6. (v.) To exert to the utmost; to ply vigorously. 7. (v.) To stretch beyond its proper limit; to do violence to, in the matter of intent or meaning; as, to strain the law in order to convict an accused person. 8. (v.) To injure by drawing, stretching, or the exertion of force; as, the gale strained the timbers of the ship. 9. (v.) To injure in the muscles or joints by causing to make too strong an effort; to harm by overexertion; to sprain; as, to strain a horse by overloading; to strain the wrist; to strain a muscle. 10. (v.) To squeeze; to press closely. 11. (v.) To make uneasy or unnatural; to produce with apparent effort; to force; to constrain. 12. (v.) To urge with importunity; to press; as, to strain a petition or invitation. 13. (v.) To press, or cause to pass, through a strainer, as through a screen, a cloth, or some porous substance; to purify, or separate from extraneous or solid matter, by filtration; to filter; as, to strain milk through cloth. 14. (v. i.) To make violent efforts. 15. (v. i.) To percolate; to be filtered; as, water straining through a sandy soil. 16. (n.) The act of straining, or the state of being strained. 17. (n.) A violent effort; an excessive and hurtful exertion or tension, as of the muscles; as, he lifted the weight with a strain; the strain upon a ship's rigging in a gale; also, the hurt or injury resulting; a sprain. 18. (n.) A change of form or dimensions of a solid or liquid mass, produced by a stress. 19. (n.) A portion of music divided off by a double bar; a complete musical period or sentence; a movement, or any rounded subdivision of a movement. 20. (n.) Any sustained note or movement; a song; a distinct portion of an ode or other poem; also, the pervading note, or burden, of a song, poem, oration, book, etc.; theme; motive; manner; style; also, a course of action or conduct; as, he spoke in a noble strain; there was a strain of woe in his story; a strain of trickery appears in his career. 21. (n.) Turn; tendency; inborn disposition. Cf. 1st Strain. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia STRAIN stran (diulizo, "to strain off," "to filter"): Matthew 23:24, "Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel" The imagery is that of a drinking-vessel full of liquid, from which tiny impurities are carefully removed while immense masses of other impure matter (Leviticus 11:4) are overlooked (compare Matthew 7:3). The first edition of the King James Version read the same as the Revised Version (British and American), but in the later editions a misprint converted "strain out" into "strain at," an error that has never been corrected.

Multi-Version Concordance Strain (5 Occurrences) Matthew 23:24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel! (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Luke 13:24 "Strain every nerve to force your way in through the narrow gate," He answered; "for multitudes, I tell you, will endeavour to find a way in and will not succeed. (WEY) Exodus 18:23 If you will do this thing, and God commands you so, then you will be able to endure, and all of these people also will go to their place in peace." (See NIV) Ecclesiastes 2:22 For what hath a man of all his labour, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboureth under the sun? (See RSV) Isaiah 22:4 Therefore said I, Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; labor not to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people. (See JPS)