| Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Elusive; sly in design; insinuating; refined; as, a subtle difference. 2. (superl.) Cunningly devised; crafty; treacherous; as, a subtle stratagem. 3. (superl.) Characterized by refinement and niceness in drawing distinctions; nicely discriminating; -- said of persons; as, a subtle logician; refined; tenuous; sinuous; insinuating; hence, penetrative or pervasive; -- said of the mind; its faculties, or its operations; as, a subtle intellect; a subtle imagination; a subtle process of thought; also, difficult of apprehension; elusive. 4. (superl.) Smooth and deceptive. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia SUBTIL; SUBTLE; SUBTLETY; SUBTILTY sub'-til, sut'-'-l, sut'-'-l-ti (chakham, nakhal, mirmah; dolos): These words are used
(1) in a good sense: 2 Samuel 13:3, chakham, "wise," "Jonadab was a very subtle (the American Standard Revised Version "subtle") man" (discreet); Proverbs 1:4, `ormah, "prudence," "to give subtlety to the simple," the American Standard Revised Version and the English Revised Version margin "prudence"; The Wisdom of Solomon 7:22, leptos, "thin," said of the spirit in Wisdom (very fine or refined); 8:8, strophe, "winding," "subtilties of speeches"; Ecclesiasticus 39:2, "subtil parables," the Revised Version (British and American) "the subtleties of parables";
(2) in a bad sense: Genesis 3:1, `arum, "crafty," "Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field," the American Standard Revised Version "subtle."
Genesis 27:35, mirmah, "deceit," "fraud," "Thy brother came with subtlety," the Revised Version (British and American) "with guile"; Psalm 105:25, nakhal, "to deceive," the King James Version "deal subtlely," the American Standard Revised Version "subtly"; Proverbs 7:10, natsar, "to watch," "guard," "to be hidden or subtle of heart," the Revised Version (British and American) "wily," margin " `close,' Hebrew `guarded' "; 2 Kings 10:19, `oqebhah, "deceit" or "treachery" (here only); Judith 5:11, katasophizo, "to use subtlety"; Ecclesiasticus 19:25, panourgia, "cunning," "unscrupulousness," "There is an exquisite subtlety, and the same is unjust"; 2 Corinthians 11:3, "The serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety," the Revised Version (British and American) "in his craftiness"; Matthew 26:4, dolos, "deceit," "that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him"; Acts 13:10, "O full of all subtlety and all mischief," the Revised Version (British and American) "all guile and all villany."
English Revised Version has "subtilty" for "wisdom" (Proverbs 8:5, 12), margin and the American Standard Revised Version, "prudence"; for "with subtlety" (the English Revised Version Mark 14:1, the King James Version "by craft") the American Standard Revised Version has "with subtlety."
W. L. Walker |  | Multi-Version Concordance Subtle (5 Occurrences) Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, "Has God really said,'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?'" (WEB JPS ASV RSV) 2 Samuel 13:3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man. (WEB JPS ASV) 2 Samuel 22:27 With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward. (See JPS) Psalms 18:26 With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward. (See JPS) Proverbs 7:10 And behold, there met him a woman in the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart. (DBY) |
